HONEST ANSWERS TO
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Choosing the right photographer comes down to two basic things: First and foremost, you should love their work. Look for a wedding photographer whose work moves you, whose style you like. If the pictures presented on their website are out-of-focus, imagine how your wedding photographs will look. The second factor to consider is personality. You will spend a large part of the day with your wedding photographer, so make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed with your chosen wedding photographer. A good test is: Could you have lunch/cup of coffee/glass of wine with this person even if he/she weren’t your wedding photographer, and your time together not be awkward? Would the conversation flow easily?

Unfortunately, no. Anyone can call themselves a 'professional' wedding photographer; no qualifications are needed to make this claim; there are no licensing requirements. It is buyer beware. A steady stream of untrained wedding photographers is entering the Cincinnati wedding marketplace with little more than a digital camera and a website. At last count, the Knot listed 731 wedding photographers in Cincinnati. Your average wedding photographer has a day job during the week and does weddings on the weekend to earn some extra cash and will last about a year and a half in business. During this short time, they will disappoint a fair number of unsuspecting couples. Others have a rich spouse supporting their hobby and will last as long as they don't lose interest. My life in wedding photography started as an apprentice to a master photographer lugging equipment, loading countless rolls of film, and driving all over Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky for two years. I learned a lot during that period of my life and found myself looking forward to Fridays and Saturdays, not for the weekend off, but the next wedding! More than 1000 weddings later, I still believe the best wedding pictures are real moments, photographed in the most beautiful way possible.

A signed service agreement and a paid retainer fee holds your date. I mean if you’re running over here or meeting me first thing in the morning type of thing, sure I hold your date. Beyond that, with my online payment portal and email, there’s no reason why we can’t complete your paperwork in a timely manner. It's a good idea to assume other couples are interested in your date, and you weren't the first to contact me about it. My advice is to retain my services, as well as your other wedding vendor’s, as soon as you can. Double bookings, missed dates and regret happens more often than you might think.

It is not the camera that takes the photos; it is the photographer. Although a friend may be an acceptable amateur photographer, they will not have the experience, knowledge, or training and back-up equipment that a full-time professional wedding photographer has. Wedding photography requires a highly specialized set of skills that takes years to master. A professionally trained wedding photographer can produce consistent results regardless of the various lighting and people challenges weddings present. More importantly, professional wedding photographers' have pro-grade back-up equipment. Professionally trained wedding photographers are used to handling the dramas and other snafus that occur during a wedding day. We can cope with the pressures and demands of limited time, and we are adept at dealing with people calmly. We also provide a creatively trained eye and the creative storytelling ability for documenting your big day. I also know how to finish off your wedding pictures properly rather than just giving you snapshots from the camera or over-edited Photoshop disasters. Most professionally trained wedding photographers have invested hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars perfecting their craft as I have. Ask yourself, is it worth the risk of hiring a weekend wedding photographer to capture one of the biggest days of your life? When I meet couples and they learn I'm a full-time professionally trained wedding photographer based in Cincinnati, the biggest single complaint I hear is, "I wish I had selected a better wedding photographer for my wedding!" Don't make the same mistake these couples did. I’m an award-winning, nationally recognized -yet affordable- full-time, professional wedding photographer with over 100 five-star reviews. I'd love to join your wedding team! Let's get started

The earlier the better. It's best to start looking as soon as you’ve set your date. I am often booked a year or more in advance. It's a good idea to assume that other couples are interested in your date. So make your decision and book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment and potential future regret.

