Good thing we have Eric and all of his wisdom to explain why it’s a girl and not a boy… goodness. The kids were very excited! Please excuse the crazy mess–the kids got a zillion and one toys. Also, excuse the silly mismatched pjs. They pick out their own stuff for bed. : )
We...
- "because she has no wiener".... that is a classic quote!!! lol she's absolutely adorable and i hope she feels better soon!
- Just a follow-up. Here name is Olive, and we call her Ollie for short. She has a terrible clod right now, so we will be taking her to the vet asap to see if she is okay. Poor thing. She is laying around and not moving much :(
- She is adorable.
I planned and organized an invitation only Boudoir Event for January 10, 2010. We are planning on launching a new boudoir/fashion portrait website at some point in 2010, and I was trying to come up with the best way to get a bunch of new material for the site in a short amount of time....
- Did you say the 30th for the 2nd session. What times are still available.
- OOoo... I just found you... am I too late? Please say no...
- Hi,I am wanting to schedule at the same time or back to back with Stephanie 1:30-2:30.
- um that was me...dont know how many Jessica's you know! :)
- count me in please!
- I'd really like to do this, it sounds like some fun.
- Wow! We have had a large number of responses in regards to this event! I'm going to sort through everything and email everyone the time schedule. We can start booking from there! Give me a bit! I'm so excited to do this!
- Jenn--We might be able to do your Maternity Session during this time. Then you could enjoy some of the extras you would get at this event compared to a typical session. Just a thought!
- I really want to do this! A friend of mine did something like this and I wanted to do it too. Sounds like fun and she said it was a moral boost. Everyone can use one of those! Sign me up! Please.
- I'd love to do this!!! Sounds like a great idea!
- Sign me up I would like to do this. How do I pick a time?
- I'm very interested in this...how much would the print outs be? my email is ewoodard@live.com
- Sounds like so much fun!! If only I wasn't chubby pregnant I would definitely sign up!
One quick shot from Mason’s senior session : ) Mason just happens to be my cousin. Eric did this session solo… and I must say, he did a fine job! I heard from Mason’s mom (my aunt) that he does not like getting his photo taken, but you sure can’t tell it from any of...
An update on the health situation: I got 1/3 of the problem taken care of. I have been trying to work as much as possible–during the short amount of time the painkillers actually work! We are trying to get a couple galleries posted to each gallery that is currently being posted to within the next...
- I absolutely LOVE this!! Beautiful work!
This is a notice to let everyone know that no new sub galleries or new online galleries will be posted until further notice. Ashley is extremely ill (teeth, jaw, mouth) and we are unable to work at this time. We will let everyone know as soon as things get better. It shouldn’t be too much...
- we've been watching via facebook...get better soon!! being sick is no fun!
- So sorry to hear this!! Best wishes on a fast recovery!
Eric and I photographed Ona’s maternity session awhile ago and are just now getting a chance to post a preview of it on the blog. I’m not through with the editing, and I know there are many more lovely ones that I’ll be wanting to share… but here is a selection from what we have...
- Beautiful photos!
Thank you SO very much for all the responses. I ask (beg) people to comment on a lot of different things, and it’s very rare that people actually do. I’m so happy that everyone tried to help me out. I would like to address some of the ideas mentioned in the comments so everyone can...
- I choose option A do what you love and keep up the great photos, just make sure each couple understands it will take time:)
- Keep up the great work! I love that you are so passionate and you have a job that you love to do! I certainly hope the good outweighs the bad, and in this case I think it's good you are a perfectionist. :) I am so proud of both of you and what you guys have accomplished. It's not easy raising a family and having your own business. :):)
- I love how you said that you treat everyone's photos like they are your own wedding photos. Amazing. From what I have seen, I believe it, too. I work in customer service and always try to resolve the customer's issue as though I were having the same issue--even when they are being jerks and wouldn't know if I'm helping them as much as I can or not. I missed your first post, but I would be so sad if you went with Option B :(
We are reconsidering the way we do things around here and would appreciate everybody’s input tremendously.
As of now, this is how we work (and this is mainly for weddings):
Your wedding takes place, we shoot it, yadda yadda, come home and put everything on our mac and 2 different external hard drives to back it up.
We...
