General FAQ’s
Which geographic areas do you cover?
Although we are based in South Manchester, we are happy to cover anywhere in the country, even abroad as long as our expenses are covered – speak to us for details.
About us
We thought it would nice for you to know a little about us. Simon and Sharon are married, have a daughter called Georgina, herself a budding photographer and another bambino on the way in August 2009. Simon is the main photographer and the business is named after his first and middle names whilst Sharon is also a competant photographer, often accompanying Simon on shoots. Simon has been photographing since an early age but took it seriously around the early 90′s, covering many motorsports events before progressing to portraits of family and friends.
About three years ago, Simon upgraded his kit to the digital age, finally putting away his old film cameras and embraced it fully – We now run Canon EOS cameras/lens, Lencarta lighting, Lastolite backdrops and use an Apple Imac for all post processing/preparation of images in either Photoshop or a range of other editing suites prior to presenting to the client.
Do you shoot on Digital or Film?
We shoot using professional Canon digital cameras and lens which produce the same or better quality than film. Not only is the quality superb but it gives us great flexibility allowing us to shoot in low light conditions with ease therfore giving us much more creative ability in the final pictures produced. Some photographers (i.e. mainly old school) will (incorrectly) advise clients that film is somehow more ‘artistic’ than digital. Whether a photograph is artistic or not is wholly dependent upon the vision & skill of the photographer and has nothing to do with the image being taken on a film or digital camera. Virtually 100% of the world’s press & sports photographers work with digital cameras and have their photographs published in magazines and books across the globe.
How many photographs will you take on the day?
There is no limit to the number of photographs we take – we will take as many pictures as there are opportunities. With respect to Weddings, the quantity might depend on the size of your wedding, the location or the weather, with portraiture the quantity will depend upon how many poses you take, outfit changes etc
How many pictures can we have in our album?
If you want, you can have them all! Obviously this is the more expensive option
but depending upon how many you select, we aim to place around 80 pictures in each Album. You can purchase extra albums for the other pictures if you like.
Will you work to our instructions?
Within reason yes, we will endeavor to deliver upon any reasonable requests but we do insist you let us do what we do best and Capture Your Moment and let you enjoy your day without worrying what we are doing.
What else do we do?
Well we pretty much will cover anything really. Examples of what we have done in the past:
Weddings – covered wedding preparations, breakfasts, arrivals, ceremony, main meal, evening celebrations and so on
Portraits – formal portraiture, informal, in studio, on location i.e. outdoors etc
Commercial – Buildings, factory working, personalities, board members etc
Fun events – Parties (children and adult), proms, posh evening events and so forth
Portrait FAQ’s
How does it work?
It’s all done in your home, workplace or even an outdoors location of mutual agreement. We are fully mobile so we bring the flash units, backdrops and camera equipment, all you need to provide is a suitable working space for the equipment (ideally 4x3m would normally suffice but we can work with pretty much anything).
It takes us about 15 minutes to setup the equipment, during which time you are free to get yourselves ready, decide what sort of pictures you want etc
The session takes about an hour from which we will then place your pictures on our secure website for you to browse. You can then order and pay for your prints in whatever size and quantity you like which will be delivered to you within approximately 3 weeks.
What if I want you for more than an hour?
Most sitting’s last an hour where we will take as many pictures in that time as we can. If you would prefer a longer sitting or have more pictures with more than two outfits, we have a nominal chargefor each additional hour or part hour thereof – please see our price list for more details.
What styles of pictures do you take?
As it is your session, you have full control over how and what you would like. You may have a fancy dress theme or maybe a standard family portrait – it’s entirely up to you. Here are some ideas for you to consider:
* Traditional portraits with a suitable background – this is what you see in all the studios across the world.
* Fancy dress – why not dress up in funny outfits
* Candid and spontaneous – you carry on doing your normal routine whilst we catch pictures of you in action
* Formal
* Casual
* Moody – ideal for those sultry teenagers
* Reserved and many more
We provide two basic backdrops, White and Black but can obtain other backdrops (i.e. marble effect etc) if you require something special. Please give us plenty of notice in advance and we will see what we can do.
If you would like to provide your own props then feel free. You may wish for baby to be in nice fluffy clothes on an even fluffier cushion, then that is fine – it’s your session.
Model Release Form
Before we can commence with the shoot, you will need to complete a model release form. This is a legal document that you sign to say you have consented for the pictures to be taken and for them to be used by Simon Antony Photography and that you relinquish any claim to the ownership of the images. In other words, if we make millions from the pictures, you cannot claim back from us 
This is a document that all clients, whether paying or not have to complete and is standard practice among all photography studios. It’s nothing to worry about and completely painless – ask us if you need anything clarifying.
Baby Bump FAQ’s
The Shoot
The shoot will be held at your home, office, warehouse or indeed anywhere within the locality suitable. We are fully mobile so we bring all the kit to you so be prepared for lights and backdrops to pop out from very small spaces. All we need from you is space, ideally the more space the better and a plug socket for our lights.
Space is our biggest limitation but it does give us opportunities to get some interesting photographs. Our backdrop size is between 2 and 3 meters wide and has a flexible height upto 3 meters and we need ideally about 3/4 meters from this for the camera/tripod and photographer. However, I have recently took some portrait shots in a room where we had a working area of only 8ft!!! Obviously the space we have will tell us the sort of pictures we can take.
How do I pose? What do I wear?
