How would you identify your photographic style?
Our style could best be described as part photojournalism (unobtrusive photography, also known as “candids”), part “fine art,” and part “lifestyle” photography. We like to keep things as natural and relaxed as possible, and use our cameras to capture the emotions and true essence of whoever’s in front of our lens!
Can you do that “thing” where the flowers are in color in a black and white photo?
We get asked this question a lot! This technique is called “selective coloring.” We have the tools and capabilities to process your images in any way you’d like, so if you request this technique, we’ll gladly oblige! Visit our wedding gallery to see samples of “selectively colored” images.
Do you have experience shooting in various lighting situations?
We can work with any imaginable lighting situation to produce the best possible results! We’ve spent years accumulating the perfect lighting gear for “on location” shooting, and we bring it with us to every wedding, event, and portrait session just in case we need it.
How many photographers do you work with?
It’s just the two of us, and we’re a great team; so we always photograph weddings together for the best possible results.
Do you guarantee your presence at the actual event?
Absolutely! That is the best part of booking your wedding with a small studio like ours (I mean…besides the fact that you get gorgeous, unique, artistic looking images that will not look like anyone else’s!) – you get to know both of us through the wedding planning process, and end up feeling totally comfortable with us. Most of the bigger wedding photography studios hire mediocre photographers and pay them hourly, so you may not even meet the person who will photograph your wedding until the day of the event, which is something we can’t even imagine! The photographer is responsible for providing the most lasting memories of your wedding day – the photos; so it only makes sense to make sure you get acquainted with that person before the most important day of your life!!! For us, getting to know our clients is a very important part of what we do. We want to know them, so we can give them wedding day images that reflect who they are as a couple. We’re fortunate enough to be able to say that the majority of our clients end up being our friends long after their wedding day has come and gone. :)
Do you sometimes book yourself for more than one wedding in a day? Weekend?
We sometimes book more than one wedding in a weekend, but never, never, more than one on the same day. Weddings are exhaustingly hard work, and we can only devote ourselves to one a day to ensure the best possible results!
What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you on the day-of?
We both shoot with professional digital cameras (Nikon), and have every lens necessary to provide photographic coverage from a wide variety of perspectives – in fact, I’d say that we’re “over-prepared” in the lens department. We also bring all of our “on-location” lighting gear, just in case the need should arise.
Do you bring back-up equipment to the event in case of malfunction?
Yes. We both have duplicate cameras, duplicate flashes, and no shortage of lenses to choose from. We’ve got it covered no matter what happens!
Do you have liability insurance?
We sure do! We’re fully covered, and we’d be happy to provide proof of coverage upon request.
Do you charge hourly or full day?
We have many different inclusive packages that offer much more than just photographic coverage (i.e. some packages include albums, some include prints, etc.); but we also have a basic hourly rate of $250 for any couples who are looking for less than 6 hours of coverage. Click here to check out our 2010 wedding packages!
How many breaks do you usually take throughout the day?
Breaks? That’s hilarious!! Um…we don’t take breaks because we don’t want to miss anything important. (We’ve been yelled at by more mothers and venue managers than we can count for not stopping to eat something!) But, seriously, all joking aside, there’s no “do-overs” for your wedding day, so it’s more important to us to catch every detail, rather than lounge around taking breaks.
Do you charge for travel?
We do charge for travel outside of the Western New York area, but it’s nothing ridiculous – usually just the cost of gas.
How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing?
Within 2-3 weeks after the wedding/event/portrait session, we will have 25-50 “sneak preview” photos posted on our blog-site to hold you over! The rest of your images will ready for viewing within 2 weeks after your preview is posted. All of the images are uploaded to a private, password protected gallery, so you simply log in and view! The DVD containing all of your images is usually mailed out the same day that you receive your gallery password.
In what format are the initial proofs offered? How long can we keep them?
We have a proofing website that gives each client their own private viewing gallery! The images that are posted to your gallery are yours to keep forever and ever; you don’t have worry about choosing your favorites because you get to keep them all! The DVD that we mail out to you 4-5 weeks after the event, contains every image that we uploaded to your online gallery, along with the rights to reproduce them. We will host your images on our proofing site for one year.
What are “reproduction rights?”
Along with the DVD that contains all of your images, you will get an official release form (complete with fancy legal jargon) that grants you the right to reproduce the images (created by Ayres Photography) anytime, anywhere, anyplace you choose. Some (most) photo processing labs will not make prints that come from a professional photographer without a release form.
How do we get “prints?”
Just to clarify – our packages include all of your digitalimages on a DVD, with full “reproduction rights.” This means that you can have prints made from any color lab you choose. However, we do offer the option of ordering prints through our proofing website. All prints ordered through your online gallery are printed by a professional color lab that we (as professionals) hand selected for their amazingly high-quality, lightning-fast turn around time, and unmatched customer service. (When we order prints for ourselves, we don’t order from any other lab – EVER.) Their print prices are comparable to any other professional color lab, and they actually look at every single image we send them to double check the colors before printing; so, every print is perfect, every time. Another benefit to having the option of ordering through your gallery, is that anyone you choose to give your password to can log on, and choose/order their own prints. That part of the process just takes care of itself!
What kind of wedding albums do you offer?
We work with several different album companies in order to provide our clients with a wide variety of choices. No matter what your budget, we can design a gorgeous album for you that will be cherished for all of your married lives!
How long does it take to deliver a book?
The design process takes us anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Once the couple approves the design, the order will be placed and the book will arrive in 2-4 weeks. So, the whole album process typically takes 6-8 weeks.
*If your question wasn’t covered in the FAQ’s, please use our handy contact form to send us an email or give us a call at 716.812.0647. We would be happy to answer any other questions you may have!