Wedding Photography FAQ

General Questions

Q: How many images do you take during a wedding reception or ceremony?

A: We take as many images as we think are required to capture the events and record the emotions during each wedding day. Like a book cannot be constrained within a certain number of pages in order to tell the real story and communicate the author’s ideas completely, a wedding photography cannot be measured by the number of images it produces.

Some photographers would capture large amount of unflattering or uninteresting images, while others would know which image and moment to capture. I believe that with years of wedding photography experience, I do know which image to capture, which moment to record and when the event worth capturing is going to unravel. I capture as many images and moments as possible on your special day and present them to you in as a complete wedding story.

Q: “Can I have every single image you take from my wedding?”

A: No and there is a simple reason for it. I eliminate all duplicate and test images, out of focus images, images with bad expressions as closed eyes or weird looks and all other images that doesn’t tell the true story of your wedding. Weddings are very dynamic and feature moving subjects in all directions. I usually take a sequence of frames to capture a specific moment so later I can select and present to you the perfect frame with perfect facial expression and absolute sharpness.

Imagine you have to scroll through thousands of images for countless hours, zoom into each image to select the one with the sharpest focus. You are paying for the best wedding photography service, so I spend hours doing that on my end. mu photojournalistic style captures candid laughs and emotional tears which are real emotions and very spontaneous. We start capturing these moments before they fully unravel and after they happen to make sure we capture it and have the perfect image with the ideal expression for the moment.

Having duplicate images of the same moment with not an ideal expression in addition to the ideal expression is simply overwhelming and dilutes the real moment the viewer should experience. With years of wedding photography experience and post processing few hundred thousands of images each year, we know how to eliminate the ones that we feel are duplicates and only deliver the best ones.

Q: “Which file format do you use: JPEG, Small Raw, or Large Raw?”

A: I use Large RAW format to capture all images during any event I photograph without exception. This is the file format which allows my professional camera bodies and lenses to capture every possible variation of light, color and tones and later use this digital information to enhance your images to the best possible quality and overall look. Without getting into the technical details, Large RAW is the best uncompressed and authentic way to capture the three dimensional world around us into a two dimensional image.

JPEG file format uses compression algorithms which throw away digital information captured by expensive camera bodies and lenses which are created to capture it in the first place. It is like buying a Ferrari and driving it on first gear and below 10 miles per hour.

Q: “Do you have a studio and can you take Professional Headshots, individual or Family Portraits?”

A: I do have home studio equipped for indoor portraiture and when not busy with events and wedding photography, can accommodate studio portraiture appointments. I have been working with professionals in my area to craft headshot images for online profiles, marketing materials, conferences and have the required studio equipment. I do also photography children, family and couples in my studio. Please, Contact Me to discuss your needs and to Book a Wedding

Q: “Do you also photograph Birthdays, Reunions, Quinceaneras, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Celebrations or Corporate Events?”

A: Absolutely. I do specialize in event photography and all these are considered an event photography. Please, visit our Pricing web page for full list of events we cover. With years of experience photographing weddings and events in San Francisco Bay Area, I would love to cover your celebration.

Q: “Have you photographed before at the venue I have selected for my wedding?”

A: Over the years I have photographed on hundreds of venues in the area and at remote destinations, so there is a good chance that I have. Mention the venue you are considering or already selected and I will confirm back with you. In case I am not familiar with the venue, I will do my research to get familiar with the location and would allocate time prior to the start of your wedding complete a walkthrough.

Q: “Are you available for destination weddings and what are the associated additional fees?”

A: I am located in Mountain View, CA but serve clients all around the world. My destination wedding photography packages are simply my standard wedding photography packages plus the cost of travel and reasonable accommodations including meals. Email me at: [email protected] your destination and wedding details and I will provide an exact quote for your destination wedding.

Q: “Do you provide videography service with your wedding or event packages?”

A: I specialize in wedding photography only and focus my attention on photographing the wedding events only. However, we collaborate with wedding professionals in the area and can team up with a videographer team to deliver the complete service you might require. Mention the need for a videographer when contacting us to book a wedding date and I will provide you with options and estimates for a videography service.

Q: “Do you provide a partial wedding day coverage?”

A: We do provide different wedding packages with different durations. We understand that not all weddings are planned to be equal so we provide the flexibility for you to book different wedding photography packages and receive the coverage you are looking for.

Q: “Who will be the Primary Photographer on my wedding?”

