FAQ.
I hope that you cannot find the answers to your questions here, If not please contact me. or post in the Wedding Photography by Rory Witham forum
How do we book a cover package?
The album designs that are included in the packages, offer the simple and easy way to order designed albums over designing your own album. in the higher packages, we will build designs on both our selection of images and your selection of images, making it easier for you to pick the album that you want. You will find the layout order form on the spanish digital album page and within the galleries which have the book displayed.
Why are wedding album so exspensive?
A good question, When I recently reviewed many albums in person, you can see the quaility of the albums, some are good and some are not so good. When I look at picture, I see how mounthing the photo correctly really makes a difference. I hunted around to find albums that were built well, looked good and you could keep with out issue. My target was around £300.00 but its not as easy as I would have liked. If you find that the albums are not as you would have liked from the price, there are other albums, books etc that are very good and can costs alot less. Just ask me, I am here to help.
Why hire a professional wedding photogrpaher?
You are correct to question the need fro a professional photogrpaher as many people out there can use a camera and point and shoot cameras (compact) can do a good job. BUT there is more to pointing a camera iat a wedding, such as being in the right place and the quality of the images, it them goes into posing people for the photos to be taken. More information on hiring a profesional photogrpaher can be found here
Are the images yours?
Yes, I reserve the right to use the images as stated on our terms, I don't keep any additional images past two months after the wedding date or the return from honeymoon and the images from the day our yours to keep on CD or DVD. Also see "How many images do I get on the included CD-ROM/DVD?" on this FAQ page. Please be aware that if you do not order within 3 months, I do charge for storing your photos past 3 months.
Do you use film or digital?
We use some of the latest technologies in the world of digital photography. There are a lot of advantages to using digital and they have become much better in the past few years giving you the same or better quality of traditional film cameras. Our recent purchase of a top of the range digital SLR camera works very close to film, I assure you that the untrained eye cannot tell the difference.
What areas do you cover?
I cover the gloucestershire area up to 50 miles, and maybe more depending on the service you require this includes West London and the areas in between. Some areas I may add travel to cover my costs and/or over night accommodation for areas that are over 1 hours drive from Gloucester city.
What if your ill?
I am a member of a backup team of reputable photographers, should I fall ill there is a list of backups available that will be able to work for you. These are all approved photographers which shoot in a similar style to myself, and I approve of so you get a great service.
What if its rain's?
With the portable studio and with the pre shoot/stock images, we can work around rain and shoot indoors, If it is really bad and there are not any options available, then we can arrange a shoot at a later date. Please take your venue into account when you are booking a different time of the year where photos may need to be taken inside.
Have you any client feed back?
Yes, We don't ask for feed back but sometimes you send us more than a quick thank you. It nice to get feed back when the days over and you have been on your honeymoon. You can read some feedback here. We also have had feedback from other photographers and businesses as well, which has been all good!
Is the pre shoot 'engagement' photo session necessary?
Being relaxed around the photographer is important as well as knowing what you are doing to create the images. Many people get lost when placed in front of the camera and the pre shoot takes away the ambiguity of having someone you don't really know taking photos of you. Besides, its makes for a fun time and even make your wedding seam that much more closer. It will improve your wedding photos in 90% of weddings.
How many images do I get on the included CD ROM/DVD?
Each package has a different amount of images contained on the disc. When viewing the packages details you should find this information. Should you select an upgraded CD-ROM/DVD you will receive all your photographs taken on the day as well as edited photographs which are ready for printing. The packaged digital negatives discs are a ramdom selection of photographs taken during the contract.
Pre shoot Photographs are all included on to a disc.
Why is the full digital negatives disc quater of the price before the wedding?
When taking photos I cannot warant what they will look like and how many photos are great or bad, there is an element of risk both for you and I and its very much a gamble, after the wedding you will know what you can get and there is a lower risk to you.
What will our online gallery look like?
You can find links on the gallery page 2 to client albums. Sometimes I use slide shows as this can be quicker than loading and building galleries.
What's the company Grafixphoto.co.uk?
Grafixphoto is my commercial photography business, it has changed a little and will be returning to a commercial photogrpahy site offering portrait photography as well as bridal boudoir. Link
What is the company nationalphotographer.co.uk?
