Frequently Asked Questions

Studio FAQs

Do you have any tips for what to wear?

Choose a VARIETY of outfits. It's a good idea to include both casual and more formal outfits in your senior portraits. You choose a couple and let Mom choose one or two, that way everyone is happy. Also use a variety of colors... for example, if you bring a black, gray and white outfits for a 3 outfit session. You're previews will be really drab and boring. These are all good choices, but include some items of color too!
Stay clear of stripes! (large bold ones of 5+" are tolerable. Small thin ones will not photograph well. It's best to not use any stripes or solids with 1-2 stripes or lines.
Your face should be the focal point of your portraits. Long sleeve solids or very subtle prints are usually the most flattering in portraits.
The most common problem we see is sunburn! and tan lines from the tanning salons! Everyone please keep out of the sun a week or two before your session. We often see uneven sunburn from guys who wear ball caps, peeling skin on noses from recent burns, raccoon eyes from those who were burned while wearing sunglasses. Or strap lines on the shoulders of gals who wish to be photographed in a strapless formal dress or top. Sunburn, uneven tanning and tan lines can not be retouched. Your session will need to be rescheduled.
Second biggest problem is clothes that are wrinkled or don't fit. Gals, don't bring your clothes rolled up in a ball in a backpack. They'll be a winkled mess and they will photograph that way. Guys! we see over and over that their shirt collar and sleeves do not fit. Often due to a bad fitting or borrowed suit items. It is imperative that your your shirt and tie are properly fitted and that your suit/sport coat is the proper size.
Medium to dark clothes look the best on dark backgrounds. So if you like these more dramatic looks, use darker more subdued colors.
Medium to light colors look the best on lighter colored backgrounds. So if you like the lighter sets and backgrounds, bring lighter clothes that will go good with the backgrounds you prefer.
For outdoor portraits. Be careful of bright greens as they often clash with the greens of the leaves and grass. Black, Khaki, pink, orange, navy, tan, gold, burgundy, dark yellow are good outdoors. We recommend staying away from white, light/pale yellow or other very light/pale colors outdoors.
Traditional styles will stand the test of time and keep your portrait looking fresh for years to come. So try and use styles and looks that will be in style "next year" as well as this summer. Otherwise you're portrait will look dated and out of style in a year or two. Classic solid sweaters will always be in style. Trendy summer tops will look out of place next summer.
Some poses will show your shoes so don't forget to bring shoes & socks for each outfit that you plan to wear. Barefoot and sandals! No problem for your casual clothes. And though white socks are in, they don't photograph well. So bring darker ones too. (just in case they show!) Guys don't forget those belts and Gals, don't forget your jewelry,
Busy patterns and loud colors can be very distracting in your portraits. Avoid large & bold patterns that might tend to draw attention away from your face.

Can I use props?

Props can help to show your personality and record the types of activities you are involved in. Be sure to bring some of your own props to your portrait session. Feel free to call us for extra tips but here are some ideas:

Musical Instrument
Vehicle (car/truck/bike/cart) you must book a special session for this. They often require we go to a nearby park which requires extra time and cost.
Leather Jacket
Uniform/ball/helmet/shoes/stick/bat, the more the better!
Hats
Sports Equipment
Sunglasses
Poms/megaphone, cheerleaders don't forget your lollies.
Pets

Wedding FAQs

Why should I hire a professional photographer, instead of getting an amateur or friend/brother/cousin to take pictures?

Your wedding will probably be the most important and most memorable day of your life. After you've eaten the food, toasted with the drinks, danced to the band or DJ, and have enjoyed this day you spent so much time and energy planning for, the onlything you'll have left to show for it will be your wedding dress, and your pictures! Wouldn't you want to make sure that you have photos that can help you bring back all of the beautiful memories of your special day and let you see those moments that you may have missed because you were too busy having fun and enjoying your day?

A professional photographer's job is to concentrate on capturing your day in the best way possible so that you'll be able to relive it every time you look at your pictures. In the end when all is said and done there is a difference between a professional and and amateur photographer, and since this day only happens once and you have invested so much into making it special, Pictures are one thing that is truly worth the investment.

How early should I book my wedding photographer?

Most weddings take place between May and August and/or on a Saturday so the timing of booking a wedding photographer is very important in your wedding-planning process. If your wedding will be during the summer months, during a holiday, or on another popular date, you may want to consider booking your photographer as early as 12 to 18 months ahead of time. If photography is very important to you(and we hope it is), you will also want to book as early as possible even if your date does not fall into one of those busy periods. In any event, it's in your best interest to have your wedding photographer booked at least 10 months in advance.

How much time will you spend at my wedding?

That's entirely up to you. We want our coverage of your day to reflect your needs so we can start from when you are at home getting dressed and end when your reception is over or just cover the wedding and ceremony. I'll be happy to discuss this with you when we are going over the details of your wedding.

How many pictures do you take?

We never put a limit on the number of photos we take. We’ll take as many photos as are needed to capture your special day in the best way. For some weddings that may be 300 pictures and for others it may be 450-800. We never charge you based on how many photos we take and this policy holds for all of our collections.

Do you have backup equipment?

Yes, we carry at least three high end professional cameras with us and enough backup equipment so that in case something unforeseen happens, it will not interrupt our ability to capture your special day in any way.

Will me and my guests be able to view my pictures on the internet?

Yes they can. Depending on seasonal demand allow 2-4 weeks for us to have your wedding showcased online. Don’t forget, we have your whole day to go through.

How long until we receive all our Wedding Albums?

Well first let me tell you that our job is far from over after your special day, it is in our hands to now create for you not just a book with pictures but a story for you to be able and relive your day over and over. Here is a glimpse of what we do... after your wedding we upload all images to the computer, and a set to an external drive for a backup, then we edit through all images to prepare for online gallery. Now we carefully go through the images to create a story by page for you. One album page can take about one hour to create, this includes touch ups and design. So if you have a 50 pg. album it could take 50-60 solid hours of design. (this could be because I am a perfectionist also) Photographs by Sarah is a full Studio we specialize in many other portrait needs. With all this being said depending on sessional demand PLEASE allow up to 12 months for all albums to be fulfilled. Yes it is long but I PROMISE it will be worth it! And thank you for your patience in advance.

Do I have to wait to get my prints and DVDs?

No, not at all. As soon as your pictures are posted online you can pick your DVD up within 2 weeks after. You can also order your prints whenever you are ready.

When do we pay the balance?

Your package balance must be paid for 1 week before your wedding. As for add on’s and upgrades, we can take care of that when we meet after your wedding to finalize everything.