- Ashley and Eric: I completely going with "A". I love seeing the photos when they are completely done, otherwise I might not pick a photo because I don't like the original but then after you finish I LOVE the photo. I don't have a lot of patience, ask Layton :), but I would gladly wait for the perfect photos vs the disappointing ones. Danielle
- Ashley, your work is excellent beyond words! I've not 'yet' been a client, but I know you as a person and appreciate your committment to excellence! My 'opinion' is otion a. Quality is much appreciated compared to a quick view. I wish You and Eric the best as your company continues to grow. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
- I know I'm a little late to respond, but wanted to anyways since I have been one of the people to ask about the status of my photos! Definitely stick with A. Since Dillon and I were the first of any of my friends or siblings, etc. to get married, it is hard to know or understand the whole photography process. But, after you kindly explained everything to me, it is very VERY easy to wait months for pictures that I know are going to be perfect. The only thing that might be worth changing (and from looking at the 'Online Gallery' page I think you guys already have changed this) is not saying that posting starts 6 weeks after the wedding-because us non-photographer, new-to-weddings people seem to skim over the "start" part of that sentence :) But, I understand that it could probably get very annoying to educate every single one of your clients about the process-but it does help. You guys are awesome and your work definitely shows how much time you put into it. thanks for everything :)(& sorry)
- A - definitely, positively A. These bridezillas need to back off and appreciate what you guys provide! Sure, we are going to have a hard time waiting to get the photos after our wedding - but we would much rather receive a full batch of edited photos than a mixed bag; especially because I am likely to say I want "these pictures" only and then six months later find another batch of pictures that aren't edited then come knocking on your door for more edits. You don't want that do you? :)
- A
- There’s got to be a happy medium between A and B. I think the “teaser” could be the answer. Most people are willing to wait for quality stuff, but when it comes to your own wedding, you would be thrilled just to catch a little glimpse of it shortly after the event. One option that would probably satisfy 99% of brides… let’s say you shoot a wedding. You could quickly skim thru your 2,000 photos and pull out a couple of important images, say, The Kiss or The Recessional. Edit 1-5 photos, and post them as teasers on the Blog within 2 weeks after the event. Maybe even email the images to the couple, in case they want to use them on their Thank You cards or newspaper announcements. Then take your time with the rest. It’s like a snack before dinner. I think most brides would be happy to wait after they’ve had their taste! I’ve been on both sides of the equation, both pestering client and pestered photographer, and it’s stressful for everyone. Remember, if the bride is pressuring you for photos, she is probably being pestered by parents on both sides and grandparents daily, them asking “when are you getting your pictures back?” It’s a rippling effect! There seems to be a misconception amongst older folks that digital photography is “instant” so people should receive their photos overnight! So be sure to explain to Grandma that digital photos require as much processing as film in a darkroom! I really empathize with the photographers (to the point where I won’t take money to take photos anymore), but really the bottom line is that your business is based on customer service, serving perhaps the most demanding clientele there is – brides! And the business’s success depends on the client’s satisfaction. Explaining to them the process of your business may help them understand, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be “happy”. So if you find that this is a big issue with many of your clients, it’s in your business’s best interest to find a way to resolve the issue so that your clients are consistently satisfied. You could even address the issue beforehand and give the client 2 very specific options to choose from. For example 1) Would you rather have your photos posted one gallery at a time, over the span of [x] months? or 2) Would you rather have a mini set/gallery of 10 “highlight” images posted within [x] weeks, and the rest of the photos delivered at once after [x] months? I have seen a lot of wedding photographers post a handful of highlights on their blogs after 2-3 weeks, and that seems to keep people happy :-) That’s just my three cents, good luck with whatever you decide!
- I would say A as a general practice. However, be upfront with people about the time that you would expect that to take and how that compares with other photographers. Possibly allow a couple to pick B, but inform them that they will be trading the fine editing in exchange for getting their photos sooner.
- A. - As hard as it is to wait, I know the wait will be worth it. But, maybe you could offer an option where if people are in a big hurry then they can choose to get their pictures without the extreme editing on all of them. Then people can decide for themselves how long they want to wait and how edited they want their pics, and the ones in a hurry will get theirs faster and the ones that like to have every photograph perfect can still be happy too. Just a thought. Good luck!
- ~A~ I agree with the idea of a questionnaire to ask the couple how they would like photos to be processed, although that could make things more complicated for you guys. I think its awesome that all the photos you take are put into their best form and not just the pics people want ordered. As stated by others, it would be very disappointing to wait forever and then not have the best quality edited photos. The way you are currently handling your business and the process you use sounds great to me and a lot of hard work! Some people just need a little patience and maybe a reminder that other photographers take a lot longer to do LESS that what you guys do! Hang in there! There is always that customer that is never going to be happy no matter what you do for them. Kill `em with kindness! :)
- A! All the way! Aside from your talent, the main reasons we went with you were 1. Every single image was photoshopped/edited compared to other companies that would charge up the @ss to edit individual images that we ordered. 2. the turn around time-as I've mentioned in my many many compliments several of my friends have waited well over a year to even see their images let alone get their finished product and I am amazed just 4 months after the wedding that they're already done! So again you guys do an amazing job! I think the time and effort you put into the photographs is worth way more then what we paid for! My one small critique would be for large group shots to provide more of a selection instead of just picking the one or two best to display. I know with the amount of time spent editing that it makes sense to only choose what you feel is the best, but maybe for those galleries it would be helpful to be able to view all the images of the certain pose then be able to select which one is most flattering of the entire group. Just my little thought. THANK YOU again for the AMAZING job and I will recommend you until people are sick of hearing about you!! :)
- A is the only way =)
- A - This is who you are and why people love you. Just make sure you're up front with people and let them know what to expect and why to expect it. You could always give an impatient cusomter the choice of option B, but make that the expection rather than the norm.