This is a big one. A lot of studios will try and put you in positions that you are just not comfortable with or are not natural, you will have seen these shots where the subjects look uncomfortable with fixed smiles. Well we don’t do it that way, in fact we encourage you to do some research of your own as to the types of pictures you want taking so look at magazines, books, newspaper articles, websites etc and get a copy of images that you like or admire and we shall see what we can do to make it happen.
Some mothers have asked if they need their hair and makeup on – it’s your choice, do whatever feels comfortable and natural for you. Others have asked if they have to go nude and some insisting they do – again, if you want these types of shots then it is not a problem, just as long as you are comfortable that is fine.
Clothes wise, your choice. Some ladies look great with minimal clothing on whilst others look stunning with nicely draped clothes. You have time for a change of clothing so you could try both and decide when the pictures are available which you like the most. Or even try using props – we recently did a shoot where our pregnant subject was draping a net curtain around her body.
Who is included in the pictures?
Obviously the pregnant lady but we are also happy for immediate family to be present as well so if you have a toddler or another baby, we can incorporate them, your husband or partner stroking your bump etc bear in mind that the sorts of pictures we can get is fully dependant upon how much space we have.
Album, Photobooks and Print FAQ’s
Can you provide photo albums or photo books?
Yes we can. We offer very competitive albums which can have a selection of your favorite photographs. Various sizes are available, please ask for details
How much are your pictures?
Please visit our Prices Page for up to date pricing on our prints and canvas options
We can also provide alternative print options as well, how about a calendar, canvas print, mouse mat etc
Please note that all images are laboratory printed photographic prints and are supplied un-mounted so you can use a frame of your choice.
Wedding FAQ’s
How much should we spend on our photography?
Obviously we do not control your budget but remember this is supposed to be a once in a lifetime experience so do you really want to be cutting corners? On the flip side, we do offer very flexible packages that allow you to choose just the features you need i.e. DVD of pictures instead of a prepared album, Coverage for the Wedding Breakfast as well, Pre/Post shoot options etc – speak to us for more details.
Do we get to keep all the pictures?
If you purchase the High Resolution Disc or WedPrint options then Yes – with the WedPrint option, you keep all the photographs as 6×4 professional prints once we have edited out blinks, duplicates or inappropriate expressions.
Do you take formal or group shots as well as reportage?
Yes, of course, although we like to make this a fun and relaxed occasion – which means no stiff necks or forced smiles. We like to do these calmly and quickly so that you are free to enjoy your wedding.
What do you do about eating on the day?
Our day is long and requires full & total concentration to get the best possible images throughout the wedding. We ask that a balanced hot meal is provided for us on the day to a similar standard to that of the wedding guests.
Will we need more than one photographer?
We highly recommend a 2nd photographer if you have 120 guests or more. Spontaneous and memorable moments can happen simultaneously at different locations. The 2nd photographer will bring another perspective to the story of your day.
Do I get my pictures on DVD/CD (Weddings Only)?
If you have purchased the DVD option, we will process your pictures and make them look as good as they can be, including digital effects if required and then post this onto you, normally within two weeks of the shoot. Purchasing this option comes with a licence to print the pictures out for your own pleasure but not for professional printing.
Who chooses the photos for the album?
You do! It would be just plain wrong of us to select your favourites – we might not know which of your family and friends you’d like to feature (or not!). We are very happy to advise you though if you have trouble deciding, as there are usually so many fabulous images.
How long does it take to make the album?
Once we have received your choice of images for inclusion in the album we design the layouts, which are then sent to you as a PDF via email to review and make changes if required. Once the design is finalised it normally takes a further 4 weeks for printing and binding where we will then deliver the album to you.
How can our wedding guests view or order the photographs?
Your wedding will be hosted in the ‘client area’ on our website. At our pre-wedding meeting, we will take some photographs of your both to put on a card that will contain your wedding details along with where the guests can view the gallery of photographs. We give out these cards on your wedding day i.e. could be placed on the dining tables or handed out individually. They can then order any prints they wish from this website directly from us.
How do you work?
Our style is relaxed and spontaneous and whatever atmosphere you seek at your wedding we will capture. Prior to your wedding your chosen photographer will meet you to discuss your day, show you album samples and can help you decide on a photographic timetable so that you have plenty of time to celebrate the day and enjoy the company of your guests. We fit in to work with your agenda ensuring that you are free to enjoy your day to the max.
We do not have a ‘one formula fits all’ approach and we treat every wedding as the unique occasion that it is. We will take as many photographs as there are opportunities – some candid, some classic. We work calmly, quickly and unobtrusively ensuring that your day remains exactly that – yours! We love taking pictures of people having fun and believe that our enthusiasm and sense of humour comes across in our pictures – Often you will not even notice us working away as we blend in well with the guests. We work with professional digital cameras that produce beautifully crisp images, even in low light. Our photographs capture a definite moment – a stolen kiss, a joke amongst friends, a reaction to a speech, a glance, a touch and so on.
Above all we will provide you with wonderful images that capture the spirit and fun of your day, which can be presented in a storybook album that you will want to treasure and show for years to come.
Wow this is really great, We love you – So how do we book you?
We will give you a bespoke quotation for your wedding – this does not mean it’s the most expensive, just that you will get what you want for the day. Once you have reviewed this, please let us know so we can prepare a Wedding Contract for you to check over and sign which will then need returning to us with a cheque for a minimum £250 to book the date. We receive more enquiries per year than there are days available and this means we are unable to provisionally hold any date without payment of the booking fee. All dates are booked on a first come first served basis.
