Frequently Asked Questions
And their answers
These questions and answers are from weddings and portrait sessions alike, some may be more specifically wedding related and some are relevant to weddings, video and portrait sessions.
Wedding Photography FAQs
Coverage and Travel
WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES?
It really depends on what your specific needs and wants are. Between the foundation packages and add on options, my clients average price ranges between $3000-$7000. Please don't hesitate to contact me so that we can go over the specific collections and options to help decide what works best for you.
DO YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS?
I accept many forms of payment, credit card, check, paypal, apple pay, venmo, cash... Let me know what payment works best for you, I can make most payment option work.
DO YOU DO ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS FOR PHOTO AND VIDEO?
YES! I love engagement sessions, in fact a one hour engagement session is built in to the price of many of my collections, and always available in my a la carte menu. Video as part of your engagement session is also available, contact me directly if you'd like to know more.
I mostly do my engagement sessions in the surrounding Durango area, but I am available to travel if there is somewhere outside Durango you have in mind, depending on how far away your destination is travel rates may apply. If you have any questions about engagement sessions, please don't hesitate to contact me!
DO YOU WORK WITH A SECOND SHOOTER?
Primarily no, I usually shoot weddings myself, sometimes with help from an assistant (my husband or a friend). A second shooter is not necessary for me to fully and effectively photograph your day. However, if you are interested in having a second shooter that is something I am more than willing to talk to you about, but as it is an extra person it will also be an added cost to your package. Contact me if you have any more questions about second shooters.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED AND WILL YOU TRAVEL?
I am based in the Southwestern Colorado mountain town of Durango in the four corners region. I was born and raised here and now that my husband has fallen in love with the area as well I believe this is where we will be staying. As Durango itself is a destination wedding spot I do most of my weddings in this region, but I am most definitely available to travel to wherever your wedding is located worldwide. I love to travel! I have spent many 6-7 month stints traveling through many countries so I consider myself quite fluent in the art of travel. I also bill travel very simply: if a hotel, airfare, and/or rental car are needed, all you are responsible for is the direct reimbursement of charges. If I will be driving myself to the wedding and the venue is more than 40 miles outside of Denver, I charge a flat-rate per mile to cover the cost of gas. I do not charge extra than what is required to get me there and back.
Image Editing, Printing and Delivery
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUR PHOTOGRAPHS?
In my contract it states that I will have your images delivered via online gallery for you to choose from within a month after your wedding date. I will have a handful of images delivered to you within just a few days of your wedding because I know how how exciting it is to have some images shortly after to keep that magic from the day going.
HOW DOES THE ONLINE GALLERY WORK? WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
The gallery is a personal website where all of your photographs will be placed for you and any other family or friends who would like to view and/or purchase images or prints from your day. You will be able to purchase prints, canvases, image blocks and more straight from the gallery. You can also choose your favorite images in the gallery with the star buttons, I will take those into consideration when creating your album design.
WILL OUR FINAL IMAGES BE WATERMARKED?
Though the images will appear on the gallery with my logo watermarked on them, the final images delivered to you will have no trace of watermarking on them.
HOW MANY PICTURES WILL WE RECEIVE?
In your gallery you will be able to see all of the quality images I take that day, when I say quality I mean I will not be showing you images with everyone blinking or someone walking in front of the camera or 15 duplicates that look exactly the same. I will go through every image from the day and collect all the ones that are worthy of your viewing. Now the number of images you will see is dependent on many things, such as how many hours of coverage throughout the day, how big the guest list was, types of events, hours of dancing, general content throughout the day etc. For example if you have a four hour wedding on your friend's back porch your gallery of images will be much smaller than a 9-10 hour wedding. I typically deliver 50-100 images per hour of coverage I'm hired for.
DO WE GET THE COPYRIGHT TO THE IMAGES?
Sometimes a photographer might offer a "print release", which gives the client (you!) the legal ability to print them at home or have a lab print them for you. However, this is not the same as owning the copyright. Selling or obtaining "the copyright" itself is not possible, however having the "print release" to your images means you can print them however and wherever you like, but to do your images justice I suggest only using a high end professional lab to print these photographs.
CAN WE PURCHASE THE RAW UNEDITED FILES?
