Frequently Asked Questions

 
 

What is “Active Lifestyle Content?”

 

Active Lifestyle Content is exactly what you want it to be. You just have to decide how you want to present your brand!

So, do you want to blend in or stand out?

Let’s Unpack This Concept:

You can use a standard, traditional product photos, branded social media or corporate headshot for your Business Website or LinkedIn Profile. Makes perfect sense. You want to appear professional. You want to look like you’re organized, approachable and most importantly, dependable.

And you want your products and services to sell.

All these things are really important qualities to have when you’re looking for new customers or a new job.

But you’re selling yourself short…

 

Rob runs the UI/UX design team for a $2B enterprise software company. But he doesn’t have to prove he can do it in his LinkedIn photo!

 

Reality is, everybody in the room wants to impress each other. And that’s why every single LinkedIn profile looks exactly the same. As humans, we want to fit in, but as individuals, we want to stand out. And with Active Lifestyle Photography you can stand out in a single frame.

It goes without saying your resume speaks for itself. But what if your profile photo revealed another whole side of you - one that might even spark an engaging conversation about something other than work? What if your profile photo showed you as a fun, energetic and charismatic person everybody loves to have around the office, job-site or on location for those extra long project days?

That’s the power of Active Lifestyle Photography. And it applies to every single aspect of your life - Social Media, LinkedIn, Dating, Family. You don’t have to fake anything. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not or do things you don’t really want to do just to be “cool.” Even if you take a jog every morning before heading to the office and that’s a fundamental part of how you bring your A-game to work - your Active Lifestyle is exactly what we’ll capture.

 
 
 

Frequently Asked Photography Services Questions

 
 
 

I’m a local, but have no idea where to go!

What are the best locations to shoot photos?




I’m glad you asked! I’ve created a comprehensive list of Local Locations to choose from. But obviously, I’m wide open to suggestion or if you have a specific type of activity that is not on my list, I am happy to suggest one.

Here are a few local locations I suggest:

 
 

But shhhhhh - they’re top secret!

 
 
 

I’m in Southern California for vacation - is this a good time to schedule a photoshoot?


Yes! Of course! There is no better time to capture fun moments with your family and friends - and I bet you’ve got lots of awesome activities already planned. So there is no need to change your schedule - I will come to you and shoot whatever you’re doing.


 
 
 

How do I get in touch or book my a photo session?

 

To get in touch, simply fill out my contact form and provide me with your details. I will get back to you ASAP. Dan Smarg Photography | Active Lifestyle Photos is based in Calabasas/Thousand Oaks, CA, but if you’re visiting town, no worries! I am happy to have a consultation with you via Skype or Facetime.

 
 
 
 

I’m a little self-conscious about how I look in photos…

Do you provide professional “Photoshopping” services like skin tone color adjustment, teeth whitening, red-eye reduction, fly-away hair smoothing, crows feet / blemish removal?

 

Yes, all your photos will receive professional color correction/touchups a.k.a. getting “Photoshop’d” with Lightroom so every photo you get will “pop.” In general, I am not one of those photographers that works on every photo so much that it just doesn’t look real.

I have heard so many times from friends and colleagues that when someone showed up for a date they looked nothing like their photo! You definitely don’t want this to be you. And the same goes for your professional headshot, LinkedIn profile or social media photos too. The trick is to “improve” some of the basics like whitening of the teeth, eyes and removing what we call “fly-aways” or loose hairs that happen to appear.

Think of these kind of touch-ups as the sort of enhancements that will invigorate your look without changing it. That being said, I am happy to alter your images any way you want. If you want more specialized work done on specific shots, feel free to order additional photos and include all the notes for what you want altered.

Here is a great example of a woman I worked with who has a really gorgeous “natural” look and she’s really very photogenic without any kind of artificial lighting. But even she looks a lot more striking with just a few basic changes to her photos.

 
 
 
 

Where will we shoot my photos - inside or outside?


I do not have a formal photography studio, but I can turn any location you want into a professional “Set!” That means I can bring the equivalent to a Vanity Fair cover shoot worth of professional lighting strobes, C-Stands with umbrellas and reflectors - the whole kit and kaboodle!

I just typically don’t because I work best with “natural light photography. That means I will usually ask you to invite a friend or partner you are comfortable with to help us capture your photos. Sure, I could hire an assistant to do that, but then my rates would be much higher and it would be a whole “production.” I prefer to work within your space and with people you are most confident around.

So if you want to shoot inside or outside or half way in between, I will bring the equipment I need to capture exactly what you’re looking for.

 
 
 
 

Do you shoot photos with artificial, studio-quality strobes or flash lighting?


Yes, I can absolutely do that. I always bring bounce cards and reflectors to every shoot, but if you want to artificially light your house or office or any location shoot, I have a separate lighting package that you can add to your booking for a small additional fee.

 
 
 
 

Do you offer Photo Prints & Frames?

 

Yes, I offer Custom Acrylic Prints including limited edition Fine Art Prints that are signed and can be displayed in your home or office.

Any photo we capture together can be converted into a print. I provide you a private gallery link that contains images for online viewing and sharing. If you want to print any of the images from your session

 
 

What is “Natural Light” Photography?

