FAQs
Who will shoot my wedding?
Maria Strinni Gill, studio owner, will shoot your wedding. She has a photojournalism degree from the Missouri Journalism School, one of the most intense and renowned photojournalism colleges in the country. She has more than 10 years experience in news photography full-time and on a freelance basis and four years in wedding photography. She has photographed more than 100 weddings.
Michael Gill, co-owner, is also available as an assistant to Maria for premium service and as solo photographer for our Essential Collection.
How long does the photographer stay?
How long do you want us there? That’s how long we stay. Yours is the only event we shoot on your big day, and the time we spend with you has no limits.
Typically, we begin two hours before the ceremony begins and we stay at your reception until all the action is over. We like to be present for, at the very least, the final preparations before the ceremony - putting on the veil, final make-up applications, slipping into the dress. Then, we can spend a half-hour to an hour shooting bridal portraits and photographs of the bride’s family and bridesmaids.
We are also happy to present for any morning activities you have planned. We also stay at the reception until you release us at the end of the reception. And we shoot constantly throughout the day.
Note: The afore-stated applies to our three main collections. The Essential Collection includes five hours of shooting time.
How many pictures do you take?
We have no quantity limits! For a full day of coverage, we typically shoot 1,000-1,500 images. (We told you we shoot constantly!) We edit out closed eyes and shots that clearly didn’t work, and we present you with 700-1,000 prints.
Do you use an assistant?
We pride ourselves on covering your wedding day one-man-band style and we are everywhere the action is.
However, we recommend use of an assistant for very large weddings or if both the bride and groom are engaging in cool festivities before the ceremony. We offer an assistant photographer for $500. The assistant photographer will arrive at a time the bride and groom and the studio mutually agree on and stays through the ceremony and portraits.
What kind of equipment do you use?
Strinni Studio uses professional Nikon cameras. We use a variety of Nikon lenses - fisheye, wide-angle, macro and telephoto so you have a wide array of photos to choose from.
We also bring studio lights for church portraits and the reception photos. All your photographs will have a professional studio look.
You should also know we bring at least two of almost everything - cameras, lenses, lighting equipment. There will never be an “oops” due to camera failure, because we are fully-backed up.
Do you shoot film or digital?
The 2006 wedding season was our first full season going all digital. We loved it! Digital offers a lot flexibility and reassurance that shots are coming out as we envision. We photograph all images in a 4MB jpg format, which are great for printing up to 8×12 size. For all the pictures you are most likely to enlarge - the ceremony and all portraits - we also shoot a 10MB raw file for premium quality.
Can we keep our digital files?
Not only do you keep your full set of 4×6 proofs, you get a DVD all your 4MB jpg files. The studio retains the larger raw file for poster-size prints.
How do we order enlargements?
With your DVD, you also receive permission to reprint as many pictures as you like at the photofinisher of your choosing, saving you a TON of money on your orders.
For maximum convenience, you can also order all your reprints and enlargements (as well as an assortment of note cards and photo gifts) from your online gallery.
For premium quality, order all your enlargements directly from our studio. We will provide oversight to ensure minor flaws are removed from your image and your prints look as picture-perfect as possible.
Please note: As photofinishing quality varies widely from vendor to vendor, we cannot guarantee your satisfaction with your pictures unless prints are ordered from our studio.
Do you take credit cards?
Sorry, not at this time. We gladly accept cash, checks and money orders. However, all orders through your online gallery are payable with a credit card. The gallery and ordering process is absolutely secure.
Will you travel to our out-of-town wedding?
Of course! For weddings 30 miles beyond Horseheads, we charge $1 per mile traveled, according to directions from MapQuest. If driving time is more than two hours, we also will require a hotel stay for the evening of your rehearsal and wedding day. For weddings that require air fare, we charge air fare plus $500.
What are the most important things I should consider when choosing a wedding photographer?
First, make sure you love the images. There are many fine photographers around but make sure the photographer’s style is to your liking. Look at pictures online and look at pictures in person - don’t go on the website alone. And look for whole weddings. A lot of folks can get five great shots from each wedding, but what does the entire collection of images look like? Are the key moments there? What about spontaneity, composition and lighting?
Second, make sure you love the photographer. Sounds goofy but there is no reason why you shouldn’t be absolutely excited to have this your photographer be a part of your day. After all, sounds scary but your photographer will most likely be with you more than your groom. Now that’s commitment!
Don’t be afraid to ask questions as you interview a photographer. Really, you are hiring an employee to work for you for that day. You are the boss.
Consider whether the photographer is a real professional. A lot of hobbyist shooters out there take a few nice pictures, maybe win a contest or two, call themselves a “photographer” and start taking people’s money. Consider whether your photographer has the education and proven experience to go above and beyond on your big day.
What about cost? Why does wedding photography cost so much?
Maria Strinni Gill is a full-time professional photographer and 70 percent of Strinni Studio business is wedding photography. We’ve calculated each wedding equals 60-70 work hours, from the time we spend meeting with you, shooting your day, editing your images, posting your online gallery and preparing your proofs. Your photography service is so much more than 12 or so hours of shooting.
A lot of photographers who charge much less are shooting weddings as a part-time gig. We did that for two years as we were planning our full-time business. Our early clients got a great deal! But be careful and investigate such photographers well.
At Strinni Studio, photography is not just a hobby, or a gig for some extra spending cash. It’s what we do.