HOW ARE YOUR PACKAGES STRUCTURED?

 

My flat rate package philosophy started several years ago when I realized I'm really good at making gorgeous images but really bad at high pressure sales. I absolutely hated the game of hooking people in with cheaper quotes, pressuring couples to upsell once they were locked in or having high pressure sales meetings after the wedding to charge people for their images. It was sucking the joy out of running my own photography business and taking away from what I love, creating beautiful images! So I decided opt out of the typically professional photography sales model and only offer flat rate all inclusive packages. A fair price for high quality wedding photography by an experienced professional AND all of your high resolution digital negatives included. No catch, no upsell, simple packages options so you aren't paying for things you don't want and no games. You simply pick your package, or we can custom build one for you, I show up, photograph your wedding (with style & grace of course!), edit your images to make sure you look polished and perfect and then i give you all of your images in an online gallery where you and anyone you choose can download the high resolution images for free. I switched my entire business, portrait and wedding, to all inclusive flat rate packages and I (and my clients) couldn't be happier. 

​

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?

​

My style is a combination of styles honestly. I feel like different styles suit different parts of your wedding day. Why pick chocolate or vanilla when you can have them both. My style blends together a little photojournalism, the timeless classic group photographs and a little artistic flare. I stay out of your way and don't interfere with the parts of your wedding day that are better candid & unscripted. I help guide you for portraits and direct you in ways that emphasize what you like about yourself and downplay what you don't so you can look your very best! I document all of the details of your wedding to showcase all of the thought and planning that has gone into this day. I can create magic in any circumstance and i'm ready for the unexpected. I’ve photographed over a hundred of weddings over my 14 years in business, so you can relax - I’ve got this.  My approach is a stay out of your way, tell your story with style, get the pictures your mother will want, make it less painful for those that hate to be photographed and help you look amazing kind of photographer.

​

THERE ARE SO MANY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS TO CHOOSE FROM WHY SHOULD WE PICK YOU?

​

I like to give an honest answer to this question because it's a very valid one. There are tons of wedding photographers these days and you should feel confident in your decision when you invest your hard earned money. i want everyone who hires me to be excited to do so and be confident i'm the photographer for them!

​

First and foremost its important that you like my style of photography. Look through my portfolio and make sure you love what you see. I like clean colorful images with a timeless feel. While I play with overlays, matte finishes and trendy techniques every now and then my overall work is clean, vibrant & classic. I believe photography should be timeless and beautiful with the focus on the true colors, genuine expressions & tell the story of your wedding day with emotion & joy. You won't find a lot of color treatments or other trendy processing in most of my work.

​

Once you know your like my work the next thing to consider is my experience & skill. Alaska knows how to throw the punches! Snow in June, bear where we planned to do our photography, darkness at 4pm or high noon icky photography sun ALL day long - i've have truly dealt with it all. I love natural light photography, like most photographers, but i've come to realize Alaska is not a natural light only photographer's environment. Sometimes we have no natural light, sometimes we have way too much natural light and everything in between. Because of our crazy unpredictable nature I have invested thousands of dollars and gobs of time in flash. I received my "Master of Flash Photography" certification in 2012 and i've learned to overcome Alaska's light challenges. I've also invested in low light lenses & high end professional gear that I bring with me to every wedding. Along with photography gear I also bring muck boots, rain jackets, umbrellas, hand warmers and all sorts of emergency items so we are truly ready for everything!

​

All of my gear, experience and knowledge mean I can offer consistency throughout your wedding day. I can make beautiful images outside in full sun and easily transition that style to a dark ballroom. Consistency is one easy way to gauge a photographer's skill level. Someone photographing weddings should be good at outdoor, indoor, sunshine, cloudy, rain, snow, etc. You should ALWAYS ask to see some full weddings when deciding on wedding photographers. Viewing all 500-700 images the photographer delivered can give you a good sense if they are skilled enough to transition for various lighting scenarios while maintaining quality consistently. A photographer that has only bright white skies, washed out mountains and people with dark eye socket shadows is not yet skilled in high noon intense sunshine photography. A photographer with shadows on the walls behind people, a lot of grain in the images or darker than normal skin tones is not yet skilled in flash photography to balance a dark day or venue. Consistency throughout your wedding, with whatever Alaska chooses to give you that day, is a good sign your photographer is skilled and truly professional.

