Want to chat face-to-face?

Just ask for a FaceTime/Skype/Duo or even phone consultation, and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, or details you want to explain verbally. Just want to put a face to a name? That’s not a problem either! And, of course, if you’re local, a chat over beer (or coffee) is always a good time.

A beautiful snowflake…

All weddings are unique and no FAQ can possibly answer all questions for everyone. I’m also constantly evolving in my own work and how I run my business as well. I’m always thrilled to talk about the newest things being cooked up.

Frequently Asked Questions

I like what I see. How do I book a session?
Easy! Contact me by clicking here filling out the form. This will automatically put you in your system and if you provide a date, it will even put your name on the calendar. You can also text 317-344-9434.  Or if for some reason everything’s broken our you’re having troubles, email [email protected]. If you’d like to speak on the phone, please schedule a call by texting or emailing me!

How does payment work?
Once a proposal has been prepared for you, you’ll receive a link that walks you through the whole thing. From there you can approve quotes, sign contracts, and pay/view your deposit and balances. You’re welcome to pay via credit card, PayPal, or even by check.

How much does this all cost?
I offer full day* wedding coverage starting at $2600. Contact us here on our website or email [email protected] for the full price list. Half-day, destination, and elopement options are available. *Full day starts at 8 hours. Anything less is considered half day and has a separate pricing. Please inquire for events requiring more than 12 hours of coverage or more than one day.

What’s the deal with engagement sessions?
Engagement sessions are very important to me, and if it makes logistical sense we cannot encourage you enough to add one on. This is a time for us to get to know you so you have one less stranger on your wedding day. We want to show up to your wedding and feel like a guest, not a vendor. You’ll be more comfortable in front of the camera, and thus, you’ll have better photos. All sessions include an ordering gallery that you can also share with friends and family.

Sometimes you just want an engagement session, but not a wedding. There are different reasons for this, all of them are understandable, and I’d be happy to do just that for you as well.

What do I wear to my engagement session?
While certain things work better than others, don’t let that stop you if you absolutely must wear a particular item. In general, though, you want to keep crazy patterns to a minimum. Solid colors and subdued patters work best. You definitely don’t have to match, but try to keep a somewhat similar theme if possible. I’d also try to avoid shirts with big logos or text unless it is directly related to your session. Obviously if you both want to wear jerseys for your favorite sports team for a segment, that’s totally great. Ladies, don’t overdo your makeup. Guys, don’t look like a slob. Other than that, be yourself and just prepare to have a laid-back, fun time. Nothing to stress over!

So, what happens at my consultation?
If you want to meet before committing, we can have a consultation. First and foremost, I want to get to know you. The best results occur when we’re friends and we have an understanding of who everyone is. Expect to talk about more than business… but when it comes down to business, we’ll be discussing the game plan and vision. We’ll want to know timelines, locations, anything unique that you have planned. Of course, bring plenty of questions if you’ve got them.

If you’re gung-ho and want to book us before meeting, don’t worry, your engagement session is your consultation. And if you’re booking us from a distance, we can have a phone or video chat if you like.

Contract? What’s in that?
Basically the contract has fancy lingo that lets you know what you’re getting for your money, gives you the payment schedule, policies referring to cancellations and other terrible things that could possibly (but not probably) happen and what to do then, a model release, and other dumb legal jargon that is sadly required in this world. Our contract is laid out to protect everyone involved.

I see your packages, but can I make changes?
Certainly. Fortunately the packages I’ve set up apply to 90% of our couples, but we totally understand that weddings are unique snowflakes. You can have 100 weddings in the exact same venue and they will all be remarkably individual. Just let us know what your specific situation is and we can help you navigate your options.

How many images do we get? Are all of our photos edited? Do I get an option for B&W/color?
There are a lot of variables that determine how many photos are ultimately delivered, but the average range is around 750-900. All images delivered are fully edited and high-resolution along with a print release so you can print and share them as you desire.

I find that in general an image is either best in black & white or in color. So when I’m going through and editing, there is a very personal rhyme & reason to why I choose the editing I do. Each picture gives off a vibe that I go with. Does it come across as timeless? Maybe there is detail we just don’t want color to distract from or the image is geometrically based… in that case I may choose a black & white. But it’s not a matter of just clicking a button. Maybe we want more dynamic contrast. Maybe we want a gradient to lead the eye to a different part of the photo. Maybe we want to slightly underexpose to preserve high contrast highlight detail.

The bottom line is that I will make the initial choice on how an image should be edited. Near 100% of the time, my clients agree with the vision… but say you desperately want a color image in black and white? Let us know and I’m willing to give it a shot and see if it works.

