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FAQ'S

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We appreciate that there is a lot involved when you are deciding to choose a photographer. Please see our most frequently asked questions below relating to each of our services. Have a question that’s not here? No worries! Get in touch with us and we will be happy to help.

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Weddings
Videos
Engagements
Newborns
Maternity
Birthday Sessions

Weddings

Simply put, choose someone you like and trust.

It goes without saying that you’ve got to like the look of the photographs, but what is just as (if not more) important is how well you get on with your photographer. The best photographer can still have the wrong type of couple.

Considering 90% of people don’t like having their photograph taken, it’s very important that you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Choosing a photographer you feel comfortable with is the most important thing to choose.

You’ll get the best photographs when you feel most comfortable in them. That’s why our couples love their photographs.

Plus, if you get on well with your photographer, that will translate through to your guests and they’ll also feel relaxed around your photographer.

Relaxed guests make for more natural photographs.

The value is in the little things.

The first thing to remember is this… it’s not about the photographs.

You’re now thinking “What?!”

Consider this, any photographer can offer you photographs, but will they be good photographs? Will they make you happy?

Imagine going on your honeymoon, do you plan on flying Ryan Air to Benidorm or are you thinking Emirates to Bali? Both get you from A to B, but I’m assuming you’d be thinking the latter.

That’s because, just like your honeymoon isn’t just about a flight seat from A to B, your wedding photography isn’t just about photographs. It’s about the experience.

We provide an incredible customer experience, backed up by the fact that we won an award for Customer Service. That’s where the value is.

There’s a reason our couples describe us as “more than just photographers”. It’s the little things you don’t expect that make us different.

We’re afraid not.

We do need to take a retainer to secure your date, but we offer several payment options including the option to pay monthly, so your first payment may not be as much as you think.

Your payment shows your intention for booking us, so it’s a commitment to each other. Please contact us to ask about your payment options.

Absolutely.

Some couples prefer to pay their balance off as soon as possible, this way the money doesn’t get spent elsewhere.

It’s entirely up to you.

Yes, that’s generally how it works.

Some of our couples pay monthly, so we simply spread your payments out over the months before your wedding date and you pay via standing order on the first of every month.

 
You receive access to an exclusive, password protected online gallery to share your images out easily with family and friends.

For a long time we used to provide a lovely USB box. Before that it was DVD. Now USB is on the way out we’ve made the decision to switch to providing your images through a sophisticated online gallery system.

You receive limited print usage rights, not the copyright.

Without going into the nitty gritty of copyright law, there’s a difference between copyright and print usage rights and unfortunately it can become quite confusing. We’ll explain what you can and can’t do.

You CAN print, share and post online images from your wedding. Your can share them with family and friends.

You CAN’T alter the images in any way. This includes re-editing the images or adding Instagram filters onto to photographs. Why would you want to? They’re already editing for you, and beside, why would you pay us for Instagram edits?

Also, you are not allowed to use your images for commercial use (to make money from them). So for example, you can’t use them to promote your own or another person’s business, such as a wedding supplier for example.

These permissions extend to your guests too.

It depends on the time of year.

In the quieter months, you could have them within a week or two. We’ve had them finished in a few days before. Busy periods could be 6-8 weeks.

The longest wait will generally be in September, October and November as we’ll have had busy months in July and August.

We send you a sneak peek and then keep you informed once your photographs are finished.

Yes, very much so.

All of our albums are custom designed, so after the wedding, you can come into our studio and pick the exact album that you want.

You can pick the size, type, style and the amount of images you want inside. You also choose which images you want inside using your online gallery.

We will design the album for you (based on the images you’ve chosen) and send you a proof over email to make any amendments you would like.

Once you’re happy, everything is ordered and typically arrives in 2-3 weeks.

We also offer an option where you can design and order your own album through our online gallery system.

They vary in cost because everything is custom made.

Albums vary in terms of size, page finish and cover choice, but the biggest variant is the number of pages.

The more photographs you pick, the more pages you need. The more pages you need, the more the album will cost.

Typically most couples spend between ÂŁ400 and ÂŁ500, but you can spend more or less if you wish (depending on your choices).

Yes, both in the studio and online.

We’d always recommend getting your hands on our wedding albums. After all, you’re going to hold your own to look through it, so the best way to choose one is to pick up and flick through our examples.

