Danny’s Wedding Photography Philosophy

Your wedding will be one of the most important events of your life, if
not the single most important event. My unique approach to wedding
photography keeps this fact in mind.

I have shot nearly 40 weddings since 1994, and I opt to do no more
than a half-dozen weddings each year in order to keep myself fresh and
excited about wedding portraiture. Because I am a professional
photojournalist by trade, I prefer to cover weddings as high-profile
news events, which indeed they are. Behind every ‘I do,’ I see a
unique story waiting to be told, and each wedding is the most
important news events in the lives of the two people involved. If you
look hard enough, in every situation and in every face, there is a
story. It is my goal to capture the moments at the heart of your
story.

After working with dozens of brides and meeting the diverse needs of
engaged couples, I have developed a headache-free, four-point approach
to wedding photography that is quite unconventional in today’s market.
The four tenets of my philospophy are candid, journalism-style
images; full-day coverage; full user rights to images; and fair and
easy-to-understand pricing.

Based on my own wedding experience, I understand that simplicity is
key. A happy couple should be confident in their photographer and know
exactly what they are getting. Below is a more detailed explanation of
my philosophy.

Candid Photography Style:

As a professional photojournalist, I offer a photo style that is a
combination of candid moments and traditional posed portraiture.
This means that I cover the traditional group photos of the couple, wedding
party, families, friends and other guests. But feedback from many of
the couples I have worked with indicate that many of your favorite
wedding memories occur when you are not aware of the camera, such as a
bride gazing at an heirloom ring on her finger in a moment to herself
before the ceremony, close-ups of Dad as he tries to keep a stiff
upper lip walking down the aisle, and a family member’s fleeting
reminiscent expression as she watches the couple’s first dance.

My eye has been refined by a decade of photojournalism to catch these
moments. As time goes by and your actual memories fade, you’ll be able
to open your album and recall the myriad small moments that made your
big day. You’ll be able to remember how your families, friends, and
loved ones got all dressed up and came out to support you — smiling,
hugging, and sharing your joy.

Full-day Coverage:
The last thing a bride and groom should be doing on the biggest day of
their life is looking at their watches, worrying that the photographer
will leave after a specified time, or having to negotiate the extra
cost of getting him to stay. That is why I believe in staying until
the last of the rice has been thrown, the last congratulations have
been offered, and the couple has departed into their ever after. For
wedding days that include a ceremony and celebration, I offer my
coverage all day as a matter of principle.

Full User Rights of Images:
I see your wedding pictures as your own. With the exception of
retaining rights to use your images in future galleries, I believe in
transferring the copyright of the images directly to you. You own a
disc of digital, high-resolution images to duplicate and print as you
please. Make as many copies as you need for friends and family without
worrying about copyright issues. From the high-resolution images,
print any size and quantity to suit your needs at the lab of your
choice. Your printing costs are determined by you, and you no longer
have to contact the photographer for reprint permission or extra
prints. In the age of digital photography, I believe it is the epitome
of tacky to sell people prints by showing them wedding pictures with
“Copyright Limitation” stamped all over them.

Easy-to-Understand Pricing:
Since I do not sell prints or packages, I believe that compensation
for my services should be simple, straightforward, and
easy-to-understand. I charge standard sitting fees for engagement
photos, bridal portraits and wedding day coverage. I do not charge an
hourly rate or attach a bunch of separate fees, and the standard fees
also include a disc of high-resolution images that are completely
print-ready. You can find a more detailed fee list in the wedding
section of this site.

Thank you for your interest. To see samples of my work, I invite you
to view the wedding photography galleries on this site.