Questions to ask your wedding Photographer by Nicole Blumberg

I opened my business in 2010 with a full calendar of weddings. Since then I have photographed hundreds of events.

Please allow 24-48 hours for me to get back to you.

When you look back at your images I want you to see memories. While I love stepping in and offering guidance for posing and my professional opinions regarding how to make images more astatically pleasing during our time working together, I try to avoid creating a completely staged and unauthentic atmosphere. I want you to remember a great experience, give prompts that are tailored to your personalities and make it easy! I have a feminine eye and my images follow suite.

My main objective is to document your day as it unfolds. I aim to capture portraits and people in real-life events in an elegant and timeless manner.

During couples portraits, I shoot with full intention. I direct my couples by telling them what I want them to do. I love mixing up natural movement as well as adding in  more styled (but super easy) poses to get a romantic and frame worthy shot. We may do a certain direction a few times to get different angles or until I get the ending result I’m looking for but never during moments that should be authentic.  

Emotions drive and inspire me, so I aim to capture emotion in a lot of my images. Especially laughter. I LOVE laughter. I keep my couples natural and use the nature or architecture around us to bring in any sort of drama to an image. Outside of the portrait area of the day, my goal is to capture authentic storytelling moments and the majority of the images will be photojournalism. I do offer my professional opinion during the day if I think something may be more aesthetically pleasing done elsewhere.

First, email me to set up a video meeting. Once we have met, to book me for your wedding I would need to receive a signed contract and a retainer.

(I used to hold all my meetings in my home but since I had my daughter that became a no go lol! If you would prefer we meet in person, I can go to you if you are located in SF or the East Bay. Or we can have a video call if you happen to be further!)

My couples tend to be in their mid 20’s and older.  They know what they want and care about aesthetics. while still being down to earth. My couples value an album’s worth of amazing heartfelt images over hundreds of mediocre images. They are filled with empathy, love, and they laugh a lot. They are all around genuine, warm and inviting people who care for others and the world. I am lucky to say that I tend to get the nicest couples and have made many lasting friendships with them.

 I am based out of the East Bay. I primarily work from Carmel Valley to Clearlake. Happy to travel further for great couples.

I include 60 miles from my location for free. After 60 miles I charge 3.00 per mile.

I have package options for both one photographer or two for weddings. Not all events need two photographers and if you have a strict budget to adhere to, one photographer for 6-8 hours may be able to accommodate your range better. I have a trusted network of photographers I bring as my seconds. Often they are lead photographers for their own business’s so you are in good hands =)

As a professional photographer it is my job to be able to work at any location at any time. Over the course of my career, I have worked at many venues for the first time! I am forever grateful to all of my couples who put their trust into me and my abilities! Without them, I would not have the opportunity to be able to share this amazing “questions to ask your wedding photographer” guide. If it happens that I have not worked at your venue and you would like me to do a walkthrough with you after you hire me, I’m more than happy to oblige

No, not at all! Not all venues offer professional lighting and not all couples have the option to hire a lighting crew (if you do, it’s well worth it!) I bring various different lighting equipment based on your venue and my needs. I use off camera flash, on camera flash and video lights for my work and use what is necessary for the job.

I deliver roughly 50-100 images per hour that I am shooting.  A typical 8-hour wedding will end up with or around 400-800 images depending on the event, guest count and activity of the event. As my team tries to get photos of many different people at your event we want to highlight the importance of having family formals with key individuals at a designated time on your wedding day to guarantee photos of important people.

I start by culling/flagging the images that will make the first round of the cut. This eliminates images that really are not deliverable. They may be out of focus or a not pleasing angle. I get rid of lots of duplicates. Trust me… there are many of the same shots. I pick a few in every series that are the best. Sometimes after the first round I go through them again because I still have too many of the same images and need to cut them down further.

I will send you an email with a link to your online gallery. Within that gallery, you will find a button that lets you download the high res images immediately and directly to  any device  you are using!

 I ask for 10 weeks to get the full wedding gallery delivered. While not all weddings will take the full  10 weeks to deliver, and I often get them out sooner,  this timeline allows for adequate time in the event that I am fully booked, have extra edits contracted or I have a holiday planned. Each project is assigned a due date in my calendar, ensuring that nothing is ever overlooked! While I welcome emails inquiring about your images, please keep in mind that they may not be ready until the designated due date. Engagements, Family, and Maternity sessions I ask for 4 weeks. These also usually get to you before the 4th week. I purposely schedule  extra allotted time in the contracts for unseen needs.

