Frequently Asked Questions For Photography:
How long have you been doing this?
Wes Craft has been a professional photographer since 2005 Wes was formerly the Creative Director and lead photographer for a major Chicagoland studio until he resigned in January 2011 to pursue his own brand of photography alongside his wife Necia.
What do your wedding collections include?
Our collections all include me, Wes Craft, as your lead photographer along with a second photographer that is usually but not always my wife Necia. Necia is always involved in our services and our album layout and design after your wedding. Packages all include high resolution digital files. Our most popular collections also include an engagement session and a custom designed album handcrafted in Italy.
What would you call your photographic style?
Editorial Photojournalism, Cinematic Still Images, Classic yet Contemporary Wedding Photography.
What's your editing or post processing like?
Our work is known for being dynamic, bold, and naturally colored. We also love iconic black & white. It’s safe to say that your finely crafted images will remain timeless and classy. You won’t have folks saying “your photography is so two thousand and twenty four” in a few years unless they’re referring to the phones your guests are holding.
Do you have experience shooting in THIS location or THAT venue?
I've shot over 600 weddings and hundreds of other assignments including international documentary work for non-profit organizations. It’s safe to say we’ve dealt with just about every type of building or lighting challenge imaginable. We’re especially adept in the dark and difficult places where our knowledge of lighting becomes key. If you're in Chicagoland then chances are that I've shot in your venue before and even if I haven't I'll be able to capture your event there.
Is your media preference film or digital?
Digital. Film has a wonderfully nostalgic quality however I (Wes) was happy to leave the chemicals behind as an early adopter of digital. Digital is has come a long way since then and has long since surpassed film in both dynamic range (how much light and dark detail) and its resolution (how big you can print it). In fact, you can use presets to make digital look like film but have the peace of mind of having back ups of the photos. We shoot in RAW digital format so that we can best craft the file into a work of beauty for you regardless of capture medium. Short answer: It's the content of the capture not the plastic the captures the info that matters most.
How many photographers do you work with?
Wes is a part of national and Chicago area photographer networking groups so we’ve worked with dozens of other photographers in our careers. Our wedding collections include 2 photographers – Wes and one other photographer, usually Necia Craft, always a skilled professional (not ever a student or beginner).
Do you guarantee your presence at the actual event?
Wes Craft will contractually be there as your lead photographer.
Do you sometimes book yourself for more than one event in a day? Weekend?
Never for a wedding event. When you pay the retainer fee we pull ourselves off of the showroom floor. We do schedule more than one engagement session on some days so it’s important to be on time for those. We occasionally accept two weddings in a weekend as long as they are close by one another. In other words we won’t be in Jamaica the day before your wedding.
Do you have a replacement photographer in case you become unavailable on the day of the event?
We work with a network of photographers to have emergency options.
What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you on the day-of?
We bring professional Canon Cameras (I'm loving our new Canon EOS R6 cameras) and an assortment of high-end L glass (nice lenses). We provide lighting for circumstances where the available light is poor or non-existent.
Do you bring back-up equipment to the event in case of malfunction?
We have back up equipment in case anything fails. We also have a back-up to the back-up. We are covered with 4 cameras, a half dozen lenses, and 6 flashes between the two of us.
Do you charge hourly or full day?
Our weekend wedding collections all have between 8-10 hours coverage included as a part of a bundled minimum rate. For weekday events, corporate headshots, engagement shoots, and family portraits we have a more hourly billing structure. For last minute weekend jobs that are smaller scale elopements we can customize something for you.
Are you available to shoot extra hours? If yes, how much do you charge for extra hours?
Yes. Extra hours of wedding day coverage from the two photographer team are 600/hr and our most popular collections include 2 or more additional hours complimentary. Extra hours from Wes on your engagement session are 400/hr. Booking bonuses and bundle discounts are available for extra time as well. Let’s meet to find the best collection and amount of hours for you at our best price.
What is your policy on taking breaks? If you require a meal break, do you require the client provide your meal?
We require a hot meal and a break of at least 30 minutes to eat it. It’s best if we’re served in or very near the main dining room at the same time as the guests so that we won’t miss any impromptu events that may crop up during dinner and so that we are finished with our meals when you are. It's also best practice that our plates are served at roughly the same time as the head table. This will allow us to be finished when you are so that we can hop up to capture you when you get up to greet your guests.