 

How many photos do you take per photoshoot session?

 

How many photos do I get when we’re done?

 
 

How are my photos delivered?

 

Do you provide full-resolution photos at the end of our photoshoot?

 

Do you offer archival photo storage online in the cloud?

 

DO I HAVE TO USE YOUR STUDIO FOR MY PRINTS/ALBUMS?

A lot of studios do the watermark thing or force you to print albums through them – we’re not big fans of that route. We do offer albums and prints through our studio, but the way we see it, you’ve invested a lot for your photos, so you should have the freedom to do what you want with them for personal use.

 
 

HOW ARE MY PHOTOS DELIVERED? WILL I RECEIVE ALL THE DIGITAL NEGATIVES? ARE THEY WATERMARKED?

We think when you’ve invested a substantial amount in your photographers, you should get ALL of the images. All packages include digital delivery of ALL your wedding photos delivered in High Res. No watermarks of any kind. The number of photos you’ll receive really depends on how long we’re there and how much time you allocate for photos, but you will usually end up with between 400 and 600 photos from your day.

 
 

CAN I GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC LIST OF PHOTOS WE WOULD LIKE?

Absolutely. Our goal is to work with you to create gorgeous wedding artwork that you’ll have to cherish for years to come. A specific list of must-have shots makes sure we don’t miss anything, so we love it, while at the same time we like to leave some room for creativity and originality – because your wedding is unique to you, so it deserves unique photography too!

 
 

DO YOU SHOOT IN COLOUR AND BLACK AND WHITE?
Yes, and YES! The beauty of shooting in Digital format is that we are able to produce ALL your photos in either colour or black and white! When we develop the photos in the studio we select the medium that works best for each image.

 
 

DO YOU SHOOT ON FILM OR DIGITAL?

Our studio shoots exclusively digital, most often using Canon 5D Mark iii’s as our main camera bodies. Digital means we can shoot WAY more photos during the day, fix any skin blemishes/colouring issues in photoshop, and deliver them to you far faster. While we certainly love the organic feel of film cameras, they come with a large set of limitations, risks and drawbacks that for us outweighs the gains.

 
 

HOW ARE MY PHOTOS DELIVERED? 

You want your photography to last a lifetime– and you it in the best possible quality! With everything moving online and onto the cloud, DVD’s and even USB’s are now going the same route of VHS. Seeing this trend coming we have switched exclusively to Online Client Galleries. This allows you to share your photography with your family and friends around the world at the click of a button, and make as many copies as you desire. Having copies also prevents the risk of losing your photos in a house fire or misplaced moving box (Trust us, it happens!)

One huge benefit of Online Galleries as opposed to USBs is it also allows us to get you your photos faster. Not having to wait for USB’s and CD’s to be printed and delivered before we can ship them out to you means we can cut our final delivery time by 4-5 WEEKS! Literally as soon as your photos are finished you can have access to your gallery.

 
 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECEIVE MY PHOTOGRAPHS?

We think year long turnaround times are crazy, and push to have your photographs finished in 4-6 weeks. That said backlogs in busy summer months can mean a LOT of editing, and we never want to compromise on quality in a rush to finish faster, so your contract will state it may take 8-10 weeks in case circumstances arise that prevent us from maintaining our 4-6 week estimate.

 
 

DO YOU REQUIRE MEALS AT THE RECEPTION?

We ask that you provide us with a meal at the reception, so that we are able to eat & recharge without needing to leave and miss any of the action!

 
 

HOW MANY HOURS OF COVERAGE ARE INCLUDED IN MY PACKAGE?

Coverage time is up to you! Anywhere from 6 to 60 hours of continuous wedding coverage – we’ll fit it to you. As a starting point we’d suggest 9 hours to capture the entire day. Should your wedding go longer than your chosen package includes, you are free to add as much coverage time as you’d like on the day.

 
 

DO YOU OFFER WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHY?

Yes, we are proud to be the only Okanagan studio offering both Photography & Wedding Films. Save10% off of video bookings with our sister studio, Tailored Fit Films. Wedding Film Packages start at $4000, however for those looking for a more basic option we offer a Full Wedding Ceremony & Speeches Video add on with our photography bookings for $1750.

 
 

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE?

As a collective studio we’ve been lucky enough to capture well over 100 incredible weddings, ranging from intimate elopements to high energy celebrations of 300+ people! Because of this we’re able to be confident and familiar with a very wide range of wedding styles and sizes.

 
 

HOW MANY WEDDINGS DO YOU PHOTOGRAPH? 

We LOVE what we do, an put our heart and soul into every wedding we’re lucky enough to photograph. Because of the amount of time and individual focus we want to put into every wedding, we have to limit the number of bookings we take per season to 15-20 annually. This way every wedding we photograph receives all the attention and time it deserves.

 
 

HOW MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR STUDIO? CAN I MEET MY PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE THE WEDDING?

Our Studio is lucky enough to have 3 incredibly talented lead photographers and several associate photographers. We offer a complimentary engagement shoot with every enquiry where you can have the chance to work with and get to know your photographer before you book. That said with so many of our brides being international or out of province,we’re always up for a Facetime or Skype meeting!

 
 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE?