F.A.Q.

WE ARE LOCATED IN BROOKLYN NEW YORK

THE WAY WE WORK: 

People say that our wedding photos don't look like wedding photos, and we get it. We're not making you jump in the air (please don't!), pose dramatically on a grand staircase or cover the groom in a bridal veil during a forced kiss. NEVER. We want to work with people that appreciate photography and give us creative freedom. We want to collaborate with people to create stunning images. It takes more than a fancy camera to do this.. It comes from trust and willingness between us and our subjects and this is exactly why we give all of our couples a portrait session when they book us. Having this time together before your wedding allows all of the above possible. So please don't choose us if you want typical wedding photos. Choose us because you want art. 

For more about our approach, find an interview of Chellise by Rangefinder Magazine 

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE 

No wedding is ever alike. Some are big, some are small and we love them all. 

A Full Day - Big Shebang Wedding comes with up to 9 hours of consecutive coverage. What does "up to" mean?  It means this: We want to tell a story from beginning to end., starting with the anticipation of getting ready up 'til everyone is a bit slushy (but not too slushy) and dancing. This tends to happen somewhere between the 8th and 9th hour when the tequila kicks in. Once we got it and we feel complete, we put our cameras away and join the dance party. 

2 months after your wedding date, your processed photographs will be delivered in a private, online gallery for you to download.  Hi-res, no watermarking, the photos are yours to keep, share, and print as you wish. A portrait session (engagement session) is our gift to you which includes one edited digital photo + that image as an 8x12 or 11x14 print.  Some of our packages include all photos from this session, so the choice is yours. The sole purpose of this shoot is to get to know you two and for both of you to gain comfort with being photographed so there are no awkward moments on your wedding day. And because, hey, we want to know who's wedding were photographing!  So really, it's a chance for us to hang, get the feels of you two, and create some great photos together. Come wedding day, you will be way more comfortable with us and our cameras. 

International + Destination Weddings  We are all well-traveled and ready to go.  All of our destination packages include our travel  costs, so it's one, flat rate.  Any country with massive amounts of Mexican food and a beach calls for bonus points. 

City Hall, Elopements, and Intimate Weddings  we absolutely love to be a part of. Typically folks only need one lead photographer for a few hours for these small gatherings. 

Gifyyy:  Gifyyy creates animated GIFs and can be set up anywhere in your venue. No backdrops, no props, all digital, and it only takes up 3x3 feet of space. Details are here!

35mm Film Coverage: We love using film!! Manipulated 35mm + Polaroid film are our jam. We love it when our couples choose to incorporate these timeless touches into their wedding day. Let us know what you're thinking and we can discuss what a custom film package might look like for you.

Prints:  Prints are available for purchase in your online gallery from a lab that we have hand selected, or you can have them printed at your preferred professional lab, your choice!!

Fancy Albums : We've spent the past 8 years looking for an album company that cares as much about the printing as the photographer cares about the picture... and by George, we found them!!!  Our custom albums are a la carte starting at $650, and the quality is beautiful.  We have options from linen to leather.  Some samples are below.. 

Great Questions... 

Can we see a full wedding?  Heck Yes! We highly recommend viewing a full gallery or two of any photographer you are considering; to get a full feel of what you’re going to receive from beginning to end. 

How can we book you?  First, we want to meet you at our Brooklyn studio or Facetime if you're far away.  If you like us and we like you, then let's do this!  We require a 50% deposit to lock us down with a signed contract, the final balance will be due 30 days before your wedding.  There are instances where we have multiple couples with the same date courting us at the same time. In this case, we will fairly meet with everyone before sending out a contract. 

How many photos can we expect for a full wedding day?  Depends on if you have one or two photographers. For one, expect at least 50 final photos per hour, and double that for two photographers. 

Do you take formal family photos?  Of course! Your families coming together to unite is what this is all about!! As your wedding day approaches we will ask you for a list of vip’s to make sure we get them photographed with you in a very organized, quick manner so you can all get back to celebrating.

What exactly is this “Manipulated 35 mm film?” that you offer?  Oh boy ..we love film. A lot. And we like to mess with it.  A lot. Our digital photos are already edited by us to emulate a film tone and grain, so when we get our hands on actual film we like to have fun with it to give you something really special that has a totally different feel . We create our own textures, color, leaks, and double exposed recipes by hand, using our stash of beloved, discontinued films, so no roll of film is the same.

