If you’re wondering, yes, all of these questions actually have been asked, as specific or as general as some of them may sound.
If you have other questions, feel free to send email to [email protected]
You may click on any one of the questions in the “Index of Questions” for a shortcut to the answer; or you may browse all of the questions and answers in the “Full Q&A.”
General Questions
- Do you deliver every image you shoot?
- Does your studio provide videography services?
- Do you do destination weddings?
- Have you shot at my venue before?
- Which Master Photographer will be shooting my wedding?
- Do you provide partial day coverage?
- Do you shoot in JPEG, Small Raw, or Large Raw?
- Do you shoot Quinceaneras, Debutants, Bah Mitzvahs, or Corporate Events?
- Does your studio do Headshots, Individual Portraits, Family Portraits, or Product Photography?
Style and Quality Questions
- What is your philosophy regarding photography?
- What is your photography style?
- My venue is really dark. How does your studio handle these situations and can I see samples?
- Are there style or quality differences among the master photographers?
Post Production Questions
- Do you touch up all the images on our image download?
- What do you mean by “touching up” the photos?
- What is the difference between signature (basic) and advanced?
- What is the difference between advanced post production and custom post production; and why are there additional costs for custom post production?
Wedding Day Questions
- How many hours do you suggest we set aside for wedding day photos?
- I have a lot of downtime in between events on my wedding day. Will I be charged for that downtime?
- What happens if we go over the contracted amount of time?
- Why do we need to charge for additional coverage?
Engagement Session Questions
- When can we expect to see our photo’s from our engagement session?
- When should we do our engagement session?
- Can we schedule our engagement session for the weekend?
- How many images do you typically deliver from and engagement session? From a wedding?
- I really like it when you Photoshop our name and date into the save-the-dates, is that included in the package pricing?
- When and where can we view our engagement pictures?
Image Download Questions and Legal Questions
- What size can we print our photos up to with our full resolution images?
- What rights do I have to the digital prints?
- Do you provide the RAW files from my engagement session and wedding day?
- How many images do you deliver on the image download?
- Do you provide the digital negatives after the shoot?
- What if I lose my images?
Albums, Prints, Framing, Sign-In Books, and Slideshow Questions
- How long does it take to get my prints?
- How long does it take to get my album?
- How long does it take to get my sign-in book?
- What albums companies do you offer?
- Can I add more pages and images to my album?
- How do I get started on my wedding album?
- How do I get started on my engagement album?
- Do you guys provide framing services as well?
Equipment Questions
- What type of camera/equipment do you use?
Business Insurance and Image Backup Questions
- Do you backup our images? How can we ensure that our images won’t be lost?
- Do you have Liability Insurance?
Meeting Policies
- We live out-of-town. Is it possible for our family/friends to meet with you instead?
- We’re really busy and won’t be able to meet. What are our other options?
- Do you travel to meet clients?
- How do I set up an appointment to meet you in person and see some of your work?
Payment and Tax Questions
- How do I reserve you for my date?
- What if we exceed our contracted time for our engagement shoot and/or wedding day coverage?
- Is there an additional fee if we pay via credit card?
- If we cancel the wedding will we receive our deposit back?
- If we change our wedding to a different date will we be able to use our deposit towards a future date?
- Are there travel fees associated with the Engagement Session and/or Wedding Day shoot(s)?
- Why do you charge travel fees?
- Do you offer any discounts on weekday weddings, Sunday weddings, or weddings during the offseason?
- If I pay for my package in cash will we be able to avoid paying sales tax or receive a discounts?
”Full Q&A”
You may choose to navigate the list of questions using the index above or you may read the full Q&A below. The Q&A is divided into sections based on the topic. If you have further questions, email our studio manager at [email protected]
Q: “Do you deliver every image you shoot?”
A: No we do not. We eliminate duplicate images, test shots, missed focused shots, shots with bad expressions and other images that may dilute the overall product delivery. For example, because we shoot with low apertures, sometimes we take a few extra shots to make sure we have the perfect focus. We don’t expect you to have the expertise or the time to zoom into each image to select the one with the sharpest focus, so we spend hours doing that on our end. In another example, candid laughs and emotional tears are some of the best images from the day. Unfortunately, they can also yield some unflattering facial expressions. We might snap a few extras of any of these moments to make sure we have a great shot with the ideal expression for the moment. With our expertise if processing millions of images each year, we may eliminate ones that we feel are duplicates and only deliver the best one.
