STYLE
What type of photography do you do? Dallas primarily shoots weddings and family portraits. We love natural, genuine moments between a couple but are also happy to give guidance when needed or requested. We are experienced to make you look your best while having fun in the process. To see full galleries from the last 9 months visit the proofing gallery.
Do you take posed family images? Most definitely! Family groupings can be a very important part of your day for everyone. Family formals happen after the ceremony and can take 15-45 minutes depending on the size of your families and how many groupings requested. Four weeks before your wedding a questionnaire will be sent covering the details of your wedding and what is important to capture along with a photo check-list of groupings and even an area for you to add in special requests.
Can we give you a shot list of photographs we want you to take? On your day, Dallas will work off of a pre-filled photo-check list for family groupings and any additional special requests – we will send out a form that captures this information from you. If you would like family portrait time to fit within a 30 minute window it’s suggested not to have more than 12-15 groupings (2 minutes per grouping request) and no more than 8 groupings for 15-20 minutes. You are welcome to send an inspiration board if you like, but it is not necessary as we will already be capturing the essence of your day and how it unfolds. More helpful is any ‘must haves’ that are super important to your overall vision. For example, if your priority is relaxed portraits while you interact with your guests and partial canapé hour covered versus a full hour styled bride and groom posed shoot. It’s also okay to request a mix! We will customise the day around your priorities and we do ask these questions when we build your timeline – so no need to come up with a long shot list that follows your day by the minute.
TRAVEL AND COVERAGE
Do you work with a second photographer? Our premium packages come with a second photographer. Dallas, serving as the primary photographer, will concentrate on capturing moments with the couple and main events. Introducing a second shooter can provide diverse perspectives throughout the day, including candid shots of family and guests. Opting for a second photographer offers exceptional value, ensuring hundreds of additional moments are documented, enriching your collection with a comprehensive portrayal of the day.
Do you have an assistant? Although it is not stated in pricing packages for adding an assistant to your wedding day… I most definitely recommend it. Having an extra set of hands to carry gear, set up lighting, gather groups together will not only increase the quantity of photos you will receive but the quality when extra lighting is needed to be set up within short time restraints. The assistant is able to quickly adjust lighting with our off camera strobes or reflectors/diffusors while we keep shooting. If you’d like to definitely secure an assistant for your wedding talk to me!
Do you edit the images before we get them? All of them? How? Yes we do! Every photo is carefully adjusted so the end result is more vibrant, while keeping the integrity of the overall colours. In addition, any images included in albums are given additional editing to polish skin and remove stray hairs or objects that may detract from the scene. All images are captured in RAW format. What this means is all colour data that is captured is kept, allowing more editing options. Starting with unprocessed files we are able to make smart colour edits and improve the overall look of your photographs. Dallas is a certified colour expert, which assures images will be captured and processed through a controlled and colour managed workflow. Dallas also regularly trains/edits for other well known photographers.
Where do you live? You travel? I primarily live in Brisbane, Australia. However, I also have home-bases in the USA in North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, and Ohio. I travel quite extensively and come to the USA for a few weeks each year.
Can we get the black and white images in colour? Most of my editing is in colour because you can always convert a colour image to black and white. However, the few I process in black and white are for technical reasons where the lighting does not lend itself to a high quality colour photograph.
How long does it take to get our products and images? I personally try to have a sneak peek up within the first 48 hours and all images processed within the first 10-14 days (so far we’ve met this goal for each wedding). We process your image gallery in real time though so you’ll start to see your day unfolding from the first business day after your wedding (such as the ceremony photos, family formal portraits, etc. You’ll see each category fill as we finish editing and upload). If your wedding is a destination wedding for Dallas, delivery can be within 6-8 weeks from the wedding date. An album delivery is 3-6 weeks from the final draft being approved.
How many pictures will we get? We typically delivers 1,200+ images a wedding. The range primarily depends on length of coverage hours, details of the wedding, one or two photographers, and timeline of events. You’ll get more photos if travel time between venues is short, you plan on at least an hour of creative portraits with the bride & groom, and the timeline of events corresponds well with photography coverage. Dallas can help pre-plan the wedding timeline before invitations are created so that your day is laid out to deliver the quantity of images you desire. Photographic images are delivered organized by the timeline such as preparation photos, ceremony, formal portraits, etc. so when you receive all of your images they are pre-sorted and numbered.
