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GENERAL:
Where can I find pricing info?
Fill out this form and you’ll receive an email reply with availability and pricing.
Where are you located?
The westside of Cleveland near Avon — Sheffield Township. For consultations, I typically meet with clients at a coffee shop about halfway between both of our locations.
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
How long have you been working as a professional wedding photographer?
I started booking clients for myself in January 2007, throughout the Cleveland area. Before that, I second shot for another photographer in Pittsburgh (where I went to school) for about a year.
What is your photographic style?
I’m definitely not a traditional photographer. I’m photojournalistic with some creative ‘direction’. Meaning, on a wedding day I’ll direct during the post-ceremony photo session, so I can capture some really fun and unique moments. But during other parts of the day — for example the ceremony — I really make it a point to stay in the background.
One of the best complements I’ve received was, “we forgot you were there”. Bingo! Exactly what I was trying to accomplish.
How did you get your start as a wedding photographer?
I heard that a local photographer was looking for an assistant, so I contacted him. I helped with equipment and stuff, and in return he let me practice photography and learn about weddings.
What did you do before you were a professional wedding photographer?
I worked in the corporate marketing department of a plastics auxiliary manufacturing company. I know — it’s a mouth full! I did a range of things, including graphic design and photography.
Did you study photography in school?
Yep. Back in the days of film! I learned in a darkroom and worked with black and white film. I earned a degree in graphic design, so part of the program I was in required basic art composition classes (among numerous other art classes), so I think it helped with my photography as an art.
Do you specialize in a certain field of photography?
My specialty is weddings, but I enjoy photographing events in general. Bar and bat mitzvahs are just as fun as weddings!
How many weddings have you photographed?
92 as of 05/12.
Do you do this full-time?
Yes, since 2007.
Have you had your work published and/or won any awards?
Yes to both. I’ve been featured on love olio, published in The Knot magazine, The Cleveland Jewish News Bar Bat Mitzvah magazine, and won WeddingWire’s “Bride’s Choice Award” 2009, 2010, 2011, and The Knot’s “Best of Weddings”, 2012.
What do you love most about photographing your specialty–weddings?
I’m a thrill-seeker at heart, and I find photographing weddings to be exhilarating! You’ve got one shot to get it right. So, I feel a lot of pressure, but it’s very exciting because I know that the photos I capture will forever act as a window back to my clients’ wedding day.
EQUIPMENT & TECHNIQUE:
Do you shoot RAW or JPEG? Does it make a difference?
This is a touchy subject (IMHO) among photographers. Without getting too technical, RAW is an uncompressed, 22mp (on my camera), file that requires special software to open, and is essentially waiting to be processed before becoming print ready. JPEG is compressed, sharper, smaller in file size, and print ready. The pro to shooting RAW? Being able to edit an image without losing quality. The cons? Slower shutter releases and large files.
I shoot RAW. Shooting in RAW gives me more control over how my image looks, and allows me to fix any error that may have happened on the wedding day while shooting including exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation, and red, green, and blue calibration. So many moments on a wedding day are fleeting. Sometimes they happen in bright sun, sometimes, in very dark areas. Shooting in RAW really allows me to fix any errors, without losing image quality. For example, a bride and groom may be overexposed if they suddenly run out of the church without letting their photographer know. It’s happened, and been easily corrected. However, correcting overexposure with JPEG files is not so easy.
What type of camera and what type of lenses do you use?
I photograph with a 5DMII and carry several lenses in my bag, including a wide angle, telephoto, prime, and a macro.
What type of lighting equipment do you use..Will lighting equipment make a huge difference on my wedding day?
YES! I work with several strobes, a video light and a light reflector for our outside session.
Do you bring backup equipment?
Of course. I have backup of all my equipment. Never had a piece fail on me, but you never know when it might happen!
Do you have insurance?
Of course!
What happens if you get sick?
It’s never happened, but I’m friends with, and network with an extensive network of very talented Cleveland and Akron area wedding photographers. I’ve talked with them and have heard many times that they’d step in anytime if ever needed. Just as I would for another photographer.
What professional organizations do you belong to?
Professional Photographers of America.
WEDDING COLLECTION/PACKAGE:
Do I get to keep my photos?
With delivery of the finished wedding album, clients receive a high-resolution DVD with every photograph posted within their online gallery (approximately 80 – 90 per wedding day hour, less travel time), along with a print release jpeg file.
Will I get the copyrights to my photos?
Nope — You’ll receive a Print Release. Which is a little different, but allows clients the ability to take their images to the vendor of their choice for printing. Please see below for more explanation.
What do you mean by the word “print release” when referring to the terms of use for your photographs?
When you a print, digital file, or a DVD with high-resolution images, you are not buying the copyright to the photograph, but are buying the right to use the photograph in a certain way. This is commonly called “licensing”. Elizabeth Pruitt Photography still owns the copyright to the photograph, and is licensing the use of that copyright to you for a fee (either included in your Collection, or purchased separately. Because you are not purchasing the copyright to the photograph(s) you download or receive on DVD, you may not use them in any way that is not expressly permitted. For example, except for online sharing in low-resolution format, you may not copy, loan, give away, or sell the photograph to someone else, because the copyright remains the property of the creator (Elizabeth Pruitt Photography) and can only be copied, loaned, given away, or sold by the owner.
What’s the ‘High Resolution Images on DVD’?
This is simply a disk that holds the client’s wedding images. Because I turn around so many photos (approximately 80 – 90 per wedding day hour, less travel time), the images fit better on a DVD than a CD.
