The PBK Experience

Wedding photography is actually very complex and there are numerous reasons for hiring one photographer over another. Here are just a few of the reasons I have been told that we were someone’s first choice: Artistic Style, personality, experience, creativity, passion for what we do, value, flexibility, and professionalism.

Personally, I believe that the true difference in extraordinary wedding photography comes from having the perfect combination of passion and talent. Everything else, quality, level of service, etc., results from these working together.

Please refer to “what makes us special” to see some of what we believe makes working with Photography by Keel a unique experience.

When all is said and done, and you’ve decided that a photographer offers what you are looking for, (be it quality, art, creativity, positive attitude, etc.) please don’t make your final choice based on what products that he offers. No wedding album or other photographic product is proprietary to any one photographer so we all have access to the same suppliers. At Photography by Keel we do have preferred suppliers, but all of our packages are 100% customizable and I encourage you to allow us to work with you to make your wedding photography investment fit exactly what you need.

Years ago, I offered the services of a second wedding photographer as an optional upgrade to my traditional services. The dilemma I faced however was that because I was so delighted with what I could deliver each time I used this second photographer, I actually began to feel a little guilty about the weddings where he wasn’t there. My personal philosophy is that every wedding deserves the very best that I am capable of and the decision to only offer the services of two photographers satisfies this. Our white paper, “Your Wedding Deserves Two Photographers”, lists some of the reasons why Photography by Keel brings two photographers to your wedding. I also encourage you to view our two perspectives examples.

Like many studios, Photography by Keel was initially a “one photographer” studio where the owner did everything. When the era of “second shooters” dawned I initially resisted bringing anyone else on-board for several reasons. 1) Wedding photography is fast paced and requires many split second decisions. I feared that a second shooter would mess with my established work flow and the coverage would suffer. 2) I have a unique way of interacting with my clients and I didn’t know any other shooters who would compliment my style and provide a consistent “feel” to my business. 3) My style of shooting works very well for my clients and I didn’t know anyone who actually offered a more well-rounded approach to what I was already doing. 4) Most really good second shooters are aspiring to own their own studios and don’t stay around long enough to overcome objections 1-3.

When I met Kevin Christenson, I realized that he offered the unique ability to overcome all of these objections and our team has grown personally and professionally as a result of that alliance. Kevin offers a perfect balance in terms of his style and artistry and because we have worked together consistently since 2004 our workflow is seamless and comprehensive. (Link to testimonials)

Before hiring a photography team, I encourage you to find out more about what the second shooter really offers to your wedding photography. Is this person a friend or relative of the owner who is there because of convenience? Have they received formal training in photography or are they learning on your wedding? Do they offer anything more than the ability to be an assistant to the owner and provide a few snapshots of their own? At Photography by Keel your second photographer is a trained, seasoned professional who is 100% capable of shooting anything that is required of him on your day. I wouldn’t trust anything less for your wedding.

One real benefit of having two accomplished professional photographers at your wedding is the flexibility of potentially having them split up to cover different activities if that is required. When a schedule is particularly tight, Kevin and I will do this and you can rest assured that images from both of us will blend seamlessly in your finished album. In general, our preference is to stay together however.

Your wedding deserves the best and I don’t believe that limiting the number of hours of coverage serves that purpose. Photography by Keel is committed to telling the story of your entire wedding celebration and we won’t make you choose which hours of the day that story will happen on or ask you to rush it to fit our schedule.

I LOVE good candid photography and believe that the use of artistic candid imagery is vastly superior when it comes to telling the story of relationships. We shoot many more candid images on a wedding day than we do posed portraits and the reason we do is because 1) good candid images are immensely more compelling and 2) good candid images are significantly more difficult to get.