DON’T BE LIKE THE MANY... Here’s a slightly depressing fact: Many married couples were disappointed by their wedding photography. WHY? When the average couple starts planning their wedding, they enter a whole new world that comes with a shockingly high price tag. Unfortunately, many couples choose to cut corners on their photography. At first, this seems like an easy choice. But married couples grasp the significance of this unfortunate decision after it’s too late. Let me share with you what I’ve learned photographing more than 1000 weddings: I have never, ever, met a couple that couldn’t afford good photography (including you I dare say), they simply decided to spend the money elsewhere, only to regret that decision later. HERE’S THE GIST: I’ve heard from couple after couple that the cheap wedding photographers do not know what they’re doing. That cheap photographers do not know the flow of the day. That cheap photographs continually ask, “what pictures do you want to take next.” That cheap photographers need to be led around and told what to do on your wedding day. Then, the cheap photographers, often deliver underwhelming pictures – usually late. Is this what you want? Here’s a wedding budget hack that really works! Start your budget planning by making a checklist of the crucial details, like the music, your wedding gown, the invitations, the flowers, your photographer, etc. Assign a number to each—1 being the most important and 3 being the least. Everything can’t be a 1, though! Invest your money in all your number 1s, and cut corners on your number 3s. The elaborate details of your wedding day are like a Cinderella story. At midnight, the magical spell will be broken. But like the glass slipper, your wedding photography is the one thing you can hold onto and look back on. It’s real. It’s tangible. It’s forever. There are no second chances with your wedding photography, so choosing your wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you will make. But you won’t realize this until your wedding is over! You’ll either be one of the many who wishes they spent more on their wedding photography or spent nothing at all. Or, you’ll be one of the few enjoying the wedding pictures of your dreams. True story – Good work isn’t cheap. Cheap work isn’t good! I get it, weddings are expensive. Let’s talk. I have ideas and payment plans that will help you out while you still get good pictures. Let’s set up a time to meet so I can help you get the wedding pictures of your dreams. We can meet in person, online, or jump on a call. Whatever works best for you. To compare calendars, click here > https://live.vcita.com/site/5flmuuvtkfaialrb/online-scheduling?staff=bcddp4ng1m6ah8e1&date=07022018 Tammy 859-384-8000 www.tammybryan.com Excellent Service is my Business! Taking pictures. Answering emails. Exceeding expectations. It’s what I do ♥

I will try, but often it's impossible. Over the years I’ve had so many couples book me right over the phone without meeting in person. My website, my work and my reviews so closely match my personality, plus the fact that I have been photographing weddings in Cincinnati for years, makes them feel comfortable in booking without meeting. My advice is, to avoid potential disappointment and future regret, book your date as soon as you can. Bookings are the only un-fun part of my business.

Some wedding vendors as well as many photographers offer discounts during their slow times. However, due to my competitive pricing, combined with my work, combined with my reviews, I am busy year-round and have no off season. Do what you love, and you'll never work another day in your life!

I am happy to see examples of photos you like to get an idea of the feel you are after or for inspiration, but these are only used as an overall guide for me. If you want me to try and copy someone else's photographs, I'm the wrong photographer for you. While Pinterest is surely amazing in helping you home in on what type and style wedding you are envisioning, sending me a list of photographs you want to recreate is counterproductive to how the day would otherwise unfold naturally. This is what we pros call the Pinterest effect. Most of the wow pictures posted to Pinterest are happy accidents; not all, but most. Happy accidents are when everything falls into the right place at the right time and the photographer captures that happy moment. We all get happy accidents, and pros get a lot more happy accidents than non-pros because that’s what we’ve been trained to look for. However, trying to specifically copy these happy accidents is an exercise in frustration and will hamper me from doing my job because it is hard to capture the spontaneity of the day if I'm trying to copy or set up someone else’s shots. Lists of photos also make me miss capturing special moments while I’m being distracted ticking off and worrying about a checklist. Therefore, I do not accept a list of photographs you want to recreate. In the end, it is impossible to copy another photo anyway, as the original was taken under different light, in different circumstances, and with a different couple! Or it may have been a studio shot that took hours and complex lighting arrangements to capture. Since your photos will be unique to your day it is best to trust me to do my job which I have spent years refining and honing my creativity for. Plus, it will be more enjoyable for you to simply let me do my work as events unfold. I do what I love. My work is guided by my passion, not lists. Your story is my legacy! Let's connect, Tammy 859-384-8000 www.tammybryan.com

Odds are high the cameras will capture that feeling, and you may not like the results. That’s one of the top complaints couples have with their wedding pictures – they feel their awkwardness captured in their photos. Which is why I highly recommend an engagement session. I am skilled at making couples feel as comfortable as possible by bringing out the real you in front of the cameras. I create an atmosphere that allows me to pose you in a fluid and flattering way. If you or your fiancé are shy or feel awkward in front of the cameras, that’s where I really shine.