A: I am the primary photographer for your engagement session and wedding day. if you require a second photographer to be added to your package we will arrange it for you. You can be confident that we are not going to have some random person photograph your big day! We partner with premiere wedding photographers in the area and can ensure your experience with both the primary and secondary photographers would be the same.

Q: “Is your business insured to cover any potential damages or accidents at my venue?”

A: Yes, my business is insured for any property damages that might occur from my services while on wedding venue. I do use professional lights, light stands and electrical cords which might cause any damage, so that’s why my business is insured against any damages which these might cause.

Q: “How do you backup our wedding images to ensure they won’t be lost?”

A: During the years of photographing weddings, I have developed an image processing and storage workflow to ensure no client images is ever compromised or lost. Capturing, storing and preserving your wedding images is out top priority and we take the responsibility very seriously.

To ensure we never lose a client image we follow this workflow:

• We use newly formatted memory cards for each wedding and we never mix images from a separate wedding events on the same memory card
• We use two memory cards in each camera body and record two copies of each image on a separate memory card
• After the wedding day, all your images are downloaded into our image processing workstation and stored on two separate mirrored disk arrays
• A third copy of your images is created on a separate external hard drive
• All your processed and original images are stored on a DVD media and archived for future retrieval
• All of your processed images are uploaded to your private online gallery (third party image storage solution)

At any given point, there are two or three copies of your wedding images.

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Engagement Session Questions

Q: “What day of the week we should schedule our engagement session for?”

A: Engagement sessions are all about you and your fiancé soaking into the moment and displaying the deep emotions and feeling you share with each other. I pick locations which are both pretty and easily accessible but that means that other people chose to visit them as well. On the weekends there are simply so many people at the favorite locations that it makes most couples bit nervous and not fully relaxed during the session. Therefore I recommend to pick a weekday for your engagement session, late afternoon when the sunlight is very pleasant and the location is less crowded. If you must have your engagement session on the weekend, I can also accommodate this only if there is no wedding already booked for this date.

Q: “What is the best time to book our engagement session?”

A: I advise my clients to contact me and book an appointment as soon as possible for their engagement sessions as during the busy engagement season the dates on my calendar are filling up pretty quickly. If you have a date in mind, please contact me or check my Online Appointment System in advance is a good time to book an appointment so we have time to discuss the location and me and you to prepare and plan for the session.

Q: “What locations you can recommend for our engagement session?”

A: Selecting an engagement session location will be done in collaboration with you. I do have favorite location from past clients but you have to like the location and feel comfortable on it. We can start with your favorite locations, or something that reflects your interests and brings memories back. This is completely up to you. Any places with significance to you is a good start. You can also pick an urban or nature location as well. Most couples like to be at the favorite place where they went on a date (first date location or where you met may be)? What about the place where he proposed to you? If you want me to suggest and pick locations, I would be happy to do that.

Q: “What should I wear to an engagement session?”

A: Having something which is both comfortable and simple would make you more confident during your engagement session. It should be fun as well as this is about you and your fiancé, your passion and feelings for each other. I recommend to bring multiple outfits, accessories and layer your clothing which is easy to add to and also change. Bright colors and clothing free of patterns or logos is best. If you decide to bring heels at the session, have also flats to use for walking as we will be moving from a location to location and you would have to walk.

Q: “How many images do you take and deliver after an engagement session?”

A: During your engagement session we will be taking multiple images from the same pose and we will have you and your fiancé make different expressions and looks. I will also take multiple images just to make sure your facial expression and look is at its best in the final images. I usually take about 75-100 images per every hours of photography. These are curated during the post-processing and only the best are selected for the final set which will be delivered to you.

Therefore you can expect to have final set of 60-90 images for 1-2 hours of engagement session.

Q: “How long does it take to have our final engagement images and how we can see them?”

A: It usually takes up to 3 weeks for me to process your engagement images and post them into your private online gallery. This includes making the final selection, adjusting the images, adding effects and uploading them to my website. If you need them earlier, there is a $100.00 rush fee and you will have them for one week after the session. The final digital images will be included on a DVD and mailed to you within the fourth week after your engagement session.

Q: “Can you make a custom save-the-date prints from our wedding images?”

A: Absolutely. Once you select the images from your engagement session you would like to use for save-the-date prints, I will create and share few designs with you for review and approval. Once approved, I will finalize these in Photoshop and prepare the prints or share the digital image if you wish to print them yourself. The cost for the save-the-date digital image is $75.00 per image and the prints cost vary depending on the print size and photo paper finish. Contact me for details on the print pricing.

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Wedding Day Questions

Q: “How many hours I should plan for each part of my wedding day for pictures?”

A: I have general guidelines on what time of images are captured during each part of your wedding day in this article: How To Plan Your Wedding Day. The time depends on how long your wedding day would be, if you plan to have every stage of the wedding photographed or not, the time you would like to book my services for, etc. The article I mentioned would give you a good general understanding on what each phase includes and how long it usually takes. Please, have your wedding day schedule on the pre-wedding consultation and we will discuss this in details. Whatever you decide, it’s always good to have buffer time to avoid rushing from location to location or from setup to setup to make up the schedule. You need to feel relaxed and enjoy your day and your images would look much better if you are not under constant time constraints to cram the photography part.

Q: “Can you photograph pass the contracted time?”

A: I understand that wedding plans could change as this is unchoreographed event. You can count us that I will not pack our gear and leave your wedding before the contracted time. I am aware of when the contracted end time is and I will always ask you or your appointed wedding coordinator if I am required to stay beyond the contracted end time. It’s your right to request an extension of the wedding photography service and our contract has specifies rate for the extended time. We will charge the rate specified in your wedding photography contract for all the additional time in 10 minute increment.

Q: “If I already paid for a wedding package, why there is a charge for the additional coverage?”

A: We understand that by selecting a specific wedding photography package you expect and contracted us to provide service for a certain duration. We allocate time to travel to your wedding location, perform the services and travel back away from your location according to the contracted time. There are additional costs of having someone stay and continue to provide wedding photography service for additional time.

The additional images taken during the extra time add to the tear and wear to our equipment, the extra images have to be post processed after the wedding and if you requested an additional photographer he would expect to be compensated for his additional time, all of which adds to our overall costs.

We are no different than any other service professionals who price their services on hourly basis and use equipment which requires replacement and maintenance with additional usage.

Q: “Do I have to pay for the time you are not shooting my wedding?”

A: There are time intervals between your wedding ceremony and cocktail hour or wedding reception, during which you might feel you don’t need a photography coverage or there is nothing to photograph. However, I usually use that time to work with you and your groom on your artistic portraits, do the family group images and take detailed images of your reception venue or wedding artifacts.

If you plan large gap (more than 4 hours) between your wedding ceremony and reception, please make sure to mention it on our pre-wedding consultation.

Click here to read more about Plan Your Wedding Day and how I break down the wedding day and what is scheduled to happen in each phase.

Q: “I would like to have a second photographer for my wedding. Can you arrange one for us?”

A: Sure. A second photographer option is something which I offer to my clients who request one. There is an additional fee to hire and have a second photographer on your wedding and the fee depends on the duration you would to have second photographer coverage. All second photographers I partner with have many years of wedding photography experience, I have been working with them in the past and they match the style and image quality I do offer. I also post-process your final images so the complete set would have a unique and uniform look and you should not see any visual difference between the images I take and the images taken by the second photographer.

Q: “Can I take the bridal portraits before the wedding day?”

A: I highly recommend that you consider having a bridal portrait session prior to your wedding day. The reason is that the wedding day is very stressful and hectic to have both bride and groom relaxed and in most cases there isn’t enough time planned for the bridal portrait session. I need to spend adequate time and work with both the bride and groom to pose them and get artistic images during the bridal portrait session. Having a separate bridal session, helps also the wedding day to run smoothly as we don’t have leave the venue for the bridal portraits. In most cases both the wedding ceremony and reception locations are not beautiful enough to have beautiful artistic images.

Additionally, having the bride and groom portraits done before your wedding day would allows you to select your favorite images and for me to prepare your custom designed guest sign-in book. Some couples decide to use engagement images or generic sign-in book, but imagine how much more personal and relevant the guest sign-in book would look with you and your groom in beautiful and artistic images in it.

Q: “What to expect at the bridal portrait session and can I take bridal portraits at the wedding instead of booking a separate session?”

A: The bridal session is usually a time when you and your groom are at a location agreed in advance between you and your photographer. During the session which lasts between 1 to 1 ½ hours, I will pose both the bride and the groom for individual and couple’s portraits which speak of the passion and feelings they share for each other. These are less camera aware but more artistic looking images where the bride and groom are admiring each other beauty and attraction. I will be there to capture this but not necessarily ask you to always look at the camera. The images from the bridal session would have the dreamy and romantic look many couples like. Doing the bridal portraits before the wedding has additional advantages as: serves as trial for your hair and makeup, wedding dress trial and bridal bouquet trial.