 When deciding to make a purchasing decision on something as valuable and sentimental as photography, you may encounter multiple feelings. Why? Because photography is important and for quality, it should be viewed as in investment. Photography has such a wide based market so it is imperative that you choose a photographer that you feel is a great fit for you. There is a right photographer for every single couple whether it’s based on price, style, personality or all of the above.  

I take multiple factors into consideration when setting the pricing for my business.   You will find photographers who are more expensive than I am and I guarantee that you will find a photographer who is less expensive than I am. You should choose your photographer for reasons that hold value for you.  My clients value photography and what it offers highly. Investing in it is important to them.  

I try to have a starting point that I feel comfortable knowing I will be fully compensated for what I offer as well as a place that can accommodate a humble budget. If I happen to be above your budget and you do value photography, I would be more than happy to refer you to a photographer who may be within a price point that works for you. There are many part-time and amateur photographers available who may be new but still have a good eye. Yet, you must be willing to take on the risk. There is often a reason a photographer is willing to work for a very low wage. As a professional photographer and business owner, I never recommend contracting free photographers for an event that can not be re-shot.

Please inquire about your day for a more comprehensive pricing guide and quote.

Here is a quick view of my package prices for larger weekend weddings:

6 hours- $3,500 1 photographer

8 hours- $5,000 2 photographers

10 hours- $6,500 2 photographers 

TIP! Booking a package over Al La Carte will save you money! If you think you’ll want 2 photographers for 8 hours at a later point, you’ll save more if you book that package up front than adding additional photographers and/or hours later. When adding on hours/photographers at a later time, it will be priced based off of my A La Carte rates.

If you book only me via our contract: adding an additional photographer at a later point is $150 per hour. 

If you would like to add additional hours for me only, it’s $625 per hour. 

Say you want me (1 photographer) for 7 hours instead of 6. It would be $4,125.

If your event takes place in two parts and you require Idle time, my A La Carte pricing will be recommended since my packages are for continuous photography coverage where the only space would be travel time to other locations. My idle time is $300 per hour. (Idle time is where I’m not shooting but un able to be off for the day due to having to work your event at a later point)

*Second shooters can not be hired for a longer period of time than I will be working and/or have a staggered timeline for more hours of coverage.

The engagement session in an 8+ hour wedding is a complimentary. If you do not want this you have the option to not take advantage of the extra photo shoot but it can not be traded for additional hours on your wedding day or a discount.

I charge $300 per hour for time I’m held  but not technically able to leave. If you think your day will be having a break between events and idle time may be necessary,  let me know and we can take a look over your timeline together!

Raw! I love to have full control over the images and with jpeg you can not edit the photos in post-production without damaging some of the pixels every time you do a new edit. Using RAW format, you get beautifully edited photos at top-notch quality. I deliver jpegs.

Yes, every single image you receive will have been through my basic post-production editing process. I ensure that the colors and quality of your images meet my standards. I use the latest digital image editing software on color calibrated displays.

* Included in All Packages

I perform basic post-production on each and every delivered image at no additional charge. The goal of basic post-production is to create print-ready, professional-quality imagery that is vibrant yet natural. I want your images to pop with all the natural colors of our world without looking over edited or over saturated. It is extremely important to me that many years from now, when my couples look at the images I delivered they are looking at memories and not reminded of a fad that was happening at that time with post processing on social media. I aim for my photos to be a bit more on the light and airy side of things and edit in a way that resembles Portra 400 and Fuji 400 film. A very timeless look.  Included in basic post production is the following: 

Color Correction:  I make sure an image is corrected for temperature and tint.
Exposure Correction: I adjust the exposure and brightness to ensure that an image is not too bright or too dark.
Other Adjustments: I apply a variety of effects and tools to get our end product.
Black and Whites:  I love black and whites however tend to only change about 10 percent to black and whites. I use my professional judgment for which ones will look best! If you have a preference of color vs black and white, let me know! I’m happy when you are happy! 

