Are you a full time photographer?
I’m a full time artist and photographer, not a full time wedding photographer, the reason I just take 2 weddings per month only, including bridal, day after and engagement and a couple of Senior sessions.

How long have you been a photographer?
I’ve been a photographer for over 15 years, mainly taking pictures of landscapes of Italy, Spain, France and the people that have inspired my paintings. Just recently I decided to pursue photography not only as a form of expression and for my work but more on a personal level, the reason why I decided to start my business of wedding, engagement and bridal photography. As a fashion model and artist my perspective or vision is enhanced tremendously by my experience as I was usually in front of the camera and rarely behind it so I bring my experience of the fashion industry into my work, the perfect combination for the most spectacular portraits.

What equipment do you use?
I use only Canon and in my back up equipment I include extra lenses for different purposes, 2 camera bodies, flash units, umbrella stands, batteries, memory cards and anything that I might possibly need, including bandages and a comfortable but elegant pair of extra shoes ;o)… A girl gotta be prepared for everything!

How much do you charge for a wedding, engagement, bridal, senior or portrait session?
Please click here for my packages or contact me if you would like more information or to book me.

I want to book a portrait session with you, do you take my pictures in a studio?
No, I don’t like the confinement of a studio, I prefer to take pictures in bright natural light which is the best light for any person, plus we can get more “inventive” if we are outdoors.

My wedding/engagement is next week, can I hire you for my artistic photography?
Well, that’s kind of in a rush. Chances are I might be already booked for your event and I might not be able to be your artistic photographer, nevertheless contact me to see if I’m available for that date. Ideally you would book a photographer at least a month or more in advance of your special date to make sure the photographer is a good fit for you and that you are a good fit for the photographer. A lot of preparation takes place to ensure your shoot will meet my standards so is always good to meet with me in advance.

I’m on a budget, can you work with me?
Certainly! we can pick and choose the features you absolutely want and build your package any way you want to. Just contact me (click the CONTACT link above) to discuss.

What is the process to book you for my photo shoot?
First of all, contact me! Click the CONTACT link above and provide me with as much information as you possibly can. The next step after I receive all your information is meeting with you if I’m available for your date, but in any scenario you will always hear from me whether I’m available or not. I’ll call you or email you (depending on your preferences) to set an appointment to meet with you. In our meeting I will provide you with the best price packages that meet your requirements and to discuss any changes you want in case you already have a perfect idea of what you want. The next step once we agreed on your package is to sign a contract/agreement, where all the specifics of our agreement are detailed and provide the retainer/deposit to officially reserve your date. From then on we just have to wait for the big day!

Do I get to pick the location for my bridal, engagement, senior, day after photo shoot?
Totally! the idea is to make you happy, so if your dream is to be photographed in a beautiful park, at the beach or anywhere else, consider it done ;o).

Can I change clothes during my portrait session?
Absolutely! any cloth you want! I might help you make a fashion statement though ;o)

What is “Day After”, “After Shoot” and “Trash the Dress”?
The Day After, After Shoot and Trash the Dress are all the same thing, a photo session that takes place after the wedding in a more relaxed and fun manner just between the bride and groom. Ideally the time to take pictures of the couple is during the wedding ceremony and reception, but not much intimacy or inventive from the part of the photographer can happen during that time, that’s why the Day After or Trashing the Dress is so great! we get to try different things without worrying too much about how the wedding dress is going to end up. The pressure of the wedding is off, the couple is already married and this is a perfect time for those awesome pictures you see on wedding magazines, the most innovative ones that are also part of your wedding album.

Would you provide me with a CD/DVD or online proofing?
Normally I provide online proofing at no cost to all my clients, but if you want a CD/DVD proofing I offer that too additionally. The CD/DVD proofing is yours to keep and you can play it on your computer or DVD player on your big screen TV. The images on the disk tough can’t be printed, they are for proofing purposes only so you can select the images you like the most. The images you pick will be available for sale in many sizes for your friends and family members directly from my website on a restricted password protected area for about 6 months. All the information will be provided for you after the event/photo shoot.

Will you provide me with the digital negatives of my pictures?
A CD/DVD with the digital negatives of the images you selected and a basic copyright is provided with many of my packages.

