What time are the photoshoots?
Ideally, they are early in the morning (7:00am-9:00am) or later in the day (5:00pm - sunset). This makes sure that the lighting is the most flattering, and that it won’t be miserably hot. No one wants to look hot and sweaty in their graduation pictures.
What should I bring?
-
Water! Stay hydrated friends.
-
If you wear makeup, it never hurts to have some of the essentials to your routine on the shoot to stay fresh.
-
Chapstick, it never hurts to have on hand.
-
Props! You can bring a bottle of champagne if you want that good action shot. A book to show people you read, or something related to your studies at UNC.
-
Comfortable shoes to change into between locations. If you are wearing heels or shiny new dress shoes, bring some sandals or shoes you can comfortably walk in.
Why does it take you so much longer to edit digital than film?
With film photos, after they are developed and scanned, you receive an image that has mostly been color corrected and generally only needs some dust removal to become a quality image. With digital, the image out of the camera is a RAW file which means it needs more adjustments to bring it up to a quality image.
What kind of editing do you do to the images?
For all photos, I make sure the exposure is correct and color correct to make sure everything is reproduced as accurately as possible. I then make sure that your skin tone looks good and remove any minor blemishes that aren’t usually there. With film, I remove any dust that got into the scan.
What’s the difference in film stocks like Kodak Gold and Kodak Portra?
Kodak Gold and other “budget” film stocks are cheaper because they are intended for the general public to use. The chemicals on the film are designed to allow for the film to stay in someone’s camera for one week or more without significant image degradation. The drawbacks of this are mostly in the colors you get from the film tend to be a little harsher and the grain of the image. Kodak Portra is used as the industry standard for portraits because it is balanced for skin tones, has a soft grain, and can produce a softer color palette. It is also not designed to stay in the camera for long periods of time, since professionals normally shoot the photos in one session then send the roll to the lab.
How do I get my photos?
A day or two after the shoot, I will send you a WeTransfer link with a folder containing the unedited photos from the shoot. You can choose your favorites (the number is based on which package you select) and I will return the edited files to you within a week via WeTransfer. You can then let me know if you have any feedback, and I will incorporate the changes and return the final, fully edited and high resolution photos to you.
What if I want more photos than are included in the package I purchased?
If you want more final photos, let me know when you are selecting your favorites that you want extra. Each additional edited photo is $5.
Can I get prints?
Yes! I recommend using Southeastern Camera’s photo services instead of a drug store. They do great prints for competitive prices and are in Carrboro and Raleigh. If you have certain photos in mind you would like to print, email me the name of the photo along with the size you want printed and I can return a file cropped to the appropriate dimensions.