Absolutely, an engagement session makes for better wedding day pictures. It really does. Think about it. It gets us all warmed up. It gives us a practice run. It allows me to figure out your best angles and looks BEFORE your big day. Getting you two in front of my cameras gets you used to being in the ‘spotlight’ as well as being posed. All of which helps to minimize awkwardness on your wedding day if you feel uncomfortable in front of the camera. According to The Knot, wedding couples’ number one complaint regarding their wedding pictures is they felt their awkwardness on display in their wedding pictures. If you're uncomfortable in front of the camera, odds are high the cameras will capture that feeling, and you may not like the results. I am skilled at making people feel comfortable in front of my cameras by creating an atmosphere that allows me to pose you in a fluid, flattering, and fun way…the three Fs. Engagement photos are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture the sense of joy and excitement before marrying the one you love. This fun, low-stress photo session is like a wedding-day dry run. You'll learn to perfect all sorts of flattering poses while capturing save-the-date and wedding-website content in the process. This is what one bride had to say about her engagement session: “Thank you, Tammy... We have gotten so many compliments on our engagement pictures. Everyone loves them. The one I am including (with this email) is everyone's favorite. Everyone says it looks like we cut it out of a magazine. You have my permission to publish it anywhere you would like to help out your business...haha. Thanks again for a fabulous job with the pictures. You gave us something we didn't even realize we were missing.” ~ Lindsey Is it work if you love what you do? No, it’s not! Engagement warmup portrait sessions are a lot of fun and I always look forward to them! Tammy 859-384-8000 www.tammybryan.com

Engagement sessions can be scheduled for any time, Monday through Thursday. Weekends are reserved for weddings. As a full-time professional wedding photographer, weekends are my busiest days of the week. I like shooting engagement sessions during the golden hour - the hour just before sunset when the sunlight is at its most beautiful. If you can’t make the golden hour work, we can shoot anytime of the day you’d like. The engagement photo sessions included in my collections is limited to the Triple Crown Country Club area which is very photogenic and quite unique. Beyond Triple Crown and the surrounding area, there is an applicable time and travel fee. If you have someplace particular in mind, just let me know where it is, and I’ll let you know how much additional it will be.

Six to eight weeks after your date.

We all tend to be a bit self-conscious about aspects of our appearance. If you are concerned please discuss it with us before the wedding so that we can suggest angles and poses that are the most flattering to you. Some things can be fixed in post-production, but major time-consuming edits cost extra, so it’s best to get you looking as good as possible on the day.

We shoot weddings within a two-hour radius of Cincinnati*. This includes Dayton, Columbus, Louisville and Lexington at no extra charge. Beyond two hours we charge $2/mile. Beyond that, I love to travel and exploring this little planet of ours as a photographer is one of the most rewarding things about my job. Send me the details about your destination wedding location, or fly me over to wherever you already reside, and let's create some brilliant photos together! Please call or e-mail me with additional questions or to schedule an appointment.

I have no shot count. I photograph your big day as it unfolds and presents itself without regard to numbers, regardless of package. The typical couple recieve 500 or so JPGs.

The short answer is No. I am generally happy to have your guests take other photos as long as they don’t interfere with my (our) work. But following me around taking shots that I take is too much of a distraction to me, and to you. Plus, I don’t like it. Imagine how’d you feel if someone followed you around all day at work.

Yay, that's terrific! Shoot me an email and I’ll send you back a service agreement, which you fill out, sign and send back. You can send in a check to the studio or I can send you a link to take your credit/debit card information securely online; either way 50% is due at the time of booking to retain my services. The remaining balance is due no later than 30-days prior to your big day. Payment plans are available for both the retainer fee, and the remaining balance. Please contact me for further information.

After your big day is over and you are packing for your honeymoon, I'll be in front of my computer doing all sorts of fun stuff. One of those is to upload a sneak peek or two to my Facebook page within 24-48 hours (time and location permitting!). In six to eight weeks or so, you'll receive an email with a link to your online gallery with all the edited photographs from your wedding. Right after that, I send you a Cloud link (or I’ll mail out a USB for a small fee, if you prefer!) with all your edited photographs, which you download to your computer. Within a day or two after that, I'll feature my absolute favorites to FB, IG and my blog.

We create your Fusion Video by combining your favorite photographs with the video clips we shot throughout your wedding day. Once complete, we load your Fusion Video to the your online gallery where you can download it from there to your computer.

