We specialize in capturing unique, modern wedding day images that center on the emotion and excitement behind the day. We believe that beautiful, timeless images should be created in-camera, without having to resort to spending hours in Photoshop trying to make the image look “cool.” Our couples typically don’t just want pictures taken at their wedding, they want art that incorporates what is most important to them as a couple. They don’t just want a bunch of staged wedding photos showing who was there; they want candid images that capture the emotions that were felt at that very time. After all, anyone with a good camera can simply document who came to your wedding and what they looked like, but it takes a skilled photographer with an eye for lighting and the experience to know when to “time” those critical shots that will really take you back to how you felt the day you got married.
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Style:
What type of photography do you do at the wedding?
We primarily focus on capturing the wedding day from a journalistic standpoint but don’t constrain ourselves to fitting into any specific photography “genre.” Overall we are pretty “hands-off” and would much rather capture candid photos of you being yourself rather than stopping the action to “pose” an artificial moment. In short we will just capture you cutting the cake, not make you stop mid-cut to pose for a picture of you cutting the cake. Although most of the day is documentary style, we do feel it is important to have some very casually directed portraits of you and your families. During the reception, our photos are almost 100% candid. Unless someone asks us to take a posed photograph, we will just hang back and capture everyone enjoying the night: real smiles, bad dance moves, and hilarious reactions included.
So do you take any formal or posed shots with my family?
We absolutely do. While we believe the majority of the day should be spent capturing candid photos we do take around an hour after the ceremony to capture some photos with your immediate families, bridal party, and you as a newly married couple. We typically capture a standard set of family groupings that works for most people, but we do take requests if anything outside the ordinary is desired. Some couples also want full-extended family shots (aunts, uncles, cousins, ect.) and we are happy to do these as long as all family members are present immediately following the wedding.
Do you prefer us to make you a list of shots?
The only thing we really need is a list of who is in your immediate family. This helps us get through those after-ceremony pictures as quick as possible, so everyone can get to the reception as quickly as possible. We will definitely note if there are any special guests or details you would like us to photograph but working from a long “checklist” or “shotlist” means that we will constantly be checking the list instead of capturing those candid moments. Our style is very journalistic and the more time we spend taking posed pictures means the less time we have to document the candid moments and emotion behind the day.
We like very plainly-lit, traditional wedding images? Can you shoot more like that instead?
We encourage you to look back through our wedding galleries to make sure our style is a good fit for the type of wedding day images you want. We look for interesting light, locations and backgrounds that will make your images unique to your wedding. It is our goal to not only creatively document your wedding but to also create some beautiful, artistic images that will look great displayed in your home. Every photographer has a different style, and we encourage you to explore what is best for you.
Wedding Day Coverage:
How long does it take to get our photos back?
With wedding photography we feel that it’s not only important to have beautiful, creative images, but that it’s also important to have those images back as quickly as possible. After all, people are the most excited to see the images while the wedding is still fresh in their minds. To take advantage of this, we will post the full set of your wedding day images no less than two weeks after the wedding. In many cases it’s even quicker.
Do you work with a second shooter?
Josh is typically the only one taking the pictures on the day of the wedding. For larger or more complex weddings, Debra comes along as an assistant and helps with the lighting and directing. For us, we have found it works better to have this arrangement rather than having two people try to do their own lighting, and take the photos as well. We prefer to approach the wedding day with a “quality over quantity” type approach. We would much rather give you 700 incredible images with beautiful lighting than give you 1400 mediocre shots. If you are still unsure of how a wedding can be documented with only one photographer, feel free to contact us – we can send along full galleries so you can see, from start to finish, how we can document the entire event.
How many pictures do couples usually receive?
It depends a lot on how many people are there, how long the wedding lasts, and the amount of details present. That being said most couples receive between 600-1000 fully retouched wedding day images.
What is an online gallery?
An online gallery is a private password-protected page on our website where you can direct family and friends to view all the wedding photos. There is also a secure shopping cart where any friends or family can order photographic or canvas prints from the wedding photos. All you have to do is send the link and password to anyone you want to see the photos.
My fiance isn’t the most comfortable person getting photographed? Can you help with this?
Because most of our photographs are candid in nature, there isn’t much stress about having to do a cheesy smile or feeling awkward getting photographed. In many cases couples don’t even know the photograph is being taken. This allows us to capture real smiles, people relaxing, and having fun. For those few portrait shots, we like to keep them very simple and give some easy direction along the way (aka: Hold hands and walk down the railroad tracks). This makes it a fun time to capture some authentic photos even for people that don’t consider themselves particularly photogenic. After the wedding or engagement session is over, most people tell us how easy and fun the session was.
What will our album look like?
