Frequently Asked Questions for Commercial Photography in Sydney

For a lot of businesses commercial photography in Sydney is not normally something you shop around for every second week and understandably there are a lot of questions with regards to how it all works. We have answered the more common questions here however if you have a query with regards to something not talked about please send us an email or leave a comment on our blog and we will be more than happy to answer your question(s).

Q: How many photographers do you have?
A: This also answers the question of “who will be our photographer?” Every photograph seen on anything talking about DC Images has been taken by Dale however we have regularly provided a second photographer when requested.

Q: How big is the team you work with?
A: This will depend upon the shoot we are being asked to carry out but generally speaking on the day it would be the photographer and one assistant.

Q: Will you hold a shoot date while we decide?
A: Yes. Complete the appropriate form and a shooting date will be held, however please note that if you cancel within two-weeks of any confirmed date, we will charge a half-day fee for each day canceled. If you cancel within one week of a scheduled day, we will charge a full-day fee for each day canceled.

Q: Are you a member of the AIPP?
A: Yes, Dale is a fully accredited member of the AIPP and all of the awards DC Images have received have been won by Dale.

Q: Are you insured?
A: Absolutely, among other key aspects we have public liability insurance for ten-million dollars.

Q: Do you shoot with film or digital cameras?
A: We have been shooting with digital cameras since 2004

Q: How much time should we allow for planning a shoot?
A: We like hearing this question because when we do not hear it the alarm bells really start ringing. In short the old chest nut “by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail” always applies however the amount of time needed will depend entirely upon the shoot being carried out.

Q: How many photographs do you take/do we get?
A: Again this will depend entirely upon the shoot being carried out and will be finalised during the preparation. Always bear in mind however that the idea is quality not quantity.

Q: Do we get every single photo that you take on the day?
A: Generally yes, we do delete the odd image on the day where we may have tested the exposure in a difficult lighting environment or when a person has clearly blinked in the shot.

Q: Do you shoot RAW or JPEG?
A: RAW

Q: Do you provide us with high resolution digital files of every photograph?
A: Yes. This too will be finalised in the preparation of a shoot but at worst 300dpi JPEGs are supplied.

Q: Do you store/archive the digital files?
A: Yes. Every digital file/photograph we ever take is archived onto external hard-drives and these are placed in a Chubb safe. Please note that our safe is exactly the same as the police use for their evidence, is fireproof and maintains a safe internal temperature for three to four hours regardless of how hot the outside gets. It might be a little over the top but we consider the original files of what we do extremely important.

Q: Do you include prints?
A: No. We are more than happy to but generally a client has so many areas they wish to use the images we provide that we simply provide the digital files on DVD.

Q: Are you able to tailor a shoot to suit our needs?
A: Absolutely, just let us know what you are looking for and we will put together something to suit.

Q: How long after the shoot date should we expect to wait to get our photos?
A: It can be one week or less but in cases where special requests are made turnaround times can be more. Again, depending upon your needs turnaround times will vary.

Q: How do we book?
A: Simply complete the booking form and pay the agreed deposit.

Q: Should we provide you with a meal during a shoot?
A: It would be appreciated but we can look after ourselves we think.

Q: Do you supply videography services?
A: No, we specialise in photography but we have a couple of people we work with regularly and can confidently recommend.

Q: What kind of camera do you use?
A: Nikon D-SLR

Q: What sort of lighting do you use?
A: Natural light, natural light and more natural light (where possible of course). We prefer to use a camera mounted flash as little as possible and we do use a hand-held video light from time to time. In a studio environment we will of course use the appropriate studio lighting (ie: umbrella, soft-boxes etc).

Q: What software do you use primarily?
A: Adobe Photoshop

We hope that the above has helped to some degree with regards to commercial photography in Sydney. Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you have any further questions.