Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Top 10 Questions
HOW DO WE DESCRIBE OUR STYLE?
Our shooting style is photo journalistic. We strive our best to capture and document your wedding day as natural as possible without interfering with the day. We look for candid shots that how action, emotion and key moments. The style of our images is more neutral compared to dark & moody or light & airy. It could be described as clean and crisp with coloring that pays tribute to film.
HOW MANY WEDDINGS HAVE WE SHOT?
Zam Photography has shot 40+ weddings in the past few years, so we are definitely experienced.
HAVE WE CAPTURED A WEDDING LIKE YOURS?
Every wedding is unique. Chances are we have shot something similar to your wedding, but not in totality. Photography is primarily about lighting and capturing moments. This doesn’t change much from wedding to wedding. Having an agenda and understanding of the flow of your wedding is critical so we can be in position to capture great moments. As long as we know when/where to be, thing will be fine.
DO WE HOLD OR PENCIL IN DATES?
Penciling in dates can cause frustration and can end up negatively for Zam Photography or clients. Therefore, we book weddings on a first come, first serve basis. This makes it fair and causes less headache. To be considered booked, a contract must be accepted and retainer fee must be paid.
DO WE HAVE BACKUP EQUIPMENT?
Most definitely. All equipment used during the day has a backup. This helps the photographer be fully prepared for any unexpected issues. Rest assured, you’re day will not be spoiled because of equipment problems.
WHAT IS A RETAINER AND WHAT IS THE AMOUNT REQUIRED?
A retainer is the initial payment for your wedding package. The retainer paid does go toward your overall balance due. Because it is used to hold your date, it is considered non-refundable.
DO YOU USE A SECOND SHOOTER?
Second shooters are used by Zam Photography. They are not required and are not used unless stated in your package. Second shooters are suggested when you want multiple looks or if you have 150+ guests expected. Fear not, you should not miss any shots because you didn’t book a second shooter.
WILL WE BE THE PHOTOGRAPHERS ON YOUR WEDDING DAY?
Yes, we do not outsource wedding photography work. Your lead photographer will be Matt, unless there is an unexpected emergency or tragic event.
WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING THAT WE GIVE YOU?
It is YOUR wedding day. The most valuable thing we offer is customer service. We will be there attending to all of your photography needs. We strive to give excellent images, while having a great time and offering help wherever we can. We will make sure we get everything you want from your wedding day.
HOW MANY PHOTOGRAPHS CAN WE EXPECT?
This depends on a number of criteria, including number of hours shot, amount of action going on, number of people, size of venue and more. However for a full day of shooting, you should receive 400+ images.
Pre-Wedding Questions
WHEN SHOULD WE BOOK YOU?
Couples book venues earlier and earlier. Once they book their venue, they’re typically looking for vendors such as Photography. I have clients that book as far out as 12 to 18 months, but may have some ask only a few months in advance. If you want better odds, the earlier you try booking, the better.
HOW MANY WEDDINGS DO WE SHOOT TYPICALLY?
We typically shoot 12 to 15 weddings a year. This is a healthy number without overbooking to where there is a delay in returning pictures.
MY COORDINATOR IS TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING. IS THAT ENOUGH?
Yes and no. The coordinator usually can work very well with the photographer to have things ready. However, it never hurts to personally check in with me to make sure things are all good.
Finances
WHAT ARE YOUR PAYMENT TERMS?
After paying the retainer fee, the rest of the balance is split into two equal payments. The first one is due 3 months before the wedding day. The second payment is due the week of the wedding. We do have some couples to pay smaller payments more frequent or even all at the beginning. You can pay via cash, check, or credit card. All goods and services are subject to a Texas Sales Tax of 8.25%.
DO YOU NEGOTIATE?
No, we do not negotiate pricing. When we accept a client, we give our fullest ability towards capturing your perfect day. We know the time commitment and effort needed to get the job done well. If you like to make deals, we are probably not the photographer for you. We believe in trust going both ways between you and us. We are not out to be the biggest or cheapest wedding photographer in the Houston area. We work hard to find the right clients for us and work to give the the services they desire.
DO YOU CHARGE TRAVEL FEES?
Travel fees are not typically charged for weddings for travel under two hours.
WHO PAYS FOR TRAVEL AND LODGING FOR A DESTINATION WEDDING?
Destination weddings are unique. Normally, travel and lodging fees and are agreed to at time of contract.
WHO IS THE CLIENT?
Legally, our client is whoever signs the contract and pays the retainer fee is our client. That is why we encourage couples to be involved in the decision making and booking, even if using a full service wedding coordinator.
CAN WE MAKE CHANGES AFTER BOOKING?
Couples can easily add extra services or product to their total balance due to Zam Photography. Services might include rehearsal dinner coverage, engagement sessions, or bridal sessions. Product might include prints, albums, or even save the dates.
Wedding Day
WHAT DO WE WEAR TO A WEDDING?
Generally, our attire is something inconspicuous such as black slacks and a black shirt. If the need arises, something dressier could be warn. This has never been a problem with our clients to this point.
DO WE WORK WITH ASSISTANTS?
Not typically, but we don’t want to rule out that an assistant could be there at your wedding day helping out. If they are, they will certainly be professional and task-oriented.
OUR FAMILY FRIEND WANTS TO TAKE PICTURES AS WELL. IS THAT OKAY?