Do you charge for travel?
We shoot weddings all over the Midwest and do not charge travel fees for shoots within 50 miles of Naperville, IL. That gets us all up in the Chicagoland region and even parts of Northwest Indiana. Contact us for a quote if you’re farther than that. We do require 2 nights of lodging plus travel fee if you're out of state or out of the country. Let's discuss!
How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing?
Wedding sets are available within 2-8 weeks with the long end of that being for weddings captured during peak season. Engagements are available within 2-4. Family sessions 1-2. Special rush turnarounds are available on request when possible. We're always aiming to decrease these turnaround times.
In what format are the initial proofs offered?
Proofs are shared with you through our private online gallery. You'll have immediate access to download those from the site and for our wedding clients, a hard copy on a thumb drive is shipped to you as well.
How long can we access the online proof gallery?
We can keep them hosted online indefinitely however the gallery will automatically expire in 3 months, or after your wedding album is completed. You can also just ask us for a gallery extension. It's no problem. The digital files are yours for a lifetime once you download them and receive your hardcopy.
Do you retain the copyright for the photos?
I retain copyright for self promotional reasons. The copyright is shared with you via a signed licensing agreement so that you may print for personal use wherever you like. We use the images on our blog and website to promote our ability to serve others. See next question for info on Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA).
Do you reserve the right to publish the photos?
Yes, I do reserve the right to publish and self promote with your images. In rare cases when a couple doesn’t want to be published I honor that. Just ask. There may be a non-disclosure fee associated and a contract addendum to sign.
Do you provide the digital files and/or negatives (or copies of the negatives) to the client?
Digital Files are included in our wedding collections and these are interchangeably called Digital Negatives as a holdover from days of photographic film negatives.
Will images be available for viewing online?
Yes. Unless you don’t want them to be. Most of our clients allow friends and family to visit their online gallery and order their own prints from us. We also enable social media sized downloads by your wedding guests. FREE. It's a great party favor for them to be able to grab a cute picture of themselves with their date or something from the day to remember it by. You'll be able to download your high resolution files from the gallery!
What kind of albums do you offer?
We offer handcrafted albums printed and bound in Italy. Cover, spine, and paper options are varied so we can highly customize something for you. You can see more about those in our blog's "Handcrafted" category.
When will the client get the final album?
After your wedding we’ll will design an album for you using either our favorite or your favorite images. We share the design with you and you can request changes and substitutions as needed. Once your album design has been approved, there is anywhere from 2-8 weeks turn around depending on our album partner’s print, bind, and shipping times.
Do you have liability insurance?
Yes. Yep! You betcha.
Our Preferred Vendors
Here are some of our favorite event professionals to work with. If you choose any of these folks then please tell them Wes Craft Photography sent you. If you know someone else great who should be on here, let us know!
Event Planners & Coordinators
- Northshore Weddings & Events – Megan Estrada
- Superfine Events – Kara Superfine
- Blue Moon Events
- A Fresh Event / Chicago
- Videography
- Leap Weddings
- Talvision Films
- Imagination Designers
- Peak Cinematics
- Elias at Wedding Masterpiece Films
Live Musicians
- Lola Bard Productions – Jazz Ensembles from intimate to full – fabulous singers and musicians
- Larry King Orchestra – Large Jazz/Pop Ensemble – Big big sound!
- String Academy of Chicago – Contact Steve or Kelly over at String Academy.
- Hey Jimmy – Pop & Rock Cover Band Ensemble.
- The Chicago Players (& Gold Coast AllStars) – Big Band that plays Pop, Swing, Folk, HipHop! One of the best we’ve ever seen.
- Rod Tuffcurls – Fun, rowdy, pop rock band
- Jim Perona – Classical Guitarist. Great for ceremonies or cocktail hour. Ask him about Jasmine & Perona (his wife Christa sings and he plays classical guitar).
Florists – Design
Transport
- Naperville Trolley – Classic trolleys in the western Chicago suburbs!
- Classic Wedding Car – Vintage cars for sweet getaways!
- Windy City Limo & Bus – Modern buses and stretch limos.
Hair & Makeup
DJ/Entertainment