FAQ: weddings & portrait photography

From Victoria Mason Photography blog

FAQ updated October 16, 2011.

I would like to post some answers to the questions that my clients often ask. Hopefully that will help us both to get ready for sessions better, feel more comfortable & be funky & fun! Here we go!!!!!

1. What kind of photography do you offer? 

Any kind that requires a camera & a brain 2 inches behind it. Yep. I do it all. Different kinds of photography require different equipment & preparation, but so far I haven't had not one singe assignment that I wouldn't do. :) 

2. What is the pricing for your photography? 

I have 4 different packages for wedding coverage. Send an email to contact@victoriamasonphotography.com the date of your wedding & a little bit of details & I will send you back my pricing info with all the fabulous stuff that I have in store for you :) Or you can just go here: http://victoriamasonphotography.com/products_services  & you'll see the pricing. 

3. What discounts do you offer? 

All of my pricing is very & very reasonable for the products that I offer. I work 100% no matter if it's a small wedding or a big wedding or a small package or a huge package. I put my soul into my work 100% no matter what! All of my clients get a lot of attention & support. And I make sure they are taken care of 100%, not just 40% ;-)

Twice a year, right around Bridal shows you'll see specials on my services. I always reward my Bridal Show brides :)

I also reward my constant clients & their relatives & friends with gift cards. Welcome to the club :)

4. How do I book a date?

Email me & we'll meet & talk about everything!

5. Do you choose the place to take pictures or do bride & groom choose it?

Generally speaking, I help to find options. We talk about the wedding day, the schedule for pictures & I always try to follow it with military precision :) There are a lot of things going on on the wedding day & so little time. So we do need a plan! If you have it, I follow it. If you don't have it, I'll help you make it & then I follow it :)

6. Do you have an assistant? 

No

7. Do you have a second photographer? 
Yes. For an extra charge.
A very knowledgeable experienced photographer, not a camera-in-an-auto-mode-kinda-person-pretending-to-be-a-photog :) 

8. What if your camera breaks?

I have 250% of necessary equipment that I carry on me(2 cameras, 3-4 lenses, tripod, flashes etc.). Extra equipment stays in the car. My second shooter(if booked) also has 2 cameras & several lenses. So if something happens, we'll have plenty of equipment to cover the wedding. 

9. Do we need special time for pictures on our wedding day?

yes! Schedule time for formal pictures with the family. We'll also need time for group pictures with the groomsmen & bridesmaids. And of course just the 2 of you: pretty bride & handsome groom. We want to make sure I have a lot of pictures of 2 of you for the album :)

10. Do you do slide shows? 

Oh yes!!! I LLLLLLove slideshows! I make 1 slideshow with the engagement pictures & then 1 more with the pictures from the wedding :) Now I don't put all the pictures in a slideshow with random effects. I carefully build a story following the rhythm of the music, lyrics & dynamics of the pictures. I do have a couple of effects that I use a lot but it's not an automated process. I do slideshows with love & I swear I cry when I finish them. It's really a very emotional thing for me. I make a story out of the photographs. 

In the blog all the slideshows are labeled 'Slideshow' in the column on the right of the page. 

For those that want to use some slideshow programs, check animoto.com. They are great. I sometimes use them if I have a couple of pix that are just portraits. 

11. How many pictures do we get? 

That's a hard one :) It usually depends on the amount of time that you book. The more time we have for pictures, the more pictures you get. I can't give an exact number. I don't count when I shoot. But all of the good pictures will be in the online gallery available for order within 3-4 weeks after the wedding. Example: last wedding I did I took about 700 pictures, so did the other photographer(all day wedding). The newlyweds got about 750 pictures on the dvd & online. 

12. Do we get a dvd with all pictures? 

Yes.

13. Can I order prints? 

Sure! In every package I included a print credit :) So with every package you get the number of prints that you want in the size that you like.

14. What if on the wedding day we run late & I want you to stay longer? 

I stay as long as you want me to. When the pictures are ready you'll get the adjustment to the invoice that has to be paid before you get the dvd. You'll basically upgrade your package at the same rate that was when you booked. You can look in your contract & you will see the next bigger package, figure out the difference & not worry about that anymore.

Does it happen a lot? - you ask me. All the time!!! And that is absolutely fine with me! I'm going to be there for you as long as you want me too.

15. What is your style of photographing?

That one is a really hard one. It's hard to describe my style. I make sure I have pictures of all the pretty details, of the bride getting ready, of the groom getting ready, ceremony, group pictures, reception & all of the important stuff that's going on on the wedding day. I also dedicate some time to just taking pictures of the bride & the groom. My main goal is to convert the best day of your life into the best memories. That's my style. Now how would you call it?

more questions & answers to come :)

Jenilee & Jeremy

You guys absolutely rocked :) I'm so amazed how genuinely you love each other!