Q: “Does your studio provide videography services?”
A: Yes. To see examples of our videography services, click here
Q: “Have you shot at my venue before?”
A: We have shot at hundreds of venues so there is a good chance that we have. If we have not however we will be sure to perform a thorough walkthrough with you prior to your wedding day.
Q: “Do you guys do destination weddings? What additional fees are associated with destination weddings?”
A: While Lin and Jirsa Wedding Photography is based out of Los Angeles and Orange County, we serve clients all around the world. Our destination wedding photography packages are simply our standard packages plus the cost of travel and reasonable accommodations if necessary. Because of our frequent trips to the San Francisco Bay Area, special, lower rates may apply depending on the specific circumstances. Email [email protected] jameschasemedia.com for details.
Q: “Which Master Photographer will be shooting my wedding?”
A: The master photographer you meet with will be the master photographer for your engagement session and wedding. Don’t worry, we’re not going to have some random person show up on your big day! You may request to meet with a specific photographer, otherwise we’ll make the decision based on availability, language abilities, and your referral. For example, if Chris shot the wedding of your friend who referred you to us, he would likely be the one meeting with you; or if you needed a Cantonese speaker, Pye or Justin would likely meet with you. If you are wondering whether there are differences in style and quality between the master photographers, click here.
Q: “Do you provide partial day coverage?”
A: We do not provide partial day coverage on weekends. On weekends we only accept clients that require at least 8 hours of coverage or have a budget of $3,000.00 and above.
Q: “Does your studio do headshots, individual portraits, family portraits, commercial photography, or other types of photography?”
A: Although we do have experience in most other fields of photography, we prefer to excel and focus on wedding and event photography. If you need a good referral, feel free to contact us.
Q: “Do you shoot Quinceaneras, Debutants, Bah Mitzvahs, or Corporate Events?”
A: Yes. These are all considered ‘event photography.’ We have chosen to focus and excel at wedding and event photography; and we would love to cover your celebration.
Back to the Top
Q: “What is your philosophy regarding photography?”
A: Please click here for details on our wedding photography philosophy.
Q: “What is your photography style?”
A: The Lin and Jirsa Wedding Photography team is acclaimed for developing a unique style of wedding photography that is deeply rooted in wedding photojournalism while influenced by fine-art and fashion photography. We love using creative lighting, unique perspectives, angles, compositions and artistic post production refining to bring out our clients personalities and beauty while telling their wedding story. We pride ourselves on not just being photographers, but rather artists creating unique and expressive imagery. To see examples of our quality and style, please visit our Portfolio as well as our Blog.
Q: “Can I see a full event from start to finish?”
A: Of course you may! We pride ourselves on the consistency of our work. We understand all photographers put up their best shots from each wedding on their websites so it’s hard to determine how well he or she will perform on the wedding day. That is why we encourage all of our potential clients to view full events from all photographers they meet with to see how well the photographer performs throughout the day.
Q: “My venue is really dark. How does your studio handle these situations and can I see samples?”
A: We have shot in the darkest of dark chapels and reception halls so no need to worry! If the situation allows, we will set up additional lighting to ensure we get bright crisp pictures. Some chapels do not allow for flash photography; and for that reason, we shoot on camera’s with superb low-light performance and lenses with low apertures (check out our Toolkit here).
Back to the Top
Q: “Are there style or quality difference among the 3 master photographers?”
A: No. We take every measure to ensure consistent style and quality among our 3 master photographers. First off, all our master photographers started training at the exact same time under the same mentors. We’ve all been in business ever since, developing the unique style you see in our work; and once a week, our studio gets together and reviews images together to ensure that our quality and style are consistent. If one person learns a new trick or technique, he shares it with the other two; and on the other hand, all mistakes, whether major or minor are scrutinized by the team in our weekly review sessions. We guarantee that the quality and style of photography you receive will be consistent.
Q: “Do you touch up all the images in our image download?”
A: Yes we do. Every image we deliver is post produced with our unique style of basic post production. This involves color correction, exposure adjustment, selective black and white processing, clarity adjustments, tone-mapping, and other corrections. Many photographers will not post produce any, or will only post produce “select” images from your wedding. This means that you may have pictures that are too dark, have strange skin tones, or other common photography flaws.
Q: “What do you mean by “”touching up”” the photo’s?”