Photoshop  involves much more in-depth editing. Things can be taken out of images like distracting objects or  more in-depth editing like expanding a location of an image. As photoshop sometimes intertwines with photography, I like to educate my couples that not all professional photographers are professional photoshop editors and it shouldn’t be assumed that they can fix everything in photoshop. They are in fact two different careers. I edit with photoshop on SOME images I take and deliver. If there is something I think needs to be removed like wires and poles in couples portraits or something that is just really really distracting in an image, I may take it out. Things I don’t do, is offer body altering to images. And if you came to your wedding without ironing your suit, my friend…smh.. Lol. Even though I do photoshop on some images, I do not officially offer it as part of my packages.  If you receive your gallery and would like to inquire about any additional edits with photoshop, I have a per hour photoshop price that can be contracted with a minimum of one hour booked. If it’s something I do not think I will be able to accomplish because It’s outside of my photoshop knowledge or I simply can not add it into my schedule without it making me delay the deliveries of galleries to my other clients, I will be more than happy to refer you to a professional photoshop company who will be able to help. I want my couples happy and to get the edits they want! 

Every photographer has their own style and that’s what makes them them. IF a certain photographer’s work sticks out to you, it’s important you go with that photographer. Only they will achieve what they are showcasing and you run the risk of being unsatisfied should you ask the photographer you hired to do something they don’t normally do.

Great question! I have made a detailed guide explaining how long certain areas of the day take to photograph. (Guide link coming soon)

In short:

Getting ready:  At least 1 hour – 2 hours. This depends on multiple factors such as who wants getting ready images and if you are in close proximity to each other while getting ready.

First look with parent: 10-15 minutes

Couples first look: 15-20 minutes

Couples session after first look: 30 minutes

Bridal Party photos: 20 -30 minutes 

Family Formals: 20-40minutes. This widely depends on how many you have and how organized every one is.  I really like to get through the family formals as efficiently as possible. To ensure that you get the maximum time to enjoy your wedding day, I suggest talking to your relatives beforehand and prepare them with the information of where to be and when for family formals.

Ceremony Details: I need at least 15 minutes once everything is set up and there are no guests arriving yet.

Reception Details: 20-30 minutes. Normally during the last part of the cocktail hour once it’s all done and the guests have not come in the room yet.

TIP! I suggest adding time in the timeline to have a first look for your reception room decorations!  It’s a great opportunity to see all of the love put into the decor by your wedding team and it REALLY offers a nice opportunity to get beautiful photos of the two of you surrounded by all the lovely decor. 

Reception first look and photos: 10-15 minutes  

Sunset couples images: 20 minutes 

OF course!  I have no problem with family and friends bringing any kind of camera to your wedding. I want your guests to be able to take photos and enjoy themselves.

However, as I do not mind other people bringing cameras, I do ask that they not try to be the photographers for the event, give me and my team our space to be able to move around freely and not cause a disruption that limits my ability to perform my job.

I also ask that during  portrait time with couples and family no other cameras are out. Most of the time we notice when family and friends have cameras out during this time, our subjects’ eyes are on their cameras and not ours that are being paid for. It makes my job harder and things take longer since I will put my camera down and wait until they are done.

While I don’t need a shot list in the traditional form (I’ve done this hundreds of times and know what traditional images I should be getting, it also limits my creative freedom) I really want to know what things mean a lot to you. Such as items that will be there that are important, people who are extra special to you, your favorite parts of the venue, what you like most about your outfits, if there are certain traditions happening during the day. Also I’d like to know things like.. Maybe Aunt Becky and Mom are not talking right now and asking them to take a picture together may not be ideal.. Lol.

During the time you are getting ready is when I take photos of your personal items such as clothing, perfume, jewelry and invitations. I ask for all of your details to be placed together in one spot before I get there. I may combine items or even take an item out of the room if there is better light somewhere else and people in the background or clutter that may devalue the photo.

 If you have not scheduled me to be there while you get ready or I’m only there for a very short time, we can do styled shots of your important attire after you are dressed.

Family formals!  I  ask that if there are people you absolutely must have a photo of or with, you invite them to be part of your family formals. Please also ask for photos with people throughout the day at any time. I 100% encourage this! Me and my team will be near you all day and it makes me and my team happy to take your photo with loved ones. I  know that everyone invited to the wedding is important so I do my best to get lots of different shots of different people.