I saw this cool idea on Pinterest. Can we replicate it?
Maybe. But only maybe. And that’s a big maybe. One thing to remember is that weddings on Pinterest are, essentially, fantasy. They aren’t yours, and no matter how hard you try, there will be only a small fraction of similar variables. It may appear simple, but there are a lot of things that make up a great photo. We see photos in a particular way, noticing the light, color, and even natural elements like wind and sun flare. We have to factor in how individual people interact, time of day, and even how tall each of you are! There are so many individual variables that make up a photo that it’s virtually impossible to duplicate.

Keep in mind that when we are asked to re-create, we are unable to focus on truly creating. Your wedding will be your own unique thing. Hire your photographer (even if it’s not me) based on their overall style and capability. Trust them to capture your day in their vision. If they like it, you’ll love it. Promise.

Who will photograph my session?
Unless specifically discussed prior to booking, I (Sean) will photograph your wedding and, if your package includes it, I will bring a qualified 2nd photographer. In almost all cases I will bring a non-shooting assistant to help with bags, lighting, logistics whether a 2nd photographer is included or not. This alone reduces the need for a 2nd photographer in the majority of situations.

Why two photographers?
While rarely necessary, it can improve the scope offered. Since no one person can be in two places at the same time (even though it seems like we are sometimes), we can really take advantage of the beauty your wedding has to offer, especially when there are time crunches, a lot of locations, or just a huge wedding with lots of people and things to see. For any given moment, we can have two perspectives to capture from which gives us the ultimate flexibility in telling your story. Many times one of us will shoot with a wide angle lens while the other does close ups. One of us will macro your rings while the other shoots your makeup.

While some weddings benefit from the additional coverage, some don’t. We’ll be happy to weigh in our opinion based on your description to help you decide what’s best for you. Sometimes it’s a noticeable benefit, and other times it’s a waste of money. As mentioned before, I almost always have an assistant which frees me up to focus solely on shooting, which dramatically improves the scope of what I can cover.

Digital or film?
I am experienced in both, but primarily shoot digital for weddings. I shoot with top of the line Nikon and Leica cameras and lenses. Digital allows me the extreme speed and flexibility the modern world of photography expects. We can offer a film add-on which supplements the primary digital coverage. If you are interested in a 100% film wedding, let me know and we can talk about it.

How long until I can see my photos?
We promise your photos delivered within 8 weeks, but always strive to be faster. I also generally post sneak peeks on social media within days.

How do we go about selecting images for an album?
You don’t. At least not at first. I may ask you to select a small handful of MUST have images to start with, but after your wedding photos are completed, we will design a fully customized album spread. You will be able to make comments, suggest changes, and finally approve each individual spread from an online proofing site.

How long do I have to order prints and albums?
We guarantee gallery availability for 1 year. Online galleries do expire, but to reactivate them it’s just a nominal activation fee. The fee gets passed back to you as an account credit. If you receive a flash drive with your wedding, keep this safe and back it up. You can make prints at anytime with it. Print prices are subject to change as our costs change.

How far do you travel and what does it cost?
We will travel globally for your destination wedding, no problem. For local travel we include 50 miles free of charge for every session. After that we apply the IRS standard mileage rate. I shoot a ton of weddings in Chicago, but I’m also often booked in Bloomington, Evansville, Columbus, Jasper, Muncie, and even Louisville, Kentucky and Sandusky, Ohio. I’ve also shot weddings in Maryland, Hawaii, and Paris, France.

Any drive longer than 3 hours we will require a hotel room for two evenings plus mileage. Any drive longer than 6 hours and we will require air travel, a rental car, a hotel room. I have figured this to be on average about $750 in the continental United States for me and an assistant. Some extended shoots will require a per diem. Please talk to us to get specific figures.

Do you shoot video?
I have recently begun offering hybrid video coverage. Photography is still the priority, but I’m able to shoot video at the same time and put together a highlight “music video” of your day that runs about 3-5 minutes. This is the perfect option for those who like the idea of video but don’t need a huge production or spending twice as much on your media budget.

Can other people take pictures at our wedding?
Yes, but with a couple stipulations. I require that we are the sole hired and primary creative. I already struggle at most weddings enough as it is to get as much photo time as possible, so I can’t possibly share with anyone else. I’m just that greedy. 😉 It’s also very difficult to get grandma to pay attention to *my* camera as it is during family group photos! I highly encourage unplugged weddings where no cameras are allowed during the ceremony and first dances.

Other than that, I don’t have any problem with uncles, cousins, and friends bringing their cameras and snapping away as long as they aren’t directly interfering with the job you’ve hired me to do! And of course if I’m hired for photo and you hire a separate videographer, we’ll happily work together.

Do you have insurance?
Yes. If your venue needs proof, have them send me an email to [email protected]

can I assist or intern or 2nd shoot?
I have a list just in case! Email your simple resume and a little paragraph about yourself to [email protected]