Questions & Answers
Q: WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
A: We are California photographers based in San Francisco, California and Central Valley, California. Specifically in the East Bay Area & Manteca-Lathrop area of the Central Valley. We’re willing to travel anywhere and everywhere to photograph your most valued moments!
Q: HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU book photo SESSIONs OR WEDDINGS?
A: I typically book photo sessions 1-4 months in advance & weddings 9-12 months in advance. If you are in need of a photo session or wedding photographer ASAP, please feel free to contact me as I will see what time slots are available at your nearest convenience. If your wedding is set for a further date, you are still more then welcome to book me! When you book your venue, I highly suggest booking your photographer not long after. Another option is to contact me before you book your venue to check my availability and for venue suggestions!
Q: ARE YOU WILLING TO TRAVEL TO PHOTOgraph SESSIONs or weddings?
A: YES!!!! We greatly enjoy traveling and shooting weddings in new places. Please don't hesitate to inquire with me even if you aren't getting married in California!
Q: WHAT'S INVOLVED IN BOOKING OUR WEDDING/PHOTO SESSION?
A: Firstly, I'm pumped you're considering me as your photographer. Secondly, email me with all your wedding information, and we can talk pricing and packages. To book your date and ensure that I will be photographing your wedding, a signed contract and retainer fee will be required. I book on a first come, first serve basis, upon receipt of a signed contract along with the retainer. For booking lifestyle/photo sessions, a retainer fee is required along with a basic contract in order to book your session fully. If you'd like to book your wedding or session, please use the booking link on the navigation bar above.
Q: WHO WILL PHOTOGRAPH OUR WEDDING WITH YOU (SECOND photographer)?
A: Another experienced photographer specialized in photographing weddings.
Q: WHO WILL ASSIST in OUR SESSION WITH YOU (ASSISTANT)?
A: An experienced photographer will help with the shoot.
Q: HOW MANY EDITED PICTURES WILL WE BE GETTING FROM YOU?
A: From a 1.5 hour portrait session, you will get about 90-150 carefully edited images. From an 8 hour wedding, you will get about 600-800 carefully edited images. Every session and wedding is different, so this isn't a guarantee just an average.
Q: CAN my guests TAKE PICTURES WHILE YOU'RE TAKING PICTURES?
A: I prefer if guests refrain from taking pictures (with a point-and-shoot, DSLR camera, or phone) during any posed shots, such as bridal party portraits or bride & groom portraits. The other cameras flash may effect my photos or may distract the people in the photo to look another way. As a general rule, I do not allow guests to shadow us on weddings. We reserve the right to kindly tell a guest these rules. I also ask that guests don't stand in or near the aisle during the ceremony, as this can compromise my ability to capture the perfect picture for you!
Q: WE AREN'T SURE IF WE WANT AN ENGAGEMENT SESSION, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD?
A: Engagement sessions are a great idea for multiple reasons. During the time we spend together for your engagement session, we get to know each other, laugh, and share stories. You two will become comfortable with me and being in front of my camera. By the wedding day, we won't be strangers and you two will be totally relaxed with me taking about a million pictures of you. I also get to see how you two interact and the best ways to photograph you, ultimately giving you even better pictures on your big day!
Q: CAN WE EDIT ANY OF THE PICTURES YOU GIVE US?
A: The short answer is no. I'd like to ask that none of the pictures I give you are edited/cropped. The reason being, there are hours upon hours of work that are put into producing a finished collection for you to enjoy with specific ideas in mind for each photo. Another thing to consider is that I am hired for my style, both in posing and in editing, manipulating the end product seems contradictory to why you paid me! In the end, the big takeaway is that I'd like my work to represent what I envisioned and what Heart & Seeker Photography is all about.
Q: WHY DO WEDDING Photos COST SO MUCH?
A: They are lots of work! One thing I feel strongly about is that I never want to take advantage of couples and charge them a "wedding premium", simply because couples tend to spend large sums on weddings. The problem is, many couples don't realize how much work it takes to produce beautiful wedding photos.
The fact is, on an average wedding day we will have 2 photographers present for up to 12 hours, and then spend another 15-25 hours of editing to deliver an amazing finished product. Add in things like emails and consultation meetings before the wedding, personalized planning, cost of deliverables, cost of online gallery services... It all adds up! This means you're having a professional photographer spend 40+ hours on your wedding!
ONE LAST NOTE: I don't want to give you the same "Investment" speech you'll hear all over wedding vendors' websites... But the problem is, they're right! Your wedding photos is something you will enjoy time and time again, literally for years to come. You don't want to invest in a mediocre product. After all, you get what you pay for ;)
Q: DO YOU GIVE DISCOUNTS?
A: See answers above. Since our price is purely a factor of the time spent on your wedding, we don't give discounts. We have a pricing structure that makes it easy to build packages to fit your budget and needs, but we don't discount quoted prices, since it doesn't require any less of our time.
Q: WHAT AREAS WILL YOU SHOOT WEDDINGS AT?
A: Literally anywhere in the world! While we primarily shoot weddings in the San Francisco Bay Area and other parts of Northern California, we have shot weddings all over the place and LOVE traveling.
Q: DO YOU CHARGE FOR TRAVEL?
A: We charge for travel if the event is more than 1 hour away from Manteca, CA. If more than 2.5 hours away, we will charge for lodging.
Q: WHAT IS THE BOOKING PROCESS LIKE?
A: After you inquire through our site, we'll respond to you with our availability and answer any questions you have off the bat. If you're still interested in moving forward, we'll send you a link to an online booking process which literally takes 2 minutes! You approve the package, sign the contract, and pay the retainer all online in just a few moments. Then you're locked in! If an engagement session is not booked, we'll schedule a meeting or Skype/FaceTime meeting to get to know each other and to talk about your big day.
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