I suggest to have the bridal session on a separate day before or after the wedding in order to avoid the stress from the wedding day making you appear unrelaxed and anxious, or unhappy on your images from the bridal session. We are all humans and unless you are a professional model or actress, the chances are that the stress and emotions after the wedding ceremony would be reflected into your and your groom’s looks and facial expressions.

If you cannot make the time for a separate day bridal session and decide to have it instead on your wedding day, please plan at least 1 to 1 ½ hours for this on your wedding day.

Q: “When do you typically arrive at the wedding and what to expect on my wedding day?”

A: I would arrive at least 30 minutes before you have booked me to start the wedding photography coverage. However, I would recommend that you add at least 2 ½ hours before the start of the ceremony during which I can take images of your wedding dress, shoes, bouquet, floral arrangements, veil, cake, invitations and rings.

For detailed list of how your wedding day would be photographed and how much time to allocate for each phase, please read How To Prepare For Your Wedding Day

Q: “What is a first look and why couples decide to have one?”

A: The first look is part of the wedding day and is the time when the groom sees the bride in her dress for the very first time before the wedding ceremony. This is very private and exciting moment, where the groom is usually waiting at a certain location and the maid of honor or another close to the bride person brings the bride to this location. The moment when the groom turns around to see his bride and the emotions following this moment are worth capturing for many couples. I have photographed grooms crying from joy, hugging the bride followed by giggles and laughs. It is a moment that each couple has for themselves without the stress of the wedding ceremony and in front of all family and relatives.

This is an excellent opportunity to live through the moment and for both the bride and groom to cherish this private moment. I usually photograph this remotely and capture lots of candid images which talk of the emotions, passion and feeling each couple has for each other. This is completely optional part of your wedding. If you are person who enjoys to have personal moments with its partner in private and prefers to display its feelings without in private, that this could be a good for you.

Q: “What is a post-wedding day session and do you offer one?”

A: Think of bride and groom portrait session which is held after the wedding in a outdoor location of your choice. This is similar to the pre-wedding bridal session but after the actual wedding. The bride and groom are dressed in their wedding attire and I pose them for artistic and personal portraits. There is no stress from keeping the wedding schedule on track and more relaxed couple, means more beautiful and genuine portraits. I have found out that the bride and groom who select this option are usually having more fun, enjoy the time with each other and we get amazing images. The bride is also less worry about getting her dress ruined and is willing to get into interesting location and places. If you are adventurous type, this session might be for you.

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Post Production Questions

Q: “Can you explain what is image retouching?”

A: Retouching a digital image means different things to different photographers. For my clients retouching an image would mean the following: altering the physical appearance and features of an subject or a subject in the image. For example, retouching is when in post-process I remove pimples, wrinkles, redness, acne from someone’s skin by altering the way how they actual skin looks in reality. It could be also when I slim down or enlarge body parts to change the shape or size from what they actually appear in reality. It’s also when I remove light poles, cables on the ground, patch a missing grass on a meadow, remove bystanders or anything from the final image which should not be there.

In summary, retouching is the process of altering an image to change the way how the real subjects or objects appeared in reality. Because retouching is a manual and labor intensive process, I do offer it for free on selected images only and only on images selected by the client. Unless you think certain touch up is required and request it, I will not take the liberty to alter reality without your consent and permission.

Each of my packages includes a certain number of images with free of charge retouching. If you would like to have more images retouched in addition to the free retouches, contact me for pricing.

Q: “Do you retouch all the images we are going to receive?”

A: No. Retouching is a destructive image editing process and alters the reality. It requires special digital editing skills and is time consuming. Each of our wedding packages includes certain number of retouched images and we expect the client to select which images need to be retouched and what retouches need to be performed.

Also we reserve the right to advise our clients which retouches are going way too far from looking natural or simply when they start looking unnatural and might cause more harm than good.

Q: “Do you digitally enhance all the images we are going to receive?”

