Frequently Asked Questions
Here you will find a few frequently asked questions about our products and services. If you don't find the answer to your question here please call or email us and we will be glad to help you.
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How long has Houston Event Photography been in business?
We started our company in 1976 as Wilson's Photography in Lake Jackson, TX. At first we where a photography company that took portraits and weddings. In 1983 We moved to the Houston area and continued our wedding photography business. In the early 1990's we decided to start offering our services to commercial clients offering event photography and commercial product photography. By 1999 our business had completely changed directions and we became a leader in special event photography.
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Do you still offer wedding photography?
Yes for some clients we do offer traditional wedding services. But most of our clients know us for our portrait stations and open
photo booths more then they know about our wedding services. At many wedding we are not the "Wedding Photographer" but we are the secondary photographer who captures great portraits of the guests and send them home with a instant photo printed at our portrait station as a special gift from the bride and groom.
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Do you print photos out at events?
Yes. This is our specialty and has been since the early 90's. We can print sizes from 4 x 6 to 8 x 12 on location using our photo printers we utilize in our mobile photo carts. These carts are self contained units that house two printers for faster printing, A computer, network routers and high speed internet along with other needed supplies. We roll them in and plug them up and we are ready to start printing.
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How many prints can you do per hour?
This is a question we are asked all the time. Our printers are capable of producing a 4 x 6 print in less than 7 seconds, Our 5 x 7 prints in 12 seconds and the larger 8 x 10 prints in 30 seconds. So you can see we can print pretty fast. The only restrictions to how fast we can work is how fast can the photo line keep moving. It takes time to pose, photograph and reset for the next person. So the printing is normally faster than getting the next person ready.
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How can we make things go faster for our large events?
We suggest that you have some of your staff or friends to help us manage the line. We will gladly do this for you but it will cost you for the extra manpower if we provide them. Let your guest know that you have limited time so please keep the line moving as quick as possible. People now always want to see their pictures when we take them and it really slows down the line. At large events we can't let them do that are we would never get finished on time. So tell them we take two photos and choose the best to print. If you have a celebrity on hand people always want to talk and get signatures. Let them know the time if limited and we must keep the line moving.
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How can my guest get more pictures?
We always offer to put the photos on-line for your guest to be able to view, share and order additional prints. We also offer a digital download for a slight additional charge to cover the cost of hosting the pictures and the bandwidth required for the downloads. On-line they can share the photos by email or on social media sites. We try to always have the photos on-line with 24-48 hours after a event. May times they are on-line within hours.
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Is there a minimum time limit for instant printing?
We do have a minimum time of 3 hours that we charge to make it profitable for our company to be part of your event. However we do make exceptions sometimes depending on the circumstances. If you are planning your event during the work week and not on a weekend or holiday we may be able to provide our service for less then 3 hours. During December we are usually totally booked during the day shooting Santa photos or corporate parties and we make no exceptions during the month of December.
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When will you arrive for my event?
Typically we are always early. I try to always be on location at least a hour prior to the start time to get my equipment set up and make sure everything is ready before the start time. Depending on the location I may arrive 2-3 hours early.
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What can I do to assist you in preparing for your arrival at my event?
Make sure that the staff at your event location know we are coming. Many times they are not prepared and we are a after thought so they have to move stuff around to accommadate us or put us in a bad location. We will always need at least 10 x 15 feet of space near a electrical outlet. We also need at least one 6 foot table and a couple of chairs.
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Are you insured?
Yes! We are fully insured and can provide certificates of insurance if needed. Many photographers are not so this is one question you should ask of any photographer you are considering. Many event venues require this before they will allow outside contractors into their facilities.
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Do you have back up equipment in case something happens or you have equipment failures?
Yes! This is another good question to ask any professional photographer. Things happen. We are always prepared for them when they do. We have back-up equipment with us always. Our vehicles are reliable and fully equipped with back up gear in case we need it.
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How can we pay you?
We accept cash, checks and major credit cards. Many of our corporate accounts are billed after the event if approved. We usually don't require deposits unless we feel it necessary. Credit cards are billed the day of the event just prior to our arrival. If there are any extra expenses they will be charged or billed after the event.
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How experienced or your employees?
All of my photographers are seasoned and mature veteran photographers. We are not like many companies who employee photographers who are just starting out seeking experience. Most of our staff photographers have been photographers for 10 - 20 years or more and some hold degrees in photography. Our support staff are usually also cross trained to assist as photographers as needed but they are never assigned the duties of the staff photographers without their direct supervision.
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Do you offer Green Screen Photography?
Yes! We are one of the leaders in this field of photography and have been offering it for over 14 years now. We fill that we offer a superior product compared to other companies that offer green screen. We also custom design our back grounds in house to match the theme of your event. We can also brand the photos with text and logos from your company or sponsors.
What do we need to do to hire your company for our event?
Just give us a call land we will gladly assist you and explain our services and pricing. After you have time to review our proposal simply mail or email us back your confirmation and contract and we will place you on our schedule. You may also review our contacts and request a proposal electronically here http://www.houstoneventphotography.com/contracts_pricelist.htm
Well we hope this has helped answer your questions. If not please contact us and we will be happy to assist you in any way.
Houston Event Photography
832-250-8897
[email protected]