Do we get to keep the digital files? Yes! Even a step further, you’ll receive an online gallery to share with friends and family so they can easily download their favourites. It’s easy to download all of your wedding images or for friends/family to download just their favourites. Australian brides will also receive a USB drive of all images.
Do we get the raw, unedited files? I do not deliver raw and unedited files as the images I do deliver are the highest quality and in .jpeg format, which is the required format for printing reproductions and viewing. If the bride or groom is also a professional photographer feel free to contact me regarding this request.
Can we see the outtakes and all the images that didn’t make the “final cut”? I only do a very lite cull of images that do not make it to full processing. These are very unflattering facial expressions, closed eyes, mid-chew or talking, etc. I quickly delete all of these as they should never see the light of day — you can thank me for this.
Do you offer retouching services? Retouching services are an additional option for any photograph you would like to have extra photoshop time spent such as removing background objects, opening eyes (when possible), whitening teeth, blemish removal, de-wrinkling clothes, removing double chins, and so on. If you have a special request just ask as there are more possibilities with AI these days. Images are quoted on a per-image basis. Art rates vary from $5-50+ an image. Basic edits are included for images chosen to be printed in an album.
Do you come to the rehearsal/venue meeting? You can always add rehearsal coverage to your package, but otherwise Dallas would not be in attendance.
Do you scout out the locations before the day? I do not always scout as the lighting would most likely be different. I am really good at finding the perfect light on the spot to create amazing images and I have gear to modify light as needed. However, if touring before is really important to you I am happy to meet you at your location 2-4 weeks prior or arrange a day to scout on my own. I do regularly scout locations at my own discretion. It’s just not always done.
How does the album design process work? Album designs are unique to every wedding. Couples that are interested in purchasing an album can choose from a variety of styles. You are able to choose your images or I can pre select for you. Typically the images on the blog with the addition of family formal photos would make up the album design. Once the design is created we would have a session online in real-time. I can swap out images while we are chatting and you can see the changes right away. Once you have approved the design it will be ordered and delivered within 3-6 weeks.
What will my album look like? We offer leather, linen, or acrylic cover albums that are lay-flat (photo bleeds over crease – no gap). Spreads/pages are archival photographic prints that are mounted flush on rigid pages. See the most popular album types HERE. You can also see a past design HERE.
What is the online gallery? The online gallery can be password protected or open. It’s a website and mobile app for viewing, sharing, ordering prints, and downloading your wedding images without any watermarks. Here is an example of a proofing gallery, GALLERY .
Do I get a USB? I do deliver USBs to Australian brides because of slow internet speeds, but also include online galleries. I typically don’t deliver via USB for American brides, but through an online gallery where images can be downloaded on your personal device and used for sharing and printing. USB’s are easily lost or misplaced. By having an online gallery you no longer need to worry about uploading images to share or having friends ask you for certain images. They are all available for downloading for friends/family with no watermarks.
Can the engagement session be used for a different type of session? The engagement session is my chance to get to know you both before your wedding day. I am happy to offer a family session before the wedding in its place if you already have kids or fur-kids (pets) you’d like to include. Other types of sessions you may also choose from are pre-ceremony photos or day after sessions (either a day or two after the wedding or when you get back from your honeymoon).
BUSINESS AND DETAILS
Can we have a free consultation? Of course! I do in-home consultations by appointment. For those that prefer to save time, I’m also happy to organise virtual consultations or over the phone.
What kind of equipment do you use? I shoot with 2-3 cameras (5D and 6D – mirrorless and 5D Mark IVs) that are strapped around my shoulders your entire day and Glennn uses two cameras as well (5D Mark IVs). We have an additional cameras as a back ups. I own L glass and primes, which means really sharp and crisp images. My lenses are incredibly fast, which allows me to shoot in low light but your images are illuminated. I use a variety of modifiers and off camera lighting equipment so there are no worries about low lit scenes!
Do you provide a back-up service for my wedding images? I have your wedding backed up on two external hard drives for my own portfolio and a complimentary online gallery for 9 months. I also back up to google drive for one year. We do strongly recommend your own cloud storage than relying on any hard drive alone.
What if we don’t want our photos anywhere online? We are a small, word-of-mouth business and not only rely on past couples to refer future clients, but also book a good part of our clients through social media. To keep content fresh and attract future clients we do post wedding and portrait photos online through the business blog and Facebook. If you are seeking full copyright transfer (no online posting) we offer copyright for an additional 1,500 for weddings and 300 for portrait sessions. This product offering is in addition to our normal rates and comes with a full copyright release form from Dallas Love Photography. We are happy to post limited (couple approved) images for a reduced copyright fee – just ask.
