FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Let’s play a little game of Q&A…
How many photographers make up Studio Orange?
Oh, an easy softball question. OK. Studio Orange is ME! I photograph every wedding and portrait session that Studio Orange books. If your package calls for a second photographer, I maintain a pool of ridiculously talented people I can call upon.
How long have you been doing this?
I've been photographing weddings since 2007. That’s quite a lot of experience shooting weddings, and that’s important. But more than that, I’ve been actually taking photographs for much, much longer.
What areas does Studio Orange cover?
Studio Orange is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. I primarily photograph weddings and portraits in Lincoln, Omaha, Nebraska City, Roca, and the surrounding Nebraska areas. But really, I'm game to go anywhere. If you’re willing to pay my way to your destination, I’ll photograph your wedding anywhere on (or off) this planet.
Do you charge for travel?
I don’t generally charge for travel anywhere in Lincoln, Omaha, or most of eastern Nebraska. My general rule is that I only charge for gas if your event is more than an hour drive away.
For any driving distance more than an hour, the rates will be based upon current Standard Mileage Rates. If travel required any air travel, or an overnight stay, then those fees will also be the responsibility of the client.
How do I book wedding or portrait photography sessions with Studio Orange?
Simplest way is to fill out the form.* I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can (usually the same day – unless I’m shooting a wedding, or on a secret spy mission that I can’t really talk much about).
What I’ll do when I reply is ask to set up a meeting with you, either over the phone or in person. We’ll talk about your day and all that good stuff and then it’s as simple as reserving the date!
*If you’ve filled out a form and haven’t heard from me, PLEASE check your spam folder. Those filters are ruthless and sometimes flag my messages.
What does “reserve the date” mean?
Studio Orange services require a deposit to reserve the date for any photography sessions. This lets you “own” that day. The amount of the deposit varies depending on the type of booking and it is due when we sign the contract.
How do we pay you?
With money.
Ok, ok. I can accept payment in the form of checks, PayPal, or I can send you an electronic invoice for online payment. Cash is also an option (as long as you aren’t that joker that tries to pay in pennies… don’t be that person.)
Will ours be the only event you photograph that day?
Trying to photograph more than one wedding a day is just completely impossible. At least until I perfect my cloning device. But so far the experiments have been… well, the less said, the better.
As a general rule, I also don’t double-book engagement or portrait sessions. I prefer not to do more than a single portrait, band session or any other type of session a day (although exceptions are sometimes made for special circumstances).
Do we have to pay for a session/package all at once?
Nope! But you can if you want. Otherwise, I split up all payments. Weddings are split in thirds – with one third the total cost being the deposit. All other sessions are split into two payments, with the first half being the deposit.
How long will my photography session last?
The whole time.
Oh, you’re one of those people who wants me to be more specific, aren’t you? Ok. Weddings depend on the package or the number of hours you hire me for. So that’s kind of up to you.
For other sessions, plan on at least a couple of hours. Maybe 3 or 4 if we’re having fun.
Does Studio Orange have an actual, you know, studio?
I get asked this question a lot. And to be honest, I’ve wrestled with whether or not to rent studio space a lot, too.
The problem is the expense. In order to justify renting out space full-time, I’d have to raise my prices, which is not something I’m prepared to do right now.
However, I do have access to studio space if I need it.
How long will you be there for our wedding?
Rather than a set amount of time, I prefer to look at it as “what events will Studio Orange cover?”
For example, my entry level package will cover all of the essential parts of your wedding: the formals, the ceremony, and the reception. The other packages will add things like pre-ceremony events, or even hair and makeup, if you want.
Other than that, I don’t really set a specific time limit. It’s more important to me to cover your day than to be looking at a watch.
Will you photograph everything that happens at my wedding?
This answer really covers two things.
First, how much of the day I photograph depends on the package you book (see the question above). Smaller packages may need a bit of compromise about which events I’m available for. All day packages have more flexibility.
The second part of this answer is about the specific photos. The thing is, weddings are dynamic and have a lot of stuff going on. I strive to get all of the important moments of the day. Problem is, it might just be impossible to capture every single moment, especially if multiple things are happening at once. I do my best, but I can’t make guarantees about specific photos.
What about all of the people? There are some relatives that I want to make sure you get photos of.
Don’t freak out by the lack of guarantee in the previous answer. I really do want to give you every image I possibly can. This is especially true if you have some guests you’d like photographed. But it’s a safe bet that I don’t know your friends and family. So you might need to help out a bit.
If there are some people you really want photos of, the best way to make sure this happens is to have someone available to point them out, or send them over to me (or the second photographer if there is one).
Another option is to send ’em to the photo booth (if your package includes it).
What about someone we don't want in our photos after we've received them? Can you edit someone out of our pictures?
Even though image editing software is getting ridiculously powerful, it can still be very tricky to convincingly remove someone from many types of photos. In some cases, it may even be impossible. While it never hurts to ask, please be aware that it may just be impossible to remove a person from your photos. For now, the only 100% sure-fire way to remove someone from a photograph is to not have them in it before it's taken.
Will I own the photographs you take?
