I have just retired and am in the process of changing this website. I am no longer
taking on new assignments….YIPPEE..!!
FAQ’s Frequently asked questions
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Family and Portraits How much does a session cost? What do I wear? Where will the portrait session be held? What time of day? How long does a session take? Do you do studio portraits? Can I have a personalised Gift Voucher for a family portrait session?
Commercial Where do you operate? What is your availability like? How soon can give a quotation? Do you shoot with film or digital? Which electronic file formats? How long before I get my images? I need key images ‘same day’ for publicity. Can this be done? How much do you charge? Do you charge for post op. work? Who owns copyright on images? What are your payment terms? Preferred payment methods?
Where do you operate? I’m based in Coffs Harbour and enjoy a variety of work locally, but take on work outside of this area as required. I’ve undertaken work in each of the eastern seaboard capitals and am always willing to quote on work, no matter where it is.
What is your availability like? Well there’s nothing like a bit of advanced notice for any future assignment! ‘Short notice’ can be problematic, but not out of the question as schedules can sometimes be moved for urgent jobs.
How quickly can you provide a quotation? The short answer is ‘same day’. We will need to have a discussion about your assignment to enable an adequately detailed quotation to be raised.
Do you shoot with film or digital? Digital photography is my mainstay these days, but I have the capability to shoot, small (35mm), medium and large formats on film if required.
Which file formats do electronic files come in? Any format you require… We’ll discuss what you need the images for and I’ll ensure you get the right type of file format(s) (jpegs, pdf’s, tiffs etc) and also the right size. For example it’s no point having monstrously large files that take forever to open, if you just want images for website use. Conversely, there’s no point in having only small files for web use if they might also be required for large posters. So, thinking through ‘likely uses’ ahead of time is important.
How long will it be before I get my images? For work supplied as electronic files despatch will be made usually within 3-5 days. For printed work this may vary slightly depending on a number of factors. The best thing is for us to discuss your expectations ahead so that we can meet (or exceed) them once a photo shoot is completed.
I need key images ‘same day’ for publicity. Can this be done? Yes, I’ve not let a client down yet, and can provide key images via email or FTP usually late afternoon or early evening.
How much do you charge? I have a standard hourly rate that I will tell you about when we chat. If your assignment is a lengthy one, then we can discuss your budget and find a way of best fulfilling your needs
Who owns the copyright on images? Australian intellectual property law determines that copyright generally is owned by the photographer (there are exceptions to this). If this is an issue, we can negotiate the sale or part sale of this copyright.
Do you charge for your time after a shoot to optimise images? Yes and No. Each image presented to a client is individually optimised for layout, colour balance, sharpness and tone. I do not batch process images. I charge a fee for this work but never recover the full extent of time taken.
What are your payment terms? For commercial photographic services 7 days from receipt of images
What are your payment methods?
For Commercial work - cash, cheque or direct deposit.
How much does a session cost? I charge a fee for the portrait session and with that I provide complimentary prints. (I’ll give much more detail when we get to chat) You then have the option to buy more prints from the final selection.
What do I wear? Again we’ll talk about this in more detail and I’ll suggest some options depending on the location and style of portraits you’re after. Generally though it’ll be clothes you look and feel comfortable in.
Where will the portrait session be held? Generally these days people opt for an informal outdoor setting (as opposed to a more formal studio session). We have beautiful beaches and magnificent forest areas available and they are perfect settings for informal photography sessions. You may have a favourite family spot, or I can suggest a few as well. Portrait session can be at home in your very own back yard if this is something that you’d like.
What time of day? Generally early mornings or late afternoons are best. During these times the sun being lower in the sky has a much more pleasing light. I particularly like to shoot on a beach a bit before sunset when we can use natures beautiful colours as a perfect backdrop. During the day can be an option and I’d look for well shaded areas for this.
How long does a session take? I like to take a relaxed approach to a portrait session and times may vary depending on how many people are involved. About an hour is the average, give or take a bit depending on whether it’s just you and partner or a larger family group.
Do you do Studio portraits? Yes, and we can talk about the type of portraits you’re after when we chat. By the way, I can do studio portraits at your home as well. This is sometimes a more relaxing way to go given you’re in your own environment.
Can I have a personalised Gift Voucher with my specific requirements? Of course you can! Think of a gift voucher as making any normal request for my photographic services, or Fine Art works only you are paying for them in advance.
Fine Art Ordering prints or framed prints? How do you arrange delivery? When should I expect delivery? What’s the quality of Canvas prints? How big can prints &canvas be? How small can they be? Personalised gift voucher? Payment terms? Payment methods?
I live outside of Coffs Harbour. Should I order just a print and have it framed myself? Yes, this is a good idea. Most freight companies do not want to ship items that include fine glass sheets like that in a framed print. There is always a risk of damage no matter how well it may be packaged. It is a better idea to order a print or mounted print that can be securely packaged for deliveries outside of Coffs Harbour. If you order a finished framed print a specialist delivery service will be used. This is an expensive option and will be quoted prior to order finalisation.
How do you arrange delivery?
Images will be meticulously packaged to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. Delivery within Australia will be made using regular registered mail or via road carrier if they are bigger than Australia Post limits (>100cm). The choice is yours and will be charged to you at cost. At the time of ordering I will quote this cost according to your preferred method.
What about the quality of a printed canvas?
Considerable investment has been made to ensure colour accuracy and reproducibility when printing on canvas. All images are printed using archival quality inks. The canvas used is high quality cotton polyester blend, hand stretched over a stable lightweight timber frame. All images are sealed with a low lustre flexible acrylic sealer. The sealer, whilst adding a dust and scuff resistance to the canvas, also contains UV (ultra-violet) absorbers specifically designed to inhibit harmful light rays penetrating the surface and degrading the inks. This entire construction process adds immeasurably to the longevity of the final image giving around 80 years of life.
How big can prints and canvasses be? See each drop down menu when viewing images in the galleries. Special requests for larger sizes can be made. Canvasses with 2 metre sides have been produced with minimal image quality loss and the results have been quite pleasing. Larger can be done but we’d need to run some test samples first.
How small can they be? The answer is ... quite small.
Can I have a personalised Gift Voucher with my specific requirements? Of course you can! Think of a gift voucher as making any normal request for my photographic services, or Fine Art works only you are paying for them in advance.
What are your payment terms?
For Fine Art prints or canvasses, payment is required at the time of ordering via Paypal.
What are your payment methods?
When ordering online via PAYPAL major credit cards can be used. If you make contact and order personally, we can arrange direct deposit as well.
How long after ordering can I expect delivery? For prints approximately 7 working days For canvasses, printing, liquid laminating, frame making and stretch mounting is a four-step process that generally takes 6 working days. Delivery to your destination (depending on the type of service used) usually takes 2-3 days. So generally delivery can be made within two weeks. Overseas destinations require more time.