​

To view some of my full weddings please message me at samantha@sugarsixphotography.com and I can send you links to view so you are confident about my skills!

​

The maturity & experience to manage the craziness that is a wedding day is also important in your photographer selection. I joke that managing a wedding is like herding cats. There are a lot of players in your typical wedding day from family, friends, other vendors, religious leaders, toddlers, you name it. Hiring a photographer who has photographed over 100 weddings and has 14 years of experience gives you someone who can handle your crowd and keep things flowing. I'm easy to work with, have an outstanding reputation with both vendors and venues and i'm happy to work alongside anyone and jump in and direct when needed.  I don't require that you do a a first look, or buy me a steak dinner, or make your guests wait two hours while we do photography. Its your wedding day! You tell me what's most important to you and i'll make it work!

​

WHY DO YOU CHOOSE DUAL CARD SLOT CAMERAS?

​

You might not have ever even given this a second thought but shooting a camera with dual card slots is indeed something you should look for in a wedding photographer! You don't want your entire once in a lifetime moment to be relying on one tiny SD card the size of your thumbnail. Memory cards do fail, more often than you think when you are shooting tons of images, and if something happens to that little card your images can be lost forever. Both my main camera and my backup camera shoot to two cards simultaneously. That means for every click of my camera it's being stored on two cards so we have an instant backup in case I get back, go to download, and receive an error message instead.

​

QUALITY VS. QUANTITY?

​

I believe in quality over quantity. What good is it to hire someone less experienced, save a little money and get an album full of mediocre, or worse, photographs? Yay a free album of images I don't love....said no one ever! I encourage every couple, whether you decide to hire me or not, to select the best photographer you can afford. A basic bare bones package with a skilled photographer is better than a huge package with someone who can't produce gorgeous images throughout your day  I believe it's better to pick a smaller package with a higher quality photographer than a huge offering from someone still learning the craft. Quality is always better with photography because you get just one chance to document your wedding day story. No do overs and no amount of editing can fix a bad photograph!

​

DO YOU OFFER CUSTOM PACKAGES?

​

YES! If you love my work, I'm available on your date and you want to discuss a custom package i am happy to discuss something that meets your needs be it bigger or smaller. Simply request a custom quote and we can discuss. In addition to custom packages I also offer small wedding packages for tiny weddings, elopements & unique events.

​

DO I NEED A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER?

​

Having a second photographer at your wedding is great, if you can afford that add on. I offer packages with just one photographer, me, because I feel confident i can cover most weddings myself with no problems. I know exactly where to be for which moments, i bring an assistant to help me regardless and I've photographed at most wedding venues in the south central Alaska so I know exactly what to expect. Two mediocre photographers is not equal to one really experienced kick ass photographer. Lets discuss your wedding, number of guests, and i'll give you my honest opinion if you would truly benefit from a second photographer.

​

HOW DO I SECURE YOUR SERVICES FOR MY DATE?

​

Once you've decided i'm the photographer for you you can secure my services by signing a contract and paying a retainer of $1000. The retainer is the same regardless of which package you select, except small wedding packages, so you can take your time as you decide exactly which packages, and how much time, is right for your event. Many couples book me a year  in advance so they are still planning and deciding how much time they will need. No need to select a package, or timeline, at booking. If you love my work, know you want to hire me, the retainer and contract are all that are needed now and i'm all yours for that date regardless of what package or timeline you decide on later.

​

If you'd like to book me for your wedding or setup a time to meet in person and learn more simply give me a call at 907-317-1433. I'm available for wedding photography throughout south central Alaska as well as Washington, Oregon and California. I'd love to discuss your plans and see if i can help.

​