Well, yes and no.
Those Federal Copyright laws are pretty clear in saying that Studio Orange owns all of the photos. However, you will receive high resolution digital files with every package. With those, you’re able to share those images on Facebook or wherever, and I also give you a “personal use” release that allows you to order prints from wherever you'd like.
I like to think that I’m pretty fair. This release will let you do virtually anything you want with the images, including getting them printed somewhere other than through Studio Orange.
The only thing I require is that if you edit any images, you’ll need to mention that if you post it anywhere. See the next question…
So I can edit my own photographs the way I want and post them to Facebook?
You know, I’m a tinkerer. Sometimes I like to go back and play with photos again. Photoshop is like a black hole that can suck me in for hours. So I get it. Maybe you don’t own software like Photoshop, but with stuff like Instagram, you’re as addicted to playing with photos as I am.
Legally, I could tell you “NO!” But where’s the fun in that? Besides, once you have the digital files, I can’t really police what you do anyway.
So here’s the thing: if you want to mess around with your photos, I’m cool with that.
But — there’s always a but — here is the catch: If you choose to make changes/edits to any of the images and post the images online, you must clearly state that you have created an alteration different from what Studio Orange provided, and provide a link to the original.
Ok, so why do I require this? Well, even if you happen to be a Photoshop ninja and create some phenomenal edit that makes me insanely jealous and want to steal your brain, figure out a way to jack it into my computer and make it do my bidding, I don’t want to run the risk of your edits being misinterpreted as something Studio Orange offers.
Simple as that.
We love the work of (insert name here) photographer. Can you replicate that style?
No. Absolutely not. Aside from copyright/legal issues, trying to copy another photographer is just seriously uncool and would probably throw bad karma on your whole session.
Besides, not only do I like to think you’ve hired Studio Orange for MY style, there’s also the fact that it’s, you know, my style. I’m comfortable and confident shooting the way that I do. If I spent your time trying to replicate how someone else shoots, I probably wouldn’t do a very good job, and that’s not a very good way for you to spend your money.
We can do inspiration, though. If there are other photos you like, poses you’d like to try, etc., using those as inspiration to create something that fits my style and is unique for you is completely cool.
How long until we get our photos?
For portrait sessions (senior photos, engagement sessions, etc.), I try to have photos to you within 30 days. For weddings, I’m shooting for 45-90 days.
Now… the reality is that it’s usually quicker than this. But here’s the thing: I’d rather tell you 90 days, get you your photos in 30 days, and have you think I’m a magician than I would tell you 30 days, wind up swamped and it really takes 45 and you’re upset with me.
Ultimately, the bottom line is that my goal is to get your photos to you as quickly as I possibly can. But delays happen, especially during my busiest times of the year.
When will we get our (insert product)?
If your package includes other products, such as a wedding album, you may wonder when you will receive it.
My first priority is always to deliver the photos as quickly as possible. I don’t begin working on any additional products until the photos are completed. And even then, I sometimes may not have time for album design until a slow down in my season. So my default answer, and the answer that is in my contract, is that I don’t work on album designs until my “off season” (December through March). That isn’t always true, however. If I get a bit of a break during the season, I’ll do my best to knock out some albums.
Another point to consider is that if changes are requested to your album during my busy season, it may not be possible to make your changes until I have a slow down.
When it comes to other products, such as prints, I can generally order those at any time and the delivery time is usually within a couple of weeks (depending on the lab’s schedule).
I’ve found a cheaper photographer, but I like your photos better. Can you negotiate your price?
Funny thing about other photographers is that I have no idea how they run their business. I don’t know how they work, or what their expenses are. So I don’t know why they price the way they do. To match what they do, I’d have to work like they do. Which kind of defeats the purpose of what I do.
What I can tell you is this: I’ve worked hard to create a pricing structure that I believe is fair and represents the high standard of quality I maintain for my work.
Also, I’ve created a variety of packages for weddings that combine the most popular options at pretty heavily discounted prices versus ordering those options separately.
I would love to photograph every wedding and to be honest with you, if money were no object, I’d shoot for free. But as it is, I’m trying to sustain a business, and my prices are what they are.
What sort of equipment do you use?
The current lineup of gear includes a a pair of Canon R6 mirrorless cameras. This is a professional quality, 20 megapixel beast of a camera that features an autofocus system that makes lesser cameras whimper and cry. The backup cameras in my arsenal are a Canon 5D Mark III, and a Canon 5D Mark II. These are paired with a number of professional quality lenses that would make any paparazzi photographer jealous. I also have a fully portable lighting set-up that I can bring to locations.
Our friend got married and in her wedding album the photographer got this amazing and funny shot of the flower girl sitting down in the middle of the aisle, playing with all of the flower petals. It was adorable. Can you get shots like this for us?
This sounds like an incredibly candid moment that their photographer was lucky to capture. As with all candid moments, it was unpredictable and spontaneous.
Attempting to be too specific with requesting shots like these can create a nightmare situation where your entire day is spent trying to adopt scripted poses. For that reason, it’s impossible to guarantee any specific shot, but I will do my best to get the photos you want.