Weddings What is your style of wedding photography?
We photograph weddings in a journalistic style with a dash of dramatic fashion-inspired portraiture thrown in the mix. A husband and wife team, we always photograph weddings together. (We’re not sure how anyone could tackle such a job alone!) Two cameras with two different ways of seeing is our advantage. Eric prefers to observe from afar and capture moments as they naturally unfold. He works quietly, unseen. He is our team’s lighting expert, always finding the most beautiful locations for our brides. Oh, and he’s wonderful at photographing kids! Kali (that’s me) enjoys working more directly with clients. She directs the more formal portraits, including any large family shots. She also tends to see with more of a designing eye– often arranging the scene to fit her fashion-inspired vision.
What is a “bridal portrait?”
Bridal portraits have been a long and beloved tradition in my family. My mom, her mom, and all my aunts had bridal portraits and they all hang together in my grandma’s home. A few weeks before her wedding day, the bride gets a special photo shoot just for her. We pick a day when she can get her hair and makeup done, and the dress is fitted and ready. We choose meaningful locations, or the wedding location itself. It is so nice to have as much time as we need to capture such an important moment in a woman’s life. Brides usually bring their moms, and it becomes a special day for both mother and daughter.
When should I schedule our engagement shoot?
The answer to this question depends on what you are planning to do with your engagement photos. If you plan to make a wedding guest sign-in book, you should schedule your engagement shoot about three months before your wedding date. If you need only prints for invitations or a signature board, we recommend a shoot six weeks before your wedding date. We will help you with scheduling all of this well ahead of time!
Where should we shoot our engagement photos?
We always have the beautiful Kelley Farm property available in Bonney Lake. However, we love to find locations that mean something to the couples we photograph. Try to think of a place that means something special to the both of you. It could be your high school campus, your favorite beach, the city at night–anywhere you find romantic! (Could it be underwater??) We are more than willing to get creative with you!
Portraits
What should I wear?
We ask families to dress casual or semi-formal. Most of our family portraits are shot at a farm, so jeans and coordinating tops are appropriate. Dark, solid colors are best; though all white tops can be nice. Please try to avoid patterns, logos or distracting colors. In cool weather hats and scarves are fun. Please see our families gallery on the website for ideas. For seniors, we ask that you bring 2-3 wardrobe changes and a bunch of your favorite accessories. Hats, sunglasses, instruments, sporting equipment, boots, etc are just a few ideas. We want to show your personality. We will play with what you bring until we run out of time! For infants, we may dress them in nothing at all! But please bring plenty of white one-ses, soft blankets, and cute baby accessories. (I love babies in hats!)
Where will my photo shoot take place?
We will coordinate a location for your photo shoot depending on your schedule, your needs, and the time of year. Many of our portraits are taken at the Kelley Farm property in Bonney Lake. We have a small studio space 5 minutes from the farm. It is available for senior, baby, and pet portraits. We often travel to Tacoma for a more urban look, or for beach portraits. We are always more than happy to try out new locations, and would love to hear your ideas.
Can I get digital files of my photos?
We currently shoot all digital negatives. We try to keep these digital files in our possession for a few reasons. One reason is that we want to control the quality of prints that are out there with our name associated with them. If we hold the digital files, then we can guarantee that you get the best quality prints. (All our prints are on professional papers, individually edited, color calibrated and guaranteed.) The files also represent our creative work and efforts, and when we do sell them, we price them to represent that effort. Currently, we sell individual files through our online shopping cart for $45 each and complete shoot DVDs of edited print-ready, full size files for $400-$500. (Contact us for DVD purchasing info.)
Can I get photos with my dog?
Sure. We love dogs and have special packages just for pet photography. If you would like to bring your dog to your photo shoot for a quick shot, we would be happy to give it a try– just let us know ahead of time so we can bring some treats.
What if the weather is bad on the day of my shoot?
Part of the challenge of being a photographer in the Northwest is dealing with the (near) constant threat of rain. We have photographed clients in almost every type of weather, so if you must have photos by a certain deadline, we can always make something work. However, if you would prefer a little sunshine for your shoot, we frequently reschedule portrait sessions around the weather. We will wait until the day before or even the day of the scheduled shoot to contact you if we need to reschedule. We’re all about being flexible, particularly in the winter months!
What can I get for my $50 print credit?
Most of our clients will receive a $50 print credit as part of their package with us. This means that when I send you the link to your online gallery, you will also get a discount code. From the online gallery you can add print items to a shopping cart. Enter that code at checkout for $50 off your order. The print credit allows you to purchase whatever combination of prints you need. With the $50 print credit alone you could purchase the following examples: One 8×10, three 5x7s, two 4x6s One 20×30 Two wallets (four each), two 8x10s, one 5×7 One digital file