Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ Table Of Contents
Ellie Fuqua, Owner of Sun & Sparrow
While my primary goal is to deliver gorgeous photographs of your most memorable moments, I am also focused on making sure that those photographs happen in a fun and genuine setting. I make your session or wedding comfortable by being thorough and fun, allowing you to enjoy yourself. You will find that your sessions are filled with laughs, smiles, and joy that you can enjoy forever in your dreamy and whimsical images.
In this article, I aim to answer all of the most important Wedding Photography FAQs that my clients ask me. I hope that you will find a lot of the answers you are looking for on this page, and on the articles that it links to.
What Makes Sun & Sparrow Unique?
How Long Have You Been Photographing Weddings?
I have been Photographing Weddings Since 2008 and have photographed over 350 Weddings with Sun & Sparrow all over Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. I also love to travel to all sorts of places for beautiful weddings! We have photographed many different styles of weddings and a diverse range of ceremonies and celebrations.
What is it like to work with Sun & Sparrow?
We want to make your photo session fun, dreamy, and connected. Our goal is to create a beautiful collection of photos so you can remember your family and real-life moments as they happen!
How Would You Describe Your Photography Style?
We are fine art, fairytale photographers. We love to tell stories through our art naturally and whimsically. We connect well with many unique visions, but we especially connect a luxurious and romantic vision for a wedding day. We love posed portraits but also love photographing candid moments as well, so you will experience a mix of both. Our editing style is very whimsical, light, and airy. We have a signature style of using soft lighting situations with a pastel-inspired editing style that gives our photographs that fairytale look.
What Cameras Do You Use?
I photograph with the new Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras that have full-frame sensors. This means you will be getting the highest-resolution images for your event.
What Is The Difference Between Principal and Associate Photographers at Sun & Sparrow?
All of our lead wedding photographers, principals, and associates alike, work diligently and collectively toward that Sun & Sparrow whimsy. Our principal photographer, Ellie, has over fifteen years of wedding photography experience.
All of our photographers have gone through intensive training to be a part of Sun & Sparrow. Our team members understand the importance of loving people and moments through our lenses.
Do You Edit and Color Correct Your Images?
Absolutely! Quality is highly important to us. Our team goes through a rigorous post-processing workflow to ensure that every image you receive will have had our eyes and hands on it. We typically offer approximately 75 + images per hired hour and every image presented to you in your gallery will be enhanced and edited with color-corrections to present our light and airy Sun & Sparrow feel.
What Types of Photography Sessions Do You Offer?
We most commonly photograph: Engagements, Weddings, Families, Maternities, and newborn sessions. We also offer mini-sessions every fall
Read More About Our packages on our Packages and Services Page
Questions About The Wedding Day
Are You Comfortable Photographing Indoors and Outdoors?
Yes, we are. Photography is capturing light, in all forms. We love to use every type of light to create a consistent look throughout our work. Whether we are outdoors in a forest, or a grand ballroom, we are intentional about all of the light we bring into our cameras.
Do you travel for destination or international weddings?
Yes, we love to travel for weddings. While most of our weddings are in Southern California or the Pacific Northwest, we have shot weddings all over the United States and internationally.
What if it rains on our session or wedding day?
I highly recommend keeping your session whether rain or shine. There are many benefits to photographing in all types of weather, and it can also be an unexpected pleasure to have a session that is unique to you. Whatever your preference, we will offer to either reschedule or shoot in the rain.
Should I have a First Look?
Yes, we recommend having one if your ceremony is in the afternoon. There are many benefits to a first look!
Click here To Read Our Featured Blog: Should I Have a First Look at my Wedding
Do you have liability insurance?
Absolutely! We want to make sure that your venue, our team, and our clients are all protected.
How many photographers do I need at my wedding?
We highly recommend having two shooters at any wedding. There are many reasons to consider hiring a second shooter, but the main reason is to have more of your wedding day covered. We especially recommend having a second shooter if your guest count is over 45.
Have you shot at my venue?
I have photographed weddings at over 100 venues so there is a good chance that I have photographed at your venue, but when it comes down to it, it is less about knowing the venue and more about your photographer knowing how to find and create good lighting and how to use the environment to create eye-catching frames. I always arrive early to prepare for any wedding so you can be confident that I will know your venue and you will get great photos!
What Do I Get When I Book With Sun & Sparrow?
How will we receive our images and how many will we receive?
Clients receive their high-resolution images through an online gallery that is downloadable as soon as they receive their gallery link. Sun & Sparrow delivers approximately 75 images per hired hour with one photographer and 100 images per hired hour with two photographers.
