Frequently Asked Questions

Who are we?

My name is Timothy Bearden. My wife and I shoot weddings together in the Northern and Southern California areas (of course to occasional destination wedding). More specifically we are wedding photographers in Sacramento, and Riverside. Not only do we do photography, but videography as well. We also work with additional photographers such as Daniel Martinez when needed. I have a Bachelors of Art in photography/painting. After school I began this company to persue my goals of photography. It is my passion to photograph weddings, portraits, landscapes, and much more. My education has taught me to be creative, and original as possible. It is my hope to make your wedding day as fun as possible, while capturing your special day.

What style of photography do you shoot?

There is much debate on what wedding photojournalism is. However, there are many photographers who are now concentrating only on the candid and documentary style photography of photojournalism. Wedding by Photo does take photojournalist type photos, but we do not wish to be lumped into one category. Many photographers use the label “wedding photojournalist” to attract business. However, what we try to do is take photos of your wedding in all aspects. That includes candid photos, documentary style photos, traditional photos, poses, artistic fun, all to capture your whole wedding by photo. Covering all aspects, not just one category, is how we choose to shoot and how we will shoot your wedding.

Are you a part of any Club or Photojournalist Association?

As of right now we are not part of any organization or club. Most clubs have a strict guidline on what you can and can not shoot. We consider the client first, which might eliminate us from any organization. Also, you can gain access to most organizations like the WPJA and PPA by paying a yearly fee. Paying to be part of a group by no way means you are a good photographer (it might just mean you have money on your hand and you charge high prices). I feel that having a Bachelor's Degree in Art (with the emphasis in photography) by far suprasses the qualifictions of most clubs. What is more imortant is the quality of work, and not what a club says you need to ask a photographer.

What type of format do you shoot your digital photographs in?

Our cameras have the capability to shoot photos in RAW format. This allows the largest format available from our cameras so that we can edit and convert into jpeg format. The high resolution CD/DVD's that we give to the bride and groom will contain jpeg images so that the pictures can be opened up on any computer.

Do you print photographs?

We have a wide range of printing options. We have Canon, HP, and Epson printers to print photos. For transportable printing, we take a small Photosmart HP printer with us to the wedding site to print photos. For our professional imaging, we use a Epson 3800 printer that prints photographs up to 17" x 22". We believe our prints will beat or equal any print company for a comparable price. However, if you are not satisfied with our printing capabilities, we have references for stores and abilities to use online photo companies like Adorama and Pictage.

Do you watermark your photographs?

We feel that your wedding day is very important. We hope that you print your photos with us, but we also don't want to cheat you. Many photographers choose to watermark their photographs so that you have to buy the images from them. It is just a way for the photographer to make money. We feel we are making enough money from the wedding, that we don't need to profit off watermarking photos. With this honesty in mind, we still hope you buy prints from us.

Can you print, or can we?

We hope you print with us because we know how the photos were intentionally intended. However, if you wish to print on your own then you can use the CD/DVD given to you to take to a local store. Many print stores will print your photos in bulk with out looking at each photo individually. If you choose to print with us we make sure each one is printed at the correct level of contrast, lighting, and color needed.

What type of camera equipment do you have?

Lead photographer, Timothy Bearden, uses a Nikon D700 to capture his images in digital. Also he uses a Nikon D300 for a backup. The Nikon D700 shoots at 12.1 mega pixels, and the D300 at 12.3 mega pixels large. Also, we use a Nikon D3000 at 16 mega pixels. He also shoots with a Nikon N80 for film. Also available is a backup 8 mega pixel Olympus camera, a experimental medium format Holga camera, and large format 4x5 Tachihara film camera. Assistant photographers use a Nikon D60/D40x/D3000 to take their photographs. We believe from experience that Nikon offers the best quality in digital photography with no match. Their color quality, camera build, lenses, capabilities, and ease of use allows the photographers to take the best photographs possible. We are aware of and have used other brands, such as Canon, Sony, and so on, but quality is more preferred over name brand.

Along with our cameras we also have multiple lenses, such as wide angle, standard, and telephoto. More specifically we use the Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8, 50 mm f/1.4, 70-300 mm, and others. We also have external flashes such as the Nikon SB-600 and SB-900 to use when needed. If even more lighting is needed, we have Alien Bees that we use in our studios. Diffusers are available for different light settings along with multiple reflectors. Each photographer has a tripod that can be used to minimize camera movement.