I do not offer unedited photographs for purchase. If you are interested in an image you believe to have been taken sometime throughout the day, but you don't see it in your gallery, just let me know! I am more than willing to work with you. We can meet and look over any images you might like. Most likely if you don't see an image in the gallery it is because it did not turn out as well as I would like, but I know how it is to have an image in your mind, so I am more than willing to show it to you. If you decide you still want it after seeing it because of sentimental reasons, I will edit it and deliver it to you.
HOW DO YOU PRINT YOUR IMAGES?
I use a professional high quality lab to print all my products. They use materials that not only give you long lasting products that you can enjoy for a lifetime but they are environmentally friendly and responsible. Their quality is amazing in every product I've ever received from them, I use them because I think my clients deserve the best.
CAN WE PRINT THE IMAGES OURSELVES?
If you have the print release to your images you can print them wherever you like. I do suggest however getting them printed through a high end professional lab. When put side by side a print from my lab and a print from somewhere such as shutterfly or walgreens, the difference in quality is astounding. The images I deliver to you are high end quality images and are best viewed with high end quality printing, which is why I highly suggest printing through me and my lab rather than printing through a lesser quality source.
Business and Details
CAN YOU HOLD A DATE FOR ME?
I'm very sorry, but I cannot "hold" a specific date for anyone. To be fair to all of my clients, dates can only be reserved with a retainer and a signed contract. I accept bookings on a first-come/first-served basis. If we have had an in person consultation and talked about your wedding, but you have not yet signed the contract or paid the retainer, I will let you know if someone asks about your date to give you the chance to book it first, but if someone else contacts me about your date and books it there is nothing I can do.
WHAT IS YOUR PAYMENT SCHEDULE?
The first payment acts as a retainer for your date, this first payment will always be at least 30% of the total package fee and is due upon signing the contract and reserving your date. The final balance is due one week before your wedding date. I'll send you a friendly email reminder when your payment is due. Any overtime or upgrades beyond your wedding contract will be due after the wedding and before your final images are delivered.
If you are really struggling to afford photography or videography for your wedding, contact me and we can work out a more personalized payment plan to fit your needs.
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY WEDDING? IS THE RETAINER REFUNDABLE?
All retainers are non-refundable. The retainer guarantees that I will hold that date exclusively for you, and once we have signed our contract, I turn down all other commissions for that date. Always make sure to read your contracts to learn more about cancellation policies.
WHEN SHOULD I BOOK WITH YOU?
ASAP! Get your spot before anyone else does. Schedule your consultation now!
Wedding Videography FAQs
Coverage and Travel
WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES?
It really depends on what your specific needs and wants are. Between the collections and the a la carte options the average price my clients pay can range between $2300-$5000. Please don't hesitate to contact me so that we can go over the specific collections and options to help decide what works best for you.
DO YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS?
I accept many forms of payment, credit card, check, paypal, apple pay, venmo, cash... Let me know what payment works best for you, I can make most payment option work.
DO YOU DO ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS FOR PHOTO AND VIDEO?
YES! I love engagement sessions, in fact they are built in to the price of many of my collections, and always available in my a la carte menu I mostly do my engagement sessions in the surrounding Durango area, but I am available to travel if there is somewhere outside Durango if needed. Depending on how far away your destination is travel rates may apply. If you have any questions about engagement sessions, please don't hesitate to contact me!
WHAT IS AN ENGAGEMENT VIDEO?
So glad you asked! An engagement video session works much like an engagement photo session but with a little more movement. It involves a lot of laughing, hugging, cuddling, spinning etc. I'll ask you to bring letters to each other and read them to one another. The end result is a beautiful little video of you as a couple for you to show at your rehearsal or reception dinner or just to have and watch as a little love story of you.
DO YOU WORK WITH A SECOND SHOOTER?
Primarily no, I usually shoot weddings myself, sometimes with help from my husband or an assistant. However, if you are interested in having a second shooter that is something I am more than willing to talk to you about, but as it is an extra person it will be an extra cost to your package. Contact me if you have any more questions about second shooters.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED AND WILL YOU TRAVEL?
