FAQ (Private clients)
Q: Why do I need a professional photographer at my wedding/event/party? A friend or relative can take the pictures much cheaper!
A: Allow your relatives and friends to enjoy your party/event. I am a neutral observer, who can capture the special moments without being distracted. I use high class, professional digital photo equipment, which ensure brilliant pictures even with poor lighting like at a church wedding (no flash!). Very few hobby photographers own such professional equipment and very few have the endurance to follow the event for hours and deliver constant quality. To be on the safe side I also bring additional equipment like extra cameras, lenses and flash. You can find a list of my equipment on my homepage under the heading "Info". The wonderful food, the decorations, and the location all fade after a couple of years, but your photos will be enjoyed for generations to come.
Q: Who do you offer your work to?
A: Next to the quality of the photos, when working with my customers it is most important to me that our relationship is based on reliability, honesty and trust. Even though shooting photos requires many technical gadgets, I do put in a lot of thought, passion and complexity. Every picture is edited individually. In addition to my time spent at the location I also spend many hours at the computer touching up the shots.
Important: I do not compete with discounters who offer their photo coverage to bargain hunters. That is why I do not offer my services on online auctions and I do not offer sales. But I am willing to consider alternative payment methods like partial payments or down payments by a relative or friend.
Q: What do you mean when you mention your "style of photography"?
A: Look at the photography at your wedding/event/party etc. as a neutral documentation, the pictorial exposure of an event with the creative means of photography. Specific details like lighting, special angles or perspectives belong to photo coverage. You tell a story through the pictures. I purposely do not deliver computer manipulated photos. That means I do not use filter effects, so you can look at the photos years later without them looking manipulated/stylish or tacky.
Q: How can we prepare for the photo shoot?
A: Discuss which limitations there could be at the venue with the family, friends, priest etc. involved. When you plan your setting include the photographer being there. When no one notices the photographer, when during the time he is booked he is like a shadow that is when the most beautiful pictures result. Your privacy is always treated with respect. You decide what you want photographed. If you have your own ideas you should prepare early on and set your dates with enough time to discuss your personal wishes. Choose a family member or friend in advance who is willing to act as the contact person. This person should know the family/event/place and should be able to help organize and help out. Important: Please do not plan a place setting for me at the dinner table, I do not wish to sit amongst the party guests.
Q: Do you sell photo books?
A: Yes. Real photo books are available in all kinds of colours, sizes and layouts. Additionally I also supply complete photo and text coverage of the entire wedding/event/party with many stories, interviews and lots more, even printed on real newspaper paper, like the real thing. This is an exclusive alternative to the usual thank you notes. You will find more information and a sample on my homepage.
Q: You take the pictures with a digital reflex camera. How big are the files?
A: You will receive a CD/DVD with multiple folders. In the folder "print" there are the optimized and sharpened files for printing purposes in your prefered photolab or at your home office printer. Each file size is at a maximum of approx. 37 MB/per image. Additionally you will receive a folder named "web" with the same files but optimized for use as e-mail attachments or for displaying on your own private homepage. The photographs are always taken in full colour. Black & white or sepia coloured printouts are available on request. Please let me know your wishes in advance.
Q: Up to which size are printouts on photographic paper possible?
A: Enlargements up to A3+ at 300dpi are possible in good quality. If you wish to receive larger printouts, special interpolation software is available.
Q: How do you calculate your fee?
A: My offer includes the preparations, the drive to the venue, my time at the venue and the extensive work done on the computer after the pictures have been taken. In order for me to generate the best possible quality of your photos, I must "develop" and process the .raw data on the computer. This major time and work effort should be taken into consideration when you compare prices. Each photo taken is processed individually and optimized on the computer. The photos are taken with original fast lens Canon L-Lenses. When processing the photos software like Adobe Photoshop and Raw-Converter Canon Digital Photo Professional is used. Depending on your offer you also receive a specific amount of proofs on high quality photo paper, developed individually and processed with colour profile (Adobe RGB), and of course the CD/DVD with all of the picture data for your unlimited private use. When comparing prices please consider that I have to include the federal tax, which is not part of my fee but must be passed on to the tax office.
Q: Are there any extra or hidden costs?
A: No. My offers are binding and all-inclusive fixed prices.
Q: Why do the colours on my computer monitor and the ones on the photo prints look different?
A: The colour differences occur because most of the computer monitors are not colour calibrated. The data you receive from me has been processed on a professional monitor which has been colour calibrated. The colour characteristics are included in the photo data (Adobe RGB). Because of the many photo service suppliers and the differences in the machinery and the requirements, we advise that you order a couple of test prints first and/or discuss the colour management with the photo service before ordering. For further questions with regard to colour management you can contact me at any time. Please do not change the photo data on your PC at home!
Q: Your package includes photo proofs on high quality photo paper? What is the difference between your prints and the ones I can order for a couple of cents at the supermarket?
A: The prints I send you on photo paper (Fujicolor Crystal Archive DP II Crystal paper) are processed in a specialist laboratory. The difference between mine and the prints out of the supermarket is that my laboratory does NOT work with automatic photo optimization. The colour profiles saved in the photo data are processed individually. This is the only kind of processing that guarantees high quality prints and not automatic mass production photos with colour flaws.
Q: Can we schedule a personal non-binding meeting in advance?
A: If you are interested in my services I will be glad to schedule a non-binding appointment in my office.
