Frequently Asked 

Questions

You've got questions and I have answers. I've compiled a list of frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, you can always email me at abby@abbyshepardphotography.com.

Question Index

Here is a list of the questions I get asked most often. I broke the questions into categories. Click on any of the questions below and the answer will appear, or you can browse all of the questions and answers in the “Full FAQ". 

General Questions

Full FAQ

General Questions

How long have you been a photographer? 

I studied visual communication design and environmental science in college, then started photography in the summer of 2016. I bought a camera after I graduated college and started taking landscape photos of a park where I was working as a naturalist. I shot my first wedding in 2017. 

How far in advance do you book? 

I start booking weddings about 12-16 months in advance. I start booking elopements about 9-12 months in advance. I book sessions about 3-6 months in advance. 

Do you photograph things other than weddings and couples? 

Yes! I specialize in weddings and photography for couples, but I also photograph families, events, brands, products, and other projects that come my way. I prioritize weddings and couples over other types of photography, but I will take on other projects if my schedule allows or if I'm particularly stoked about something. You can find more of my commercial work on my other website: abbyventure.com

Will you travel? 

Yes! I will travel anywhere in the world for both weddings and sessions. I already travel a ton personally, so I love traveling for photography work too. 

What is print credit? 

Print Credit is a designated value of free credit to use in the print shop that is built into your online gallery of images. You can use the credit to shop for prints, canvases, metal art, albums, and more. 

How do you calculate your prices? 

Good question! It can seem like photographers simply need to press a button to do their job, but there is so much more to it. There is a lot of time, cost, expertise, and responsibility that comes with being a photographer. As a photographer, I need to charge a rate that will cover my expenses and my time. Expenses include the costs of camera gear, editing software, gallery delivery platforms, website hosting, insurance, paying second shooters, and more. For the amount of time that I spend actually taking photos, I spend at least double if not triple that amount of time doing things like editing, communicating with the client, driving, backing up images, prepping gear, and getting the final gallery ready. For example, a 1-hour session will likely take me about 8 hours total, including drive time, shoot time, edit time, and communication time.  There is also an element of expertise. I have years of experience and a degree in graphic design. I know a ton about locations, lighting, posing, editing, and everything that goes along with photography. All of that adds up, but also provides you with the best experience possible. 

Do you have insurance? 

Yes. My business is a registered LLC in the state of Delaware and my business is covered with liability insurance. 

Do you back up your images? How do we know our images won't be lost? 

I do everything I can to back up the images and make sure they don't get lost. I always keep the images in at least two places at once. That way, if one image storage system fails, your images are still safe. For example, I always shoot simultaneously on two SD cards in my cameras  and I store the images on my hard drive and in the cloud. 

We're awkward! How will you get good photos of us? 

Believe it or not, a lot of my couples say they're awkward! Don't worry. It's part of my job to make you look and feel comfortable. I don't expect you to know how to pose, know what to do with your hands, or be professional models. During photos, I'll give you some posing, but I'll mostly give you actions and prompts to get you to interact with each other.  Relax and enjoy the time with your partner!

Wedding Questions

How many hours of coverage do you suggest for a wedding day? 

In general, 8 hours of photography coverage on a wedding day works for most couples if you have a more traditional timeline. 8 hours of coverage usually is plenty of time for photos to start while both parties are getting ready and end during the reception. I recommend more hours if you have a longer timeline, you're moving locations several times throughout the day, you want a lot of getting ready photos or a lot of reception photos, or if you are doing something like a sparkler exit. I recommend less hours if you are having a smaller, shorter wedding. It really depends on what you envision for the day and what you would like photographed. After a couple inquires with me, we work together to decide how many hours is right for them. 

What do you do for the whole day? Do I really need that many hours of photography coverage? 

8-10 hours of photography may sound like a lot, but there is a lot going on during a wedding day! A wedding day is usually a full-day event for the couple, and you'll likely want most of the day photographed. Typically, I arrive on the wedding day several hours before the ceremony is scheduled to start while both parties are getting ready. Then maybe do a first look, get photos of the bride getting in her dress (if applicable), and maybe do some family photos. Then it's usually time for the ceremony, then more photos, cocktail hour, first dances, dinner, and open dancing. All of that usually take at least 6-8 hours. 

What is the wedding planning guide? 

The wedding planning guide is included in all of my wedding packages. It's a digital guide where I share a ton of my personal recommendations to help you plan your wedding. The guide includes sections on timeline planning, coordinating sparkler exits, engagement sessions, family photo lists, pros and cons of a first look, and more! 

Can you recommend any videographers or other vendors?  

Absolutely! I know lots of great vendors that I'd love to recommend! I get to work with lots of amazing vendors, so I'm happy to recommend vendors for whatever you need!

Do you do destination weddings? 

YES! I have photographed weddings all over the country and even internationally! I will travel anywhere in the world. I travel a lot each year for photography and for fun. If you have a destination in. mind, I may already be traveling to that location or that region Personally, I've been to 47/50 states and 26 countries so I'm a very experienced traveler. 

How many photos do you deliver for a wedding? 

It depends on how many hours of coverage and whether or not there is a second shooter. Generally, you can expect about 100 images per hour of coverage. I don't set a limit on the number of images I deliver, so if there are more than 100 great ones per hour, you'll get them!

How long will it take to get our photos? Do you send sneak peek photos? 

For weddings, I guarantee that you'll get your final gallery within 10 weeks (about 2 months) from your wedding day. Usually it's faster than that, but I say 10 weeks to give myself extra time in case something happens. I'm a small business, so it takes me time to make your final gallery the best it can be! 

I do send sneak peeks! Within 48 hours of the wedding, I send 3-5 preview images, so if you want to post on social media, you have images to use. Within one week, I send a preview gallery with about 30-50  images from different sections of the wedding day. I'll ask you to take a look at the editing and make sure everything looks good, as the rest of the final gallery will have a similar look and feel. 

Session Questions

Which session option is best for me? 

I offer 3 different session packages, and the 3 main variables are time, number of outfits, and number of locations. You can find those different packages on this page of my website. If those packages aren't quite what you're looking for, you can create your own package and experience. If you're not sure which option is best for you, I recommend thinking about what kind of experience you want. Do you want a quick session with one outfit and minimal hiking? Or would you rather have a longer session that allows more time for exploring, hiking, and changing outfits? Longer sessions allow for more images, more prompts, and more time to relax and become comfortable in front of the camera. 

Do you photograph families? 

Yes! I specialize in couples and don't advertise that I photograph families, but I will photograph families upon request. If you're interested in family photos, I'm happy to send you a sample gallery. My session rates are the same for families as they are for couples. 

What should we wear?

I send a digital planning guide to all of my couples once they book a session with me, and there is an entire section with tips on what to wear! My biggest recommendation is to wear something that you love and represents who you are. Pick an outfit that will make you feel comfortable and confident. 

Can you help us pick a location? 

Yes! I know lots of great locations around Boulder and Colorado in general, and I'm happy to offer custom locatoin suggestions to help you find the perfect spot that fits your vision. 

How long will it take to get our photos? 

I send a preview gallery of high-resolution images within a week, and the full gallery within 30 days of the session date. 

Have more questions? 

Contact Me

Have a few more questions? Awesome. You can contact me anytime and I'll be happy to answer any more questions you may have! 

Contact Me

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