A: Every single image. Like raw diamonds which only shine to their best when polished, I do spend a lot of time to digitally enhance every single image you will receive as part of your wedding photography package. Any of the images you will receive is individually processed and digitally enhanced as follows:

– cropping (to achieve the best composition and bring the main subject to viewer’s attention)
– straightening (to properly align horizontal or vertical surfaces or leading lines as they apper in nature. For example: water surfaces and horizontal are always horizontal and columns are always vertical, et )
– white balance (to achieve accurate skin tones on people’s faces and clothing)
– exposure (to achieve the accurate brightness of each image and make it pleasant to look at without the viewer having to squint his eyes to recognize a subject or object)
– vibrance (to achieve the distinct look and color tones saturation)
– sharpening (to make the focal point of the picture crisp and bring out both macro and micro details).

You will receive the best image quality after I digitally enhance each image and you will never get an image SOOC (straight out of the camera). Converting images in Black and White for adding an artistic look is also done during post-process process. I am using and have perfected a state of the art workflow in my post-processing process to ensure not only on-time delivery of your images but also a superior image quality. Additional retouching (teeth whitening, arm / leg / waistline thinning, blemishes removal and skin smoothing are all part of the advanced and custom retouching I can do for each picture.

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Albums, Prints, Framing and Slideshow Questions

Q: “What is the difference between the prints you provide and the one printed at retail stores as Walmart, Target, Costco?”

A: We are aware that retail stores offer photo printing services and the prices for an individual photo print at a first glance appear to be less expensive than the prices for the prints we offer. This is for few reasons which you should be aware in order to understand the less expensive cost basis for these retain printing services:

• Retail printing services use non-archival ink and paper for their services which means that the prints would not retain the same colors and image quality over time compared to prints produced with archival ink and photo paper. The prints printed at retail stores would start to fade over time and lose the crispness and image quality once the ink starts to age
• Retail printing services don’t adjust the colors in the digital images to the colors in their printers (also called calibration). Therefore the colors you see on your computer screen when viewing your images might not be correctly represented on your final prints. Colors might look dull, images too bright or too dark, images might look as sharp

Q: “What is the wait time to receive prints of my pictures?”

A: We are working with one of the best professional photo printing company in US. All the prints are printed in USA on photo archival paper and high quality inks to ensure your prints will maintain their quality and look for very, very long time. After you have made your picture prints selection, we submit your order to the printing company which usually takes 2-3 weeks (in many cases even faster) to produce and ship the ready prints to your address.

Q: “Can I order my images to be framed?”

A: Sure. We use a printing lab which does provide framing for all images they produce and ship to our customers. You can choose from a wide variety of frames as well canvases for your wedding images. I can provide you with framing services pricing list per request.

Q: “What brands of wedding albums do you offer?”

A: We have accounts with most of the major printers, including Kingston, Flora, TAP, Elite, imperial, Queensberry, Leather Craftsmen. Each album has specific design and quality metrics. During my pre-wedding consultation I can explain the various album options, price points and show you samples so you can narrow your choice. If you prefer a album maker not in the list above, mention it and I would be glad to accommodate your request. depending on the brand an additional fee might apply.

Q: “What is the time to produce and for me to receive my wedding album?”

A: The creation of the album starts with you reviewing the proofs of your wedding images, making a selection of images to be included into your album. As soon as you make the selection, I will start the design of the album which is putting all the images in a certain order so they tell the story of your wedding day. The images are arranged and cropped to fit the album pages and layout. Once the initial design is ready, it will be presented to you for review and approval before being submitted to the printing company.

You can request any changes and this will add to the overall time to produce your album. So quick response time on picking images and reviewing the album initial design helps to shorten the album creation time. Once the design is finalized, I will submit the digital layout with the images to the printing company which will produce the album. It takes about 4-6 weeks to deliver the album after placing the order. So in summary: expect 2-3 weeks for design and 4-6 weeks to printing, or total of 6-9 weeks.

Q: “How many pages I can add to my wedding album?”

A: Most albums can hold up to 60 pages and still not be heavy to handle and maintain their integrity after some usage. I can design and create album with any number of pages that don’t exceed this page number. Most couples order in the range of 20 to 30 pages albums btu again this is a personal choice. There is a cost to design, print and collage each additional page, so refer to Wedding Packages Pricing for more information.

Q: “Can I order an Engagement album and what are the steps?”

A: You can order a wedding album up to one year after your wedding. I need to know the date of your wedding and how many pages you are considering to have in your album. Retrieving the digital images from backup it costs $150, so I recommend to consider ordering your album as part of your wedding package and no later than 4 weeks after your wedding day when your digital images and being backup and archived in offline storage. Retrieving them from archive, loading them into my workstation and preparing to design the album is an additional time and cost which you can avoid. Contact me with the details about your wedding and I will send you an album order form to get the process started.

