Commonly Asked Questions:

What Qualifies you as a Professional Photographer?

My father had a photography studio and as a young boy I spent many hours in his darkroom processing film and making photographs; this is where it all began. After acquiring my degrees and devoting much of my adult life working with film and photography I concurrently spent over twenty years at Xerox in Research and Development and ended my time there years ago to start PhotoEmphasis. As my final assignment at Xerox I worked on their high-end color press and managed the image quality lab where I was responsible for color image quality. I worked with image scientists and underwent countless hours of Photoshop and color management training and endless hours of image assessment paving the way to do what I love most, digital wedding photography. It was a big decision to leave Xerox after all those years; you can imagine how serious I take the responsibility of being a professional wedding photographer. Almost five hundred weddings and about ten years later, I routinely shoot 45 to 50 weddings each year. You be the judge.

Do you offer two photographers?

Within the last several years two photographer coverage has become expected by some couples due to marketing and the perceived "two is better than one" scenario. Few weddings benefit from multiple photographers, which can be intrusive--especially if you hire a videographer; furthermore, a professional photographer's main objective is to tell your wedding story from start to finish--a photographic essay if you will, and a coherent essay from multiple photographers is less likely. If your wedding is one of the few that benefit from dual photographers, careful time-line planning will minimize those benefits.The biggest mistake you can make when choosing a photographer is to base your decision on the fact that you think you need two photographers for adequate coverage; nothing can be further from the truth. Your decision should be based on a photographer's portfolio and price. If you think a second photographer is still a requirement one is offered as an option and I would be glad to discuss it with you.

How long does it take to get our pictures?

On average three to four weeks but that depends on workload. Toward the end of the year--around the October time-frame--delivery usually runs a week or two longer. You can follow the process on my blog.

Do you remove blemishes?

PhotoShop work (post-production) is an extraordinarily important part of your final product. The secret question you need to know and ask any prospective photographer is “How much time do you spend on my wedding photographs in post-production”? This is huge and largely overlooked or not considered at all by couples; the response you'll receive after you ask that question will be widely varied among wedding photographers and there will be a certain amount of hesitation to respond in many cases.

How much time do we need for pictures?

Assuming family pictures are completed immediately following the ceremony, consider one and a half hours a good estimate (ideally not including drive times) for wedding pictures at other venues, like the County Office Building, Highland Park, George Eastman House, or the lake. Other considerations include what time you want to be at the cocktail hour and how late you have your limo reserved for.

What do we do if it rains?

If posed pictured are important to you--especially if your reception venue doesn't have a decent interior, you really should consider the County Office Building for pictures. They book up well in advance so you don't want to procrastinate booking your time slot. You can contact me anytime to work through your wedding day's schedule to approximate the best time to book the County Office Building. Please call me for this discussion. As your photographer I am always happy to discuss time-lines.

Do I receive all my wedding pictures?

Yes. Photographers over the years shifted from maintaining complete control over high resolution digital images because the market demanded it. As a wedding photographer I have been including the files with release for ten years. You receive all of the optimized and fully re-touched high resolution images, on average, three to four weeks after your wedding and more importantly ALL of the images are retouched, not just the photographs you select for your wedding album or choose at a later date. With PhotoEmphasis, when they are delivered they are 100% complete.

All of your magic moments are made available regardless of the package you purchase--with or without an album--it makes no difference; you get them all, always!

Do you offer wedding albums?

Yes. Over the years I have narrowed the selection down to five product offerings and I firmly believe they offer the most cost effective solution ever seen in the wedding photography industry. If you schedule an initial consultation I will have samples to show you. If you need to see them when we meet for our details meeting, please let me know in advance.

Who photographs my wedding?

Dan is the only photographer who will photograph your wedding. Once a date is booked no other wedding is scheduled that day. I believe--despite the recent trend for multiple photographers covering weddings--one photographer provides non-intrusive coverage on your wedding day. Photography should be "unbeknownst" and not a spectacle on one of the most important days of your lives.

My church doesn't allow flash, okay?

Absolutely. If your photographer uses flash during a church ceremony that's a bad sign. If your photographer has the proper (and very expensive) equipment necessary to be a wedding photographer, they will not use a flash after the hand-off and before the recessional.

Do you want me to bring a shots list?

A shots list is not necessary. I have a very efficient process to get through family pictures and you can always feel free to tell me what you want; that is, I am always open to your suggestions, but lists can actually slow things down. To list shots like, bride and groom leaving after ceremony, bride and dad processional shot, first kiss, bride and groom's first dance, well, you really don't have to make a list of those.

Things to consider:

The first question you need to ask yourself...

That question is whether or not you will see each other before the ceremony. Because of tradition only 15% of the many weddings I have photographed see each other before the ceremony. It has its advantages. First, it allows you a more relaxed pace for the photo session and normally you can attend your whole cocktail hour. The drawback is you buck tradition and moving the getting ready process up appropriately could be restrictive. From a photography standpoint it is a good choice. Couples like getting the photography out of the way so they can enjoy everything following the ceremony uninterrupted.

I've have found over the years is if the bride has their makeup applied professionally there is less of a chance their faces will shine. I've seen brides who do their own makeup and have issues maybe more frequently than if makeup is applied by a pro. Makeup is extremely important and light reflection from faces is not something that can be easily handled by your photographer, small amounts yes, but large areas no. You want to make sure that you hire a professional makeup artist or at a minimum make sure the person who applies your makeup is aware that some material is more reflective than others. Touch-up throughout the day is a good idea, especially if it's hot outside or interiors are poorly air conditioned.

Speaking of Makeup...

If you want getting ready pictures and you have set a photography start time make sure your makeup and hair professional knows that you're on a tight schedule. Every vendor wants to do the best possible job for their clients. I have seen many cases where the bride misses out on upwards of an hour's worth of photography time because the hair and makeup runs way longer than planned.

Outside Photography...

Consider your foot wear if you plan on going to a park for pictures. You and your girls are in heels and attempting to walk around on the grass after it rains the evening before--not a good scenario. Bring flip-flops. But just buying them is a lot different than the logistics involved in actually having them in the limo and on your feet by the time you reach your outdoor photo location.

I would like a Trash the Dress session, but...

Your dress doesn't get trashed. The reception trashes your dress. If you are thinking about doing a trash the dress session contact me and we can schedule a date and time. There's a whole slide show of nothing but trash the dress photographs in my portfolio.