Archive for the “Studio News” Category

As some of you might already know, Mike introduced me to snowboarding last winter. For the longest time I couldn’t understand why would anybody want to exchange the warmth and comfort of Bay Area for the cold, snow, and bruises of snowboarding, so it took Mike quite a few seasons to make me go up to Tahoe and try :)

Well… now, despite sometimes nasty weather and a few bruises, there’s no stopping me. Even though I still have a long way to learn and all my attempts to jump end up with me landing on my back, I absolutely fell in love with this sport. We try to go up to Tahoe (Kirkwood Resort is our favorite) every chance we get and enjoy the snow while it lasts.

So here’s my thought: if you are an adventurous couple who loves playing in the snow, we would love to photograph your engagement session in Tahoe! Snow covered nature is so beautiful, we can shoot anywhere in the South Lake Tahoe area.

We would also be excited to learn of any couples who want get married in Tahoe and need a wedding photographer. Would be awesome to shoot a wedding on top of the mountain :)

Here are some favorites from our last week’s visit:

Per everybody’s request we’ll be posting the best behind-the-scenes 2009 pictures next on our blog. I’m sorting through a lot of these pictures right now, trying to understand how much we are willing to embarrass ourselves :)

Next week we are leaving to Vegas for the annual Wedding and Portrait Photographers convention. We’re very excited for this opportunity to learn and network, and we’ll share it all on this blog.

Natasha

We were flattered when Northern California Brides magazine recently contacted us to ask for advice on how to book a wedding photographer and what should be included in the contract. We helped to break down what a typical wedding photography contract should include and how to spot some common red flags.

This issue is currently on the newsstands through Springtime, so check it out! We’ve included some of our favorite tips below the image:

Northern California Brides Magazine article – How to read a photography contract:

“The process of finding the right photographer eventually leads to signing a contract to seal the deal. But before you put pen to paper, make sure that the document includes the specifics of what you and your photographer have agreed to, and that you understand what you’re getting and how you’re being charged.

The fine print: In case of illness or a sudden event out of control of both parties, Choco Studio will substitute a photographer at no extra cost to the client.

Explanation: The contract should state the photographer’s emergency policy. Make sure that he or she belongs to a reputable network, so you’ll get photographs of similar quality if a substitution needs to be made.

The fine print: Choco Studio will deliver 75 images per each hour of photography coverage.

Explanation: It helps to know how many images you can expect. Some photographers provide a total of 200 while others give up to 2,000. You don’t wont to be disappointed with fewer images than you expected, or overwhelmed by repetitious shots.

The fine print: The client will be asked to select images for the albums and will have up to six months after the delivery of the photographs to make the selections.

Explanation: If your photographer is going to design the album, the contract should include the processing and delivery timeline. In our contract, we have a deadline for receiving image selections, because when clients take too long to select images and approve album layouts, it really affects a photographer’s workload and schedule.

Continued in the magazine…”

Hope this helps some of you better understand the basics of a wedding photography contract and find the right wedding photographer!

In this time of reflection and thinking back to the events of 2009 we can’t help to think how lucky we are to work with all of our wonderful clients. It’s truly a gift to be able to capture one of the most important days in our clients’ lives and we want to thank each and every single one of you for trusting us with your memories.

This has been a year full of great events, both local and abroad. We’ve grown as a business, and also as people, due to all of these amazing experiences. Thank you for the support, encouragement, and trust you place in us. It’s our goal to create the most amazing and meaningful images of your big day.

We are going to be traveling over the next couple of weeks and we’ll be back in the office on January 20th. To leave you with a photo of something beautiful, here is Angkor Wat in Cambodia (photographed during last winter):

Happy holidays everybody!! We wish you a wonderful New Year’s and a great upcoming year of the Tiger!

Mike and Natasha