First of all, we really appreciate the fact that you want to know more about our services. Many of you ask similar questions so hopefully we can answer some of the questions that you have for us.
Let’s begin with answering the most popular question asked by our clients.
Where does the name “Orange Turtle” come from? (It’s so random!)
I (Cindy) used to have 2 pet turtles during childhood. I loved them so much that I would bring them to church with me…in my purse!! My sunday school teacher must have been so annoyed with me! During high school and college days, I used to go by the name of “Blue Turtle” as my ICQ (online chat) name. I really like the concept of a blue turtle because real turtles aren’t blue. Blue colored turtles exist only in my imaginative world. When we were thinking of a name for our business that would express our colorful and fun loving nature, we decided to take that name but changed the color to orange because we love the color orange!! (Blue just sounds kinda sad now doesn’t it?) Orange really expresses the happy and vibrant California character of our photographs. Yet at the same time, ‘orange turtle’ still conveys the concept of ‘thinking outside of the box” in our imaginative world.
and now onto other technical questions…
How long have you been doing wedding photography?
2010 is our fourth year of wedding photography.
What’s so special about your photography?
Hopefully you can already tell how our photography style differ from other photographers from browsing through our galleries. Personally, we envision, shoot and process our photos with color in mind. Color is our specialty (as you can see in our photos). We love using vibrant colors to create a dreamy, film-like photograph even though we shoot with digital cameras. Some photographs, however, do look better in black and white and we will convert those images to black and white based on our artistic judgment.
Example 1:
This picture totally works better in B&W!
The couple emotions really pop in front of the clean lines from the architecture in the background.
Example 2: This picture would not makes sense in B&W. It’ll take away the distinctiveness of the location.
How do you identify your primary photographic style?
Our style is called editorial photography which is primarily what you would find in typical magazines on newstands. It is a combination of photojournalistic and modern styles. We do some posing and directing during bride+groom shoot and engagement sessions so you will know exactly what to do to look your best. With those ‘posed pictures’, we make it look candid and natural as if we weren’t posing or directing. For the rest of your wedding day, we take a photojournalistic approach. Bottom line though, no matter what approach we are taking, we’ll make you look good.
How many photographers do you work with?
2 photographers for every wedding. For weddings on the weekend, you’ll get Cindy and Daniel. For weddings that take place on a weekday, it will be Cindy and another experienced photographer.
Do you guarantee your presence at the actual event?
Yes, unless there is an emergency in which case a competent photographer will be provided. This is outlined in the photography contract. Your wedding will be taken care of no matter what! No worries!
How do you count the ‘hours’ for coverage? If we have a break between the ceremony and reception, do you count those hours toward photography coverage too?
We count our coverage hours starting from when we arrive at the first location (usually it’s the place where the bridal party are getting ready) until we leave the reception. If you have a break between the ceremony and the reception, we usually take the bridal and groom to a new location to take more fun pictures!
What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you on the day-of?
We bring multiple layers of backup equipment including lenses, camera bodies, flash units, umbrella stands, batteries etc.
How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing?
Within a month.
In what format are the initial proofs offered?
Proofs are offered in an online proofing gallery in low res JPEG format one month after the wedding. DVD with high res photos in JPEG format will be provided one month after the wedding.
How long can the couple keep the proofs?
Online proofing gallery will be available for six months. DVD is yours to keep. You have the rights to reproduce the files, create prints, post the photos online for personal (non-commercial) use. You will also receive a license for personal use statement along with the DVD.
How many photos are delivered?
For a typical 7-8 hour wedding we deliver between 600-700 photos. For a 1 hour engagement shoot we typically deliver 80-90 photos.
How do we book you guys for our wedding date?
All we need is a signed contract and a simple retainer payment of $1000 for us to reserve your wedding date. The remaining balance will due 2 weeks before your wedding. We do want to clarify that our booking policy is on a first come, first serve basis. We cannot reserve your wedding date until we have received the contract and retainer payment. Because a lot of brides/grooms inquire about the same dates all the time, we do not keep track of all of them and therefore we are unable to tell you if your date has already been inquired. We felt that this is the best policy for both us and our potential clients. So book us quick once you’ve decided to go with us!
Do we have to provide meals for you guys during the wedding?
Yes please! It’ll keep us going strong in getting those amazing images for you guys! We usually eat while the guests and bride and groom are eating, because most people don’t want their pictures taken anyway with their mouths full. It’s really a win-win situation.
Who sings that song on your website? I love it!
Our friend Nathan Walker. Check out his website at www.myspace.com/skylinesandarchives.
What’s your album design process?
Step 1: You get married, we take your wedding pictures.
Step 2: We post your pictures online and send you a DVD.
Step 3: We ask you to pick 5-10 pictures that you want to include in your album.
Step 4: We design the album. Then we’ll send you a pre-design file to approve.
Step 5: If you approve it, we’ll begin the printing process. If you want to make some changes, we’ll make the changes according to your requests.
Step 6: You receive a beautiful album!
Hope this helps! Please feel free to use to contact us for any other questions! You can drop me an email at cindy@orangeturtlephotography.com.
