Q&A

What is the payment structure?

A 40% retainer along with signing the contract is required at booking. The balance is due the day of the wedding. Contracts are completed online through Docusign.

What’s your shooting style?

Sophisticated, romantic, artistic, dramatic. During the couple’s portraits, I pose everything but do so in a way that looks natural. This helps you to look flattering & feel secure. For all the formal portraits, I’m proactive & kindly assertive. I give a lot of direction & try my best to get the groups done efficiently so everyone can continue on enjoying the celebration. The rest of the day, I do my best to blend into the background as much as possible & capture what’s happening naturally!

Do you take looking at the camera photos?

Yes. Nearly all of the photos I show publicly are a more candid looking style. I absolutely take looking at the camera & smiling portraits! These type of portraits are the main focus for family as well as couple & group shots that I take of guests throughout the celebration. For family portraits, I do also try to get interactive, more candid images as well. Lots of camera aware portraits are taken with the wedding party. I’d estimate about 20% of the portraits taken of the couple individually & together are also camera aware photos.

What role does the second shooter play?

The second photographer is always an experienced photographer with a similar style to my own. He or she usually covers the groomsmen getting ready while I cover the bridal prep. The rest of the day, I am the one giving direction as my second photographer captures the events that unfold from a different angle. The times that a second shooter is especially important is during a first look so each of us can focus on the bride or the groom’s reaction & during the ceremony when you want to be extra careful of not being a distraction. With two people, a lot less movement is required. The second shooter also helps with a lot of non shooting tasks to help the day run smoothly.

What is a first look?

When the couple sees each other before the ceremony. The first look is usually private. I usually stage it so that the groom’s back is to the bride. She walks up behind and he turns toward her. They are then able to have some time to just talk to each other, something you can’t do easily during the ceremony. Then, we can potentially get all of the portraits done before the ceremony so that everyone can enjoy cocktail hour. Most couples only get a few hours with their guests & that time flies by so it’s a great thing to be able to make it to cocktail hour. Most couples who aren’t having a church ceremony go for this option as it allows for a more relaxed day.

How long does it take to get our photos back?

It’s typically a 6-8 week turnaround time to get your photos edited and your gallery up. Some preview photos are provided within a few days of the wedding.

How are the photos delivered?

The high resolution digital files are presented in an online gallery. The client downloads them from there. The gallery can be shared with family & friends who can download as they please. The gallery owners do have the option to hide photos that they don’t want to share with everyone. When viewing the gallery, the featured photos are displayed first. You can continue to view all of the photos or you can click on different categories to jump to a specific section. Clients usually do their own printing. I highly recommend printing through Mpix.com. The gallery does offer print purchase capability from a professional lab. It’s a nice convenience for the guests especially. I also provide a complimentary USB drive to the couple.

Are all of the photos delivered edited?

Yes. I do spend longer on the portraits & some of the more important parts of the day, but every photo in the gallery does go through several steps of editing.

What type of album do you offer?

The standard album is 10x10in with 40 sides (20 pages). You can choose leather or a fabric cover. It can have a photo on the cover or the cover can be foil stamped with your names & date. Usually around 90 photos are included in the design. I ask the client to choose 60 must have photos & to provide me with a “B” list as well. I’m usually able to complete a design that flows well by using those two lists.

What are the Thank You card inserts?

If you’d like to share your gallery with guests, I provide a wallet size photo from the wedding that includes the text on it saying “We invite you to view our photos!” along with the gallery link.

Can I get all the photos that are taken at the wedding?

My editing process is time consuming & it’s important that I provide my couples the photos that best portray the story of their day at a high level of quality. I take multiple images of most shots to help ensure catching everyone with their eyes open & whatnot. I deliver the best ones from the sequence. I generally prefer a quality over quantity approach. For example, if I take a sequence of portraits of the couple that are very similar, I would rather spend more time editing the best one from that sequence to bring it to another level than to provide 5 repetitive, mediocre images. If there are photos taken that aren’t technically amazing (soft focus, flash misfire, etc) but are good moments, I will still provide them.

Should we provide a shot list?

When the wedding date gets closer, I send out a details form for the couple to complete, which provides me with the names & relationships of important guests. If family groupings look like they may be slightly complicated, I put together a list of the groupings I feel would flow best & send to couple to approve. Once approved, I’ll read from the list during family portraits.  The details form also informs me of happenings/details that I may not already be aware of.

Do you offer timeline guidance?

I do provide extensive wedding day timeline help.

Do you have backup equipment?

I understand that the moments that happen on your wedding day cannot be relived & therefore I take being prepared very seriously. I do have backup equipment it’s kept handy in case something happens to fail. My two main camera have double memory card slots, meaning the images are recorded on two separate cards. If one fails, the other has the images stored on it. My second photographer is also well equipped & ready in case of an accident.

Are you insured?

Yes.

Do you shoot digital?

Yes, digital only.

Is this your full-time job?

Yes, wedding & portrait photography has been my full-time career for almost 16 years now.

What should we wear for engagement photos?

Textured clothing & layers photograph best. Large logos bold patterns, & running sneakers should be avoided. Also avoid large amounts of saturated colors. Pops of rich colors work better. Try not to be too matchy matchy. You should wear different colors, but colors that compliment each other. Patterns such as floral, plaid, stripes, & polka dots all work. Check out my Pinterest board titled “Engagement Session Clothing Suggestions” for clothing inspiration (pinterest.com/CustombyNicole/engagement-session-clothing-suggestions)

I’m a nature lover & adventure seeker. Incorporating these things in with a great love story is what I’m all about! It’s an honor to document moments that will be viewed from generation to generation, to create ART.

You can expect personable, quality service when hiring CBN. I’m always happy to provide guidance along the planning process & to be a person to turn to for advice on the big day.

The role of wedding photographer goes beyond taking pictures. I do everything I can to help the day go smoothly, always keeping the couple’s best interest in mind. I want to be there that day not only as a photographer, but a friend.

I take traditional, camera aware portraits, but do favor those that look more natural. I pose all portraits doing so in a manner that looks more candid. Aside from the portraits, everything else is shot with a candid approach. I strive to capture true emotion & personalities which shine through best when you aren’t paying attention to a camera in the room. My priority is to document the emotion, love, & beauty of the day along with all those little details so that nothing is left to fading memories.

My style is sophisticated, romantic, & artistic. I try to avoid cheesy & the props/posing that’s popular on Pinterest.

With photography, the possibilities are endless. I enthusiastically go into every shoot & look forward to creating something unique.

I’m passionate about my work & I hope that love shines through in your photos!  -Nicole Wagner