Q: “Do you offer DVD slideshow in addition to the wedding DVD disk?”

A: Absolutely. I can create a custom slideshow with selected images from your wedding and up to two songs of your choice. The slideshow would be a video which you can play on any computer or upload to any video sharing website and share it with your friends or relatives. I will be happy to make the image selection and pick songs for you, or any of the two if you would like. Either way, you will have a professionally made DVD slideshow to excite and show to your friends or send to your relatives. The turn around time to produce the DVD slideshow is 2 weeks after your images are completed.

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Image DVD and Legal Questions

Q: “Can I receive the RAW files from my engagement session and/or wedding day?”

A: As part of our wedding packages, you will receive one or multiple DVD disks containing the full resolution images from your wedding. RAW files are unprocessed and don’t always match the quality and style of the processed images we deliver to you as a final product. If we deliver the RAW images to you all post-processing changes we have already made will be lost and you will not be able to see the final product of our work.

We also use camera settings and capture your images with our specific post-processing workflow and style we are planning to deliver. However if you absolutely sure you would like to have the RAW images from your wedding, we can provide them to you along with the final post-processed JPEG images for an additional fee of $1,000.

Q: “How many images you can deliver on a single DVD disk?”

A: Each DVD disk can hold up to 4.7GB of storage and the usable space allow us to store up to 400 full resolution images on each DVD disk. Depending on your event and wedding package, you can expect up to 50-100 images for a 3 hours engagement session and about 80-100 images per hour of wedding coverage.

Q: “Am I going to receive copyright to the digital images you deliver?”

A: I reserve the copyright to all images I deliver to my clients. You as a paying client would have the rights to print and reprint the digital images you receive as part of your wedding package whenever you want, wherever you want. However you may not sell your digital images for a profit or publish your images in any printed publications without the written consent of Trifon Anguelov Photography.

By the International law, the digital image copyrights belong to the person who took the image and unless these copyrights are transferred, they remain with the original author of the image.

Q: “What is the maximum photo prints size I can print from the full resolution images on my DVD?”

A: The full resolution images included into your DVD disk are at 4400 x 3000 pixels , 300 ppi and photo prints up to 12×16” size can be print without any loss of print quality. If you wish to make prints at larger size, contact me for details and pricing.

Q: “Can I order an additional or replacement DVD with my images?”

A: We capture, process and manage thousands of wedding images every single week. The cost to store and backup these images is significant, so our workflow is such that we use external storage options to permanently backup your files and remove them from our workstations. The fee for an additional DVD disk delivered with your original DVD is $25 which covers the DVD media, burning, labeling and packaging.

For a replacement DVD disk ordered later than one week after your wedding, the fee is $50 which covers requesting backup of your images from our backup provider, restoring the files on our workstation, burning new DVD disk, labeling, packaging and shipping costs.

We strongly recommend that you make at least one copy of your DVD or store the images from the DVD to any backup solutions you have to ensure your wedding images are safe and available for recovery.

Q: “What is the process to follow if my DVD disk arrives damaged?”

A: We package your DVD disk(s) with plenty of packaging materials in sturdy cardboard boxes but unfortunately the delivery service is not in our control. In case your DVD disk with wedding images arrives damaged, please contact me at: [email protected] and request a replacement copy.

The privacy of our clients is our top priority, so I would contact you personally to verify the request and would ship you another DVD disk copy.

Q: “Do you provide online gallery with my images and how I will able to access it?”

A: I do provide to all of my clients a complimentary online gallery with their images. The gallery is password protected and hosted on my website. Each clients receives an URL (web link) to their private gallery and the password to access it. The link and password could be shared with friends and family and it is an easy and convenient way for everyone to see their images without the need to send e-mail attachments to all family members and relatives.

The images are available in the online gallery for up to 6 months after they are posted and can be accessed from any web enabled device (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone). Q: “Why you cannot give us the RAW files?”

A: The file format for the high-resolution images would be JPEG. This is the format you can print, upload and share. RAW format is for unprocessed digital files (as they have been captured). I do digitally enhance every image I deliver for sharpness, brightness, color correction, cropping or removing distractions, effects, etc. I will also retouch 15 images you select in Photoshop.