Kevin C’s main job on a wedding day is to look for those compelling candid moments to tell your story. No matter how good a photojournalist is however, the reality is that there are usually nowhere near enough of these quality images to satisfy today’s contemporary brides. My approach then is to set up a situation and allow the relationship story to tell itself naturally. If, after observing the natural interaction, I sense that some prompting is required to get the perfect image, I will gently provide direction. Depending on the people involved, the amount of direction will vary and that’s perfectly fine. We’ve dealt with all types and are able to adapt quite easily to your personal style. I find that this approach leads to the greatest variety of superior images.

Neither Kevin nor I require additional assistance at your wedding. We do offer the optional services of a lighting technician however and that roll, versus that of an assistant, is significantly different. Please see our “Lighting Technician Samples” page to learn more about this service.

I guess that depends on which photographers you are talking about? At Photography by Keel we take great pains to ensure that we conduct ourselves as discretely and unobtrusively as possible. The last thing we want is to “make a scene” and part of what makes us different is our established workflow that allows us to know instantaneously where and when each of us needs to be at any particular moment in time. We even go to the extra added effort of using two way radios for those times when we need to talk to each other quickly and quietly. This seamless workflow is only possible from years of working together with a dedicated emphasis on establishing this level of professionalism. (Link to testimonials)

On your wedding day, Kevin Christenson and I will be taking hundreds of pictures. The actual number will vary depending on the schedule and the number of opportunities we are given. We do not place any limit on how much we shoot but we do limit how many we show you. You may notice that in many situations, Kevin and I may be shooting multiple images of the same scene. The reason we do this is because our goal is to capture THE defining moment for everything that is happening that day. After your wedding, I spend up to 8 hours scrutinizing every image to determine which of those are the very best. In some cases we take 2000 or more images but may present a proof book with 400-500 of those. I consider it my responsibility to narrow down your selection to only those images that meet certain criteria: Those that are professional quality, are not blasé, that tell your story, and that make you look incredible. Hopefully one reason you hired me is because you believe that I am best qualified to make those decisions. Given this, we ask that you please not ask to see additional images that will not be presented in your proofs.

We offer two different looks for your wedding based on the nature of your event. Our primary dress is black tuxedo with bow ties. A few people have wondered about this choice and questioned whether or not we are restricting our movement and flexibility. Our sample gallery demonstrates that this is not the case. It is true that this is not always the most comfortable choice of clothing but we believe strongly in the dignity and significance of your wedding and believe that to dress more casually is insulting to you and does your wedding a disservice. We have had countless comments from family and guests who appreciate the professionalism that this represents.

For outdoor or more casual events we may choose to wear dress casual black. This allows us to fit in with your guest who may also be more casual and offers a cooler alternative for us during the hot summer months. Before choosing this alternative we will discuss it with you.

This is actually a funny story. I used medium format film cameras from Mamiya until 2005 when Kevin C. finally convinced me that the digital age had come and was in fact now superior to film. My own investigations at that time however led me to purchase Canon gear whereas Kevin had always been a Nikon man. To this day we debate the merits of each other’s gear and you may often see us in a good natured competitive way, comparing images with each other throughout the course of the day. All of our equipment is professional grade.

In both our cases, Kevin and I carry multiple pieces of professional bodies, lens’, batteries, and flash equipment.

First let me say that no one will take your wedding more seriously than I will. (Maybe with the exception of your mom!) I have worked a wedding with pneumonia and often joke that it would take two broken legs for me to miss because I’d hobble in on one. But, in the case of an unavoidable absence, I have a small circle of professional wedding photographer friends that I would feel comfortable calling upon in an emergency. If none of them are available, then I can call upon the members of several professional associations for wedding photographers (locally and nationally) to which I belong. There are numerous examples of photographers coming to the aid of others in cases of illness or catastrophe. In the 20+ years I’ve been doing this, I am blessed to say that I have not had to put this back-up plan into action.