No, they have to come through us.

Venues are slightly different when it comes to using our images in their brochures or on their website.

In return for using our images, they must either take us on as a preferred supplier or pay us for the photographs. This is because they intend to make money off our images on a permanent basis.

It is our belief that if they love our images enough to use them to sell their venue, then it is our belief that they should like our work enough to recommend us to their clients.

Alternatively, they can pay us for the privilege of using our images. This also applies to other suppliers wishing to use our images for their marketing on a more permanent basis.

Yes, but there are rules.

You can provide your suppliers with images but they MUST be the images with our logo on.

Your suppliers MUST credit us and NOT cut out our watermark. If you are providing the images, it is your responsibility to inform the supplier of these rules.

Your suppliers can use the images on social media and on their website but our logo MUST remain in the image.

Venues can share our images on social media in a one off post, but they MUST use the watermarked versions and tag/link us accordingly.

If any of your suppliers wish to permanently use one or more of our images in their marketing strategy (for example, a brochure or permanently on a website) to advertise their business, they must contact us as this falls under a separate agreement between us and them (see below).

Wedding Videos

Yes and no.

We offer two wedding video options which we call our Bolt-On Video packages. These can be booked in addition to our Two Photographer package.

The Bolt-On video packages are not designed to replace a dedicated wedding videographer, but they provide a middle ground between hiring a separate videographer and not having a wedding video.

If you hire a separate, dedicated wedding videographer you'll have an extra person or persons filming your entire day.

With the Bolt-On Video packages, we're hybrid shooting video while we're taking your photographs.

This means that while we'll do our absolute best to capture every moment in both stills and video, moments may occur where we can't.

That's the only "potential" drawback and we might be able to capture everything. We just can't guarantee it and we're upfront about that. 

Basically, yes. By nature of us being there to photograph, we won't capture as much video compared to a dedicated videographer.

We'll do a great job of what we do capture, but there will just be less of it. This means you'll receive a shorter video than you would get from a dedicated videographer.

It's not less in terms of quality. The quality will be superb in fact. It's just less video content from the day meaning a shorter video.

We've been shooting wedding videos for over ten years now so we absolutely know what we're doing.

There's two options available... the Bolt-On Video and the Bolt-On Video PLUS.

To make it easier, we've created a dedicated page on the website to explain the differences in more detail.

You can view this page by clicking the image below:

Engagements

The short answer is yes.

The other short answer is… it depends.

People booked pre-wedding shoots for a number of reasons.

  1. Sometimes it’s to get some practice in.
  2. Sometimes it’s to help feel more comfortable.
  3. Sometimes it’s to spend more time with us, to help with being comfortable.
  4. Sometimes it’s simply to have a nice day out and have some lovely photographs taken of the two of you.
  5. Sometimes it’s all of the above.

Whatever your reasons may be for thinking about booking one, a pre-wedding engagment shoot will work for those exact reasons… guaranteed

Comfort is key and once you’ve had your pre-wedding images back and LOVE them, you’ll be super confident for the big day.

So as standard, we typically do them around Newcastle city centre of Tynemouth area. There are plenty of amazing and cool spots to take images in either of those places.
We’re more than happy to take photographs at another location if that’s what you’d prefer. We price the sessions with the city or coast in mind, so anywhere outside of that area may be subject to an appropriate travel expense.
Yes.

Your availability and willingness to think outside the box is your online limitation here.

We’ve even done pre-wedding shoots in London before for a couple living and getting married in the North East.

With enough planning, we can go anywhere.

Newborn Photoshoots in Newcastle upon Tyne

newborn

Anytime between 12 and 20 weeks ideally, but earlier the better

It’s always best to book earlier for two reasons:

  1. In order to guarantee your session is booked in. We only take on so many newborns per month and because we get booked up early, we are always turning people away. Pre booking in guarantees your place in our diary.
  2. To give you time to properly discuss and plan a maternity session if you’d like to do one. Maternity sessions with Shazia are unlike any other, but they take time to plan them properly. The earlier you book in, the better the results.

