Frequent questions about wedding photography

What is your approach to photographing weddings?

Remember those stiff school photographer portraits that had you holding a smile until your cheeks hurt? Well... I am the exact opposite of that. I spend the time to get to know you, to find out the kinds of images that appeal to you and to find out the way you want to spend your day. I also put a great deal of effort into discovering what makes you relax in front of the camera. My greatest goal is to allow you to relax and enjoy your wedding. My ultimate goal is to create images that tell the unique story of your day. I want to give you images that are unlike anyone else's.

I know a client who was photographed by Eunice. How do I get in touch with her?

If you're a previous client or are friends with someone we've photographed, you may know that until 2009 FunkyTown was a large team of photographers, and included both Eunice Montenegro and myself (Christina) as the two primary shooters. Unfortunately, my close friend and business partner has moved to the east coast of Canada. She is in the process of setting up her own business out there, and will serve Nova Scotia, Jamaica, Cuba & the Dominican Republic. If you'd like to book her for a project in one of those locations, please feel free to get in touch.

Why is Christina now the only primary photographer?

When I realized Eunice was moving, I started to think about how I wanted our business to run and decided to offer a more personalized service with all-inclusive, all-day packages. That's why next year I'll be taking on a limited number of commissions to ensure I can focus more attention on each of my clients.

Our large team of associate photographers are all extremely creative and each of them are now running their own photography businesses. The west-coast photography community is very close-knit and I'll still be shooting with many of the people who were on our team this year.

With all of these changes in the works, we have modified our web galleries. The main galleries show images shot by me and the feature galleries show images shot by me & a second shooter.

What is your style - are you photojournalism, fashion, fine art?

Actually, I offer a blend of all of the above, or you can pick just one and I will customize my style for your taste.

What exactly does wedding photojournalism mean? Does this mean you never take posed or directed photos? What if I want some traditional portraits of our families and friends?

If you choose our wedding photojournalism approach I can be as hands off or as hands on as you like. Most people prefer to have their wedding day covered without intrusion, but still want to spend some time doing straight-forward posed family portraits and relaxed-yet-creative couple and wedding party portraits.

I look terrible in pictures. I'm worried about how I'll look in pictures on my wedding day.

I hear this all the time and that's why I take the pressure off "put your hands this way and your feet that way" and instead work on getting you to relax in front of the camera. Even during directed moments I will provide you with some straight-forward instructions like, "go over there and make each other laugh," and then I photograph you acting naturally. Candid and natural photos always look nicer than 'stare at the camera and smile' photos. Many of the people in our wedding gallery told us they were uneasy about having their picture taken and yet they all look like rock stars! I'll bet you won't be able to tell the people who were more camera shy than others. The greatest compliment I could receive from you or your guests is hearing that you forgot I was even there. This is always my number one goal because it means you are being yourself and enjoying your wedding rather than worry about photography.

How do things generally flow on a wedding day?

Every wedding is different however, here's how most wedding days generally flow:

• Preparations: I generally approach preparations as a photojournalist, capturing moments as they unfold. That means I am not spending a lot of time asking you to "look this way" or pose. Occasionally, I will get requests for posed portraits during this time and this is no problem. If there is time, I will sometimes spend a few extra moments taking some creative images of you before the wedding ceremony. This is a great time for portraits because your makeup & hair is fresh. Although some of these images are directed, they will be captured with story-telling in mind. I always strive to tell the true story of your wedding day.
  Approximate time: 30 minutes to three hours.
• Wedding ceremony: I approach every wedding ceremony as a photojournalist. I have a strict policy to never intrude on your ceremony. I simply capture it as it happens. I will also consult with you and/or your ceremony official to understand if there are any rules or restrictions on photography during your ceremony.
  Approximate time: between 30 minutes to three hours.
• Post-ceremony greetings: The time after the wedding ceremony when your guests are greeting you for the first time is always filled with emotion. This is when I'm able to capture the most beautiful candids of you and your guests.
  Approximate time: 20 minutes.
• Family portraits: Weddings are about family reunions and it's important to have some group portraits of everyone coming together. Your parents and grandparents will cherish these pictures. children and elderly people often get tired during these pictures so I try to keep this session to less than 30 minutes. Each group generally takes about three minutes each to photograph. This means keeping groupings to under 10. We'll work with you to determine how best to approach this session with your particular family group. And don't forget... I will also take requests at the reception to photograph any groups that may have been missed during the official family portrait time.
  Approximate time: 30 minutes
• Wedding party portraits: I will work with you and your wedding party to create some relaxed yet creative pictures. If you browse our wedding photography gallery you'll see many examples of the kinds of things I can do. I direct this session rather than pose - that means I don't spend a lot of time positioning hands in 'just the right place'. I want everyone relaxed and having a blast! One thing to keep in mind... if you bring your wedding party along with you to all of the locations on your list they may start to get a little bit tired while they are waiting for you to have photographs of the two of you alone. You may also find it a bit distracting to have an audience while I'm working with you together as a couple. You may want to limit your wedding party portraits to one location or ensure there is plenty of food and entertainment in the limo for your party's downtime.
  Approximate time: 20 minutes to one hour.
• Portraits of the two of you alone: Forget the 'look this way and smile directly at the camera' approach you get from everyone else. While I will take a couple of traditional portraits, most of my clients want fun creative pictures. I believe that if you are thinking about where to place your hands, how to position your legs, etc., it will show in your smile. A natural smile photographs better than a forced one and my biggest aim is to make sure you can be yourself, have fun and look natural. I want to work with you to tell a story, incorporating the details that make your wedding story unique. I may ask you to walk over to a park bench and have a conversation or we'll try to get you both to laugh. If you take look through my wedding gallery you'll see what I mean.
  Approximate time: 45 minutes to 2 hours
• Reception: Here is where I generally return to a wedding photojournalism approach, capturing the reception events as they happen. I'll sometimes get asked to take some posed pictures of guests. This is absolutely no problem. Sometimes there are other reunions happening and I know it's important to capture everything.
  Approximate times: pre-dinner cocktails (30 minutes), dinner (1 hour), speeches (30 minutes to an hour), dancing (one to three hours).

