Ever since I picked up my first camera at the age of 14 the geeky technical side of me surfaced and I have had an insatiable thirst for learning how to achieve the highest and purest image quality possible. I soon came to the realization that insatiable hobbies can get expensive photography isn't about the camera, in fact photography is all about doing your best to get the technical stuff out of the way and focusing on what really matters; creativity, light, the subject, the moment, the art. These are the things that make every photographer unique and no two photographs the same (Although I'm still obsessed with my technical "toys")
A single moment in time can be experienced by many people in an equal amount of ways, no one less real than the next. The artist's tool of photography brings yet another perception of that moment although this time it isn't about getting the most visually accurate representation it's about creatively interpreting said moment, capturing the emotion, painting it with light, and ultimately being able to experience a familiar moment in a whole new way for generations to come.
Woh…Photography is deeeep!
What is your photographic style?
Do you carry liability insurance?
What are pre-bridal and trash the dress shoots?
Will you be the photographer at my wedding?
How many Photos / How much footage do you shoot?
How do you determine your pricing?
Do you travel outside the NYC/NJ Area?
Are you related to Szasza Gabor?
Can I take my photos anywhere to be printed?
I lost the photos from my event, do you still have them?
Do you record in High Definition?
I'm still having trouble choosing a photographer. please help me!
What is your photographic style?
My unique style has taken me years to craft. I take a fine art approach to my photography. Rather than simply using available light or an on-camera mounted flash, I use off-camera flashes, reflectors, and diffusers in order to shape, modify and balance natural light to achieve a desired look. This allows for greater control of a photo rather than being at the mercy of lighting that can be less than ideal.
Depending on the size of your wedding I might recommend additional associate photographers to capture details, guests and more candid shots of the couple. These photographers are all trained in the Elie Creative style.
I encourage you to show me some specific examples of photos that catch your eye so that I can have a better idea of what you like to see in a photo.
Do you carry liability insurance?
Yes, I am a fully insured. This is a requirement for most venues and halls. One less thing for you to worry about.
What are pre-bridal and trash the dress shoots?
These are probably the most fun photo sessions I can think of. These shoots offer an opportunity before or after the wedding to go somewhere special and take fun, creative, commercial style, photographs of you in your dress.
A trash the dress shoot is done at some point after the wedding when taking perfect care of the dress is not the priority. Contrary to the industry name for the type of shoot, we will not trash your dress... unless that’s what you want! It's all about great photo ops. I will help you come up with a concept, choose a location, and take some breathtaking photos of the two of you in a non-traditional setting.
Not only do these photo sessions relieve the stress on the day of your wedding but they also offer a second chance in the event of inclement weather.
Will you be the photographer at my wedding?
Yes, I will be the lead photographer at your wedding. Depending on the size of your wedding I might recommend additional associate photographers to capture details, guests and more candid shots of the couple. These photographers are all trained in the Elie Creative style. If I am unavailable on your specific date I will recommend an associate photographer at a reduced rate.
How many Photos / How much footage do you shoot?
Having studied photography shooting film, and cinema using 16mm film stock, I am always very observant and thoughtful before I press that shutter button or hit record. This allows me to focus on the details, big or small, that tell a story.
In total you can expect to receive roughly 500 Photos per photographer at your event. Cinema runs anywhere from 30 - 60 minutes with a one song "highlights edit."
How much do you charge?
Weddings
My 2011 pricing for wedding photography is $3,800. It includes the following:
• Myself as your lead photographer
• A second associate photographer
• Lighting Specialist
• All day coverage of your event including preparation and formals
• Color correction and editing of all your photos
• Full 21 mega-pixel images of your wedding
• A password protected web gallery for friends and family to view your photos online
This is what I recommend for weddings with up to 250 guests attending. Additional candid photographers are $750 each. I recommend a candid photographer for every additional 150-200 guests that attend.
My 2011 pricing for digital cinema is $4,800. It includes the following:
• Myself as your lead cinematographer
• A second associate cinematographer
• Lighting and audio specialist
• All day coverage of your event including preparation
• Full 1080P HD Blu-ray DVDs of your wedding story as well as one song highlights edit
• A password protected online screening site for friends and family to view your wedding video.
This is what I recommend for weddings with up to 200 guests attending. Additional candid cinematographers are $750 each. I recommend a candid cinematographer for every additional 100-150 guests that attend.
Events
My 2011 pricing for event photography is $2,800. It includes the following:
• Myself as your lead photographer
• Lighting Specialist
• Full coverage of your event including formal portraits
• Color correction and editing of all your photos
• Full 21 mega-pixel images of your event
• A password protected web gallery for friends and family to view your photos online
This is what I recommend for events with up to 200 guests attending. Additional candid photographers are $750 each. I recommend a candid photographer for every additional 200 guests that attend.
My 2011 pricing for digital cinema is $4,800. It includes the following:
• Myself as your lead cinematographer
• A second associate cinematographer
• Lighting and audio specialist
• Full coverage of your event
• Full 1080P HD Blu-ray DVDs of your event story as well as one song highlights edit
• A password protected online screening site for friends and family to view your event video.
This is what I recommend for events with up to 200 guests attending. Additional candid cinematographers are $750 each. I recommend a candid cinematographer for every additional 100-150 guests that attend.
Portraits
My 2011 pricing for portrait work (including engagement photos session, save the date video, pre-bridal session, trash the dress session, etc.) starts at $850. It includes the following:
• Myself as your lead photographer
• Lighting and/or audio specialist
• One location concept
• Color correction and editing of all your photos
• Full 21 mega-pixel images of your event
• A password protected web gallery for friends and family to view your photos online
How do you determine your pricing?