Can we exchange the portrait session for the photos of rehearsal dinner or welcome party?  We feel very strongly about this one, so the answer is Nope. The reason for this portrait session is to get to know you two before the wedding. It is incredibly valuable for all of us, especially if you’re not comfortable with being photographed all day. This session completely dissolves these awkward feelings so that, on your wedding day, you don’t feel us in the room.  And for us, this session shows us how you interact with each other and what it’s like to photograph you, so that on your wedding day there’s a mutual feeling of “we got this” because we have been through it before! We like to know our couples, we don’t want to photograph a stranger’s wedding. This is why this session is very dear to us.

What are your travel fees?  Within New York, if it’s over 50 miles we ask for our travel to be covered. Basically a modest room and rental car fees that we book ourselves and add the cost of to your final invoice. If it’s 3+ hours away our travel costs are built into the package at a flat rate.

Is every single photo edited? And what does “edited’ mean?  One by one, each image is carefully edited and run through twice. For us, “editing” means to go through all of your photos and choose the best ones, discarding the double chin, blinky-eyed photos and then processing them in our signature CMP tone and style that you see in our work. Most commonly you will receive a greater portion of color photos, sprinkled with some b&w. If you especially love b&w, please mention this and we will give you more.

How can we share our photos with family + friends and what if I don’t want to share specific, private photos?  Before you share the gallery with everyone else, you will be able to mark any image you like as “private’. Those images will still appear for you, but when you share the gallery with your friends + family those private images will be hidden. Amazing, right?!  Once you have shared your gallery, anyone with access can download and purchase prints from the shopping cart.  The print lab that we chose to partner with makes really beautiful prints, we back them 100%!!  However, you may get your photos printed wherever you choose. If you would like to see a sample gallery, just ask.

How would you describe your shooting style?  Emotive, intimate, poetic, genuine, and big time documentary style with a dose of non-traditional portraiture while having a damn good time. There is really only one small part of the day when we have you all to ourselves, to create some magical photos of just the two of you. We vow to never ask you to dramatically float down a spiraling staircase, to place your veil over the groom’s head or to  jump in the air together while making hand hearts in the sky. Never.

Should we get married at sunset?  As romantic as it sounds, sunset isn’t really the best time for the ceremony. You and your guests will be the color of oompa loompa's and you will be backlit.. You want to know what sunset is really amazing for? Cocktail Hour. Who doesn’t love to sip on a glass of wine and watch the sunset? The last full hour of low light happens to be our favorite time of day for getting candids of you + your guests. 

When is the best time to take portraits?  During cooler months the sun is less harsh and more forgiving, so the last 4 hours of light are great. In the summer, ideally when the sun is starting to drop, after 5pm so you don't get sweaty. 

Do you offer video?  Coming soon! Check in with us on this for an update. Until then, we have a great list of folks we enjoy working with that are aligned with our approach. Just ask.. 

What is the worst thing you have seen at a wedding?   Ooooo... we’ll have to have a dinner date for that one...

What’s a “First Look “and should we do it?”  Look, we had never heard of this either until we became wedding photographers. A First Look is when the two of you see each other before the wedding, alone. It’s like walking down the aisle, but without the crowd. We scout a nice place for you to meet and we guide you to each other naturally, so it doesn’t feel staged, and we position ourselves away from you so we’re not intruding on this moment, clicking our cameras from a distance. No tapping on the shoulder, no peek-a-boo. Just go say hi. Hug. Make-Out. Hold each other. Relax. Get some butterflies calmed. This is a choice that we want you to make for yourselves. So please do what feels right to you. It makes no difference to us.  The main reason couples are choosing this is so they can get all of their portraits and family photos taken care of before the ceremony, allowing them to immediately celebrate with everyone and to not be pulled away from cocktail hour to take photos, which can easily take up the entire hour. If you decide to go the traditional route, we do suggest having an extended Cocktail Hour. This way you can enjoy the first half, then we will take you away for portraits and family photos for the last 30-60 min depending on light, location, family size etc.