One reason Kevin and I belong to so many professional organizations is because of the support that we could count on if one of us were incapable of attending your wedding. I have been blessed in 20+ years to never count on this, but these associations provide a solid network of local and national resources to call on in case of an emergency. The primary reason for joining associations, however, is the opportunities that these provide us to continue to learn and grow as professionals. There are always new techniques and new trends in wedding photography and while we don’t always jump on the latest fad, we do find inspiration and the occasional nugget that fits well with the PBK style. These have allowed us to continue to be passionate about what we do and to continue to stretch ourselves creatively. It’s one way that we continue to be able to offer you the best!

There is no one right answer to this question. Some brides hire us more than a year in advance and others have been lucky enough to find us available with as little as 4 months notice during off-peak months. We do encourage you to take the time you need to investigate your options and to educate yourself on the wedding photography alternatives available to you. Once you are confident that we are a good fit for you however, we encourage you to act quickly. All of our dates are filled on a first come, first serve basis and we do not hold a date without a retainer. Also, I’m sorry that we do not have the ability to call you when someone else is interested in your date. We may meet with dozens of brides in a given week during periods of high volume and it’s impractical to make all the follow-up calls that this would require. So, please do your research, but then act when you know in your heart what the right decision is. It’s always sad for us to have to tell a bride who waited too long that her date is no longer available.

We require a retainer of $500 that holds your wedding date for you. At that time we tell other potential clients that the date is no longer available and because we have turned away that business, this retainer is non-refundable. The balance of your contract is due one week before the ceremony. You may make installment payments in any form you wish or one lump sum before the wedding. This is to avoid having to bother you with collecting money on your wedding day. We do take cash, check, Visa, or Mastercard.

Our practice is to only shoot one wedding per weekend so that for each wedding we are fully energized and you have our undivided attention. For this reason, our prices do not vary based on the particular day of your celebration. Furthermore, we have endeavored to make our investment options a true value for everyone and therefore do not offer additional discounts. We do offer “off season” rates which are based on the fact that fewer weddings occur during the months of November to March. Please contact the studio for special pricing available during these months.

The balance of your contract is due prior to your wedding. We find that many brides wish to add additional content after their weddings however and we offer a number of ways to finance that. We also provide gift registry services for your friends and family to contribute to your overall photography investment. Please contact the studio for additional information.

We have found that the decisions about the format of an album are best made after the wedding. Because your album must reflect the individuality of your day, it’s difficult to determine exactly how best to tell your story until that day actually unfolds. Your album allowance then allows us the flexibility to choose images and design a layout to tell your story in the most artistic and inspired way possible. The cover color and materials, the graphical elements, the size and orientation of images will all be determined based on our artistic interpretation of your individual celebration. For example, a wedding that takes place amid majestic landscapes may cry-out for a 15” wide format to display those images. Another album that takes place over many days may require more pages to tell that story so 10” pages are more appropriate.

It is possible that our initial design will exceed your initial allowance so you then have the freedom to pay that difference or scale back on the design. Because your wedding deserves the best, this album design process allows for your first impression of your album to be the very best we can offer.

We will travel up to 90 miles one way from Metamora without charging additional mileage on your wedding day. Mileage is determined using MapQuest and anything beyond this will be charged according to the current IRS approved mileage deduction. Additional fees for travel costs will be assessed if overnight accommodations are required. These instances will be addressed on a case by cases basis.

Part of our commitment to offering you the very best for your wedding means that we do not charge for additional locations. On a typical wedding day we may start with the bride and her girls at a salon. Additionally, between the church and reception we often like to visit a nearby scenic location. These side trips offer you greater variety in your wedding images, are fun for you and your wedding party and are commensurate with telling your complete wedding day story.

Destination weddings (anywhere outside the Metro-Detroit area) provide us with a unique creative opportunity and we love the prospect of experiencing a new location. Some of the locations we have photographed weddings include Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Chicago, and North Carolina. Many brides who wish to travel for their wedding understand the value of capturing their celebration with a known and trusted photographer versus relying on a “local”. There are additional expenses involved with this service but we understand your decision to contract with the best available photographer and will work with you to create a budget that makes this a reality.