After the edits the changes cannot be saved back into the RAW format, and JPEG files are the final file format you will get. The high-resolution has 300ppi which is more than every professional printing lab needs to print high-quality prints.

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Wedding Blog Questions

Q: “Why are you posting wedding images to your blog?”

A: For me photography is a visual art. Photos are taken so they can be viewed and admired. Photos deserve to be appreciated and inspire others and what a better way to inspire future brides than show them images I took for past clients. Unlike other photographers, I not only post images from my client’s weddings. I add a text to tell the story of the wedding day and shine your personality and charm. Like a book which needs pictures to tell the story, so my blog needs your images to inspire others in the same way as inspired you and you decided to hire me.

Q: “Do you write and maintain blog from past weddings for clients to see?”

A: Having a blog for past weddings on my website is something which I do to present my wedding clients and their relatives / families see a curated selection of the wedding images and also provide a reference for them to share with friends. After each wedding I select handful of images which present the story of the wedding day and post along with few paragraphs of text.

Q: “Are you going to post my images on your or other blogs and why?”

A: Yes. I am usually post images from my clients on my blog to give the couple and their friends a preview of the final wedding images. This is a good way to get a curated selection of few images which tell the wedding day story without having to scroll through hundreds of final images. It also provides a visual examples to new clients to see my style in reality and get sense of the post-processing I offer, effects and final look they can chose from. I also do submit selected images to wedding blogs following their strict set of rules and guidelines. One thing is certain: your personal information except may be from your first names would not be revealed to anyone without your explicit written permission.

Q: “What if I don’t want my images posted on your blog or online?”

A: My clients privacy and the right to have their images published online is important to me. If you wish your images not to be posted online for whatever reasons be sure to mention it during our pre-wedding consultation. I will remove the right to use your images online from my wedding contract and you can be sure none of your images will not be made available online by me.

Q: “I cannot find a blog entry from my wedding on your blog?”

A: To ensure privacy of my clients and confirm that you are comfortable and permit your images to be posted online, I request that you complete and return the blog submission form prior to posting your images and blog story for your wedding. Weddings are very personal and intimate events for many brides and their families, so without your permission no images or blog about your wedding would be published. I will contact you after the wedding and send you the blog release form. With the provided information along with wedding planner, vendors and venue information, I will write a blog to represent your wedding day and also credit the hard work of everyone involved.

Q: “Can I get my wedding images published to other wedding blogs or magazines?”

A: Sure. I do submit my wedding images and create wedding stories for many online wedding magazines and blogs. Each one has very specific and strict rules about the images and context they require, so it takes time to craft and submit all this to them. On their side they also carefully review and curate the content before approving it for publication. I would glad to share any details about your wedding images being published, so feel free to contact me and I will provide this information.

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Payment and Tax Questions

Q: “How do I reserve your services for my wedding date?”

A: In order to reserve our services, we first need to complete the complimentary pre-wedding consultation on which we understand the details about your wedding and you have a chance to understand the services we offer. We would provide a wedding photography contract which outlines the terms and lists of the services you are going to receive by booking a date with me. We expect you that you review the contract, agree or suggest any changes to the terms and we both sign the contract.

We then expect that you will provide 50% of the total fee as a deposit to confirm your commitment to our services. With both signed wedding photography agreement and 50% fee deposit, we will then book the date for your wedding and send you an online confirmation.

Q: “Is my 50% deposit refundable if we decide to cancel our wedding ot not to use your services?”

A: Unfortunately NO. We require deposit in order to reserve your wedding day on our calendar and we will not book any other clients on the same day after the day you provide the deposit. When you cancel your wedding we are left with an opening date in our calendar and we have lost the opportunity to book another client for the same date by solely reserving the date for you. I am time driven and for profit business and there are limited number of days I offer my services and can monetize my time. Your deposit is retained and used to cover the lost opportunity resulting from a cancellation.

Q: “What about if I need to reschedule my wedding date or venue?”

A: I understand that in some cases the wedding date needs to be postponed for whatever reasons. I always trying to accommodate such changes and work them out into my schedule. However many clients book their weddings and reserve the date in advance (in many cases up to 1 year ahead of time), so I might not be available on this date. I will make best effort and work to make the arrangements to have coverage on your wedding day. Your deposit is not refundable in this case.

Q: “What is the service rate for additional wedding or engagement photography?”