 As my work is couple centric, and I focus closer on  your immediate family and close friends you will see more images of them throughout your galleries. My goal is to tell a story of the day so unless you have a greeting line at the entrance where everyone is having their image taken upon entering the event, someone always has the possibility of being  missed and that is why having family formals is really important.

First, let me know what those are. Second, please make sure that you have designated a time and place to get that photo on your wedding day.

The designated time can be during portraits, formals, reception or whenever you feel the time and place would be the best for the photo. You must make sure that the people/things for the photo are available during the time you designate for that shot.

If you would like to get my professional opinion  on where that  photo would look best, I’d be more than happy to give my thoughts! 

Family formals tend to be taken either before the ceremony or after the ceremony. Sometimes both! Some couples have their immediate family photos taken after the first look and couples images and then finish with extended family after the ceremony. 

The designated time/s for formals should be in the timeline provided to me before the wedding. Everyone you would like to be in the formals should be informed before your event that they are being requested by the bride and groom for family photos at a certain time. If they are not told that they will  disappear or not show up. Guaranteed. It’s really hard to keep a large amount of people’s attention when so much is going on and it’s such an exciting day!

I ask that you write the groups to be photographed prior to your wedding. Please remember, I do not know your full family and this is a job best done by you. To keep things efficient, I ask that someone besides you and me will be in charge of calling the groups. Preferably give the list to someone loud and who knows most of the people on each side. If you need some guidance on how to make your shot list for formals please read the link that I made regarding wedding timelines. (link coming soon)

Yes, please! The sooner I am able to communicate with your coordinator or wedding planner and other hired professionals the easier my job will be. I will be able to tell them what I need to put the photographer’s allotted time in the wedding day timeline.

 It’s best to have your engagement scheduled 12-3  months before your wedding. This solely depends on what you want your engagement photos for! If you are using them as a save the date, the sooner you take them the better. That way we both do not feel rushed.  My calendar books fast and if you wait until a month before your wedding to have the engagement session, I either may not be available when you want it or the photos may not be ready before your wedding. My complimentary engagement sessions are good for up to one year after you sign your contract with me. So If you booked me relatively close to your wedding and can’t really do the photos before, there is a twelve month leeway on the shoot.

 That’s a great question! Weekdays are the best for engagements. Locations are less crowded and I have more availability than weekends. If  you can only do a weekend we will work together to find one that  works for both of us.

Engagement sessions are 1 hour long and you receive 75-100 of the best images.

I  will drive  60 miles round trip from my location for free on both the engagement session and the wedding. Every mile that exceeds the 30 miles each way or 60 miles round trip will be $3.00 per mile

What I say next might sound silly and might feel silly as well, but it’s totally worth it in the long run. Look at photos and look at the people in them,  practice the expressions you see while looking  in the mirror. You are going to laugh at yourself,  that’s ok!! It’s ok to have fun and be silly. Genuine laughs are always better anyways =) But do this. Practice lots of different expressions so you can feel more confident knowing what your facial expressions will look like when you do them. 

Confidence is the best attribute for great looking images. I want you to be confident and I will be there every step of the way helping guide you during our session.

 You are granted limited personal use copyright over the images from your event. You have the right to get your images printed anywhere you like, give images away to friends and family and post them on personal social sites or a personal blog. You may not sell the images for a profit or publish the images with organizations or magazines without the written consent of Nicole Blumberg Photography. The photos I deliver to my couples and clients are a representation of me as an artist, my business, and my brand so I ask that you do not re-edit or alter the photos when putting them online.

 At cost  prints are prints that only cost what the lab charges for them through the gallery I use for delivery. SO when you use the gallery I send over to order prints online they are not marked up more than what the actual lab charges. My business is not set up to be a print model. I am set up and priced as a service based brand. I already give you the right to print, so I don’t feel the need to mark up prints.

Yes. I  offer high-end luxury 8×8 and 10×10 albums for my clients. I believe that not only are albums so important to have but the quality of your album is extremely important. Also, with every purchase we continue to support small USA businesses. So that’s amazing too!

I do! If you place a retainer on an album when you book me for your wedding, you will receive either a 15 or 20 percent discount depending on which package you go with. These discounts are only offered up to a week after you book with me and for the 8-10 hour packages.

