FAQ | Bayphoto Net Photography

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Frequently Asked Questions

How would you identify your wedding photography style?
I would like to describe my wedding photography style as "Fusion of beauty and photojournalism." I originally focused on fashion and glamour photography and worked with many models. Through years of practice, I learned how to capture the most beautiful side of a person effectively through usage of cameras. Before I started wedding photography, I also shot many events such as fashion shows and dance competitions. This helped me master the skills of capturing the critical moment. By combining these two skills together, I can capture the wedding events beautifully and efficiently.

How do you offer post-processing?
Each picture is individually retouched, lighting-adjusted, face enhanced and color-corrected with either Nikon Capture NX or Adobe Lightroom to ensure the quality of work. Certain pictures will be further enhanced with Photoshop.

Do you have experience shooting wedding in various lighting situations?
Absolutely. I am comfortable with any lighting conditions. Indoor environment (church, hotel, etc) is easy to shoot. Outdoor lighting is harder to control but I am one of the best outdoor photographers available in San Francisco, San Jose and Bay Area.

Do you bring an assistant with you?
I typically work alone for small weddings (less than 200 people). One person is typically enough and is much less intrusive. I will bring an assistant photographer when the number of guests is more than 200 per the bride and groom's request.

Do you guarantee your presence at the actual event?
Absolutely. I typically come 10-15 minutes earlier than scheduled to get familiar with the environment.

Do you sometimes book yourself for more than one wedding in a day?
To provide the highest wedding photography quality, I book no more than one wedding a day.

Do you have a replacement photographer in case you become unavailable on the wedding day?
Yes

What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you during the day?
I have two professional cameras to bring: Nikon D700 and Nikon D300. The lens that I typically bring are Nikon 24-70mm F2.8, Nikon 85mm F1.4, Nikon 12-24mm F4, Nikon 10.5mm fisheye, Nikon 35mm F1.8 or 105mm F2.8. I also bring two flashes: Nikon SB-900 and SB-800 to take care of the extreme dark scenes. I also have the Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VR lens. It is rather heavy and less flexible compared to Nikon 85mm F1.4. I use Nikon D300 with 85mm F1.4 for telephoto usage; Nikon D700 with 24-70mm F2.8 lens to cover mid-range; Nikon D300 with 12-24mm to cover wide angle.

Do you bring back-up equipment to the event in case of malfunction?
As you can see, I bring two sets of equipments and in case that one fails, the other set continues to work.

Do you charge hourly or full day?
I offer several standard wedding photography packages. Please see the service page for details. Customized packages are also available per request.

If hourly, are you available for shooting overtime? If so, how much do you charge for overtime?
Yes I am happy to work overtime. The overtime hourly rate is charged based on the package price.

Do you require a meal break? If yes, do you require that the wedding party provide your meal?
Yes. A good meal is necessary for the photographer to perform well since the cameras with quality lens are very heavy. Events like wedding photography consume lots of energy and it is essential to get enough energy for the photographer to be active. Typically, when the guests start eating, the photographer and the DJ will also start eating in a side table alone.

Do you charge for travel?
Travel is free if the wedding/event is within 100 miles round-trip to San Jose, CA. Otherwise, a destination fee may apply.

How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing?
Typically 2-3 weeks. It shall be less than 4 weeks by the contract.

Do you reserve the right to publish the photos?
Yes. It is important for an artist to show people his work so that I reserve the right to show the works.

What kind of wedding albums do you offer?
Bayphoto Net uses high-end professional labs to provide customized high quality wedding albums. All albums are lay-flat. The starting price of a wedding album is $299 plus applicable tax. For detailed pricing of wedding albums, please contact us directly.

When will I get the final work (DVD and prints)?
The DVD is typically ready within 4 weeks. The prints will be ready in one to two weeks after the customer selects the photos to print. They will be mailed together to the clients in one package. Customers are also welcome to visit the studio in San Jose to view the final work.

What is the deposit rate and why it is non-refundable?
The non-fundable deposit rate is 50% of the package. It should be paid as early as possible to reserve the date exclusively for you. It happened many times that the potential customers could not have me take pictures for them due to the conflict reservation. Because the particular date is reserved for the client exclusively, the retainer is not refundable even if the event is cancelled.