Frequently Asked Questions

Will you personally photograph our wedding?

Yes. 100 percent.

I personally photograph every wedding I book. I’m not a large studio that sends out whichever photographer happens to be available that weekend.

If you add a second photographer, I’ll still be your primary photographer and remain responsible for the coverage, editing, and final gallery.

How would you describe your photography style?

Natural, timeless, and documentary-focused.

Most of the day, I’m trying to photograph what is actually happening rather than constantly stopping things and creating poses.

That doesn’t mean I won’t give direction when you need it. I’ll help with portraits, family photos, lighting, locations, and anything else that makes the photographs better.

My goal is for your wedding photos to look beautiful without making your wedding feel like an eight-hour photo shoot. Trust me, I don't want that and you don't want that.

How many photos will we receive?

Most full wedding galleries contain somewhere around 700–1,100 finished photographs.

The exact number depends on the length of your wedding, the size of the event, how much is happening throughout the day, and whether you have a second photographer.

I don’t limit galleries to an arbitrary number of images. If a photograph is good and helps tell the story of the day, I want you to have it.

Are all of the photos edited?

Yes.

Every delivered photograph is individually reviewed and edited for things like exposure, color, contrast, cropping, and overall appearance.

I want people to look like themselves. I’m not interested in turning people into plastic versions of themselves or using excessive retouching that looks dated five years later.

That said, I’ll absolutely remove temporary distractions when appropriate — things like blemishes, an exit sign sticking out of someone’s head, or something distracting in the background.

Do you use AI to edit wedding photos?

Like many professional photographers, I use modern editing tools that can assist with parts of the post-production process.

Those tools do not decide what your wedding looks like.

I still select the photographs, review the edits, make creative decisions, and control the final appearance of every gallery I deliver.

Technology can make the process faster and more consistent, but the finished work still has to look like my photography.

How long does it take to receive our wedding photos?

Delivery time depends somewhat on the time of year.

During lighter parts of the season, galleries are often finished relatively quickly. During the busiest fall wedding months, delivery can take longer.

Typically around 4–6 weeks during the busy seasons.

I would rather deliver a complete, carefully edited gallery than rush through your photographs just to hit an unnecessarily fast deadline.

Can we get our wedding photos faster?

Yes.

I offer 14-Day Priority Delivery for $250.

Your complete wedding gallery will be moved to the front of my editing schedule and delivered within 14 days of your wedding.

Availability may be limited depending on my schedule, so it’s best to add this before the wedding whenever possible.

Do you provide sneak peeks?

I know it's common to do so these days, but I do not.

I prefer to concentrate on finishing your complete gallery rather than pulling myself away from editing to create a small preview. The culling process can be tedious and time consuming, and I don't want to give you all the good stuff quickly and then leave you with nothing else to look forward to.

It also never feels quite right to skip ahead when other couples are already waiting for their complete galleries.

I’ve always liked the experience of delivering the whole story at once.

Do we need a second photographer?

Not necessarily.

I’ve photographed many weddings by myself successfully, and for most traditional wedding days one experienced photographer can provide excellent coverage.

A second photographer can be especially useful if:

• You have a very large wedding.
• Your ceremony has photography restrictions or difficult logistics.
• You want more simultaneous candid coverage during the day.
• You want another photographer bringing a different eye to the day.

It also really helps with efficiency — a second pair of hands, a light holder, a lens getter, or someone to find that missing groomsman.

Do you take family photos?

Absolutely.

Documentary photography does not mean skipping family photographs.

We’ll photograph the important family combinations, wedding party photos, and traditional portraits you want.

I recommend making a short list of specific family groupings before the wedding so we can get through them efficiently and get everyone back to enjoying the day.

Can we give you a shot list?

For family photographs, yes — and I encourage it.

For the rest of the wedding, you generally don’t need to give me a giant checklist of things like “bride walking down aisle,” “first kiss,” and “cutting the cake.” After photographing weddings for years, I already know those moments matter.

If there is something unique to your wedding that I might not know about — a special person, heirloom, tradition, surprise, or detail — absolutely tell me.

