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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Here’s a list of some of the questions we’re often asked as they relate to our services. If you can’t find the answer here, try contacting us![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

WHAT ARE YOUR RATES? WHY DON’T YOU HAVE THEM LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE?

Answer: Since we offer both photography and cinematography services and have multiple storytellers and options for you to choose from, we have a range of prices for our services. We also offer a boutique experience which means we spend time getting to know our clients even before they’re clients. Won’t that take time? Yes it does but we only do a small handful of events per years so we can devote the necessary time and effort needed to really make a connection with our clients. We aren’t naive to think money isn’t important in the discussion, but we much prefer to get to know more about you and your day so we can suggest the best services and options for you.  Please contact us to begin a dialogue and tell us about your story![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD WE BOOK YOUR SERVICES?

Simple answer: as soon as possible! 

Long answer: Since we only take a limited number of weddings a year (25 is what we typically aim for), our bookings get filled rather quickly. Most clients secure our services a year to a year and a half in advance. That being said, we still book dates within the same year. Contact us to see if we have your date available![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

DO YOU TRAVEL? WHAT ARE YOUR TRAVEL FEES?

While Michael Justin Studios is based out of New Canaan, CT, we love shooting in different locations around the world and destination weddings allow us to get to know our couples and tell their story in an intimate way. We typically arrive at least a day or two in advance and fly out the day after the event. Destination pricing applies to any event that is over 3 hours from our office in New Canaan, CT (06840). Pricing is all-inclusive of travel fees and accommodations. Please contact us to discuss this in more detail.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

OUR VENUE IS REQUIRING PROOF OF LIABILITY INSURANCE – DO OU CARRY IT AND CAN YOU PROVIDE A COPY?

Yes! We carry up to $2,000,000 in liability insurance and can provide proof upon request. This is typically requested along with their property being added as an additional insured on the policy. This is also no problem and can have the request fulfilled within 72 hours of written request. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

HOW MANY IMAGES WILL WE RECEIVE FROM OUR WEDDING?

There are many factors that alter the number of images we deliver to you. The time of year (a wedding in December when it gets dark earlier may have less images due to us having to set up and plan every shot due to using all artificial light), locations of events (will we be traveling for an hour to get from your ceremony to reception), number of events happening in the day, and coverage time all play a part.

That being said a good general rule to go by is for every hour of service we are there, we will deliver around 100 edited photos. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

WHO SELECTS THE MUSIC IN YOUR FILMS?

Music is one of the most important ingredients in cinematic storytelling and choosing the right track is the first step in our creative process. We also legally license the music we use, which we do through specialty websites made for small, independent businesses like ours. Because of this, most couples give us creative freedom to select the music in their films. We do get couples who want to be part of the creative process. When that happens we ask for a list of 10-15 songs from those websites and from there, we select the ones that work best with the edit.  [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

CAN YOU HOLD OUR DATE WHILE WE DECIDE HOW WE WANT TO PROCEED?

Unfortunately with the number of inquiries we receive per week and the limited number of bookings we take per year, we are unable to hold a date. A date is booked/locked when a retainer and contract are secured. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

WHEN WILL WE RECEIVE OUR PHOTOS/FILM?

To be fair to all our clients, we work in a queue system, which means that the first event shot is the first event edited. The time of year will dictate how quickly we’re able to turnaround your memories. A good estimate we like to give our clients is 3-4 months for cinematography and 1-2 months for photography. Again, those are ballparks and are dictated by the years events and where they land in the calendar.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

DOES YOUR STUDIO DO INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS, FAMILY PHOTOS, NEWBORN PHOTOS, COMMERCIAL VIDEO, HEADSHOTS, OR OTHER TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY?

story & soul is our family and lifestyle brand where we shoot photos of newborns, families, maternity and create beautiful films around those major life moments. Once you’re an MJS client, you’ll automatically be a story & soul client with great discounts offered on those services.

Michael Justin Media is our corporate video production and commercial photography business. Most of our couples are well respected in their jobs and industries so if there’s ever a need for headshots or a film made, Michael Justin Media would be the brand to handle that.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

DO YOU PROVIDE US WITH EVERY PHOTOGRAPH YOU TAKE? WHAT ABOUT RAW VIDEO FOOTAGE?

Part of the service you are paying for when you hire us is our expertise in selecting the best images from the thousands we will take on your wedding day. This process is called “culling” and can often take hours to do. Rather than provide you with duplicate images, images where we were testing lighting or caught someone in a less-than-flattering pose/smile, we remove those from the final gallery and provide you with nothing but the strongest images from your day.

As for raw footage, we do offer that as an add-on to a package. All the footage we captured is placed on a timeline in our editing software, broken up by event (preps, photo session, reception, etc) and is delivered digitally. We do not manipulate the footage in any way – meaning we don’t take the time to polish the color, white balance, or exposure (things we will do with your cinematic film) or take out any of our test shots. It’s very…well, raw! Other studios may deliver the raw footage on a hard drive where you’ll need to click thousands of individual 2-10 second clips. This is a horrible experience to watch your footage and you’ll soon be second guessing why you added it to your package. Our delivery method is very easy to watch and enjoy. If you want to see an example of raw footage, you can see how we deliver it here: https://mediazilla.com/uoubsy4X8[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

HAVE YOU SHOT AT MY VENUE BEFORE? WILL YOU DO A SCOUT PRIOR TO THE WEDDING DAY?

Having been in business since 2010, there’s a good chance we have shot at your venue before. If we have, awesome – we’ll have a good idea of the space. If we haven’t, don’t worry, we arrive early to a wedding day to scout and get ourselves acquainted to the space.

As for scouting prior to the wedding day, unless the scout is done at the same time of year, at the same time we’ll be shooting and in the exact lighting conditions, it could be more hurtful than helpful. To explain that further, let’s say your wedding was in March. If we do a walk through in November, the sun’s trajectory will be different than in will be March. This means a location that we’ve scouted in November might not work on the wedding day. If the day we scout is overcast but the wedding day is sunny, those spots may be un-usable.

We’ve found that the preparations we do prior to the wedding day plus what we do on the day itself, results in better photos and video.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

CAN WE SEE A FULL GALLERY OF IMAGES?

Of course! And this is something we highly recommend you do with all the photographers you meet with. Websites often showcase the best-of-the-best but it’s vital to know how your photographer can handle themselves across a full wedding day. We provide links to full galleries to our work once we understand your style, venue, and vision for your day.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]

HOW MANY HOURS OF COVERAGE SHOULD WE BOOK FOR OUR WEDDING DAY?

There are many factors that go into answering this question but for now, you can head to our Sample Wedding Day Timelines and take a look. It’s important to know that we pride ourselves in spending a great amount of time with you to create a timeline that covers everything you want remembered. 3 Months from your event you’ll be emailed a detailed questionnaire that will go over every part of the day and ask specific questions. If you’d like to see other planning milestones, head over to our Planning Milestones section of our website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]