Our contract states we are the only professional photographer booked by the couple. As long as they are not impeding our work and/or limiting how quickly we can shoot, that is okay with us. However, we would love it if all guests enjoy the evening and leave the professional photography to us.
CAN WE PROVIDE A SHOT LIST OR INSPIRATION BOARD?
Indeed you are welcome to provide us a shot list. Before you spend a lot of time on that, we generally provide a general shot list to you to go over. If there are special shots, say an out of town guest you haven’t seen in five years, please let us know! However, we have learned from experience that a shot list is simply your way of communicating what’s important to you. Keep in mind that a wedding is a live event and can always be unpredictable. Choosing lots of your favorite shots on Pinterest doesn’t mean on your wedding day that we can plan to duplicate all of these shots. When you supply a shot list, we can give you an idea of how much time to account for to achieve your goals. From there, we can work on planning what’s critical. We do want to have time creating new and original concepts so that one day, it could be your photos on Pinterest inspiring others.
IF WE ARE RUNNING BEHIND ON TIME, CAN WE ADD MORE TIME? If we are hired on a timed basis, we will stay based on overtime pay. This is also in the event that we are available to stay due to scheduling.
DO WE EAT ON THE WEDDING DAY?
Yes, of course. We are working a long day and will need time for breaks and refueling with food and snacks. We are usually quick eaters and eat unseen so we can get back to work quickly. The best time for us to eat a meal is when the couple is eating. That way we don’t miss shots once they’re up and around.
Planning for the Unforeseen
WHAT IF WE GET SICK OR HURT FOR YOUR WEDDING?
If something happens to us, we have a backup plan. We are networked with many wedding photographers and will back each other up if needed.
HOW DO WE PROTECT DIGITAL FILES?
We start from the very beginning to protect your files. We use cameras with two cards so there is always a backup of your files. After the wedding we make multiple backups of your files, including an off-site backup. We keep backups going until you get your finished JPEG files delivered to you. We also guarantee storage of your files for at least 1 year after your wedding.
WHAT IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR WEDDING DATE?
If your changed wedding date is within 6 months, we will happily make the change, provided we are available on the new date. A postponement later than 6 months or a cancellation is handled according to the written agreement.
After the Wedding
HOW LONG BEFORE WE SEE OUR WEDDING PHOTOS?
We take a lot of care in editing your photos to high standards to insure they look lovely for your final memories. Our contracted delivery time window for JPEGs to customers is 3-4 weeks after your wedding date. If they are done sooner, we will definitely let you know! They will be delivered via an online gallery with password protection for viewing and a separate PIN number for downloading. That way you can share with whoever and however you want.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING STANDARD POST-PROCESSING OF YOUR IMAGES?
The first thing we do is an initial cull. That’s where we decide what images are kept and which are not kept. Typically duplicate or similar images, unflattering photos, photos with equipment issues, mis-focused, or similar are taken away from consideration. The next culling round is more in depth. We are looking for the best photos that will help you relive your memories. We aim to make your photos look timeless and beautiful. We avoid fad edits and styles that may not hold up over time.
CAN WE SPECIFY ALL COLOR OR BLACK & WHITE?
If you have a preference, let us know and we will consider that when editing. We typically use what’s best to show off the image at hand. Black and white is great for contrast and showing emotion in an image. Color photos are warm and full of life. Most of the time when we are editing, we make the best choice for the image. If you’d rather have the opposite, let us know and we can show you the alternative.
WILL WE GET A SNEAK PEAK?
Typically we post a small sneak peak set on our Facebook page on the very next day. We love to give you something to share with friends and family. If you do not want them posted on Facebook, let us know in advance.
WHAT IS RETOUCHING?
Our standard post-production creates the best version of your photos. We adjust color temperature, exposure, highlights, shadows, and colors on each image. Retouching is the act of changing what is in the picture. This could be smoothing skin or fabric, hips and legs, removing distractions like people or exit signs. Standard image delivery does not include retouching. If you order large prints or album product, we will retouch images as needed. Pictures on social media or small prints serve a different need than large images hung in your home.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS WHEN SOMEONE MISSED BEING IN A PICTURE?
In our agreement we outline that we are not responsible to make sure everyone is in every photo you could possibly want. It is an organic, live event meaning that during the day, things could happen that prevent this from happening. It could be someone in the restroom, getting a drink, talking to someone etc causing them to miss being in images. However, we do coordinate with the couple, coordinator and family throughout the day to get reach the goal of getting the best images we can, with the people the couple desires.
CAN WE GET RAW FILES OR PHOTOS THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT?
We ndo not offer RAW files, or any images not making your final gallery. This protects the final images that are in the public domain that are a representation of our business and quality of work.
WHAT IS AN ONLINE GALLERY?
It’s a useful way to share photos and files online to our clients. Its an easy way to share with others. You can create favorites lists, download files, order prints and more from this online gallery. It works very well in sharing final files with clients. If you ever would rather have an offline version, we can deliver a USB thumbdrive with files to you instead.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO FOR BACKING UP IMAGES?
We strongly encourage you to back up your files online via the cloud such as dropbox, google drive, or other method. The alternative is to have them on a USB thumbdrive or external hard drive put away. The last thing we want is for you to lose your images way down the road.