Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's

There are a few things that come up frequently in our conversations with our clients, we thought we'd compile a list for you. Hopefully you find it helpful while planning your day and searching for the right photographer:

What type of cameras do you use?
We use Nikon D3's and D700's. We use these camera's because of their rugged build quality, full frame sensor and their incredible low light capabilities. Because both these cameras utilize the same sensor, it keeps our colours consistent between all the cameras. We both carry two cameras with us throughout the day, and we always have a fifth camera as a backup in the car.

What are your favourite lenses?
This is an easy one.
Larissa - My < wa href="http://www.nikon.ca/en/Product.aspx?m=14298&disp=Features">Nikon AF 85mm f1.4
Trevor - The sadly discontinued Nikon 28mm f/1.4 AF-D

Raw or Jpeg?
We shoot everything Raw, and we give you high resolution, colour corrected jpegs.

Which images will be on my high resolution DVD?
Your high resolution DVD includes all of the edited, colour corrected images from your day. All files are provided in colour and are ready to print.

What is the Ambient Box set exactly? Are these my proofs?
The Ambient Box set are 100 6x9inch prints that we include with packages instead of the more traditional 'proofs' offered in the past. These images are a selection of the best photos from your day and are designed to tell your story from beginning to end. There is a mixture of both colour and black & white prints that are creatively enhanced and retouched, we will choose them for you during the editing process and have them ready for pick up along with your DVD. This set is a great way to share a collection of images from your day with friends and family without sitting in front of the computer!

What is a gallery card?
Gallery cards are a great way to share your online gallery with your guests. If you have an engagement shoot with us, a photo is included, if not we work to design something that fits with your theme and colours. You can give these cards out at the reception and guests can enjoy your images once they are posted online.

What is a product credit?
The product credit was devised to give clients the opportunity to personalize what they get in their packages. Instead of being locked into a pre-determined group of print sizes, you can customize your order to suit your needs. Or, if you aren't interested in prints you can use the credit towards some of the other products we offer: Luxe Albums, Fine Art Books, Thank You Cards, etc. Product credits are redeemable for any combination of products we offer unfortunately, they cannot be used towards additional hours of coverage or an engagement session.

How much is your retainer (deposit)?
Our retainer 20% of your total if your package. The retainer is paid when you sign the contract - this is a non-refundable deposit and holds our services for you on your chosen wedding day.

How long will it take before our online gallery is ready?
Our goal is 4 weeks after your wedding but towards the end of the season its closer to 6 weeks.

How many photographs can we expect to receive?
We tend to shoot a lot during weddings... we will edit through and select the best images from each sequence, as well as a few versions of any group shots that you request on the day. Each wedding is unique, but on average you can expect approximately 100-125 images per hour.

I really like the look of photos where the brides flowers are in colour and everything else is in black and white. Do you guys do that?
We believe that a good photograph is comprised of a creative composition that compliments a decisive moment. We strive to create timeless photographs and in doing so we tend to avoid the "trends" of the photography market. Instead we prefer to keep our photographs as true to the moment that we witnessed when we released the shutter as possible. To do this we try to minimize the amount of manipulative post production, and stay true to traditional darkroom techniques.
That being said, if you have any special requests just let us know. For more information on trends and styles, please read our online article 'Taste Verses Trend: Choosing a Photographer to Suit Your Style'.

Will you two split up for the getting ready shots?
Absolutely. One of the advantages of having two professional primary photographers hired for your wedding is that you can have confidence in our abilities to capture each side of your day creatively and with expertise.

What if we're running late on the wedding day- will you stay for extra hours?
Of course. When you book us for your wedding day, both of us are held for the entire day which means if things run late, we are more than happy to stay an hour or two beyond your initial package. Additional hours are $425, and can be paid upon pick up of your DVD and proof prints.

Where should we have our engagement shoot done?
We like to encourage couples to choose a place that is meaningful for their engagement shoot. It's great to have photos at a location that has a history and is a part of your relationship. Most importantly- be creative! There are so many great options out there besides the traditional park setting... think different, and try to reflect your personality as a couple!

Will you travel out side of the GTA?
Absolutely! Even people who live outside of the GTA get married! We are always up for new locations and are happy to travel outside of the GTA, and us with your location and we let you know if a travel fee will apply.

Do you do destination weddings?
Yes, yes and yes. We LOVE traveling! Whether for work or pleasure we always enjoy exploring new cultures and countries. Shooting in new locations is a blast, we'd love to be a part of your destination plans. For a destination or out of province wedding take a look at Ambient Anywhere package to see what is included and shoot us an email to receive a custom quote for your location.