I am based in the Southwestern Colorado mountain town of Durango in the four corners region, I was born and raised here and now that my husband has fallen in love with the area as well I believe this is where we will be staying. As Durango itself is a destination wedding spot I do most of my weddings in this region, but I am most definitely available to travel to wherever your wedding is located worldwide. I love to travel! I have spent many 6-7 month stints traveling through many countries so I consider myself quite fluent in the art of travel. I also bill travel very simply: if a hotel, airfare, and/or rental car are needed, all you are responsible for is the direct reimbursement of charges. If I will be driving myself to the wedding and the venue is more than 40 miles outside of Denver, I charge a flat-rate per mile to cover the cost of gas. I do not charge extra than what is required to get me there and back.
Image Editing, Printing and Delivery
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUR PHOTOGRAPHS?
If you chose the photo & stills add on for your video package I will deliver your edited photos in a few weeks, the video stills however I will only focus on after I have delivered your finished video, unless otherwise requested.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUR VIDEO?
My contract states that I will have the first draft of your video delivered to you within a month after you approve your music. I say first draft because I have included in all my video collections a personal editing session or 2-3 emails about video changes. This means we can meet personally and go over your video and change little details you might want altered, we can work together to see what can be done within reason to make sure the video is up to your expectations and feels like it belongs to you. The delivery of the final video depends on how much you do or don't need altered and we will talk through that timeline as it comes.
CAN WE PURCHASE THE RAW UNEDITED FILES?
In short yes, you can purchase the raw footage from your day if you have also paid for a full edited video. I do not do just raw footage for anyone. If you do still want some of your raw footage after receiving your edited video, I recommend you look through it with me beforehand to see exactly what it is to make sure you really want it. Raw video footage is low contrast and low saturation and it is A LOT to go through.
Business and Details
CAN YOU HOLD A DATE FOR ME?
I'm very sorry, but I cannot "hold" a specific date for anyone. To be fair to all of my clients, dates can only be reserved with a retainer and a signed contract. I accept bookings on a first-come/first-served basis. If we have had an in person consultation and talked about your wedding, but you have not yet signed the contract or paid the retainer, I will let you know if someone asks about your date to give you the chance to book it first, but if someone else contacts me about your date and books it there is nothing I can do.
WHAT IS YOUR PAYMENT SCHEDULE?
The first payment acts as a retainer for your date, this first payment will always be at least 30% of the total package fee and is due upon signing the contract and reserving your date. The final balance is due one week before your wedding date. I'll send you a friendly email reminder when your payment is due. Any overtime or upgrades beyond your wedding contract will be due after the wedding and before your final images are delivered.
If you are really struggling to afford photography or videography for your wedding, contact me and we can work out a more personalized payment plan to fit your needs.
WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY WEDDING? IS THE RETAINER REFUNDABLE?
All retainers are non-refundable. The retainer guarantees that I will hold that date exclusively for you, and once we have signed our contract, I turn down all other commissions for that date. Always make sure to read your contracts to learn more about cancellation policies.
WHEN SHOULD I BOOK WITH YOU?
ASAP! Get your spot before anyone else does. Schedule your consultation now!
Portrait Session FAQs
Coverage and Travel
WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES?
On average my clients spend anywhere between $600-$2000. The session fees range from $150-$500 depending on length and type of session. The session fee does not include prints or digital files. Session fees cover the time and talent of the photographer and the requirements of running a successful business. The average family invests anywhere from $400-$1600 on their print and digital orders and we work with families of all budgets. If all these numbers still sound too high, I recommend getting on my email list to be aware of any deals, discounts or mini sessions that come up in the future.
DO YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS?
I accept many forms of payment, credit card, check, paypal, apple pay, venmo, cash... Let me know what payment works best for you, I can make most payment option work.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED AND WILL YOU TRAVEL?
I am based in the Southwestern Colorado mountain town of Durango in the four corners region, I was born and raised here and now that my husband has fallen in love with the area as well I believe this is where we will be staying. As Durango itself is a destination wedding spot I do most of my weddings in this region, but I am most definitely available to travel to wherever your wedding is located worldwide. I love to travel! I have spent many 6-7 month stints traveling through many countries so I consider myself quite fluent in the art of travel. I also bill travel very simply: if a hotel, airfare, and/or rental car are needed, all you are responsible for is the direct reimbursement of charges. If I will be driving myself to the wedding and the venue is more than 40 miles outside of Denver, I charge a flat-rate per mile to cover the cost of gas. I do not charge extra than what is required to get me there and back.