What copyright means?
Copyright basically means “author rights”. The author in the case of photography is the photographer, who brings the experience into the photo shoot and who owns the rights to sell, reproduce, show, and reprint his/her works even the ones of your wedding. As the photographer of your wedding, engagement, or portrait session I have absolute rights over the images that I’ve captured and I and solely I have the right to enter the photographs in contests, show them on exhibitions, sell them, print them, alter them or use them in any other art format I see them fit. Copyright is non-transferable and is governed in the US by the copyright office. According to my copyright policy and as established in my contract the CD/DVD you receive with the negatives of your images have a limited copyright, meaning you and only you can create prints for you, and family members, but they can’t be entered in contests, sold for profit or distributed in any other way that would infringe in my copyright. For more information please visit www.copyright.gov

What would you say is your style?
My style is more fashion photography and photojournalism combined. Landscape/Cityscape photography is also one of my expertise. As a fashion model and artist with over 20+ years of experience I bring to the photography world a new, spontaneous and fresh engagement, wedding, bridal, senior and family portrait session. I’m not your typical studio photographer, I don’t like studio photography and wouldn’t recommend any of my clients to do it for their families, instead I like the freshness that outdoor photography provides as the possibilities are endless.

Do you do commercial/fashion photography?
Certainly, if you are in need of my services for your business or your fashion show please contact me.

How many photographer’s do I need for my wedding?
Depending on the number of guests from 1 up to as many as needed. The reality is, as a photographer I won’t work alone for a typical 200-300 guests wedding, I will bring my assistant and second photographer to complete the coverage of your wedding properly. A small wedding of 50-100 guests can be covered by one photographer without an assistant. A wedding with 200-300 guests need to be covered by two photographers, in my case me and my assistant. A larger wedding will need more photographers to properly cover your entire wedding. When booking a photographer it is very important you inform him/her of the number of guests you will have in your event so the photographer can plan in advance.

Do you edit the images?
Yes, all the images from your event will have a basic editing process, while the images on your album and the loose prints will have professional editing.

What is basic editing?
The basic editing is the post-processing editing I do to the images before sending them to you or posting them on the site for approval. Usually basic editing includes very basic light, color & contrast retouch, sepia, b&w or other modern or old fashion styles to make them look a little bit better than the ones that come straight out of the camera. The images you receive on your album and the loose prints bought directly from the online store, aside from the basic editing, will include also the professional editing.

What is professional editing?
Professional editing is the post-processing editing I do to the images that are included on the album or that will be sold as loose prints to your family and friends. Professional editing includes, removal of blemishes, removal of distracting shadows, color enhancement, smooth skin, etc. There is not extra charge for professional editing. All images that are delivered as loose prints or as part of the wedding or parent albums include professional editing.

What is artistic editing?
Artistic editing goes beyond basic and professional editing and this is where I have the most fun as an artist. Some clients just don’t want to be that brave and prefer the regular colors, b&w or sepia pictures for their engagement or wedding. But for those of you who want more than just the classic I offer textures, selective coloring, along with many other really awesome effects for your pictures. There is no extra charge for artistic editing, you can request any special effect you would like for your images, or leave it to my discretion

I’m a little bit chubby, would you make me slim in my pictures?
No. If you don’t like how you look then I’m not the photographer for you. I will take the most beautiful pictures of you on your special day and will enhance them to make you look fabulous, but I won’t change major aspects of your appearance like body parts, make you thinner or even change your eye color. Although this is a very common practice on many photography studios, this is not what I believe is the best and professional way to photograph that special day. You are who you are, and your fiance is marrying you for who you are and how you look, and I’m sure both of you would like to look back at your wedding album and remember exactly the moment as it happened.

Why are your loose prints priced higher than Walmart or Costco?
Plain and simple, because they are professional photograph prints not 0.30cents cheap prints that you will find at your grocery store or pharmacy. I work closely with a Professional Lab that does all the printing for me, including for my Limited Edition Giclee Prints, ensuring the highest quality. These are your memories and you don’t want them to fade away in 5-10 years, you would want to have your pictures for your kids and grand kids to see.

Destination Wedding/Engagement/Photo Shoot
A destination wedding, engagement session or photo shoot takes place outside of my living area. It could be another city (farther than 15 miles away from Macomb Twp.), state or even country. I take only one destination photo shoot a year for now during summer time. Destination packages are much more expensive than regular wedding or portrait sessions in my area, so if you want me to be there with you in Miami, Aruba or Italy, please contact me with at least 3 months in advance for arrangements and to book your date.

I’ll be posting more questions as they come to me. If you have more questions not answered here, please drop me a line… or two ;o)