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One question that I have been asked numerous times over the years is "how many edited images" will I receive? The truth is it varies between weddings and whether or not you select a six hour package or a micro-wedding for two hours and so many other VARIABLES, because no two weddings are the same. Quite a few photographers will deliver several hundred images or maybe a 1000 or more and in all reality only edit 100 of them, that's what I said 100! This practice is WRONG on so many LEVELS and is not what I am about and it's definitely not why you are paying a professional!!!! You don't want to pay someone that picks out 75-100 images to edit because they "think" those are the best images and then they throw in the rest without doing anything to them, but yet are charging you for editing.....WRONG WRONG WRONG. On average we shoot approximately 150-250 images per hour. Is that set in stone? NO, it's not and it can't be because every wedding is unique and many factors have to be taken into consideration. For example, some families just have "natural eye closers" which make it difficult to find a shot of the bridal party or parents where everyone has their eyes open! FOR THIS REASON ALONE I will often shoot the "group" photos in a rapid succession so that it may be number 5 or 6 of the sequence, but we will get one that is golden! Editing an image means getting rid of face blemishes if someone woke up with a giant pimple the day of the wedding, or you have a teenager in the bridal party that can't control their hormones and had a severe acne break out....I will do my best to get rid of blemishes. One thing I can't control is the wind, so if hair is blowing into someone's face we will often times try to reposition you so that the hair stays out of the face! We have had weddings where we shot 2000 images, but in rapid succession that means that there were several of the exact same pose so I choose the "best" of the edited images like the one where the bride/groom look primo and then take a look at the others in the photo, after all the wedding couple are the ones paying for the photos so they need to look great! We've also shot weddings where the background is challenging and there are giant power lines visible. I will do my best to get rid of those, or street signs that detract from the image. I try to remove things that you may miss initially when you look at images, but in the long run they would bother you like they do me! I can't make promises as "some" things are not able to be edited out of the image. If a photographer tells you they edit "every" image, they are either very new to the game or have too much time on their hands! Color correction is something that we do routinely and slight cropping or straightening of an image, but typically it doesn't go beyond that for most images. There are the cream of the crop shots that we go above and beyond to make them exactly what the couple wants. If you have a very short ceremony and then a reception with a dance, keep in mind there are only SO MANY SHOTS of a drunk "Uncle Eddy" that we can take..... If you have an "idea" of how many images you think you should receive with your selected package, be honest with your photographer so that everyone is on the same page going in and there aren't any grey areas where someone is upset. We are PHOTOGRAPHERS not PSYCHICS and we can't read your mind. In all reality the package price for "my" photography allows more for editing images than the actual wedding day normally because it's a delicate balance. Our contract includes a list of photographs and we ask you to choose the "must have images" and then make secondary choices on those that you would like to have if we have time. I do not put a specific number of images in the contract as it's all based on individual weddings, and some are large with large families which will naturally result in more images but I do NOT want to give you 10 images of the SAME POSE and no visible changes because that is not what you paid for. Some ceremonies are more intimate and a handful of guests, so there would be slightly less than a HUGE wedding, which hopefully makes sense. Be up front with your photographer so that everyone is on the same page and things will run a lot smoother when both sides know the expectations!

Congratulations, you popped the question and now you're engaged!!! Photographers have so many different styles and no two are the same, so here are some questions to consider when you are booking the person that will spend the most time with you on your wedding day, and be all "up in your business", invading your "personal space", and capturing lasting memories. Do you have an assistant? Having one or two extra photographers is always welcome as you can capture different angles and make sure that nothing gets missed. But what about needing a safety pin, hair spray, a lint brush, hairspray or someone to hold a filter to block out sunlight.....do you have this person who is able to help? We normally have three of us at every wedding so that two can be photographing and the other will help with some images, but is there as a "runner" to get things, or find people, etc. 2. Weather.....the weather in the Black Hills can change rapidly, are your photographers equipped to handle it? Snow or rain can leave some photographers baffled in how they handle things, and if they are even able to get the shots that you requested. We have umbrellas for the bridal party, as well as covers for our equipment and are usually checking the weather several times a day prior to your ceremony just so that we are prepared. 3. Do you have extra equipment if something happens and a camera or lens is rendered inoperable? We do have extra cameras and lenses so that if something happens during the day, or just prior to your big day we won't be up a creek without a paddle so to speak. 4. Is your photographer able to take control? Don't be afraid to ask this question as there are plenty of issues that will come up during the day and if the photographer isn't able to take control and move on, it can be sheer disaster. I have only had to gently nudge one lady out of the way at a wedding as she stood up right in the front of me with her cell phone when I needed to get the couple cutting the cake. Turns out it was the groom's aunt and she had been pushy her entire life so the couple thought it was quite humorous when I stepped in front of her and said I'm getting paid to get this shot! I have been a crisis negotiator for 25 years in my FT job and can resolve almost any conflict that arises so you are in good hands. 5. How long will it be for me to see all of my edited images? I cringe when I hear that people who were married 5-6 months ago still do not have their images. Your photographer needs to be up front with you and let you know how long they normally take to edit images and get them back to you. We typically have them ready within 4 weeks. During peak wedding season it may be closer to 6 weeks before you receive them, but being up front with the couple tends to reduce unnecessary stress for ALL involved! You will get your sneak peek, typically somewhere between 12-15 images, within 24 hours of your wedding ceremony.

So you booked a session but you aren't sure what to wear. I always tell people to take into account the location and weather that is forecast for your shoot. If it's 100 degrees and you are doing some branding shots you probably don't want to wear a wool blazer or you will appear sweaty in the images. Stripes.....I have met "very few" people that can actually pull off a look wearing stripes, so be very careful if you choose to go this route. I am reminded by one of my siblings about the "pants" that my mom made them wear growing up which had stripes, it definitely is an acquired taste! Whether it's an engagement session, senior or branding session most people typically have a couple of outfits they would like to use. It's always ok to bring extra outfits in case the background setting is not complimentary of something you thought you would wear. I have had clients bring 5-6 outfits with the intent of only using a couple of them. In my experience couples doing their engagement photos tend to bring a dressy outfit and then a more casual one just to mix it up a bit. Senior photo sessions if you have something you want to incorporate in your photos please bring it with you, unless it's a horse or something and then hopefully I am coming to you for the session. For example if you were active in a sport, you might bring a letter jacket, or a volleyball, a football, baseball jersey, etc. If you were a marching band member your instrument may be appropriate. I typically don't recommend wearing white but some clients have their heart set on it so we will have a conversation prior to the session so that expectations are met on all sides.