WHERE SHOULD WE HAVE OUR SHOOT?
I know of many beautiful and fantastic places around Durango and the surrounding area that are wonderful for photoshoots, but it really depends on you. What is your style? What places do you feel comfortable in? What are you drawn to? This is something we can talk through and figure out during our consultation for your engagement, senior, family or personal shoot. Contact me to schedule your consultation here!
WHAT SHOULD I/WE WEAR?
This is a great question! And I have a whole free guide on what to wear as well as how to feel comfortable and feel natural in your images. Just subscribe HERE to get your free guide downloads.
Image Editing, Printing and Delivery
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET OUR PHOTOGRAPHS?
It can take me between one and two weeks to get your photos edited and ready for viewing.
WILL I GET A CD OR USB WITH ALL MY DIGITAL IMAGES FROM MY SESSION?
First things first, I no longer do CDs because I do not have a CD drive in my computer and I know many others don't either because they are being slowly phased out. Second, I want to encourage all my clients to purchase prints so that their photographs can be brought to life as art on their walls. Digital files are great as screen backgrounds and profile photos, but tend to get buried and die on our digital devices, there's also the risk of losing them in a hard drive malfunction. Many people that do get digital files, never get around to printing them, or if they do they order low quality prints from a printer that doesn’t use archival paper/ink and doesn’t calibrate their printers to match my monitor or crop it the wrong way. That being said I do make digital files available for purchase, but for most families, it is actually more cost effective (and better in so many other ways as well) to purchase prints rather than digital files, unless they need to create large quantities of the same print. I have had clients come to me wanting to make their own prints but once they see the products I create for them and how easy the whole experience is, they prefer to get the prints through my professional lab.
HOW DOES THE ONLINE GALLERY WORK? WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
The gallery is a personal website where all of your photographs will be placed for you and your friends family and friends to view and/or purchase digitals or prints from your session. You will be able to purchase prints, canvases, wood prints and more straight from the gallery.
To share your gallery, you simply share the link with anyone who you want to be able to view and purchase the images.
Screenshots of images is stealing and could result in taking down of the gallery. Each gallery is available for up to one month, after that it can remain open for a $25/month fee.
WILL OUR FINAL IMAGES BE WATERMARKED?
Though the images will appear on the gallery with my logo watermarked on them, but don't worry when the final images are delivered to you there will be no trace of watermarking on them.
DO WE GET THE COPYRIGHT TO THE IMAGES?
Sometimes a photographer might offer a "print release", which gives the client (you!) the legal ability to print them at home or have a lab print them for you. However, this is not the same as owning the copyright. Selling or obtaining "the copyright" itself is not possible, if you choose to purchase the "print release" to your images you can print them however and wherever you like, but to do your images justice I suggest only using a high end professional lab to print these photographs.
CAN WE PURCHASE THE RAW UNEDITED FILES?
The unedited files are not available. If you are interested in an image you believe to have been taken during your session, but you don't see it in your gallery, just let me know! I am more than willing to work with you. We can meet and look over any images you might like. Most likely if you don't see an image in the gallery it is because it did not turn out as well as I would like, but I know how it is to have an image in your mind, so I am more than willing to show it to you.
HOW DO YOU PRINT YOUR IMAGES?
I use a professional high quality lab to print all my products. They use materials that not only give you long lasting products that you can enjoy for a lifetime but they are environmentally friendly and responsible. Their quality is amazing in every product I've ever received from them, I use them because I think my clients deserve the best.
CAN WE PRINT THE IMAGES OURSELVES?
If you purchase the print release to your images you can print them wherever you like. I do suggest however getting them printed through a high end professional lab such as white house custom color. When put side by side a print from my lab and a print from somewhere such as shutterfly or walgreens, the difference in quality is astounding. The images I deliver to you are high end quality images and are best viewed with high end quality printing, which is why I highly suggest printing through me and my lab rather than purchasing the print release and printing through a lesser quality source.