National photographer is a directory of photographers who carry out certain photographic work, I use it for commercial photogrphay services as the owner of that business. GTWCMT is currently made up of a number of businesses and national photographer was just one. Link
How do we claim or view the special offers?
I have recently added a special offers section to this web site where you can claim a single offer for a single wedding package. When you contact us please quote the offer number to obtain your offer. you will not automatically receive discounts or offers if you do not tell me you wish to claim one.
Can we pay online?
Yes, we offer secure payment for bookings on line, these are paypal services and carry a 2.9% service charge. You can pay by direct bank transfer as well. Once you have confirmed the details a message will be sent from us and you only need to click one button to start making your payment online.
What quality albums do you use on your packages?
I use high quality products, As a consumer and business owner, I understand your point of views so in respect of yourself and myself, I only use quality albums. You are free to upgrade your album at cost, to which ever album you like for a large list from our or your suppliers. There is a considerable amount of albums that exceed the albums pages limited selection which exceeds 400, and there are a number of layout options on many of these to consider. Albums prices range from £45.00 to £4950.00
Can we pick/change an album?
Yes, I use albums that are of a good quality and other designer albums as well, We can arrange for you to take a look at what is available and how much they will cost. You can supply your own album if you wish. Album prices are deducted from the packages if you supply your own and adjusted if you would like a different album.
What other photographs do you take?
I take nature, landscape images and some portrait photographs for people, models and also other commissioned work, you can see some of the work in the gallery and read these in magazines and publications. You can visit the web site here: www.grafixphoto.co.uk which holds some of my more commercial work.
I'm confused over the packages? Help!
The details one each package should cover the information that is required to help you make a choice, however there is a download in the information page that can also help. I have drawn up a page which may explain things better and in more detail, Click here to view more information.
The prints mentioned in the packages come in different sizes, with the more important photographs being larger and others being smaller. This is great for those who wish to complete a story book type wedding album. Those of you who wish to pick your photograph's sizes please contact me as there is a difference in the pricing.
Reportage are for those who want purely reportage wedding photographs.
Hourly rates are based on time hiring, but you do pay full rate for prints and anything else that you would like. You do not pay for hours and a package or extra for reportage images and mixed styles.
The packages offer something different in each one, The basic package is for couples having a smaller weekday wedding, a simple package that comes with around 100 images of which 30 are printed.The images taken are not limited so you may end up with more photographs to select from.
Package two offers standard coverage of your wedding, there is a little more time for the speeches which runs in to the reception.
Package three offers a great amount of coverage for the complete day, giving you a wide range of images that will tell a fuller story. Package 3 can offer up to 1500 images to select from as more often there are two photographers, larger wedding weddings average around 2 images per minute.
Funky & Fashion is the same as package three in its coverage, but is more fun and relaxed. There is some leading to get the right images, but its fairly layed back in its style giving you a reasonably uninterrupted wedding.
The Deluxe package offers you a complete picture of the day, with parent albums and lots more images printed. You have a full disc and web site so it really offers a fuller package and is ideal for large weddings. We have added Video to this package to give some great coverage, You can see the video online. The video is NOT a full video and is just highlights.
The Hitchers package Was designed by Brides and Grooms from the hitchers web site. It offers everything that most people want from their wedding photographer.
The friendly package is just that, Shot like a guest at a wedding using professional cameras and experience, it gives you a simple package that offers you no control.
Build your own Wedding photography package is just what it is. There are notes on the bottom of the page to help you design the right package for you. The package is flexible and allows you to select what you do want and what you don't want. You can also view the additions page and add this to the build your own package.
If you wish to have my recommendation, package two for a lot of people as it offers a standard photography package that is offer by most photographers, but with out the rushing at the end. Package 3 if you would like the whole day covered giving you a full account of the day, then if you would like the full event covered and lots of prints and albums the deluxe package. If you are looking for a totally relaxed day then select the funky package. Don't forget to add the preparations and a pre shoot for the best results on the day.
How many photographs will your take?
Back in the ye old days photographers
would offer photography service by the rolls of film, a roll is either 24 or 11 negatives and you would get a lot less than 100 shots. Today we are in a digital world and although I can take 50,000 images before replacing the sensor in the camera. I do shoot a lot of images per wedding, Weddings are different and the photography will be different. Only one in four images are disgarded, the remainder are printable worthy images.