The basic level of service that we offer all of our clients is consistent. Please see our Pricing for more details. Additional investment options are designed to accommodate the needs of most clients but there are so many options available that if you don’t see what you are looking for, we encourage you to contact the studio to request a 100% customized package. Please contact the studio to arrange for a one-on-one consultation to discuss your options.

Once we have signed your contract you do have the option to add content to this at a later date. Our only caution to you is that our prices do change yearly and if you wish to add something after your wedding, there is a strong chance that the prices will have gone up. We encourage you to spend the time now thoughtfully considering what you may want, and to budget for that accordingly. After your wedding there will be many other demands for your financial resources and it is very unfortunate when a bride has not planned for an appropriate display of her wedding images. In those cases we do have financing options available. Content on contracts may not be reduced once signed, but there may be opportunities for exchanging similar items.

A DVD of your original (basic retouched) images is included as part of our basic service. With this DVD we provide a limited use copyright release that allows you to print these for your own personal use or to display on your social networking website (ie. Facebook, mySpace, etc.). This does not authorize you to print these for third parties (friends, family, other vendors, etc.). Nor may you publish these in any newspaper or magazine or similar medium, electronic or otherwise. If you wish to do so we will certainly support that with fully retouched images that have been appropriately copy marked by Photography by Keel.

The first opportunity to see your pictures will be the “Artists favorites” slide show that will be shown at your reception and available for download from our website within 48 hours of your wedding.

The next time you see your images will be in a private in-home screening of your album design that will take place approximately 6 weeks after your celebration (Times may vary depending on the season and our schedules). We believe that to see your images in their final intended use is the ultimate way to appreciate these versus trying to visualize the potential in each individual image which is what is required when you see them in a proof book. At that in-home screening we will provide you with a first-look album that contains your “proofs” as well as a DVD slide show of your album design.

Once you have your first look album and wedding album design, we ask that you study these together and provide your feedback to that album design within 4 weeks. We will make any necessary adjustments based on that and offer those back to you for further evaluation. Typically this is all that is required before a final album design is agreed to but we will not limit your right to continue to alter that design to your liking.

The actual album may take approximately 16 weeks to produce. This is the time that is required for final retouching as well as printing and binding by most manufacturers. Because every album is unique, we may use another manufacturer or cover materials that may add additional time to this process. So if everything goes smoothly from the beginning, you may have your completely customized wedding album in your hands within 6 months of your wedding.

Your first look images as well as the slide show of your wedding album will be posted on-line after your private in-home screening. The purpose of that gallery is to allow your friends and family to view and purchase copies of your images. We post these for 45 days but this may be extended if you make that request before they expire.

We commit to keeping your images available for reorder for one year after your celebration. We often keep them longer but make no commitment to do so. After one year, if you images are still available to us, a “restocking” fee will be added to any individual image order.

I loved being asked this one because it was so off-the-wall. For my daughter’s photographer I would expect 1) Passion for wedding photography, 2) stunning quality, 3) creativity, 4) professionalism, 5) flexibility, and 6) someone that’s fun to work with. This all boils down to the talent of the person involved and why I work so hard to make sure these are the areas that I excel in. Without real passion and talent products are generic and everything else is window dressing!

I think the person that asked me this had just finished a seminar in interviewing for a corporate job. My immediate thought was to give it the “corporate” response; “I’m a perfectionist and that really weighs heavy on me at times”. But this is a legitimate question and deserves a legitimate response. No one is perfect and acknowledging your weaknesses allows you to focus on improving those. So I confess now that my weakness is book keeping. I’ve had a few instances where I’ve forgotten whether or not I delivered a DVD of images (for example) and had to call and ask the bride. Everyone has been really cool about this but it is embarrassing for me so I’m working on a better way of tracking orders. I will get better I promise!