A: “Touching up” in our studio is the same as signature (basic) post production. See the question below for clarification.
Q: “What is the difference between signature (basic) and advanced post-production?”
See http://www.linandjirsa.com/lin-and-jirsa-post-production-styles for more information on our Post Production Styles
Q: What is the difference between advanced and custom; and why are there additional costs for custom retouch?
A: Advanced post production includes touch ups such as removal of blemishes, removal of bags under eyes, removal of fly-away hairs, etc. On the other hand, custom post production is anything that requires extensive, custom work in Photoshop such as removing entire objects from the scene, changing the size and shape of body parts or other objects in the scene, adding objects to a scene, and other custom work. We charge hourly for the custom post production, as the time required ranges depending on the complexity of the project. Please contact our studio manager for a quote for custom post production.
Q: “Do you shoot in JPEG, Small Raw, or Large Raw?”
A: We shoot most of our images in Small Raw with certain situations where we move to Large Raw. For our reasoning, please see this section on the Photography Misconceptions page of our website: Small Raw Vs. Large Raw
Back to the Top
Q: “How many hours do you suggest we set aside for wedding day photo’s?”
A: The amount of time we suggest you set aside for photos depends on the time of day.
Preparation Shots – Duration: 1.5 hours
Ideally we would have 45 minutes for the girls and 45 minutes with the guys.
Couples session – Duration: 1 hour to 1.5 hours
We highly suggest doing this before the ceremony in conjunction with a “first look.” That way you can enjoy the rest of your day without having to worry about taking too much time out for photo’s. Also this is when the makeup and hair are fresh. We’ll set up a first look moment so it’ll still be a surprise when you see each other. Be sure to give us at least a full hour so we can capture the amazing shots you see in our portfolio.
Family Formals – Duration: 1 hour
Have a list of pictures that you want with your family/friends right after the ceremony. Typically this is done at the altar but we can do it any location you’d like. Also, have one person from each side of the family that is really organized (and loud) to move people in and out of photo’s.
Bridal Party (Optional) – Duration: 0.5 hour to 1 hour
This is where we take the bridal party out for some fun shots. This is also nice to handle before the ceremony so that you can rest and enjoy your day afterwards.
Q: “I have a lot of downtime in between events on my wedding day. Will I be charged for that downtime?”
A: For a variety of reasons, we have to charge for the time in between events. The fact is, we’re never truly resting during the day, whether we’re backing up images, setting up for the second venue, traveling to the second location, taking venue shots, or making up for lost photo time because of wedding day delays. In many cases, we use that “”downtime”” to take you and your significant other out for a photo session or more family portraits.
Back to the Top
Q: “What happens if we go over the contracted amount of time?”
A: We understand that not everything goes as planned during a wedding. We never pack up before the contracted time; and moreover we’re not leaving on the dot when the contracted time is up. Instead, we will ask you at the end of your contracted time whether or not you would like to extend. If you would like us to stay, we will charge the rates specified in your contract rounded to the closest 15 minute increment.
Back to the Top
Q: “Why do we need to charge for additional coverage?”
A: We’ve dedicated the entire day to your wedding, so we won’t be racing off to catch other plans that evening. However, we need to charge for additional coverage primarily because there are additional costs of having the team stay for additional hours. The lighting assistants and second shooters all require additional compensation. Furthermore, the additional photos taken all need to be post produced, adding to our overall costs.
Back to the Top
Q: “When can we expect to see our photo’s from our engagement session?”
A: Post production for engagement sessions are completed within four weeks after the date of the shoot. If you require the images to be completed prior to four weeks after the date of the shoot, a rush-process fee of $100.00 will be charged.
Q: “When should we do our engagement session?”
A: We encourage you to do your engagement session as soon as possible. The latest we suggest is at least eight weeks prior to the wedding date due to the time necessary to post produce each image (4 weeks) and complete your product order(s) (4 weeks). See the engagement session post production delivery time and engagement session product delivery time FAQ’s for more details.
Q: “Can we schedule our engagement session for the weekend?”
Because most weddings occur on weekends, we do not shoot engagement sessions on weekends. If you can only do your engagement session on weekends, we can tentatively schedule your engagement session on a weekend, however, if a wedding is scheduled for that weekend later on, we will have to reschedule your engagement session. There will also be an additional charge ($250) for weekend engagement sessions because the few weekends we have free, we spend with our families. We also like to shoot on weekdays because locations are typically less crowded.”