After you order your album I then need 4 weeks to design it. After the 4 weeks, I can send you a proof and you may have up to 3 free changes in the design. All additional layout changes after the first initial 3 changes occur additional fees per layout. An image change after the 3rd change is $5.00 per image. After you have approved the proof for the album I can then send it off to be built. It can take up to two months to get the album after it is sent in to be built.

My albums come with 25 pages (50 sides) and 100 images comfortably.

Yes! For a fee you can add more pages.

“When people ask what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.”- anonymous

A: I use some of the most current and highest performing camera bodies available. My cameras are equipped to handle the lowest of light and the fastest of speeds. 

Primary body: (2) Canon r6

Back ups camera body: (2)Canon 5D Mark 4

Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS USM Telephoto Lens

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L 2 USM

Canon 50mm F/1.4 USM Portrait

Canon 50mm F/1.2 L Portrait

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Sigma 105mm f 1.4 DG HGM

(2) Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash

(2) Canon Speedlite 480EX II Flash

Aperture 60d Video lights

DJI mini 3 pro drone

Also a myriad of other things, such as reflectors, lights, objects for effects in images and for fun and travel:

Pentax 645n (film)

Canon eos3 35mm (film)

Fuji xT2

Absolutely. I am fully covered.

I do

I only hold dates in my calendar once I have a signed contract and retainer.  If after our meeting I get an email from another couple who have the same date as you and are interested in my services, I will send you an email letting you know. I want to be respectful of everyone’s time so I will wait up to 24 hours to hear from you before I respond to the other couple and set up a meeting. 

Retainers are used to reserve your date as well as pay for all planning, gear maintenance and backend involved in your event. Once I have  reserved your date, I do not accept new clients for your date or take any other jobs for that date. I get couples who inquire for the same dates that I have booked, that I turn away. There is also a limited time frame in which events can be booked for the season, if your event is canceled I will have missed the opportunity to re-book that date. The retainers are non refundable once booked if the wedding is canceled for any reason. 

I highly suggest purchasing wedding insurance since most wedding professionals have this policy. It saved a lot of people heartache during COVID too!

Yes!  As long as I am available for your new wedding date, I will be able to move your retainer to a new date. However, because it’s essentially canceling the date I was holding and saying no to other work, there is a 10 percent fee to change dates. (PLEASE,  coordinate with me prior to picking a new date if this is something you have to do! )

Unfortunately, collecting in cash does not exempt a photography studio from paying California sales tax on the amount of the entire package price when a physical product is delivered. However, since I deliver everything digitally (excluding albums) I am able to avoid charging tax! Hurray!!  Albums or anything tangible you buy will have tax added to it. I do this on a separate contract so it does not include the total price of your event as well. 

Sure! I’m from the beautiful golden state. I started my photography business in 2010 after my husband Adam and I were married. We actually started it together! We worked as a husband and wife team for all of our weddings. So, if you  were wondering who Adam is in some of my reviews online, now you know! With the birth of our daughter Madison, in 2021 we decided to have one of us stay home with her while she is young. Adam still works in our photography business and handles a lot of back end and marketing while I’m the one who is the front runner and photographer on event days. 

As a family we often find ourselves either outside on hikes or inside playing with tech. I have a 3d printer I love to make things with as well as sew and craft. 

I’m very interested in learning. I love it! I am always taking courses regarding photography or business in general. I may be a photographer,  but I’m also running a business so that topic is very important to me. I’m very intrigued with psychology and read often on the subject. That also helps me as a photographer and business owner. 

Adam and I  love food (who doesn’t?)  and base our travels mostly on where we are going to be eating that day!  

I love animals. A LOT. We have a sweet golden retriever named Sadie. She was always a favorite during my meetings. Sometimes I wonder if she is the reason people hired us so often…. J/K. My past couples and I go on dog walks together if they have their own. Hopefully  you’ll get to meet her too! ( I’ve even dog-sit for some of my couples!) I would have all animals if I were able to. Adam is a little more logical about these kinds of things and reminds me that no.. we can’t have tons of pets. So I do what I can and offer some of my extra time to volunteering with sheltered animals who need the extra love.

That’s me in a nutshell. I hope to get to meet and hear about yourself as well!