Even though I lost my reflector at the photo shoot, that was worth it. Hahahaaa. Ok, ok, I found it afterwards.

So honored to be your wedding photographer in less than 2 weeks! Woot-woot!

Let the edit begin!

Happy Sunday everyone!

So far the best day off ever in Creative Discovery Museum & then having a major nap :)
So good to just rest after a difficult week :)

Pink Bridal Show! Woot-Woot!

I am so happy to be part of the Pink Bridal Show! Last Sunday flew by so fast! I was so excited to talk to all the brides & grooms that I got sad when the show was over. You know, when you are getting ready for a big event you feel so stressed. And then, when the event is over, you feel happy & calm. That's how I felt. Well, at least happy. I didn't not feel calm at all. I was still very excited & couldn't stop doing stuff after the show.

Well anyway, I won't bother you any more with this crazy chit-chat.

The whole purpose of the post is to let you know what vendors were at the show in case you couldn't come.
Well, and show you some pictures how gorgeous it was.

Katy & Mike, engagement photos

Katy & Mike wrote a story about their engagement for my blog. I think it is so touching.
I enjoyed taking pictures of you guys!!!

Katy: Last November, while we were walking around NYC Mike received a phone call.

Mike: I had started looking at rings and the jeweler had told me he would look for stones based on my parameters and call me when he had some for me to look at. 

Katy: He was very abrupt with the person and got off the phone quickly. 

Mike: I had told myself that I would be cool if he called when she was with me, but that wasn't the case - I panicked and didn't know what to say to him.

Katy: I was curious but he wouldn't say who called. Later that evening, he told me he had gone to see a jeweler about a ring. 

Mike: I told her that I was thinking about getting a ring and asked if she wanted any input and she told me that she trusted me. 

Katy: I was so happy because I had known from the first couple of days we spent together that I wanted to spend forever with him. 

Mike: It was pretty much like we had known each other forever.  

Katy: Well, the holidays rolled around and there was no proposal.... 

Mike: I told her it wasn't going to be at Christmas!  

Katy: I was wondering if he had forgotten about it! 

Mike: She actually accused me of not having been serious about it.  Funny thing is, I had already gotten the stone picked out and was waiting on the jeweler to call once the ring was finished.  I had bought the ring with the intention of proposing in April or May, but my father convinced me, why wait?  

Katy: One Saturday morning in January we took our dogs up to Stringer's Ridge for a hike. Before we left, Mike kept saying "Don't you want to shower?"- I thought he was nuts, as we were just going to be exercising. 

Mike: When we started our hike, she started complaining of her stomach bothering her, so I started to panic and kept asking her if she wanted to turn around and go home.  

Katy: So I was grubby, in hiking clothes, no makeup, not very presentable. We stopped at a place we always stop- it has a beautiful view of downtown Chattanooga. 

Mike: I had already decided that this was the place.  

Katy: I said something like, "It's hazy today" and turned to walk away. Mike grabbed my hand and said "hey, I want to ask you something". I turned around and he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I said "yes!!" (and was blinded by the ring) and we hugged and kissed and our dogs, Buddy and Mr. Pickles barked and ran around us. It was perfect.  

Mike: We continued our hike for about ten minutes as I told her the story of how I picked her ring until she realized she had to start telling people.  We turned around and started letting everyone know.

Bethenny is here!!!!!

I am a huge fan of Bethenny Frankel. You could have seen her on Celebrity Apprentice, she came second after Martha Stewart. She was also one of the Housewives of New York on Bravo & later had her own shows 'Bethenny Getting Married' & 'Bethenny Ever After". She is the author of several books: 'Naturally Thin', 'The Skinnygirl Rules', 'A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life'
So of course I couldn't miss the opportunity to see her here in Chattanooga at the She Expo organised by Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Bethenny is such an inspiring business woman, wife & mother! In addition addition to just being awesome & ultra hot. Here are some pix from me. I didn't come to take pictures but I couldn't resist taking my camera with me(& my 300mm lens). I am so happy I went. It was a very nice couple of hours that I spent just doing nothing, admiring Bethenny's talent & getting all kinds of goodies later on. I even found a funky bus track for my son.

So here we go!!!

Before the show:

Bethenny is coming making funny jokes & then doing a funky catwalk :)

 Look at people taking pictures with their cell phones :)

Tiffany

Some pictures for Tiffany

This mini-shoot was inspired by the blog that I adore Everything Turquoise
I've been a reader of the blog & a preacher of turquoise for a long time. I have a lot of decor items in my house that are turquoise. Luckily, a lot of stores started carrying items for homes of this gorgeous color.
And I just decided to make a small contribution to the color of my life. Here is a slideshow & some pictures:

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For publications email contact@victoriamasonphotography.com