Package 1 around 160;
Package 2 around 800;
Package 3 around 2000;
Funky around 1500;
Deluxe around 2200;
Hitcher around 1000;
I don't understand the pricing structure?
I have laid out the packages so that what you see on the pricing page is what you pay. The guide prices On the pricing page, prices are inclusive, and may not cover travel and other costs (like parking/hotels/meals) should they be nessasary.
You should buy a package, hours or services, but not add them together. Each service is separate and costs as such - the packages offer a fixed price service based on a combination of services, therefore includes prints, albums, and hire. Hourly hire would be just that, You then need to add prints, albums and anything else you would like. Some of the services like reportage offer a limited number of prints, if you would like more prints you would need to pay for these. Please be aware that the packages are fixed and can be added to prior to your booking, after the wedding is over, the prices will not be the same if you had ordered the service/items before the wedding. Please see the after wedding pricing page by clicking here for a list of prices for goods and services after the wedding has been completed.
Why are the before and after prices different?
As you can see the prices are low, with a 50% deposit high costs means that you would pay a higher fee, due to the fact that you can buy in advance prints, negatives and slide shows, with out seeing them, the value is less than the completed item that you can see. When I shoot a wedding I cannot see into the future at the results that you will have, this is reflected in the pre booking prices. after the wedding is finished I can see the work and thefore the prices are at the commercial rates or in fact lower than most commercial photographs.
Why would I have a photographer at the evening reception?
Many people don't realise that the evening reception has more people and a 'meet and greet'. People often drink and eat and don't have time to capture the memories of this event, capturing the first dance and other moments of the day is all part of the package, this is why we offer package 3 and above, with evening reception cover. I wont say about drink and photography from the guests but I have seen them. Your guest are guests and do not capture the day like a professional will. Clients have commented on regret for not booking services through all events, disposibles are poor qualty cameras and for every ten cameras you can exspect around 4 prints.
What is the hitchers package?
I conducted some research into what brides and grooms want from their photographers with the help of the bride's and groom's from the Hitched web site, from their feed back I developed the Hitchers package.
We have not heard about you why is this?
Like they say, no news is good news. Many of my clients are not local people and are spread around the world and wish to be married in the cotswold's and surrounding areas. I have written editorials for wedding web sites, television, magazines and photography publications.
You may notice the gallery pictures from the TV program Wedding Diaries on the UK Style channel (episode 12).
How long have you been a photographer?
I have over 18 years of photography experience, and shoot around 50,000 photographs each year for weddings, portraits and commercial use. I am in my fifth year of wedding photography.
Will we get two photographers on the day?
It is possible that you will have two photographers but no packages are guarenteed to have two photographers on the day, I do try to find them on longer packages when I am working all day, but many are unreliable and therefore I cannot guarentee a second photographer. Just to note, orders from second photographers normally are only 5% of the total photos - (thats about 4-25 photos).
Can I see your photographic work?
Yes, On the appointment
I bring a portfolio along, This is two albums of mixed weddings to show you some of the work and styles of photography. If you have been looking around the internet you may have been advised to view complete wedding albums to ensure that its not pot luck photography.
You can see the work I carry out showing full wedding photography on the web site in the gallery. These galleries show unedited photographs and in most cases a complete set. I have also external web sites with other images on as well.
The wedding web site images are updated from time to time to keep gallery current.
Why do you ask for a 50% deposit/booking fee?
Because the prices vary, bookings pay 50% towards the booking of the date to secure the date as other people may wish to book that date cannot. I have to ensure that I can cover my expenses Unfortunately business costs need to be paid and the general web site need to be maintained and when a client cancels and I cant book the day out Im at a loss.
When should I book?
Being as I offer great prices on photography and offer a great service, this means that my services are highly sort after. I offer a first come first severed basis, based on the deposit payments being paid. Take a look at this web site and galleries then contact me as soon as possible to book an appointment. Booking dates can fill within an hour and you are advised to book around a year in advance.
When are payments due?
When booking your date you should pay your 50% of your package cost (deluxe service & package 3 will pay a 35% deposit) The remainder should be paid prior to the wedding day on all standard packages and the deluxe package shall pay a further £599.00 on this date and the remainder on receipt of the album.