Do you ever take couple pictures before the wedding so I can spend more time with our guests after the ceremony?

Absolutely. Many people opt to do this and it does mean you can spend your entire wedding celelebration doing just that -- celebrating!

Everyone has a digital camera these days - why should I hire FunkyTown Photography?

This is my full-time career and my experience and camera skills mean that I make the most of any situation, venue or person (including very difficult lighting situations). I have a diploma in photography and a master's degree in journalism (with a specialization in documentary broadcast reporting). I work quickly, effectively and discreetly to produce images that you will treasure forever. Plus, I take professional pride in paying attention to your needs during your wedding day to ensure you get exactly the kinds of pictures you want. Your images will also be professionally polished in post-production to ensure they will print their best.

What happens if it rains on our wedding day?

I always come prepared for any weather and I also have a back-up plan for our portrait session in case of rain.

You travel around the world to photograph weddings. How do you become familiar with a location if you haven't visited there before?

When I'm unfamiliar with a location, I will arrive in the area at least a few days before the wedding to do extensive site scouting. I will come up with both a "sunny day" plan and a "rainy day" plan and I go over this with each couple to make sure the plan is in keeping with how they want to spend their wedding day. I also introduce myself to your wedding vendors & will get a tour of your ceremony/reception site. I find that new places & venues inspire some of my more creative work. I also believe that having the experience, camera equipment & lenses, plus skills to deal with any lighting or weather conditions are more important than experience photographing at a particular venue. I avoid taking cookie-cutter images regardless of location.

What kind of wedding photography equipment do you use?

I use digital SLR cameras with portable flash units.

How many pictures will I receive on our discs?

Expect about 100 images or more per hour of photography.

I've heard that some wedding photographers only give low resolution (unprintable) proofs on CDs. Will the images on our CD be printable?

Absolutely. I will provide you with the highest resolution possible so you can take your pictures to any print lab. Pictures will blow up to larger than poster size.

How long before I see our pictures?

Normal viewing time is after your honeymoon, about three weeks to one month after your wedding to allow us the necessary time to put together professionally-edited package. I appreciate that our clients can get curious so I usually post a sneak peek of your wedding images on our blog.

How much time do you spend on images after the wedding?

I'm considering hiring you to photograph our wedding somewhere other than Victoria, B.C. What experience do you have in other locations (Paris, New York, Florida, California, Ontario, Brazil, Costa Rica, etc.?)

While I am based in Victoria, I have custom packages for various locations around the world. Please visit our locations page to find out the areas I serve. Our travel packages inlude my flight & accommodations for your location.

What are your wedding photography package prices?

We'd be happy to mail you our package and price guide. Please send us a note with your wedding date and location and we'll tell you more about our wedding packages.

Can I include you in our gift registry so guests can contribute towards the cost of our photography?

Absolutely. I allow your guests to purchase gift certificates towards your wedding photography.

Do you take credit card?

Yes. I accept Visa and MasterCard.

What is required to book the date?

I require both a retainer and a signed contract. This guarantees your date.

Do you mind if people other than you take photographs during the wedding?

No , I don't mind at all. The more the merrier and you'll get more pictures that way! However, I do ask that I am the only commissioned professional photographers at your wedding. During the ceremony, it is important that other photographers ask med where I plan to be stationed. Sometimes well-meaning guests will use space within the aisle, not realizing that I move around and may want a position for a certain moment (like your kiss) that a guest has now occupied. Likewise, if preparations are being held in a very small room, I want to make sure I can move around easily and not have other photographers in your pictures. It's always best to have the channels of communication open with the other photographers to ensure that I have unobstructed spaces to photograph your day. Also, since other cameras and flashes tend to distract people (especially children) during the posed group portraits, I do kindly request that all guests photographing group photos wait until after I am finished. You'll get far better photos this way.

Do you photograph same sex marriages?

Absolutely!

What kind of clothing do you wear to the wedding?

I wear clothes that are suited for the occasion so that I blend in with your guests, yet does not limit me when I am working.

How do I get in touch with you?