That is a dated question that does not apply to me. Let me explain: I shoot in "RAW". RAW means that the original photographs are not photographs at all, they're each a block of RAW data – a bunch of ones and zeros. It takes special software to view the ones and zeros as a recognizable image. So, I view the data files in this software and skip over the test shots, the blinkies, and the blurries and convert the rest into JPGs. Once converted, I lovingly edit every single JPG from your wedding day. Once complete I load all your JPGs to your online gallery for viewing, sharing, and downloading. I have no shot count. I photograph your wedding day as it unfolds and presents itself without regard to numbers.

I legit get hungry if I don't eat during an eight to ten-hour span. If you’re having a buffet, I’ll just drop in line behind the wedding party and grab an open seat. Getting a plate of hot food halfway through our lovely day together makes me feel warm, fuzzy and re-energized, and ready to tackle those reception photos like a boss. If you opt to not want to feed my crew, that is totally fine, but we will order out (probably pizza!) and take a break to chow down. Here's a helpful note: if you’re having a plated meal, request that your venue feed us the same time as you. Since I've yet to take a flattering photo of anyone eating penne a la vodka, when my clients are eating, that is the most perfect time for us to eat as well. This way, when you are done and back out there mingleing and having fun, we'll be right along with you, not missing out on anything. Some venues shudder at the thought, but my clients who've requested it, have really made our day.

So, photo credit, is when you post your photos on social media and, well, give us credit for taking that photo. A link back to our own social media in the caption will put a serious smile on my face and is very much appreciated. It is like the new millennium's version of word of mouth, and I love it!

That's the age-old question, isn’t it? I believe the gift of Jesus Christ is eternal life in God our Lord...As for your wedding, though, my employees would take over for me. Beyond that I am part of a fantastic network of brilliant photographers, most of whom are my close friends, and they would not hesitate to step in on a moment's notice if I needed them to, for ANY reason.

No. All your images are full resolution that do not have watermarks on them that you can get printed anywhere you would like. If you want prints from me, at very reasonable prices, and delivered to your door, simply select the print option from the right side of any picture in your gallery. The lab we use only deals with professional photographers, and our cameras are calibrated to their printers, ensuring butter rich, true, colors. Otherwise, you get shared print rights, meaning that you can take those bad boys and have them printed anywhere you'd like. Though, please don't use cheap printing options, like Walmart. The quality is so bad, your photographs will look nothing like what they are supposed to. Instead, shoot us an email if you don't know where to get the best prints and goodies at the best prices, and we will happily send you a list of labs we love.

I suggest that you make copies of your photographs for your own archival purposes. But If you lose your pictures before I archive them, there is no charge to resend them. If you lose your pictures after I've archived your pictures, there is a $50 fee to retrieve them and resend.

Wow! That would stress me out, too! When you book either me or Tom; you get either one of us and our very talented assistants for eight, nine or ten hours of photography time depending on the package you choose both using the finest photographic equipment available! While Tom or I are concentrating on the formal shots, our assistants captures the in-between moments - all day. Together we focus on capturing the love and romance - the emotions of your wedding day. It's a great system! You'll love it!

When you book me or Tom, it's me or Tom, plus our assistants, that shows up to photograph your wedding. However, it would be Tom and I photographing your engagement session. Tom and I connect on a very personal level with each of our couples, making you feel relaxed and beautiful in front of our lens. This is what we love most about being professional full-time wedding photographers.

Because we make our living shooting weddings almost every weekend, we believe in the words, "You're only as good as your equipment". As such we rely on the very finest camera gear available. We spare no expense on our cameras and lenses because only the finest equipment allows us to capture the feelings that fill your day. We have two or more of EVERYTHING - including five flashes each. When we purchase a camera, we buy two. A new flash, we buy two. That means our gear is identical. Many wedding photographers have nice primary gear, but their back-up equipment is old, outdated stuff. If something goes wrong, they're fumbling around trying to figure out how to get the old stuff working while you look on. Because we earn our living as a full-time professional wedding photographers, if any piece of our equipment fails, our assistant simply walks over and hands us another camera/flash/lens or whatever, and it's absolutely identical to what we were just using. This allows us to move on with your wedding as if nothing has happened at all. Expect nothing less.

Yes, I enjoy going to different locations such as parks so that you have a nice variety of photographs in your wedding album.