How long have you been in business? I have been in business since January of 2007. I typically photograph 15-20 weddings per year. I am fully insured and can provide my certificate to venues who require it.
Can you hold the date for me? When requests are received and consultations are scheduled I do pencil in dates. However, dates are not secure until a contract and retainer are both received.
What is your payment schedule like? 1,000 or full balance (whichever is less) is due at the time the contract is signed as the retainer. The balance is due 60 days prior to the wedding date.
Can we pay you part of the amount after the wedding? Full payment is due before the event. If your budget does not allow a full package you are able to purchase and pay for albums and additional products after the wedding.
I have to cancel my wedding. Can I have my retainer back? The retainer and all monies paid prior are non-refundable. The retainer secures your date and so I turn down all other weddings for that date.
What is your covid policy? If your wedding is cancelled because of a government mandate or family not able to travel we are happy to work with you on a new date. Please contact us to re-schedule at a date we are available. We do not refund the retainer if a wedding is cancelled and not rescheduled or rescheduled on a date we are not available.
What if you become ill and are not able to photograph the wedding? Fortunately this has never happened but if it did, I am a member of many local photographer networks and would do my best to find a replacement photographer. I have several photographers I regularly work with as well that would flex in as good replacements.
How far in advance should we book? Most contracts are made a year prior with just a few less than 6 months away. If you have a set date it’s best to book as soon as possible as we cannot guarantee any date without a contract and retainer.
If we run overtime, will you stay? Dallas has an hourly rate that can be added as extra coverage with your approval. At the end of contract coverage, if events have still not happened, I will ask if you’d like extra coverage. At that time you can decline or ask that I stay. I will then bill for the additional hours and payment would be due before image delivery. We do have a 20 minute grace if events run over.
Do you offer discounts for off-season or non-Saturday events? Photographing and processing a wedding has the same amount of work no matter what day, but if you are concerned about your budget, contact us. I have been able to work within most budgets with a little creativity on timelines for coverage, package inclusions, etc. We do offer a travel waiver (no fee!) if you are getting married in a really cool destination and we are able to cover our travel costs and make a small holiday for ourselves… just chat to us!
Do we need to feed you at the reception? Yes please. While working hard all day I don’t want to starve and whither away with low blood sugar, thus not being as energetic at your reception. Most caterers offer vendor meals as an add-on option. We prefer to be fed when you are so we can get back to photographing events and not miss anything. This will need to be communicated to the caterer in advance when a vendor meal is purchased. If for any reason you are not able to feed us at the reception please let us know in advance so we can plan accordingly. You’ll need to allow a 15 minute break for us to eat our meals – most venues won’t serve us until all guests are served their mains unless someone from the family has a chat with the venue in the menu planning stage AND to remind them verbally on the day at the reception. When we are served late (quite common) this may mean speeches/first dances will be delayed while we eat and some mingling photos are missed. We of course prefer to be fed (even if a different meal) after all guests are served entrees as this is the biggest ‘break’ in reception timelines.
Can our guests take photos? Yes, however, it’s important to let your guests know they are able to download your professional photos for FREE through your online gallery. This can help avoid distracted eyes during your family portrait time and if you decide on an unplugged ceremony they can be assured of images being available to them. Your gallery link will be proofs.dallaslovephotography.com/(insert your married last name).
Do you offer internships? I have worked with an intern/assistantship program in the past and am currently looking for a part-time applicant. If you know someone in your friends/family that is interested in photography, and is at least 16 years of age, I would be happy to have them spend the day with me assisting as well as give them an experience in the industry for the day to see if they would be interested in interning. Assistants primarily help with groupings, carry gear, hold reflectors, and arrange lighting equipment. No experience is needed as an extra set of hands is always helpful. Outside of wedding/portrait days interns would learn how to catalog and colour edit photographs. They would help manage social media and have one on one training for photography.
Do you offer a satisfaction guarantee? There are a lot of factors that determine whether a person will like photos of themselves, some of which are outside the control of any photographer. With that in mind, I cannot guarantee your satisfaction but I can guarantee that is always my goal. You are encouraged to read reviews from past couples. You can see other online reviews of Dallas Love Photography on google, Facebook, Wedding Wire, The Knot… In addition, view our blog page to see wedding highlights. We also post full wedding galleries from the last 9 months of shooting for you to review our client deliveries.
Additional questions, just ask!