What if it rains?
Then we get wet. :) All our gear is weather sealed, and we don't mind getting wet, so it really boils down to what you are comfortable with. Although it is always good to have a backup plan, often times photos outside in the rain will still look way better that photos inside where it is dry. We always recommend having some umbrellas on hand just in case (preferably white, reflects light nicely and has no colour cast). Stormy skies make an incredible backdrop to any photo, and it offers balanced light and really nice contrast. That being said though - thunder and lightning and we're better of to go inside. Although we prefer natural light we always have a lighting kit with us just in case, and with Larissa's studio background she is a master of studio strobes... we can certainly get some fun and creative photos inside as well.

What if it snows?
Winter weddings make for gorgeous settings! If it snows during your big day than we should try to capture it for you... of course, we won't leave you out there for long. Let's be realistic, it's chilly in the winter. But, we're up for it and we've shot many couples outdoors at winter weddings with fantastic results.

Will my wedding be featured on your website?
Absolutely! The Recent Work section of the site will feature your wedding 'teasers' within a few weeks after the big day. It's a great way to share a few of your professional pics with family and friends and a great sneak peek before your full gallery is online.

How far in advance should we book you for our wedding? What if someone else is interested in booking you for the same day?
Wedding booking times definitely vary- we get people scheduling two years in advance, and some who are more last-minute during the slower times of the year. The average though is about a year to a year and a few months- our bookings are done on a first come, first served basis to try and keep the process fair for everyone. Unfortunately we can't hold, or guarantee a booking before we have a signed contract.

Why is professional wedding photography so expensive, I thought prices should get lower now that everyone shoots digitally?
This is a pretty indepth question that we both debated posting but here it is:

This question has a ton of parts to it...for starters, and without getting too-techy on you, keeping digital gear up-to-date can be extremely pricey. To give you an idea for comparison, a professional digital camera costs 200-300% more than it's film equivalent and where pro-level film cameras had a life span of 8-10 years our new digital cameras only last about 3-4 years. We are continually upgrading our gear to suit our needs as photographers: lenses, flash systems and accessories also need to be upgraded or replaced every 4-5 years. There is also back up gear that we bring along to every job which has to be fully functional and reliable. On top of that there is routine maintenance and pricey camera repairs that is common with all professionally used camera equipment.

It's true that we no longer have the additional cost of film and developing, but in its place there is editing time (sorting, colour correcting, density adjustments, etc.) and of course the computer systems needed to run all of this. These systems must be powerful enough to process RAW photographic images and quick enough to run the latest software. Our computers and monitors are also replaced every 3 years in order to keep our turn around times quick and allow us to remain competitive in the field. In addition to this there is also our extensive backup system as well as our backup to our backup system which included terabytes of hard drives both onsite and offsite to keep all your wedding memories safe. As cameras get bigger (more megapixels) and faster, this results in more photos that are way larger than they were, say 3 years ago.

And, of course you are paying for experience. This is an important day, you're putting a lot of time, effort, love and money into your plans and you only get one chance at capturing the images. When it's all said and done, not many people are going to remember the food, centre pieces or table linens... all you will have left to share with people are your memories and your photos. As trained photographers with extensive experience in the wedding industry you can rely on us to be comfortable, creative and hassle-free on your wedding day.

Will you shoot my wedding on film?
We'd love to! Email us and we'll work something out.

I am a photographer and I really like your wedding photography style. Are you looking to hire any assistants or second shooters right now?
We work as a team at all our weddings- this works well for us as we both have a unique style and are used to working together. It allows us to capture multiple angles and points of view- we find that working with a 3rd photographer or assistant is a bit much for us. In order to maintain an unobtrusive documentary style and keep our clients comfortable we don't generally work with assistants, or additional photographers.

We want to buy a digital SLR for our honeymoon, can you recommend a good one?
There is no one camera/lens combination that is perfect for everyone. Our recommendations change depending on budget, where you are traveling, and how serious you want to be about photography on your trip. Email us. We are always happy to share our knowledge with anyone looking for advice. Camera shops tend to push certain cameras more than others, based on profit margins of different models rather than focusing on the specific needs of the client. Trust us, we've bought a lot of camera equipment over the years.

Who designed and created your website?
We did :-)

I understand that you are travelling for 2011 - we're interested in booking you for our 2012 wedding, when will you be back in town?
We are keeping an open schedule for our trip, but are expecting to be back in town at the end of 2011. If you are interested in booking us for your day in 2012, please shoot us an email and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have. We can even set up a video-chat if you'd like so that we can get to know each other a bit better. We will be accepting a limited number of bookings for the 2012 season both in the GTA and abroad.

Can we follow your travels online?
Yes! We have set up a travel blog complete with photos, stories and frequent updates - feel free to stop by and check it out: http://stepstepmeander.tumblr.com/

We are always available for consultations or a phone-chat if you have additional questions prior to or after booking with us. We've shoot a lot of weddings together... if we can offer any help to you during the process of planning we're happy to do so!

If you think you've got a great FAQ for us let us know! We will be continually updating this section, and are always open to your ideas.

Cheers,
Larissa & Trevor