Can you provide photo retouching services?
Yes. For every small session, including engagements, families, and maternity and newborn up to 5 images can be retouched without additional cost to our client. For every wedding, we offer up to 20 simple retouching services, such as skin smoothing, face swaps or eye-opening for family photos, and minor imperfections. Pricing for additional repricing services is quoted on a case-by-case basis.
Do I receive copyrights to the photos?
You receive personal use copyrights to your photos but not corporate use. This means that while you can post on your personal social media or print images for your home, you cannot use the images for business purposes.
Will you post or share my photos online?
We love to share our work on our blog and our social media platforms. It’s a way for us to love our clients and share the hard work that all of our vendor friends have put into a wedding day. On some occasions, we love to submit our weddings to magazines and wedding blogs. However, if you prefer not to have your photos posted online, we can accommodate your privacy preferences.
Do you offer packages or à la carte pricing?
Yes, we offer both packages and a la carte pricing.
- You can create your own package with a la carte pricing, or you can add a la carte items to a pre-created collection.
Do you offer videography?
Sun and Sparrow is proud to partner with one of our favorite videography companies. For more information, Inquire with us!
Do you offer heirloom albums, prints, print boxes & canvases?
We do offer a variety of fine of fine-art products. You can view our custom-ordered heirlooms HERE.
Securing Your Date
How can I book with Sun & Sparrow?
We would love to be a part of your story!! You may book by filling out an inquiry form HERE or by emailing Ellie@sunandsparrow.com about your desired date and time.
How far in advance do I need to book with you?
We recommend booking as quickly as you make your decision. We only take a select 25 weddings per year. All of our dates are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
How much do you require for a deposit or retainer?
To retain our services for your wedding we require you to deposit 1/3 of your final total. When you book any other type of portrait session we require a 50% deposit.
Do you photograph non-traditional weddings?
We photograph all types of weddings! Here are a few examples of alternative wedding options.
- Elopements: An elopement is a wedding with the couple, an efficient, and possibly a witness.
- Micro-Weddings: A micro-wedding is a wedding with 25 or fewer guests and typically has a limited amount of events.
- Love Celebration – We encourage all sorts of creative love celebrations. If you want to have a fun celebration, party, or small gathering, we would love to be a part of your story. Send us your ideas and we can create an amazing celebration together!
Environmental Values
Photographing outdoors
We encourage our clients to keep our photography locations clean and to respect any neighbors or residents (humans, plants, or animals). Take only pictures, leave only footprints.
Photographing in neighborhoods
When we photograph in neighborhoods or open trails we are guests. We strive to be aware of the plants and animals that live in any environment so we do not trample on hidden homes or protected plants. We bring minimal items to any location and pack out anything we bring, including garbage, flowers, and furniture.
Props
We allow clients to bring props to elevate their photos. However, we do not allow the following items:
1. Any pyrotechnics, including unpermitted fireworks, candles, or smoke makers.
2. Confetti of any kind that can not be completely cleaned up
3. Any props that will destroy property or natural environments.
Outdoor Safety
Safety is our highest priority. Please be aware of potentially hazardous situations. We always look out for dangerous animals, insects, or reptiles for safety. We also want to be aware of any place where we might fall from a high location. Please be mindful and use discretion when choosing locations to photograph. We want everyone to be safe while having fun.
Helpful Articles About Your Photoshoot!
Then came Sun & Sparrow. I wanted to book them for our original wedding but it was a little out of our budget, but since we changed to a micro-wedding, it was now affordable! Sun and Sparrow were super flexible in working with us and our ridiculous requests two weeks before the wedding (we were worried California would shut down again...or one of us would get COVID the day before...then the fires happened and we were worried our venue would burn down since it was in the Santa Monica Mountains...and of course, we had gotten burned by the other photographer, so once bitten twice shy!).
But thankfully, none of those extreme examples happened. Ellie showed up bright and early, took amazing photos of us and our guests (and did every permutation possible to appease my mother), stayed overtime beyond what we had contracted her for to take MORE photos, made us look PHENOMENAL on a hot day when the two of us were melting in the sun and I was about to collapse from the shoes I failed to break in properly. We got previews very quickly and got our photos about a month later -- all 449 of them, for a short 2 hour wedding with 12 socially distanced guests including our officiant friend. They look natural, dreamy, whimsical, and free -- just the style we wanted. We love them all and have been slowly sharing them with friends and family who couldn't come.
20 out of 10 would recommend again. One word: Amazing.
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