Q: “How many images do you typically deliver from and engagement session? From a wedding?”
We typically deliver anywhere from 50-100 images per 3 hour engagement shoot and for weddings we typically deliver 100 images per hour.
Q: “I really like it when you Photoshop our name and date into the save-the-dates, is that included in the package pricing?”
Custom save-the-date images are priced at $100 per image and can be added on to any package through our website
Q: “When and where can we view our engagement pictures?”
Your engagement session images will be completed within four weeks after the date of the shoot. If you require the images to be completed prior to four weeks after the date of your shoot, a rush-process fee of $100.00 will be charged, unless other terms were discussed.
Back to the Top
Q: “How long does it take to get my prints?”
Product creation times vary, however in general, print orders will be completed within four weeks after the product order is submitted.
Similar to the post production process, if you require rush-processing, a fee of $100.00 will be charged. Additional fees for rush shipping may also apply.
Q: “How long does it take to get my album?”
As with our other products, production times vary. However you can expect to receive your album 4-6 weeks after placing the order. The process before placing the order varies in duration depending on how quickly you respond to the instructions for the album design as well as the amount of changes you request after the initial designs. Some brides complete this within a month or two, others take over a year.
Similar to the post production process, if you require rush-processing, a fee of $100.00 will be charged. Additional fees for rush shipping may also apply.
Q: “How long does it take to get my sign-in book?”
The sign in book takes around 4-6 weeks to print after the order is submitted. As with the album, the time it takes to get the order ready for print depends on how quickly you respond to our instructions and how many changed you request.
Similar to the post production process, if you require rush-processing, a fee of $100.00 will be charged. Additional fees for rush shipping may also apply.
Q: “What albums companies do you offer?”
We have accounts with most of the major printers, including Graphi Studio, Queensberry, Leather Craftsmen, Willowbook Sequoia, and Finao. After testing the durability, print quality/consistency, and cover style options, we have narrowed our printing partners to Willowbook Sequoia for standard leather albums and Finao for the premium albums. However, if you prefer the styles of any other album makers, we would be glad to accommodate your request. However, additional fees may apply depending on the printer you choose.
Q: “How many pages and images do we get in our wedding day album?”
A: Our signature Lin and Jirsa album contains 20 pages and 60 images. If you’d like to add more pages and images, each additional page can be added at additional cost and includes the design time/revisions and three retouched images.
Q: “Can I add more pages and images to my album?”
A: Each additional page can be added for additional cost and includes the design time/revisions and three retouched images.
Q: “Do you guys provide framing services as well?”
A: We do not provide framing services, however we can provide you with recommendations on where to purchase and frame your images.
Q: “How do I get started on my wedding album?”
The Wedding Album Design Process is outlined here: http://www.linandjirsa.com/album-design-instructions
Q: “How do I get started on my engagement album?”
The Engagement Album Design Process is outlined here: http://www.linandjirsa.com/engagement-album-instructions
Back to the Top
Q: “What size can we print our photo’s up to with our full resolution image download?”
A: In most cases, you can print your photo’s up to 20×30 without any quality loss. If you’d like to print larger than 20×30, additional post-production will be required. For pricing on these services, please contact our studio manager at [email protected]
Q: “What rights do I have to the digital prints?”
A: You have the right to reprint images whenever you want, wherever you want. However you may not sell your images for a profit or publish your images without the written consent of Lin and Jirsa Photography.
Q: “Do you provide the RAW files from my engagement session and/or wedding day?”
A: Each of our packages comes with a full resolution image download. However, we typically do not provide RAW (unprocessed) files from our shoots because we believe in delivering a finished product. In fact, we’re often shooting with the end (post-produced) product in mind. However if you absolutely want your RAW images, we will provided them to you along with our post-produced JPG’s for an additional fee of $1,000.
Q: “How many images do you deliver on the image download?”
A: For a 3 hour engagement session we typically deliver 50-100 images and for a wedding we deliver 100 images per hour of coverage.”
Q: “Do you provide the digital negatives after the shoot?
A: Yes we do. All of our packages come with Full Resolution image download.
Q: “What if I lose my images?”
A: There is a $50 replacement charge for additional downloads after the event has been archived. We strongly suggest you make at least one copy of the download when you receive it from us.
Back to the Top
Q: “What type of camera/equipment do you use?”