We offer two different style albums. Our most popular option is our fine art leather-bound albums. These albums are locally handcrafted with reinforced pages and rounded edges to prevent fraying. The photographs are printed directly on the pages and then are treated with a clear protective coating that prevents fingerprints and spills. We also offer a lighter weight photo cover album. These albums are printed in a modern, fold-flat layout on true archival photo paper. Instead of leather, these albums are printed on the outside as well to showcase one of your images on the outside.
Do we get to keep all the high-resolution files? Can we print them?
Absolutely! With all our wedding day coverage options we also include the option to have a copy of all the high-resolution files. These images can be printed out, emailed to friends, or put on facebook. If requested we are also happy to send out a list of recommended print shops, and a letter granting permission to print copies for personal usage.
Travel:
Where are you based out of?
We are based out of Greenville, SC. It is located on I-85 roughly halfway between Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA.
So do you travel?
Absolutely! We travel for a good amount of weddings each year. We have traveled for weddings in Massachusetts, Florida, New York, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and internationally to the Dominican Republic. We love getting the chance to travel for weddings and are very comfortable in doing so.
What fees do you charge to travel?
We bill for travel very simply. If airfare, rental car, and hotel is required you are responsible for these related costs. If the wedding is within driving distance by we charge a rate for travel time and gas, as well as a hotel for the night of the wedding. Travel within 50 miles of Greenville, SC is included in our all packages. Feel free to contact us for a customized quote!
Is there anywhere you won't travel to?
We probably won’t shoot your wedding if it is in North Korea. Other than that we are pretty much open to anything!
We would love to meet with you in person, but we won’t be in the Greenville, SC area anytime soon. Are there any alternatives?
A large portion of our couples book us without meeting in-person. After getting some of the basics out over email, I would love to setup a time to chat over the phone or talk on Skype to go a little bit more in-depth about your wedding and how our different options will fit you best. Many of our out-of-town couples have really enjoyed this!
Details:
Do you take a retainer to book our date? When is the rest due?
We take a $900 retainer to book your date. This money goes towards the final package price and holds your date. The remainder is due two weeks before the wedding in full.
Can you tentatively hold a date for us?
We book on a first come – first serve basis so unfortunately, we cannot hold a date without a signed contract and retainer.
Can you come to our rehearsal dinner?
Definitely! We offer rehearsal dinner coverage as an option in any of our coverage options. We typically come for two hours to capture all the candid moments, speeches, and toasts that happen that night.
How long have you been doing this? How many weddings have you shot?
We are into our 12th year as professional wedding photographers and have photographed over 300 weddings throughout our career.
So what happens if you both... die?
If we die I can promise you that neither of us will be at your wedding. We are members of Professional Photographers of America (PPA) as well as several other professional groups that will provide options for another professional photographer to be there to cover your wedding in our absence.
I'm a camera nerd. What equipment do you use to document the wedding?
We primarily use a Nikon D4 and Nikon D750 camera body as well as a full set of professional Nikon lenses to capture the event. Debra uses several types of off-camera flashes and modifiers to provide dimension to reception shots and make the images crisper. We also bring backup equipment to each wedding.
What if things are running behind? Can you stay longer?
Absolutely! We have an extra hourly rate that will go into effect with your permission and we will bill you when you return from your honeymoon.
Do we need to feed you during the reception?
It would be very nice of you to. Without food, Josh and Deb do not function at 100% efficiency and may fade in creative ability. We aren’t super picky though. If you are doing a sit down, plated meal, the food doesn’t need to be the same thing your guests are eating (some places offer vendor meals) but we do ask that we are seated close by the reception so we don’t miss any impromptu toasts or dance competitions. It is also important that we are fed towards the start of the reception so that we have time to finish our meal before the rest of the events unfold.
I have to cancel my wedding? Can we have our retainer back?
Unfortunately the retainer is non-refundable. The retainer holds your wedding date exclusively for you and we turn down anyone else interested in that date.
When do most people decide to hire you to shoot their weddings?
Because we typically fill up very quickly for popular Saturday dates each year, many couples will coordinate with us and the venue to find a date we are both open for. In general though, the majority of people typically book us shortly after setting their date. As a rough guideline – Most days are generally open when booking 15 months in advance, and most dates are taken within 6-7 months of the date. Feel free to contact us to see if your date is available!
Do you offer traditional wedding packages?
We don’t offer traditional “packages” because we find they don’t tend to fit most clients needs. Instead, we offer an a-la-carte system so we can learn more about you and cater to what is most important to you as a couple. We can help walk you through the different wedding coverage, sessions, and album options we offer in order to meet your needs.
How do we hire you?
Use the contact form at the top of each page to send us a message, or call us directly at 864.477.9171. Once we have talked more about your wedding, we can send you a quick contract to reserve your date. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes, and after that, you can count on us to be there to capture your day.