Book in early to avoid disappointment

Generally, between 8 and 12 days, but it depends.
  • The first thing to remember is that there is no exact science with this.
  • If you have had your baby on it’s due date, then within 8 to 12 days after the birth is best.
  • If you have had your baby early, we have a few extra days, but no more than 14 days.
  • If you have had your baby prematurely (say 4 or 5 weeks early), we can extend this to about 19 days, but we wouldn’t advise to go any longer.
  • If you go overdue, we still go off the due date, so the longer you go overdue, the sooner we need you in. 14 days over would mean to come in within a few days of the birth.
 
At our photography studio in Newcastle.

Our photography studio is located at Hoults Yard in Newcastle. There is parking right outside the door that is payable on the meter.

It contains a comfortable, relaxing lounge area where mum and dad can put their feet up and relax for the session.

We also have a state-of-the-art photography area where we photograph your baby.

We have all the equipment, props, nappies and wipes that your baby could ever need.

It depends on your baby.

Typically, sessions tend to take 2 – 4 hours. Sometimes it’s less, but rarely is it longer than 4 hours.

We photograph your baby in different positions and on different backdrops which take time to set up and clear away.

The photographing part only takes 30-45 minutes, but the rest of the session is usually dictated by how often your baby needs a feed. You can have some privacy in the lounge area to feed your baby

We will send you everything you need to know.

From the moment you book, we walk you through every step of the way. Even if you’ve had a newborn session elsewhere before, we have a very specific way of doing things that guarantees results.

All we ask is that you follow our instructions to the letter.

At your cinema style viewing experience.

Your viewing experience typically takes place within ten days after your photography session. We like to get you back in to view your images while everyone is still off work.

We will discuss this with you at your photography session.

Yes, absolutely. We encourage it.

We always encourage parents and sibling photographs. These often make up the last parts of the Newborn session, but we discuss this with you before your session begins in order to capture what is important to you.

We do absolutely everything we can.

There are many factors responsible for whether or not a Newborn session is successful, but we’ve found it’s not an exact science. It’s all about patience.

What works for one baby may not work for another. We use our experience and try every trick in the book.

Think of it as a lot of little things added up to make one big thing. If you follow all of our instructions and advice throughout the process, we should have a high chance of success.

Photoshop is our friend.

You’d be very surprised what we can do with photoshop. We can take out any dry skin, and if your baby is looking a little jaundiced we can alter the skin colour. The same applies to any scratches or bruising. We’ll take out all of that. We just need to little one.

We sell the finest artwork products available.

Your baby’s images should be on display in your home for years to come which is why we have various options available that appeal to everyone.

We have a range of the finest frames available as well as some stunning newborn albums.

Only if you want to.

We have everything you could need, but if you have a favourite hat or would like to incorporate a theme into the session then you would need to bring your own items.

Please speak to Chris about this and he will advise you.

Maternity

 

Around 34 weeks.

We find 34 weeks is a good time. It’s still early enough that your baby shouldn’t arrive early and you’re nice and big to show off your fabulous bump.

 

We understand.

Being photographed is uncomfortable for most people at the best of times, but for a mother to be, there’s other reasons why you may not feel like being photographed.

  • You may not be feeling your best
  • You may be self conscious about your body
  • You may not be comfortable being photographed
  • You may be uncertain about what to expect
  • You may not feel confident
  • You may never have been photographed before

We can absolutely guarantee that if you book your maternity session with us, you will not only love your images but you will love the whole experience.

 

That would be Shazia.

Shazia is a master of her craft, she truly is. She is an internationally published fashion and women’s portrait photographer. She knows what she’s doing.

She is an expert at photographing women too. Not only will she work with you to ensure that you’re comfortable, but she has the knowledge and skills to ensure that you will never see a better photograph of yourself.

 

Yes, but it’s entirely optional.

We have access to several excellent hair and makeup artists through our contacts in the wedding and portrait industries.

Alternatively, you can go elsewhere to have your hair and makeup done before your session.

We would highly recommend that you do have your hair and makeup done professionally, either by us on by someone else on the morning of your maternity session.

It will make a big difference to the way you look and feel when you see your photographs.

 

It’s entirely your choice, but we wouldn’t recommend it.

When you see someone looking amazing on the front of a magazine cover, do you think they did their own hair and makeup? It’s highly unlikely.

If you’re going to the expense and taking the time to have a maternity session in the first place, you want to ensure you’re looking and feeling your best.

You wouldn’t go without a professional hair and makeup artist for your wedding, so why should this be any different.

It’s a little extra, but well worth it.