All edited pictures will be done on a Mac. Even though we do have a couple PC's we prefer to use a Mac for editing and printing. We believe in using the best equipment available to capture your wedding by photo.

Who will take the photographs?

Every wedding will have the lead photographer, Timothy Bearden, on scene. Second photographers and assistants will depend on what day of the week the wedding occurs. However, no matter which assistant you have we believe you will be happy. Before any wedding, Timothy Bearden will meet with the bride and groom to make sure the shots desired are taken.

How long after the wedding will it be until we have our wedding proofs?

All photos that have been taken will be worked on in the following days after the wedding. Many will be done within three days to be viewed on our blog at http://blog.weddingbyphoto.com/ . However, do to some time constraints we will work to get all photos done by three weeks. In all practical purposes they will be available in less than two weeks. This usually coincides well since the bride and groom are then returning back from their honeymoon. When photos are completed, they will be placed on your own site that we create for you. We will make every effort to contact you by either phone or e-mail to give you your photos. However, if we cannot contact you by either method then it is up to you when you receive the photos.

Do you travel?

We will travel to anywhere in the world. That being said we would ask that you pay for the flight or gas outside of California. If we are to travel outside of California we need at least a two month advance notice.

Why do we recommend an engagement session?

An engagement session allows for us to meet in a less stressful environment. It also allows us to be able to work with you one on one and get to know each other. We are then able to see what type of poses you do and do not like. Most importantly an engagement session allows for you to send photos in invitations, use for announcements, and to receive a creative way for guests to sign a signature photograph when they arrive at your wedding.

What is the importance of two or more photographers?

Having two photographers allows you to not miss any important shots. For example, you want to catch the first kiss, but sometimes it happens so quickly. Your camera might get a blurred image because you didn't focus fast enough, or you moved too quickly. At least with the second person you have a better chance at capturing the whole "wedding by photo". Or another example, most emphasize the photo of the bride as she walks in. Well just as important is having the second photographer taking a picture of the groom and his reaction when he first sees the bride. Also, it can allow one photgrapher to concentrate on poses, and another on action shots. We realize some might see the photographer as intrusive or distracting, so if you only want one photographer, then tell us and we can rearange pricing and packages.

Why are you cheaper than other photographers?

We feel that wedding photography is something that a bride and groom deserve to have. At the same time we don't think you should have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars to get what you deserve. We have placed ourselves in a price bracket that is lower than other professional photographers, yet higher than others. We want you to know you are not getting beginner photographers from us, rather experienced photographers. Also since we work from home we don't have the overhead fees that come with having a studio, which also keeps the cost down. We feel we have the best quality around with the exception of a couple photographers that start at $5000. Having said that, we do have three best choices that we prefer if you do not like us and have the money to pay $5000. Contact us if you want to know who we think are good photographers in our area. Just as a side note, beware of photographers who charge high prices. Just because they cost more, doesn't mean they are any better. I specifically know of a few people in our area who charge much more than us and shoot the quality of an any day point and shoot camera.

What are your time limits?

For our wedding packages we have no time limits. We realize many people want to find the cheapest way to save money where they can. However, no matter who you choose, make sure to choose wisely. We feel that you shouldn't have to worry how long you have your photographer for. Most photographers bank on you taking longer on your wedding day and then charge you extra. Which ends up costing more than you expect. You shouldn't have to worry if 4, or 5, or even 6 hours is enough time. Weddings often happen differently than you plan or expect. If you choose a wedding package you won't have to worry about sneaky charges or us leaving earlier than you intended. We also realize many people can't afford the cost of the whole day. Our elopement package does offer a set price for an arranged time. However, this package is intended for those who just have a quick ceremony and posed photos afterword. No matter the cost, just contact us to see if we can arrange something for your day.

What happens if we loose or break our CD/DVD?

Your personal wedding album page will be up for 6 months online. After that we will store the photos on file for indefinite period of time. We will store them on a hard drive and CD so that they won’t be lost. That being said, as long as the CD is readable and the hard drives are still working, we will have your photos saved. If and when CD’s become obsolete, we will transfer them to the next available storage device. Therefore if you break a CD, or loose it, you can always come back and get a new one.