A: The specific rate for our overtime services will be listed into your wedding contract. The service rate for the overtime you might require is the same as the normal time. The overtime is billed at 15 minutes intervals and is at the same rate as the normal rate. We always remind you when your normal coverage time is approaching and ask for your consent to extend the coverage. The extension is always requested by you.

Q: “If decide to pay with a credit card do you have an additional fee?”

A: Yes. We process credit card transactions with Square and our credit card processing fee is 2% of the total amount paid by credit card. Other payment methods are: personal check, cash, PayPal.

Q: “Do you offer any discounts if my wedding is during the weekdays, Sunday or not in the prime wedding season?”

A: The climate in California and specifically in San Francisco Bay Area allows wedding ceremonies and receptions to be performed almost all-year-around. Couples are planning to get married as early as January and as latest as New year eve, so I do not offer discounts based on day or time of the year. The same is true for weddings on the weekdays: The cost or supporting my business and covering my business expenses is the same for each day of the week. Additionally the cost to hire a second shooter for your wedding remains the same.

Q: “Do you offer discount or don’t charge sales tax, if I pay in cash for my package?”

A: I am a business incorporated and operating in California and follow the state laws unconditionally. Collecting cash payments does not exempt my business from paying California sales tax on the amount of the entire package price when a physical product is delivered, whether that product be an album, image DVD or any other physical product. However, we do offer tax-free services and packages that fall within California State Law if you would like a service only package (digital downloads only).

Q: “Do you charge travel fees for your services and why?”

A: yes, we do charge travel fees for weddings outside our service range (45 miles radius of Mountain View, CA). Travel fees are not intended to profit from our clients. The primary reason to add travel fee to each wedding photography package is to provide adequate compensation for the time spent in commuting to and from your wedding locations. Time spent in travel is time both the primary and secondary photographers are occupied with your wedding and the travel costs are a way to compensate them. For this reason, coupled with the costs of reimbursing the actual costs of travel (gasoline, car amortization, bridge fees, etc) , these fees are unfortunately necessary.

Q: “When do you charge travel fee for Wedding or Engagement packages?”

A: There are no travel fees for engagements and weddings within 45 miles of Mountain View, CA. If travel outside this area is required, there is a travel fee of $0.50 per mile to cover my travel expenses. If you plan a destination or remote location wedding, make sure to let me know during the pre-wedding consultation.

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Meeting Policy Questions

Q: “How can I see your prior work to determine if your style matches my expectations?”

A: I maintain a business website with all relevant information and recommend that you explore the information on it to fully understand my photography style, familiarize with my wedding packages and pricing. Here are the useful links you might want to read first:

• Portfolio
• Pricing
• Booking
• About

Q: “Can I arrange a face to face meeting to meet you in person and discuss my wedding?”

A: Absolutely. We would love to meet you prior to the wedding day and have the complimentary pre-wedding consultation we offer to all of our clients in person (depending on your location and granted that we don’t have to travel more than 40 miles in one direction to meet you).

Q: “What options you offer if we are busy and cannot meet you in person?”

A: I understand that clients might have busy schedules or their jobs require frequent travel and might not be able to meet me in person, so I do offer remote video options as Skype or Google Hangout to get online and discuss the wedding details. My photography portfolio, pricing, galleries and very useful information about how to prepare for a wedding, my style and wedding photography, is online at: Trifon Anguelov Photography, so you can review it and prepare the set of questions you would like to cover during our video conference. I hope you will find answers of many of your questions on this FAQ site, but if you have any other questions, the other option is send me email at: [email protected]

Q: “Can you travel to my location to meet if I don’t currently live but getting married in your area?”

A: If you are out of state or not in my area, we can meet virtually and discuss your wedding online. I use with good success Good Hangouts or Skype and it has been a good way to get to meet face to face and talk. With a decent Internet connections and webcam remote communications are easy to do.

Q: “Can you meet with my relatives or friends and discus my wedding instead?”

I understand that not every couple getting married in my area and looking to book me as their wedding photographer, currently lives or can travel to meet me. Having your relatives or friends meet me and discuss your wedding is fine however, unless they are directly involved into planning your wedding and know all the details, your preferences and specific of your wedding, this might not be enough. The pre-wedding consultation is very important for you as it is for me. It’s the opportunity to discuss my style, your expectations, you to explain how you envision your wedding to be captured and me to show your examples or answer your questions. If you are not available to meet in person, having webcam meeting is a great alternative.