Do you think that we need a second photographer?
Please read this post.
Is a deposit required to hold my date?
Yes. $500 is due to hold the date, along with a completed contract.
What are your payment terms?
$500 down at booking time, remaining balance will be due 30 days before the wedding.
How long will it take to get my album?
After the client’s images are posted in their online gallery (approximately four weeks after the wedding), an email will go out with album ordering instructions. After the client turns in their selections, a design will be turned around in approximately 3 weeks, and if no revisions are requested, the album can go out to print. Production from that point takes approximately 8-12 weeks.
WEDDING DAY:
Will you bring an assistant?
Yes. My assistant will be there to help carry and set-up equipment, field guest requests, bring the car around to photo locations, and basically for any other requests I have on a wedding day.
Can my guests take photos on my wedding day?
This is a great question! With the popularity and accessibility of SLR cameras to consumers, I see more and more popping up at weddings. I have no problem with guests taking photos, so long as they can abide by the following guidelines:
- No external flashes. They can ruin photographs (such as cake cutting, first kiss, first dances, etc.).
- No guest photography during our outdoor photo session or formals (or your wedding party may not pay attention while I’m directing our shoot. This could lead to additional time needed for redirection and/or reshoots, and could cause a delay in the schedule).
- No guests permitted to step or lean into the middle isle during the ceremony (or you may have an arm or back in your professional photographs). I recommend asking your officiant to request this at the beginning of your ceremony.
Will you be prepared to photograph in an unfamiliar church and/or venue?
Absolutely! I’m more often in a new church and/or venue than one I’m familiar with, and it’s absolutely no problem!
Will you be prepared to photograph in a dark church and/or venue?
Of course! I’m very used to packing up equipment (video lights and strobes) and carrying multiple lenses to work in dark situations.
How much time should we allow before the ceremony to start photography?
At least an hour, if not longer. I never recommend less than an hour.
Are you comfortable working with a videographer?
Yes! And here’s one of my favorites.
How much time is needed for Formals?
Approximately half an hour, but it may vary according to your family and wedding party size. I try to get through Formals as quickly as possible to get to the fun part of the day — the outdoor photo session!
Should we do a First Look?
First Looks are almost every photographer’s dream. It’s basically a guarantee that we’ll have a gorgeous photo session with the bride and groom alone. However, I understand that it’s a very personal decision. So here’s my recommendation:
- If your wedding is at 2 and reception is at 6, you don’t need a First Look
- If your wedding is at 4, and the reception is at 6, you really need a First Look, or your photo session will be rushed. If you’re adamant about not seeing each other before the ceremony, just understand that we won’t have a long time to photograph the bride and groom portraits.
What if it rains on my wedding day?
I do recommend securing a backup photo location in case of rain or inclement weather on your wedding day. It may cost a couple hundred dollars, but in the grand scheme of your wedding budget, is it worth not having a location to photograph the most important portraits of your life? I have a list of locations I recommend, which is emailed to the client upon booking.
Should we be there for out cocktail hour to visit with our guests, or use it for photograph time?
This is a personal decision, and also depends heavily on your wedding day timeline. If we have enough time for our outdoor portrait session to make it back for cocktail hour — I say, go for it! It would be a great opportunity to capture some candid time with your guests, and for me to photograph your reception room, undisturbed, and all the details you’ve worked so hard to put together. Take a look at the time we’ll be finishing the ceremony, add half an hour for formals, twenty minutes for a receiving line (if you’re having one), and travel time. Do you have at least an hour to an hour and a half remaining? If yes, then you can safely attend your cocktail hour. If no, I say skip it!
Does it matter if we cut the cake before or after dinner?
Nope. It’s entirely up to you!
Do we need to feed you & your assistant?
Yes, I do ask that we’re fed. Not a wedding meal, but a vendor meal (which is many times included in the venue wedding reception total). By the time dinner will be served, many times we’ve been working hard eight hours without a break. We’re only human — so we do need to take a break to eat (even if it’s quickly).
POST WEDDING:
What program do you use to edit photos?
Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.
How many photographs will we receive?
Approximately 80 – 90 per wedding day hour, less travel time.
Will our photos be posted online? How long after the wedding?
Yes! Approximately four weeks after the wedding I’ll deliver the wedding gallery proofs information as well as an album planning form to help choose album photographs.
Do you edit all the photos?
All the photos I deliver are color-corrected. Any shots that aren’t aesthetically pleasing are pulled, and the remainder are divided into categories and uploaded to client galleries. I pick the ‘Studio Favorites’ as my choices for the best images of the day, and these usually end up being the photos my clients choose for their wedding albums. These are the photos that receive special edits such as black and white color, vintage toning, or other color effects.
Are all weddings published on the blog?
Nope. During busy wedding season, my priority is on shooting, editing and uploading client galleries and delivering albums. But I do try to catch-up during off season and post the weddings that were missed.
How do we go about ordering our album?
I send my clients an email detailing instructions on how to choose their photos and start the process. After the client turns in their selections, a design will be turned around in approximately three weeks, and if no revisions are requested, the album will go directly out to print.
How long will the album production process take?
After the client’s images are posted in their online gallery (approximately four weeks after the wedding), an email will go out with album ordering instructions. After the client turns in their selections, a design will be turned around in approximately three weeks, and if no revisions are requested, the album can go out to print. Production from that point takes approximately eight to twelve weeks.
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