FAQ

FAQs

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• How long has Cornerstone Photography been in business?

  Cornerstone Photography was officially launched in June of 2000, with its roots going back as far as 1989.  Since then we have been recognized as being one of the leading "boutique" photography studios in Chicago, Milwaukee and Kansas City.

• What style of photography do you specialize in?

  There are 3 types of styles:  Traditional (posed and formal images), photojournalistic (these are candid, spontaneous images), and forced photojournalism (images that look candid and spontaneous but with direction from the photographer).  While the most common request is a combination of all 3 types, we will work with you to match you with a photographer that will give you the exact look and style you want.

• Do we choose our photographer?

  Absolutely!  Depending on availability and style, you'll be able to view different portfolios and decide for yourself.

• Can we meet our photographer?

  We encourage all of our couples and photographers to meet one another at some point prior to your wedding day to get to know one another.  You'll also be able to contact your photographer at anytime by email or by phone.

• How will the photographer dress for our wedding?

  We have all of our photographers dress as if they were a guest at your wedding.

• If we want a second photographer, how experienced is the second photographer?

  The second photographer is always one of our staff photographers that you can meet and view their portfolio just as you would if you were having one photographer. Many other studios will use assistants as a second photographer, however we will never let a less experienced photographer, such as an assistant, capture your wedding day. That's why you will always have one of our core photographers photographing your wedding.

• How long will the photographer photograph our wedding?

  We have packages that range from 6 to 12 consecutive hours of service. If you need more than 12 hours of service please contact a studio representative for additional pricing.

• Are the photographs available in color, black & white and sepia?

  Yes, all of your wedding images will be photographed digitally in color. From a color file we can then convert any of your photos into a black & white and sepia image.

• Can you work from a photography checklist that we create?

  Of course, just make sure you explain exactly what you want to your photographer prior to your wedding day.

• When will our proofs be ready?

  Typically, the turn-around time ranges from 3-6 weeks.

• Do we get to keep the proofs?

  Yes, all of our photography packages offer a set of proofs as part of the package.

• Do you mark your proofs?

  No, all your proof will arrive unmarked and color corrected.

• Do we get to keep all of our images in high resolution on a DVD?

  Yes, with all of our packages, your high resolution image will be delivered with your proofs on a DVD.  You'll also have ownership to all the copyrights to your wedding images. So you can choose where you want to have them printed. 

• How do you protect our images after our wedding?

  We have 3 layers of protection for all of our weddings images.  First, we have what is called a RAID 10 system, which copies every wedding on a separate hard drive from the computers main hard drive.  So should the main hard drive fail for any reason, we have another hard drive with an exact copy of the information from the main drive.

  Secondly, we also have remote backup. With this all of our weddings are sent via the Internet to an off site location where they are backed up.  So should any of our equipment become damaged or stolen we would be able to retrieve all of our wedding from this site onto a new computer system.
  

   

  Finally, all of our weddings are also backed up onto a DVD, so we will always have a physical copy of each wedding.

• What about deposits and payments?

  We have 2 different options in regards to deposits.  With the first option, you would put an initial deposit of $500 at the time of booking.  This will lock in your photographer, wedding date and pricing.  Then the remaining balance is due 30 days prior to your wedding day.  Deposits can be paid by cash, check, Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover.
  
  

• How do you charge for a destination wedding?

  For a destination wedding you would first choose one of our packages.  Then you  would be responsible for the cost of roundtrip airfare from either Chicago or Kansas City, a hotel stay for the day prior to the wedding, the day of the wedding and the day after the wedding.  Finally, any ground transportation to and from the airport and any other transportation needs on the day of the wedding.  In many cases, when you add these fees up we are less than what most resorts charge as a package.  Plus, you'll be able to continue to work with your photographer when you return home.