Do you shoot film or digital?
We shoot all digital, all Canon, all of the time! With digital photography, we are able to provide our clients high quality images with a great deal of flexibility and creativity. 

Can you accept credit cards for payment?
We can accept cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards for payment. Checks must be cleared before services are rendered or deliverables are received, and a $75 fee will be assessed on all returned checks.

Where are you located?
We have a small in-home office in West Los Angeles where we take care of production and consultations. Occasionally we meet clients at a coffee shop, or do consultations over the phone for out-of-area couples. All our shoots are done on location at the site of your choice. Please keep in mind that some locations have restrictions or require permits. If you select one of these locations, there may be an additional fee to cover the cost of the permit.

Is it important that I like you if you are going to photograph my wedding?
Choosing a photographer for your wedding is possibly one of the most critical decisions in your planning. It is exceedingly important that you gel with your photographer, and that their work reflects the vision you have for your wedding photography. A wayward photographer that does not fit well with you can very easily make the most important day of your life one that you would rather not remember! We strive to get to know our couples well prior to the wedding day so that we can sensitively and artfully capture moments without intruding on the plans you have carefully laid out for your day. The relationship we build with our clients helps us to keep things enjoyable for everyone when the stress of everything sets in!

How many weddings do you photograph a year? 
We are available for approximately two wedding commissions per month, for a total of 24-26 during 2008. We feel that limiting the number of commissions we take allows us to give each of our clients the best service possible. 

Do you shoot every wedding that is booked through your studio?
Emily is the primary photographer for every wedding we take on, and Kolby shoots with her as often as possible. When he cannot make it, we employ the skills of one of our many professional photographer friends that has a similar style to ours to accompany Emily for the day, as we believe we can best capture the full story of your wedding with two experienced photographers. We know some pretty awesome folks, so even if Kolby can’t be there to join the fun, you’ll be well documented and well taken care of! 

Why do you include an engagement session in your Wedding Coverage package?
Many people feel awkward in front of the camera, and the last thing we want is for you to look awkward in your wedding photos! Doing an engagement session allows you to get a feel for us, and us to get a feel for you so when your big day arrives, there are no surprises! It is somewhat of a “practice run” or a “getting-to-know-you” session, so we can figure out how to draw out your best features. Plus, engagement is a very special season of your relationship, and we feel it is worthy of documenting! 

When is the best time to take our engagement photos?
It is a great idea to have your engagement photos done 4-6 months before your wedding if you plan to use your images on Save the Date cards or in a Engagement Album/Guestbook. Ultimately, when you do your session is up to you, although we don’t recommend waiting too long in case you want to somehow incorporate your engagement images into your wedding. 

What is your photography registry? 
Wedding photography is a big investment, and we’ve found that many guests are glad to gift wedding couples with a contribution toward the cost of their wedding albums, coverage, or prints, so we have created an easy way for them to do this. We are glad to furnish you with personalized cards from your engagement session images that let people know how they can gift you in this way. You can include in your invitations or pass along to your wedding party and family to distribute at showers and family events. You might be surprised how much this can help couples who are working with a limited budget!

When you photograph a wedding, how long do you need for the formal photographs?
This varies greatly from couple to couple, but its been our experience that no one wants to spend a lot of time wrangling the extended family for these photos, so we try to keep formals down to roughly 30 minutes, and allocate more of our photo time for more creative shots. In our pre-wedding consultation, we can discuss the flow of your day and decide how best to handle formals, wedding party shots, and the bride/groom photos. 

After the wedding, how soon will we be able to view our photos? 
We know you’re excited to see your photos soon after you return for your honeymoon, so we do our best to expedite our post-wedding workflow. We spend time on every image, optimizing it for color, contrast, saturation, etc. so it will take us a little time, but we aim to release your gallery within 3-4 weeks of your wedding, sometimes sooner. Often, we’ll post a sneak-preview of some of our top picks on the blog. 

How do I book you for my wedding?
A $1000 non-refundable retainer fee and signed agreement will secure your date. We are unable to hold dates without both items. The retainer fee will be applied to the balance of your Custom Collection.

Do you travel outside of Southern California for weddings?
We are available for commissions nationwide, and take a lot of assignments throughout the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon ,Idaho), as both of us grew up there and love every opportunity we have to return to visit! Because we have small children, we are not currently available for international assignments.

Do you travel outside of Southern California for Lifestyle Portrait Sessions?
We rarely travel outside of Southern California for individual sessions, unless there is a family that is determined to get us there, but occasionally, we will advertise Lifestyle Sessions in destination cities when we are already planning to be there and are able to fit them in. You’re welcome to keep tabs on our planned trips through our blog. If we’re coming to your city and you’re interested in a session, please let us know!

How much time should we plan for our session?
Typically, our sessions last 1-2 hours. With sessions including young children, we try to be as flexible as possible, knowing that nap times, attention spans, and so many other factors determine exactly how things will go. 

What if my child is sick?
In general, we have a 24 hour cancellation policy in order for you to transfer your session fee to a postponed date. However, we do NOT want you to bring a sick child to a session…That won’t be fun for anyone! If you are unable to make it to your session due to illness, please contact us as early as possible so we can make alternate arrangements.  

Do you offer a registry option for expecting mothers?
Of course! Our photography registry is most often utilized by couples who are getting married, but we can absolutely create a registry for expecting mothers–or anyone for that matter! Just let us know, and we can send you cards to distribute in order to spread the word about your photography registry.

How do I book you for a Lifestyle or Headshot Session?
Your session is considered booked with a scheduled appointment and the payment of your session fee. Contact us to select your date and time, and we can email you an invoice for you to make your payment. Your session fee is due within one week of booking the appointment to hold your time. The fee is non-refundable, but may be transfered to a new session time with 24 hours notice of cancellation. 

What is the difference between my proofed images and the retouched images I will receive?
We process every image a client sees, and by process we mean optimize for color, contrast, saturation, sharpness. Headshots in particular are intended to represent you to the public in the best possible way, so we give extra attention to those images by tending to any blemishes, stray hairs, wrinkles, or other unsightly items. This is an involved and time consuming process, but we feel that it is important for you to be able to put your best face forward! See the example below for a better idea of the stages of our workflow.