Contact Us Today
Thank you for taking the time to visit our photographic portfolio site.
We love capturing the love between LGBTIQ couples and families but it doesn’t stop there. We also work closely with pink/gay-friendly businesses in developing imagery and video content. This includes everything from staff profile headshots for LinkedIn, company websites and social media right through to product photography and industry related exhibitions or speaking events.
So please get in touch with us by email: frank@samelove.com.au or telephone – 0424 736 662
If you are planning your wedding and would like to arrange a catch up at our Balmain studio, we would love to hear from you and what you have planned, so feel free to fill out the questionnaire below.
FAQ’s
……………………………….
Wedding Day Schedule
Q: We were hoping to get your advice, we want to spend as much time with our guests but of course also want to dedicate enough time to taking photos! How do we manage the day to make the most of each aspect?
A: Of course, there is a solution where you can have both. Because you are getting ready together, have you considered bringing your portrait session forward, so that it’s before the ceremony? This way once you regroup with your guests, you can remain with them and not have to disappear from your celebration.
Q: Can you recommend any amazing locations that aren’t too far away from our ceremony and reception venue?
A: Yes, naturally the location has to work with the timing schedule of your day. There are so many awesome places in Sydney and Melbourne, it simply comes down to taste, preference and any travel time required. Would you prefer a green/parklands backdrop, an industrial city backdrop or a beach backdrop? With this information I can get Frank to contact you with some options to chose from.
Q: The dreaded question, what if it rains?
A: Cloudy weather is actually better for photos than bright sunny days because the clouds diffuse the light making it more flattering. No Squinting or harsh shadows or blown out skies. A little bit of rain will not be a problem for us, it’s simply more a case of – are you happy to shoot in light rain with umbrellas? Alternatively, a wet weather option is always planned in case the weather turns for the worst. Some locations require permits that may cost a fee, however our first instinct is to offer a couple of public options that do not require prior permission or permits, unless of course it is a specific location you have requested. If you look outside and it’s overcast, thank your lucky stars, it’s a good thing. Also, depending on your chosen venue, they may offer or provide a Plan B as part of your booking. Regardless, we will make it work.
Q: Would it be useful to provide you with our reception schedule?
A: Absolutely, any information that will help the team know when key events are taking place are definitely helpful, feel free to email it to frank@samelove.com.au. Typically, the venue won’t finalise your schedule until around 2 weeks before your wedding date. The MC is or DJ, if you have either booked, are always our main point of call with regard to the reception schedule, so if you have it, great, if you don’t, that’s totally fine.
Q: How do we know when the photographer will be where?
A: Great question, a week before the wedding we will provide you with a call sheet, a document that outlines when and where the team will be. This includes contact numbers, travel times, parking maps for the second shooter etc. It’s a document useful for all involved. We begin drafting it upon our first meet, but as timings may move around between our meet and the wedding day, we will double check and make any amendments a week before.
Q: Will the photographer have their own transport?
A: Yes, no need to worry about that. We also foot the bill for any parking or tolls and don’t surprise you with an invoice after the wedding.
……………………………….
Destination Weddings
Q: We are planning to wed in Europe, would Frank be available?
A: Yes, Frank has his EU passport and is usually in Europe during the European Summer (e.g. June, July, August). Depending on where you are planning your wedding, travelling costs between the countries will apply and 2 x nights accommodation (the day before and the day of). He will arrive a day before the wedding to scout the location, catch up with you and if available, start photographing things like your rings, wedding attire and other details synonymous with the day so that more time can be spent on you.
……………………………….
Inclusions
Q: What do we get with the photography only package?
A: Included in the package, you will have two photographers capturing your day. Each photographer will capture alternate moments to ensure all the key moments are recorded. Once the wedding is over, Frank will go through and make a selection – usually 200 photos for every hour, sometimes he gets a bit snap happy and there will be more. They are edited using Lightroom and you will receive the edits in both high and low resolution formats on USB, high res for any printing needs and low res for online sharing and email. A private password protected online gallery is also included, perfect for sharing to friends and family if they will far way, interstate or overseas. Guests can download the high res file as a keepsake and further order prints should they wish to. Downloading files is free, naturally prints are priced according to size. Custom designed thank you cards are also included, once you select your photo, Frank will add any wording you like or keep the card blank for a handwritten message. Frank also includes a gift which is not included, so you’ll have to wait and see.
Q: What’s the deal with the album?
A: Our albums are made by a company in New Zealand called Queensberry. The quality is second to none, they are hand assembled and the best we’ve ever used. The main album is a 10x14inch horizontal album with 28 pages, a large enough size that fits around 100 photos. The cover options include micro leathers in a range of colours, with or without embossing, although the embossing of your names on the front looks fantastic. When making your image selection for your album, you can simply do this by providing the image number or jumping onto the online gallery, setting up a free login and favouriting your images. Frank can then log in and see the images you’ve chosen.
Q. How long does it take?
A: Once your images have been selected, Frank will have the first draft to you within a week. You can make any adjustments and then once the album is finalised, it generally takes 4 weeks to come back from NZ.
Q. Are there other cover options besides leather?
A: Yes of course, there are a range of vegan cover materials such as faux leathers and Japanese silks that come in a range of colours along with buckram options which are cotton based cloth. Embossing is available for both the faux leather and buckrams but not the silks as they are too delicate. Frank has sample swatches of each so that you can see them in person or a link will be provided for you to see the options online.
Q. Are there any alternatives to an album, can we get a hard cover book?
A: Yes, Queensberry also create coffee table style books, the base book comes with 60 pages so you can fit a lot more photos in them. It is the same size as the album, 10x14inch and can chose from the same cover materials and are custom designed using the same process.
Q: Do you offer smaller albums that we can gift to our parents or special family members and friends?
A: Yes, we certainly do. They are literally half the size of the couple album, a 7x10inch size with the same amount of pages. The design of the album must be a replica of the main album, one adjustment and the manufacturer considers it to be a separate design thus incurs a nominal fee.
Q: If we add pages to the main album, will this also apply to the parent books?
A: Yes
……………………………….
About Booking Same Love
Q: Will we get an opportunity to chat with Frank or our photographer?
A: Of course, Frank is accessible and can arrange to call you or even FaceTime you if you have any questions. I can also see if he’s available now if you like (only if they insist).
Q: What if the photographer gets sick?
A: Frank is a trooper and never dishonours his bookings, but of course, if there was something very serious and he couldn’t photograph your wedding, we’d get in touch and his primary photographer would capture your day.
Q: What if there are two weddings on the same day, will Frank chose the best one?
A: No, Frank commits to the first booking, if a second booking arises, they are appointed another photographer from the team from the onset.
Q: How do we lock you in?
A: We simply take a flat deposit of $1000 and provide you with a wedding agreement to sign and return to us. We then countersign it and return it to you for your records. An invoice will be sent to you with EFT details to transfer the deposit. We offer a 7 day cooling off period. The final package amount is due two weeks before the wedding date, an invoice will be sent to you via our accounting software called Xero.
Q: Can we pay portions of the bill between now and the wedding day?
A: Yes if that’s convenient for you. The only thing we ask is to send us an email with the remittance so we know definitively who it belongs to and we will update your account to keep track.
Q: Can we pay using a credit card?
A: Yes you can via our online store. If you would like to purchase your wedding package or a package as a gift on behalf of a couple, we can direct you to the correct product. Payment includes Credit Card and Paypal.
Q: Do we need to provide crew meals at the reception?
A: If the photographer/s is required for more that 1.5 hours into the reception, a crew meal must be provided.