All non wedding packages should be paid for in advanced.
How and when can I contact you?
I can be contacted at any time by email, I can be contacted on the office number most days between 09:30 and 19:00 If I am not available please call my mobile number. If you are an existing booked customer, feel free to contact me up till 22:00 Monday to Thursday and Sunday's.
Do you have professional indemnity insurance?
Yes, I also recommend you take wedding insurance should anything happen on the day. You can find a link on the information page.
Can we order more prints from you?
Yes, Many people ask to have prints made by us so that they have a high quality finish that they cannot get at home or from high street stores. We do not keep copies of your wedding photos after about two week of shooting, just send a letter along with your digital negatives CD to us and we'll have them printed and returned to you in around a week.
If you do not have a full digital negatives disc, all prints are charged at the normal rates, these rate can be found on the galleries or in the after wedding pricing. It costs more to have things after than before, so you may wish to buy in advance.
How much Photo editing / retouching do you include?
Due the the nature of the business and the simple ideals, We try to retouch all the most important images, this is around twenty images. Due to the fact that retouching the images take sometime to complete, additional retouching and editing can be requested.
I can build images from the wedding day as well, should you find that you want one picture that you have not seen on your disc or in the gallery, please ask for a image and quote for its production.
Pushing for time?
Photographing a wedding is a once in a life time, So I am flexible and often give 'more' than a 'lesser' service. There is no 'its too late' or 'but you've only paid for' Often people comment on how long I stay for the price and the way that there is no 'taking over the wedding' to get the photos finished.
What is the time guide of your packages?
While I do not push for time, I try to average out my time within the packages, Package one is around 2.5 hours of attendance at a single location. Package two is around 4-5 hours of attendance at one location. Package 3 has around 8-12 hours coverage at two or more locations.
The flip side which is not considered is that there is all the work behind the wedding day. - Preperations before all weddings is around 8 hours. Post wedding.. package 1 is around 14 hours, Package 2 around 50 hours Package 3 around 70 hours.
How will the process our booking through to the album work?
The process is pretty simple. Review the information on the site and contact myself after you have had a good read and seen the galleries. This will confirm the date of the wedding and if I will be available for that date.
We will have a chat about the package to ensure that it suits your wedding and aspirations.
The next step is booking, a form will be sent out to you which you return with your deposit.
I will then confirm your booking with a receipt.
Next will be the pre shoot if selected, or a meeting if you're not local at some point before the wedding.
On your wedding day, I will arrive early and you can ask me questions or give me additional information while I shoot the preparations or other shots as required within the package.
I will speak with you during the day, to ensure that everything is going well and may show you some shots that were taken, I do show some of your close friends so they can comment to you.
If I am with you during the reception in the evening - I may show a slide show from the shots taken during the day (time permitting) if I have my mini print lab with me you can take some photos on the day or guests can purchase photos. Any photographs which you take home/on honeymoon with you are deducted from the package.
After the wedding, there will be a web site or I will send you a DVD showing you images, these are lightly edited which you can then order, once you have sent your order and returned your disc, the images are edited and special photos made etc (if you purchased this with your package other wise they are lightly edited to ensure a reasonable quality).
You then will receive a estimate on the date when your album will be ready for collection.
You can collect or if you are local I will deliver the album and we will check the photos.
Some albums will require your approval prior to printing and some albums can take up to 5 weeks to arrive.
Normally you will arrange the final part of your payment on the day or prior to the wedding day.
This then ends your wedding package.
Digital Image books, how do we select the layout?
The image books are quite a complex task, GraphiStudio books have around 70 different options, some of these are, 5 different papers, 7 layout styles. Then there is covers and a host of other options. The image books that we supply in package two, have a number of options. The bulk is in the form of the page layouts. There are several page layouts, backgrounds and cover options all of which run into hundreds of combinations. You will be given a refence form to complete when you select your 'prints' to select the layout of the album.
Is there any updates and news following you?
Yes, I do keep a 'blog' type update to the wedding and other photography services, you can view this here.
What are you like and what is your job like?
I am laid back, friendly and honest, fairly young and enjoy my work. I do like to provide you with a great service which I find is the most important thing during the day. With the work I have done with couples I tend to help out during the day to help things run smoothly in all events. I wrote this page some time ago and did not make it available, feel free to look
