What’s your approach?
I’m a documentarian and a photojournalist and I’m there to cover the story of your day. I am unobtrusive, not directing or recreating anything, just letting all of the amazing, real moments occur and using an artistic eye to capture them. Often times, folks will tell me they actually completely forgot I was there. I take that as a huge compliment. Your job is to enjoy your wedding to the fullest and mine is to create beautiful memories that you will have forever.
I also appreciate the importance of the formal portraits and take charge during the hour or so we set aside for this to get exactly the shots you and your family would like.
What’s your background?
This whole journey started with some photo classes back in high school, but I really developed my passion during a month-long backpacking trip to the High Sierras in California and then a college semester abroad in the Australian rainforest (during which I happened to meet my wife). The sights in these places were truly awesome and I had to learn how to capture the beauty I was seeing. This led me after college to the Maine Photo Workshops where, in a nature/travel course, I met a Massachusetts wedding photographer who invited me to second shoot with her when I got back home. After just a couple of weddings I began to really love it and pretty quickly decided to try my hand at running my own business. That was over 10 years and hundreds of weddings ago.
How much do you charge?
Packages start at $2,900 and always include an album, engagement session, and digital files. Please contact me if you would like to set up a time to meet and talk about what would work best for your wedding.
How much coverage do I need?
Of course this varies from couple to couple, but typically folks hire me for 8 hours. I love to be there for the getting ready/prep time to capture the anticipation of the day, fun with friends, and special moments with family. This is often when I capture some of my favorite images. I like to have at least an hour to cover this. I also like at least an hour to cover the formal portraits. If you opt to do a first look (which about 50% of couples do these days), this usually occurs right before the formal portraits so that would add about 15-30 minutes.
More and more it seems I don’t stay through the entire reception. As long as I’m there for all of the formalities (parent dances, cake cutting, toasts, etc.) and an hour or so of dancing that is usually fine. I do love shooting dancing images, so I’m more than happy to stay the whole time.
Should we take engagement pictures?
One of my favorite parts of the job is getting to meet so many great folks that I work with. As a photographer I’m there with you pretty much the entire wedding day so I definitely feel it’s important to get to know you ahead of time and an engagement session is a perfect way to do that. I’ve decided to include it in my packages since I believe it is so beneficial. Really it’s just a time to hang out for an hour or two, walk and talk and get some fun, casual pics – and I know a lot of my clients enjoy getting some “practice” time in front of the camera ahead of the big day. I can suggest some locations I know, but I love it when my couples have a spot in mind that holds some special meaning for them.
Do you have a second shooter?
I’m happy to hire a photographer to join me for all or part of your day – the fee is $75/hr and there is a 4 hour minimum. I do shoot the majority of my weddings on my own and am quite comfortable working solo, but I understand some weddings require an extra set of eyes. I’m happy to talk this over with you to see what makes sense for your event.
What if you get sick?
Obviously this would be a worst case scenario and nothing has ever happened to make me miss a wedding. If something unforeseen should arise and I can’t be at your wedding I will certainly refund your money and then do everything I can to help you find a great replacement. I am part of an extensive network of New England photographers, many of whom I know personally. I would reach out to these folks to see who is available and I imagine you would have multiple options to choose from.
Do you travel for weddings?
Sure, I’m happy to travel – I love travel and have photographed plenty of weddings down on the Cape, up in New Hampshire, and really all over New England. I feel lucky to have a job that takes me all around to so many beautiful locations. In the case that your wedding is within driving distance but more than 2 hours away from my home in Somerville I require the couple provide me with 1 night of accommodations. If the wedding is a plane ride away that sounds awesome so let’s discuss.
Have you been to my venue?
Having done this for over a decade now, there is a good chance I’ve worked at your venue or am familiar with it. But if not, that’s actually quite exciting to me – it always gets the creative juices flowing when I am exploring a new space. I often make a site visit ahead of time so I can get a feel for the place and know what to expect on the wedding day.