- Absolutely A!!! Ashley, every one of your photos from our wedding were absolutely beautiful and definitely worth the SHORT (and I emphasize SHORT!) wait to have them posted. It was definitely worth having every one of the photos "extreme edited" before they are posted. I think that if someone can't wait a short amount of time for that kind of perfection, then let them pay the additional rush fee. For me, it was like checking the Christmas tree every day for more presents! And, while on the site, I was able to see other's photos, which only made me more excited to see mine! Both Matt and I thoroughly enjoy you and Eric's work so much, we couldn't have asked for anything more!
- A: You are who you are, and that is why your business is going so fabulous! On the other hand - maybe have a questionnaire available for the couples asking which they would like. That might make your life easier and theirs. Remember customers are always right! You get customers from word of mouth, so you need to make everyone happy. :)
- A - All the way. We chose you for your great photos and the style of those photos; great photos are art and art takes time. I admit that I like that you post them as you do them - it's like a little treat in our day to find new ones and get to look through them together! If people are complaining, I would give them the option of "Here's what we can do: we can rush through them and have them for you in a couple of weeks or we can do what we normally do, edit them to our satisfaction, and give them to you when they're ready. You choose." I don't remember it stating any sort of timeline in your paperwork, though we knew we wanted you guys so maybe we didn't look that hard. If you need to, add that info to your contracts and hopefully that will stop the issue all together. We love both your work and are impressed my many of your shots...worth the wait and totally what we wanted. Take all the time you need and thanks again for everything!
- A A A. your photos stand above the rest because of your decision as a business to stand above the rest. they are beatiful because of your standards. 2 to 3 months is nothing and it flies by. whats 3 months compared to the rest of your lives? nothing!! first of all im sure the many minutes you put into each picture can make ANY picture look "take my breath away beautiful". you 2 are the artists and this is what you believe is the right way to do this process! who are we to demand otherwise. For anyone who may be wondering, I am a bride to be who has booked AE photography for one of the most important days of my life and i say take whatever time is necessary and/or needed to make my job harder in narrowing down all the amazing shots i know you will take from this day!!!!!!! Please!!!! Ashley & Eric do your thing!! The way it SHOULD be done!!!!
- In response to your response, that's awesome! I can't figure out what people are complaining about... ...But, as someone who unfortunately works in customer service, I think it's safe to say that generally no customer is ever happy enough. Everyone always wants it cheaper, faster, better, etc. You guys do a great job...in my opinion, you don't need to change anything a thing.
- Kristy, we do actually offer rush editing. For an extra charge you get your photos MUCH faster. I know people think that by offering that, it causes us to delay our editing for other clients, which isn't right--and that's very true, which is why that is NOT how we do it :) With the fee, we hire a 3rd photographer/editor to help editing that specific wedding only. So, this already is an option for people.
- A for sure. This is art, this is (theoretically) 'my wedding', and if I had the option I would choose a completely finished and polished product every time. I might anxiously wimper a TINY little bit under my breath in PRIVATE, but I'm impatient. No matter what, I know it'd be worth an extra little wait in the end! I definitely agree with Amber. Maybe if you could offer the rush price, it would put less pressure on you guys? Or give options with different prices (this seems like WAY too much work for you guys, though) I wish i had better advice, but I'm still voting A all the way.
- Totally A: kinda like you said... i picked you guys because EVERY photo was edited... My friend mandy got totally gypped... she was sold ona photographers portfolio... spent thousands of dollars on shots, prints & a book... only to find out later that the photographer only edited a handfull of photos and the rest were raw... she was so disappointed... With your guys' history and refferals... if you started switching now it would be chaos and you would have SO SO many disappointed customers... just extend the wait time. Just like my crib bedding... I used to rush it out in 4 weeks with crappy minky... well, I can't anymore - customers have to wait 12 weeks were so busy now that we use all the best quality. I have turned away enough customers because of this, but if they want it in a rush, they pay an extra $50 to get it in 8 weeks and an extra $100 if they want it in 4... why? Because its special, and if people want... they pay :)
- A. You guys are have some of the best wedding photos I've ever seen. If you cut down on editing you won't be happy with your product. If someone isn't willing to wait for the best possible outcome, then they really weren't people you wanted as clients in the first place. If you want the best, you have to wait for the best - these things don't just happen overnight. :) And lastly - you need to do what YOU think is the best to represent yourselves and your product. If you aren't happy with the pictures you are putting out there the client won't be either. Good luck guys!! Just breathe. :)
- A. I think you are absolutely correct. People pay good money for wedding photos, so I would hope that they would be patient and wait for their photos to be absolutely perfect. I think you guys are doing everything exactly right. Unfortunately for you as photographers, it can sometimes be no-win situation. Here's why: If you keep doing as your doing (the CORRECT way in my opinion) then you get complaints that the photos take too long to get back. (Which seriously, obviously the people that have this complaint haven't shopped around to other photographers because every single other photographer would not get them back even close to the time you guys get them out, and their quality is definitely not as good.) OR... Let's say you decide to cut back on the editing, so you can get them back to the client faster...THEN, you have the possibility of the client complaining that the quality is poor.... So, with today's economy being the way it is, you would think that consumers would want to get every pennys worth of their dollar. And again,in my opinion, using AE Photography is the only way that will happen. ;)
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