Photographers have many costs including equipment, backup equipment, insurance, studio space, website costs, education, crew, travel expenses, etc. These are all things professional photographers have to worry about but it isn’t what determines our pricing. Like any form of art, photography is a trade and as such, pricing is determined by the service we provide, our experience and above all else, the market. I am only able to charge what my photography is worth relative to the quality of work of other photographers.
You wouldn't expect to commission an artist to paint you a masterpiece for the price of a brush, canvas, and paint would you?
Do you travel outside the NYC/NJ area?
Yes, I love to travel! Israel in particular is one of my favorite places for photography. Travel expenses outside the Tri-State area are not included in my standard pricing.
What about prints & albums?
It amazes me how Facebook has become a legitimate way of storing and viewing images. To fully be appreciated, photographs are meant to be carefully selected, edited, color corrected on a calibrated monitor and printed large at a minimum resolution of of 300 DPI using C-41 paper or archival inks, not flipped through on a computer monitor that is 1/3rd that resolution next to a status message.
These days there are so many different styles and options for albums it could really drive you mad. Luckily, I have taken the headache away from choosing between a million different types of albums and offer a cohesive line of contemporary, high quality, albums to choose from. I have specifically chosen albums that are extremely well made and all come with a lifetime guarantee from manufacturing defects. The style of the albums, as well as my layout designs, are minimalistic in order to highlight the larger photographs within and offer a timeless look that can be appreciated for generations to come.
Prices for prints and albums vary depending on what you are looking for and what type of album and options you choose. After you choose the album and photos you want included from your proof book, I custom design the layout, make sure the photos are optimized for sharpness based on size and printer, and send you a digital version of the album to approve. I then send the files off to my preferred print vendor to hand craft your album...it gets pretty technical after this but be rest assured they know what they’re doing and take pride in their work.
I don't push my albums onto my clients, however, I do recommend you at least take your favorite photos and print them as an 8x10 or larger; they will really take on a whole new life.
I’m a fellow photography enthusiast and would like the RAW files (digital negatives) from my wedding, is this possible?
100%, YES! I always shoot in RAW format and am more than happy to provide RAW files free of charge to anyone that requests them.
I understand why photographers used to hold on to film negatives of their work but now with the ability to easily copy the RAW files it mystifies me why some photographers are still so protective.
Can I take my photos anywhere to be printed?
Yes, you own full non-commercial rights to your photographs. For value, best color accuracy, and quality, I recommend snapfish.com for standard 4x6 prints (look for coupon codes online) and Costco for oversized prints. I will even provide you with a copy of the digital negatives (RAW Files) upon request.
Even though these are great choices as far as consumer labs go, there are definitely drawback in terms of quality and print longevity when not going to a professional photo lab.
I lost the photos from my event, do you still have them?
Proper archival solutions are more important in today's world than ever before. Film negatives can last over 200 years if stored properly, while DVDs are totally unreliable and hard drives crash all the time. I am scared of where the average person's digital pictures and home videos will be in 20 years from now.
I make it a point to archive your digital negatives and or wedding videos in case you ever need additional copies. My archive work-flow is a very sophisticated one and involves multiple copies of your files on multiple hard drives in multiple locations. I even intend on implementing a tape drive solution in the near future. That being said, I can't make any guarantees of nuclear war, tsunamis or any other apocalyptic scenarios, however, it's a safe bet that I will have them for decades if not more. After all I am very proud of all the pictures I take.
Do you charge for extra DVDs?
Nah, tell me how many you need and it shouldn't be a problem. If you really want a lot I might ask you to buy a case of Blu-ray DVDs.
Do you record in High Definition?
High definition is a relative term. 50 years ago, what we now call standard definition, used to be considered HD. Nowadays, we even have the ability to record in what has now been dubbed “Ultra HD”.
….But I digress. Yes, I record all my work in 1080P Full Frame HD. If you think the videos on my site look good, wait until you see your video with hardly any compression on a Blu-ray DVD player hooked up to your 60” Plasma HDTV...life is good =)
I'm still having trouble choosing a photographer. please help me!
Don't worry, I actually wrote a little article in my blog that might help:
How to choose a Photographer
I'm excited to meet you, find out more about your event, and answer any questions you might have.
Please provide some of your information using this form, and I'll get in touch with you to reserve your date.
Or if you prefer, feel free to pick up the phone and give me a call. I'd love to hear from you.
:: 201.674.8155
Elie Creative is a New Jersey-based creative firm specializing in video production, photography and graphic design. Headed by Elliot Gabor,
Elie Creative strives to provide its clients with the highest quality of work in every sense, and is committed to creating beautiful and
artistic work that is effective in its purpose.
Throughout my life as an artist I have been in search of my creative niche. I am fortunate enough to have been immersed in many different industries as a cinematographer, still photographer and graphic designer. A dual concentration graduate of film and photography from The Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, I have done work for numerous organizations and large companies, been flown across the world as a Director of Photography, had work webcasted and shown to large audiences, and have been part of the most special days in some amazing peoples' lives. After experiencing all of this I have finally come to a decision… I give up. I can't stick to just one. Elie Creative is about all things creative! No matter what type of work I focus on, I strive to provide the highest quality of work to my clients in every sense and am committed to creating beautiful and artistic work that is effective in its purpose.