Q. Do you sell CD's with all the images?

A. Our goal at Ted York Photography is to give you the best quality product that we can produce. In most circumstances that means a finished print which we retouch, print, mount, and spray with a protective coat of lacquer. Our name is on every print we deliver. For that reason we take careful control over the entire process. Even our files will not look the same when they are printed by Costco or Wal-Mart. However we do sell digital images under the following circumstances:

1. Commercial photography where the images are used online or for press-printed material such as brochures and magazine advertising and articles.
2. Low res. Digital copies of ordered images for facebook and computer desktops.
3. Wedding images from packages where an investment has already been made in prints and an album.

Q. You took so many beautiful images of our children. How do we get them all without breaking the bank?

A. We always recommend having your favorite images from the photography session printed, framed, and displayed on your walls. But when you desire a large number of images from the shoot we recommend an album. While Albums seem expensive, they are the most economical way to purchase a large number of prints. We will present an 11x14 inch press printed album custom designed for you.

Q. Every time we take a family portrait, someone in the family gets married or has another baby. Photography is an investment. How can we afford a new portrait every time the family changes?

A. One of the best ways to solve this is to let us custom design a wall grouping for you. We'll start with a large family group portrait surrounded by smaller individual portraits of children, parents, grandparents, etc. As the family changes, for instance a new birth, you can have a portrait taken and added to your grouping. Kids can be updated periodically as they grow older. Then when the time comes you can update the center piece family group portrait.

Q. If you no longer have to buy film shouldn't digital photography be less expensive?

A. The answer to that question is no. Digital photography is actually more expensive for many of the following reasons:

1. Digital cameras come with a large price tag. As an example – the top of the line professional 35mm film camera ran about $2,000 and it would last you most of your career. The top of the line equivalent digital camera runs about $8,000 and it does not last you forever. Because the technology is changing photographers are forced to update their cameras to give their clients the best possible image. I'm on my third camera since beginning Ted York Photography.
2. We have to make a sizable investment in computers and software. We have over 5 terabytes of storage space and are rapidly coming up on needing more. While the price of storage is coming down the need for more is going up. I started with an 8 megapixel camera, went to 13, and my current camera is at 21 megapixels. The next camera will undoubtedly be more. I'm on my second computer looking at my third.
3. Time is money and photographers spend much more time producing your images than ever before. Instead of sending images to the lab for processing now we are the lab. We must edit, retouch, and enhance our own images. That is a good thing in that we have more control and the ability to be more creative, but it takes time. Where we might have shot 50 to 100 images at a wedding with film, now we shoot 800 to 1500 images because of the client's desire for photojournalistic coverage. The ability to do that is great, but it takes a considerable amount of time to edit and work on so many images.
4. A professional photographer invests heavily in education. With the process constantly changing, as well as the desire to hone our skills in posing and lighting, we are constantly attending educational events and studying under the best in the industry. Constant learning is vital in the world of digital photography. I attend 4 to 6 seminars and conventions per year

Q. What is a Certified Photographer?

A. Only 3 to 4 percent of all professional photographers are certified. A certified photographer has passed the requirements of the Professional Photographers Certification Commission. They require a written exam as well as a portfolio submission from photographer's desiring to be certified. Every 5 years the photographer must resubmit to maintain his or her certification. Certification is a mark of confidence to you the consumer.

Q. What is a PPA Master Photographer?

A. The Professional Photographers of America confers their degree of Master Photographer to photographers who have met their requirements that are based on their standing in the International Print Competition, as well as service and teaching within the industry. The Master Photographer Degree is highly coveted.

Q. How do I schedule a portrait?

A. You can contact us through the contact page on our website or give us a call at (801) 310-3336. We will setup a suitable Time and date. The session fee must be paid to hold the date.

Q. Why do you require a consultation?

A. A consultation is important to the success of a portrait session. It gives us an opportunity to get to know you and understand what you are looking for in an end product. It also gives us a chance to discuss clothing, special needs of the family, and to introduce you to portrait products that might best suit your family. When circumstances dictate we can advise you over the phone, but there is no substitute for visit the studio where we can show you our portraits and get to know you in person.

Q. What should we wear for our photography session?

A. We are glad you asked. Clothing is very important to a professional looking portrait. Please refer to our section on clothing in our website.

Q. What if I'm not photogenic?

A. Nonsense! Besides, that's my job, not yours. While I can't make John Wayne look like Fred Astaire, I can make John Wayne look his very best. I do ask that you pay attention to the consultation so that we don't have clothing and other issues. But I will pose and light you in a way that will flatter you. Our philosophy is, "we love our clients and where there is love there is beauty."

Q. What is a family panoramic portrait?

A. We now offer family panoramic portraits as an option for large families (actually the technique can me used for most any size family.) We break the family down into smaller groups and photograph each group separately. The groups are then merged within Photoshop to create the larger group portrait. They are called panoramic portraits because with large families the image ends up much longer than its height. Panoramic portraits offer several advantages. First – I am able to light a small group much more artistically because I don't have the problem of unwanted shadows being cast from one person on another. Second – It is much simpler to get the attention of all the participants, especially children, in a smaller group. Thirdly, because the final portrait is a collection of images the resolution and quality is much higher enabling very large wall portraits. Finally, because the end product is long and narrow compared to the traditional group portrait, a large print will fit in many places that the traditional print can not comfortably go.

Q. When is the best time to photograph a newborn?

A. We personally recommend photographing an infant in its first week of life. At that age the baby can still curl up into the fetal position adding to the ability to pose the child. These images can be very artistic and you will treasure them forever as both an image of your brand new baby and as an art piece.

Q. How should I dress my newborn?

A. Simple is the best way to describe dressing a newborn that is why many parents have them photographed without clothes. If you would like them dressed the clothing should be very simple. Pants and shirts with no patterns or pictures are best. Clothes should normally be darker than the skin tones of the baby. An exception might be a blessing or christening outfit. Cute dresses, hair pieces, and hats work well. The things that will ruin a newborn photograph are just a disposable diaper, clothes with pictures, writing, stripes, etc. on them. (While we are on the topic of baby's clothing, we should mention that it is always a good idea to have several changes of clothing just in case babies do what babies do.)

Q. We have a special needs child can we still get a beautiful portrait?

A. Of course! We are trained to understand the needs of children with challenges. Ted has been certified by the Special Needs Photographers of America. Most times it takes just a bit more patience, but there are techniques that can help a special child relax and be a beautiful part of your family portrait. We will love your special needs child as much or more than we will love the other members of your family.

Q. As our photographer, what do you need to know prior to our portrait session?

A. Everything! Telling us about your family interests can help us design an intimate and beautiful portrait that tells the story of your family. We want to know if your family is into horses, music, flying, etc. - whatever is special about the members in your clan. We would like to know if you have a special needs child so that we can prepare to bring out his or her personality and cooperation. Let us know about any conflict or special relationships so we can arrange people as necessary when we are posing. Let us know if any family member is sensitive about anything with their body so that we can portray them in a way that is pleasing to them. Help us to capture you.