Wedding Photography Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

How did you get started in wedding photography?

Early adventurist meets wedding photography. I started planning a summit bid for Mt. Everest in the early part of 2000. I made a check-list of what I needed to purchase, while training and climbing tall high altitude mountains. I’d taken many classes, trained in crevasse rescue, wilderness survival skills, and trained with fellow mountaineers who tackled the Everest summit without oxygen. I took up photography seriously as a hobby in order to capture the sheer awesomeness and power of the mountain I would be climbing. I wanted to capture the intimidating Epic radness of what I viewed since I would have a little time at the summit.

A friend of mine was photographing weddings at the time. I thought wedding photographers were mostly women who told the bridesmaids to turn around and blow kisses, which I hated. As I tagged along with my friend for a few weddings, I decided wedding photography wasn’t actually bad. Quite the opposite, it was a genius creative outlet waiting to be explored. Little did I know what would happen as a result.

I said yes to some of my friends weddings in 2009, and from there, friends told friends who told friends. Suddenly, I’m getting booked up, being voted best photographer in Sacramento, and traveling across the nation to photograph forty weddings.

And now fast-forward to 2017, when I photographed the Mt. Everest base camp wedding (for the 2nd attempt with a couple) which went viral internationally, crashing my website, appearing on global talk shows, news networks, and trending across the world. That spurred a TEDx Talk at California State University of Sacamento, as well as speaking engagements at photography conventions and seminars for Nikon and Profoto. Reality shows have contacted me to appear on their show. Additionally, I have won multiple awards and have been included on many front cover bridal and photography magazines. I have spoken at conferences, universities, workshops, on top of traveling for weddings and adventure elopements. I thank God for giving me gifts and allowing me to shine. That’s kind of how I got started.

What is your return time on the delivery of images?

Typically 6-8 weeks. I shoot upwards of 40 weddings and elopements in a year plus engagement shoots, adventure shoots, and other requests, while also traveling. While I may deliver in 3-4 weeks for smaller weddings or engagement sessions, expect 6-8 weeks for most of the year.

What if something happens to you and you can’t photograph my wedding?

I am well connected to many great photographers in the photographic industry, locally and nationally, who would come to my aid if something were to happen, just as I would on their behalf. My wife has a list of photographers to call just in case something were to happen. Even if I were in an accident or I became horribly sick, I’m pretty pain tolerant. I would probably show up with a broken leg. If I die before your wedding, chances are slim, but hopefully you’ll have compassion on me, and of course my family.

What Amador County Wedding Venues would you recommend?

I have created a webpage for that question, and you can check here:
https://www.charletonchurchill.com/amador-county-wedding-venues/

How long do I have to download the images?

Certainly, you are given 60 days to download your images once they are made available online. If you want more time, or you need to re-upload them after they have been taken off, there will be a fee of $50 for another 30 days.

Do we get the full sized digital files to print?

Yes, every wedding couple gets full-sized JPEG’s to print without any watermarks via download. The higher packages offer a USB stick on top of the download.

Were you the photographer behind that Mt. Everest base camp wedding that went viral?

Yup, that was me. Read the whole story on the blog post HERE.

Describe your style

Natural, elegant, stylish, bold, adventurous, candid, documentary, and Epic for those images on Mt. Everest, on top of Yosemite’s cliffs, or in the blizzard freezing ice caves of Alaska.

Do we have rights to our Digital images?

Yes, you have the right to personally print your images wherever you want, even though I provide a great lab for printing and great rates. However, as is standard in the wedding photography industry, you don’t have the right to sell the images for profit or to publish your images anywhere without direct consent of Charleton Churchill Photography.

Do you carry insurance?

Yes, absolutely I carry insurance. I don’t mess around with weddings. I’ve heard too many bad stories. For me, if a photographer doesn’t carry insurance, they do not value their business nor the couples they photograph. I can provide a certificate of insurance if your venue requests one.

Do you edit the photos?

I prefer to get it right in camera, but yes, I do make sure to process every image you receive according to my style. I make sure exposure and color look good in my images. Not only that, but also the skin tones, adjusting clarity, contrast, sharpening, cropping, highlight, shadows, etc. as well as other corrections. Every image is processed with those standard corrections. If you want “Advanced Photoshop treatment”, which is typically anything that requires extensive time, then a fee is charged dependent on the size of the request. Advanced photoshop examples are removing people or objects from an image, changing the size of body parts, doing makeovers, or tanning skin where it’s obviously white from straps. My standard processing of images look good from delivery and you can request to see a full wedding gallery before booking. Furthermore, if you want to know how a wedding photographer edits a full wedding (which they deliver to a client), request to see the full gallery of images from a recent wedding, not just select images from a blog.

Do you send us all the images you shoot from our wedding?