Can you help us plan our wedding-day timeline?

Yes.

Photography is much easier when the timeline makes sense.

I’m happy to help you figure out how much time we need for getting ready photographs, portraits, wedding party photos, family photos, travel between locations, and sunset photographs.

A realistic timeline makes the entire wedding day less stressful — not just the photography.

What if it rains?

Then we make good photographs in the rain.

Weather is one of the few things nobody gets to control on a wedding day, so I always recommend having a reasonable backup plan.

Depending on the venue and weather, we can use covered areas, indoor spaces, umbrellas, off-camera lighting, or wait for small breaks in the weather.

Some of my favorite wedding photographs have happened on days when the forecast looked terrible.

What if our venue is really dark?

That’s actually one of the situations where experience and equipment matter the most.

I bring professional lighting equipment and know how to use it.

Many churches, barns, ballrooms, and reception venues become extremely dark once the reception starts. Good photography shouldn't disappear just because the lights go down.

Lighting is one of the biggest differences between simply owning a nice camera and knowing how to photograph a wedding.

What equipment do you use, and do you bring backups?

Professional Nikon cameras, professional lenses, flashes, off-camera lighting, and plenty of backups.

Weddings don't come with a reschedule button, so I bring multiple camera bodies, lenses, memory cards, batteries, flashes, and other essential equipment.

If something quits working during your wedding, I can switch equipment and keep shooting without making it your problem.

I love camera gear probably more than any reasonable person should, but the important part for you is that I show up prepared.

What happens if you get sick or have an emergency?

In all my years photographing weddings, I've missed two out of hundreds. One was when I was sick enough to spend a few days in the hospital and the other was when my mother passed away.

In both cases, I was able to call upon trusted full-time photographers I've known for years, and they did a great job.

I have relationships with other experienced photographers and second shooters in the area who could step in if a true emergency ever made it impossible for me to photograph your wedding.

Do you photograph weddings outside Lexington?

Absolutely.

I regularly photograph weddings throughout Kentucky and am happy to travel beyond the area.

If you are within 90 minutes of Lexington, no travel fee is required.

Do we receive printing rights?

Yes.

You will receive a personal-use print release that allows you to download your high-resolution photographs, make prints, share them with family and friends, and post them online.

You do not have to purchase prints through me.

I retain the copyright to the photographs, which is standard for professional photography, but you’ll have broad personal-use rights to your wedding images.

Can we print the photographs ourselves?

Yes.

Your gallery includes high-resolution files, and you’re welcome to make your own prints.

You can also order professional prints and products through your gallery if you prefer.

Will you post our wedding photographs online?

Usually, I like to share some of my favorite photographs from weddings on my website, portfolio, and social media.

But I also understand that some couples prefer privacy.

If you have concerns about your photographs being shared publicly, tell me before the wedding and we can discuss it.

Your wedding gallery will be password protected, and you are free to share the password. Anyone with the password can download photographs for free or order prints through the gallery.

How do we reserve our wedding date?

A $700 retainer and signed contract reserve your date.

Until both are completed, the date remains available to other couples.

Once you're officially booked, the date is yours.

Is the retainer refundable?

The retainer reserves your wedding date and prevents me from booking another wedding on that date, so it is generally non-refundable.

If for some reason you have to cancel and I am able to rebook the date, I would offer you a refund.

The complete cancellation and rescheduling terms are explained in the contract before you book.

Can we add more coverage later?

Usually, yes.

If you book eight hours and later realize you need nine or ten, additional coverage can normally be added.

It is always easier to add time before the wedding than to discover during the reception that your photography coverage is about to end.

Can we customize our package?

Absolutely.

Most couples fit comfortably into one of my standard options, but weddings aren't all identical.

If you need additional coverage, a second photographer, priority delivery, an engagement session, an album, or something else, we can build the coverage that makes sense for your wedding.

What is the best way to find out if you're available?

Just send me your wedding date.

I'll let you know whether I'm available and answer any questions you have.

If you'd like, we can also set up a phone call, video call, or meeting before you decide.

You don't need to have every detail of your wedding figured out before contacting me.