I’ve tried to answer all of your frequently asked questions below. But if these answers aren’t enough, or you want to learn more about my products and services, please do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]. Or better yet, call me at (212) 810-2148.
My tagline best expresses my approach: you have a love story, and I want to tell it. That’s the sum total of why I became a wedding photographer and why I love to shoot special events of all types, including mitzvahs and other family celebrations. In practical terms, I’m a documentarian (the facts), a portraitist (the characters) and most important, a photojournalist (capturing your story through its most compelling moments, both planned and spontaneous).
After nearly every event I shoot, someone compliments me by saying they hardly noticed I was there. Rest assured: I was firing away the whole time. But I try my best to be as unobtrusive as possible. Sure, sometimes I have to push my way through the dance floor to get a shot. But this event is about you and your guests, not me, so I promise not to try to be the center of attention.
I’m always working to be on top of any important happenings, even the ones that occur by surprise. I will coordinate with you, your planner, or your host/DJ/emcee to make sure I know the schedule of events. That way I’ll be in place when the first dance begins, when the cake is cut and when – it inevitably happens – the chicken dance makes its appearance.
What else can I tell you? I’m a friendly person, happy to chat with anyone who wants to chat with me. I’m easygoing, ready to take pictures of anyone who asks. I enjoy shooting events – I’ve shot enough of them to be really good, but I’m not an old-timer who is so jaded that he can’t appreciate the joy encircling him. Trust me; that matters.
want us to be comfortable with one another for when the big day comes, and I want to hear firsthand what you want: your “must-have” shot list, which photos in my galleries move you most, and anything else you’d like for me to know ahead of time.
And most importantly, if we get to know each other, you’ll be more comfortable with me; and a relaxed subject almost always makes for a better picture.
I make a back-up of your pictures to insure they’re safe and sound. This is a crucial first step that too many photographers omit. I don’t.
After that, I edit, deleting any that didn’t come out and adjusting the rest (cropping and color/density corrections). This usually takes about a week, though expedited service is available. After editing, I typically create a “best of” photo montage set to music which I post online. I also post the complete set of final photos to an online gallery for your viewing pleasure. You’re free to share these with guests and anyone else you want.
The next steps are yours. First, choose which pictures you want for your album(s) and prints. I’ll then retouch/Photoshop the final images, as needed, and design your album. Once you’ve approved the design you should have your album in 4-6 weeks.
I crop, color correct, and exposure-adjust all images before providing them to you as proofs, which are the first set of photos you’ll see online after the event and from which you’ll choose the final prints for your album as well as any print orders.
If you want to obtain printed proofs, they are available as 4×6 or 5×7 prints as well. Just ask for details.
At no additional cost to you, I tweak every single shot with Photoshop before you see the proofs. Not to bore you with technical mumbo-jumbo, but I shoot in RAW format (as opposed to JPG, for instance). RAW files are like unprocessed negatives, while familiar formats like JPG and TIFF are more like processed photos. There are many advantages to shooting RAW, perhaps the most important of which is that it gives me the maximum amount of control over the finished product. Before I make the pictures available to you, I convert them into JPGs, which involves adjusting various qualities including color balance, exposure, shadows, sharpness, etc. It’s a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, but I think it’s worth it to ensure that the final images are as beautiful as possible.
I do additional retouching as needed on every picture you choose for an album and on every 8×10 or larger enlargement that you order from me.
I can also do some pretty extraordinary picture manipulations with Photoshop. I do charge extra for this service, but if you want a picture modified, just let me know so I can give you an estimate. Modifications range from simple to complex (removing extraneous people, changing backgrounds, adding smiles, or even opening blinked eyes) to artistic (manipulating colors, turning a photograph into a line drawing or cartoon or “hand-painting” colors into a B&W image).