A: Click here to view our Photography Equipment
Back to the Top
Q: “Do you backup our images? How can we ensure that our images won’t be lost?”
A: We have never lost an image from a wedding due to the following backup workflow for each our events:
During the shoot, we back up on a Epson External Hard Drive after each major event throughout the day. This leaves one copy on the CF cards and creates one copy on the Epson External Hard Drive. After the shoot, we back up the CF card to a local server set up in a RAID 1 configuration. Once the images are completed we upload the images to a offsite location and burn another copy for our archives. At any given point, there are two copies of the files.
Q: “Do you have liability insurance?”
A:Yes. Many venues require the photographer to have Liability Insurance. So before hiring Uncle Joe, make sure he’s covered.
Back to the Top
Q: “We live out-of-town. Is it possible for our family/friends to meet with you instead?”
We’d love to meet your relatives, answer all their question and review our work with them. If possible, we’d like to at least webcam with you to get to know you better.
Q: “We’re really busy and won’t be able to meet. Are there any other options?”
A: We would love to meet with you prior to our engagement shoot or wedding; however if you’re somehow too busy or too far away, we can handle everything remotely. Just think about what you hope to achieve from that meeting and we can think of ways of achieving them. For example, if one of your goals is to see more work, we can gladly show you complete events online. If your goal is to talk about packages and get a sense of the photographer’s personality, telephone calls and webcam appointments can be arranged.
Q: “Do you travel to meet clients?”
A: Due to the limitations of our schedule, we currently do not travel to meet clients. If you would like to schedule a meeting please contact our studio manager, Jackie Hanson, at 949.287.2153 or email him at [email protected]”
Q: “How do I set up an appointment to meet you in person and see some of your work?
A: Contact our studio manager at 949.287.2153 or email him at [email protected]
Back to the Top
Q: “How do I reserve you for my date?”
A: All dates are reserved once we receive your signed contract and deposit
Q: “What if we exceed our contracted time for our engagement shoot and/or wedding day coverage?”
A: Standard rates apply for overtime. Overtime is billed at the rate of $250/hour per Master Photographer and $150/hour per Associate Photographer
Q: “Is there an additional fee if we pay via credit card?”
A: Yes. Our credit card processing fee is 1.5% of the total package price
Q: “If we cancel the wedding, will we receive our deposit back?”
A: Unfortunately no. Deposits are use to reserve your date. Once we’ve reserved your date we do not accept new clients for your date.
Q: “If we change our wedding to a different date, will we be able to use our deposit towards a future date?”
A: Yes. However, if rates change from the your original date to your new date, the new rates will apply
Q: “Are there travel fees associated with the Engagement Session and/or Wedding Day shoot(s)?”
A: For all engagements sessions, the first sixty miles roundtrip (30 miles each way) of travel are included or thirty miles each way. All miles in excess of sixty miles roundtrip or thirty miles each way is charged at $3.00 per mile. The following engagement session destinations are not subject to the aforementioned travel fees but are subject to the following travel fees:
– San Francisco, CA – $750.00 flat fee
– Santa Barbara, CA – $500.00 flat fee
– San Diego, CA – $350.00 flat fee
All other engagement session destinations not mentioned above beyond 200 miles roundtrip are to be negotiated and will be handled on a situational basis.”
“Why do you charge travel fees?”
Travel fees are not intended to nickel and dime our clients. The primary purpose is to provide adequate compensation for our photographers and our lighting assistants for the additional time spent in travel. Trips to Los Angeles, for example, can take over an hour each way, time for which we have to compensate our team. For this reason, coupled with the costs of reimbursing the team for the actual costs of travel, these fees are unfortunately necessary.
Q: “Do you offer any discounts on weekday weddings, Sunday weddings, or weddings during the offseason?”
A: We do not offer discounts on Sunday weddings and offseason weddings. As you know wedding season is almost year round here in sunny California so because of that we are shooting throughout the year. We also cannot offer discounts on weekday weddings, as all of the costs (second shooter rates, etc) associated with the wedding remain the same.
Q: “If I pay for my package in cash will we be able to avoid paying sales tax or receive a discounts?”
A: Unfortunately, collecting in cash does not exempt a photography studio from paying California sales tax on the amount of the entire package price when a physical product is delivered, whether that product be an album or any other physical product. However, we do offer tax-free services and packages that fall within California State Law if you would like a service only packages.
Back to the Top
Comments
comments