Certainly not, and I wouldn’t want all my unflattering photos sent to me either. I photograph throughout your whole wedding day, and you don’t need the testing images, light setup images, out of focused images, one eye opened and the other half closed, duplicate images, the awkward horse face laugh, you get the point.

How many images do you deliver typically for a wedding?

Ultimately, it all depends on how many hours you select in your wedding package, if we have to travel from place to place, or if the bride or groom arrives two hours late (happened before). Furthermore, if you have a large wedding or a small intimate wedding, or even an elopement in the woods, that changes everything. However, for an average wedding, 75-100 images per hour is delivered.

What are your rates for weddings and Elopements?

My cost of wedding coverage varies on locations and how many days. You may request my wedding rates and I will gladly send them. Currently, my rates begin at $4000 for wedding, elopement and adventure coverage. My engagement sessions, proposals, and portrait sessions start at $1250. Some couples will spend $15,000.

Do you backup your images?

Yes, I’m crazy about backing up my weddings redundantly. I have repetitive backups, raid drives, online backup systems, and other systems where your wedding will be secure. After downloading your images, I encourage you to make multiple backups on and off site. Your images will be available up to one year after your wedding.

Do you photograph getting ready photos, family portraits and reception photos?

Yes, most weddings I photograph couples getting ready if you want that in your timeline, plus reception photos with speeches, cake cutting, etc.. Most noteworthy, with Family Portraits, you will need to make a list of who you want photographed during that time. Please include your parents in that decision so we get them all. In contrast, family portraits after the ceremony can be an “energy and time sucker” trying to stand and smile the whole time. So please design your list to be necessary and efficient.

How do we go about booking you?

Look over my wedding packages and information and tell me what you want. Then return the signed agreement with a 35% non-refundable retainer (or minimum of $2000, whichever is greater), paid preferably by check, cashier’s check, money order, or cash. If you need to pay by credit card, no problem, I can send you an invoice to pay online. No Dates can be reserved or booked until both the agreement and retainer are received.

Can we meet with you?

Absolutely, I would love to meet you both before booking and get to know you and your wedding plans. If you would like to travel to Sutter Creek, California, we can schedule when I’m in the area. Otherwise, most of my meetings happen online via Facetime or Skype since most of my couples live a myriad of U.S. locations. Regardless of whether it’s in person or online, I require to meet before booking.

Can you carry a list of Pinterest Photos we want you to shoot?

Certainly, I don’t mind photographing a few images at your request, and giving me a heads up on people or moments that I may not understand. For example, a grandpa who is passing soon of cancer and needs some close photos with the bride dancing. Those are great images, and I love hearing what is important to the family. I also request a family list for the family formals time just after the ceremony for a weddings.

However, I do not carry posed Pinterest photo lists from couples to check off for the day. Honestly, it keeps my eyes focused on a check-list, rather than being present, aware, and creative of my surroundings. My job for most of the wedding day is to capture and anticipate real moments, raw emotions, and tell your story, creatively like you’ve never seen. Couples who book me usually trust me, as they hired me for my distinct style, something different and fresh from others. I want to dig deep for my couples. Sometimes my couples have to work hard for their images as well, like hiking in the wilderness after an elopement, sometimes in the dark. Elopements are a little easier to play with ideas, and I enjoy collaborating without the strict timeline of a busy wedding day. In the end, what couples are getting is something rare, beautiful, epic, and priceless.

When do we schedule our Adventure session or Engagement session?

Certainly, you can schedule any time of the year, within a week of your wedding or as most do, a year before your wedding. Adventure and engagement sessions are booked during the weekday only. Monday through Friday only. There is no travel charge if your session is local here in Sutter Creek, CA. If you would like me to travel for your session, which I do, the cost is $100 per hour of travel. If you desire something out of state or country, talk with me about a custom quote. Weekends are for weddings. Also, I have multiple places I’d love to photograph and we may be able to share the cost if you’re open.

How do I prepare and make the best of my wedding photos?

Book me and I’ll give you some of my secrets. I will say there’s way more involved in making a good photograph than having an expensive camera. Many couples tell me they are not photogenic, and don’t know how to pose or act around the camera, but then they end up featured in a magazine or on a front cover. I’ll take care of you.

How long does it take to receive an album?

When you choose your favorites for the album and then officially “approve” the album design, color, and material used, it only takes 4 weeks maximum.

How many hours do I need to book you for my wedding?

When you fill out the contact page, I can send you timeline samples upon request. Typically, I shoot 4 hour, 7 hour, and 10 hour weddings. However, I also photograph elopements that are shorter or even full day wedding coverage. Many times, I photograph destination weddings. The couples have me photograph their wedding on day one. On day two, they book me for an adventure couple’s session where we hike and get some epic photos in the wilderness, near a waterfall, or some place adventurous.