Original subtitles

Client Skype.

So this is where we meet with potential

clients.

They've seen our work, right?

They've scoured our website and our blog or

our Instagram page.

They've also seen our pricing.

And they also know a few things about

our approach because I've started educating them in

that email.

There's a few important things to know about

the Skype before we actually show you what

it looks like in person.

Now, it's important that both parties, as in

the entire couple, or maybe it's a threesome

if it's a polyamorous wedding, but everybody is

on the call.

And this is important because we want everybody

on the same page.

We don't want them just hiring us because

one of them wants us.

We want them hiring us because both of

them want us.

And both of them need to be part

of the education process as well.

And we've noticed, actually, I know a lot

of photographers really tailor their marketing and their

wording towards the bride because it's often the

bride making the decision.

But we found the opposite's true.

We really market and tailor often more towards

the groom.

Because if we can get the groom on

board, if we can get the groom comfortable,

if we can get on that friends level

with the groom, then our booking rate is

usually really, really successful.

So the second really important thing to know

about the Skype is that it's not a

sales session.

We are not going into the Skype trying

to get them to close the deal.

This Skype is really just an education session.

It's a session where we can hear more

about their wedding, we can get to know

them more, they can get comfortable with us,

they can see our personalities, we can talk

about what we value, but more importantly, it's

educating them.

It's educating them on what they're getting themselves

into.

And actually a few times we've had some

clients want to hire us without the Skype.

They've been ready to book on the spot

once they've got our pricing.

But we always make them do the Skype

with us.

And the way I usually word that is

I'm like, you know, I really want you

guys to know what you're getting yourselves into

with us before you commit to it.

Right?

So, and this is really just educating them

on our process, obviously getting interested in them

and their wedding, but it's really about making

sure we're all on the same page.

So now we're gonna go to an actual

Skype or Zoom that we've pre-recorded and

you can see what it actually looks like.

Brr.

Hey guys.

Hey.

Oh, you guys are muted.

We can't hear you.

Push the microphone.

Push the little microphone.

Bottom left.

Ah, there you go.

All right.

We're not used to Zoom meetings.

Yeah, we're not used to Zoom meetings.

All right.

So you guys are in Chicago right now,

eh?

Yeah, it's snowing.

It's, oh, it's snowing here too.

So you guys live in Chicago, that's where,

and is that why you chose Chicago for

your location at your wedding?

Yeah, we grew up here.

We've lived here for, yeah, ever.

And yeah, we just wanna make the city

a part of the wedding.

Like our families are all from here and

the family's so important.

We just wanted everyone to be like, make

it easy for everyone.

Yeah, totally.

Awesome.

And where exactly are you getting married there?

So we're getting married at the Knickerbocker Hotel.

It's just, it's a really cool 1920s hotel

downtown, has a light up dance floor and

all that.

Okay, that sounds awesome.

And like, how big a wedding are you

thinking?

I think that our guest list right now

is like 225.

Yeah, fingers crossed, a little less.

Yeah, yeah, we're hoping like 175.

Yeah.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, cool.

And what are you like most excited about

with your wedding?

Oh, other than getting married.

Other than getting married.

Well, I'm glad that's what you're most excited

about.

Uh, I would just definitely just say like

for me, just having friends and family together,

dancing and like, you know, having fun, just

celebrating.

Good music, good booze.

Yeah.

So you guys sound like you're totally like

in line with exactly the things that we

love about weddings, which is like, yeah, friends

and family, connection, getting together, just having fun.

Yeah.

Really helping me out here a bit.

Yeah, and we would continue guys, just, you

know, like making this small talk, genuinely learning

and getting excited about their wedding for a

while.

Yes.

Okay, we'll skip through a lot of that,

what would happen, because that might be 20

minutes, that might be 30 minutes, depending on

when the time feels right, we'll kind of

steer the conversation into an opportunity for us

to explain what to expect from us.

Yeah.

And that's how we'll often.

Yeah, so we might say something like, so

what was it that sort of attracted you

guys to the photography that you saw on

our site?

For me, I know like I looked at

so many photographers and you guys just kind

of stood out.

You know, I was like doing hashtag weddings

on Instagram and like every time I picked

a photo, it was like yours.

And it was just like, it was so,

I don't know what the word for it,

like, I don't know if it's like the

filter you use or what, but like, it's

just like the colors were really like.

And everybody just looked so happy.

Yeah.

Okay, cool, so that's good to hear because

that's really what we're trying to do with

our photos is make you feel something.

So if you're feeling people being happy on

our photos, I'm glad that's coming through.

So why don't we, I'm sure you guys

have some questions for us, but why don't

we take you through what it would look

like if you hired Lani and I to

shoot our wedding, what you could expect from

us.

What you're getting yourselves into.

Basically what you're getting yourselves into.

And right, you know, from now, all the

way to the delivery of the images.

And then if you have any questions after

that, we can go there.

Does that sound okay?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay, so first off, if at all possible,

we would love to get together with you

guys for an engagement shoot.

And I know that's not on the price

sheet that I sent you, but it's something

that we try and include with all the

couples that we, whose weddings we photograph.

And mostly because when we show up on

your wedding day, it's really important that we're

just friends with cameras.

That we're like.

So we feel like friends with cameras and

you feel like.

And you feel, yeah.

We're friends with cameras.

Exactly, yeah.

And so if we can get together for

an engagement shoot, have some drinks together, go

out for dinner together, you know, it gives

us time to sort of, what's the words

I'm looking for here?

Gives us time to practice.

And it gives you time to practice on

the other side of the camera.

And we get comfortable with each other.

Yeah, we'll make, I mean, obviously we'll make

some nice photos as well, while we're at

it, right?

But for us, honestly, it's more about just

that opportunity to hang out with you guys

before your wedding.

And get to know each other a little

bit more, right?

Kind of get on that friends vibe.

Because that allows us at your wedding to

shoot from within versus from outside.

Like as an outsider looking in, like the

hired help, we're part of the wedding, we

can be in.

That's how we can capture how everything feels,

right?

Because we can be in there and be

a part of it.

Yeah, and that's kind of one of the

very key things to know about our approach

is that it's very documentary.

Which means that we don't really stage or

direct anything.

Outside of portraits.

Once we get to portraits, of course we've

got your back and we're telling you what

to do and where to go and what

to stand and all that sort of stuff.

But the rest of the day is very

documentary.

So we're just photographing reality, how it plays

out.

And like Lanny mentioned, we're really trying to

photograph from that inside perspective.

So we're certainly not, I wouldn't describe us

as the most discreet photographers.

Like we're not, you know, in the corner

hiding behind the plant or the curtains, trying

to be invisible.

Because I really feel like the best way

for us to be invisible is to just

always be there.

Yeah.

Yeah, you basically, you acclimatize to our presence,

essentially.

It only takes like, seriously, five or 10

minutes.

I mean, it's always, we're always a little

bit awkward around cameras because we're trained our

whole lives that when a camera comes out,

life stops.

We gotta hold our breath.

We gotta smile.

We gotta say cheese, right?

So, but the cool thing about the documentary

approach is what that means is we're not

asking anybody to do anything for us, ever,

or not do anything for us or move

here for us, okay?

So it doesn't take long for that self

-consciousness to just go away, right?

And then we're simply just reacting to whatever's

happening, right?

It is what it is.

And we're gonna basically, as creatively as possible,

tell that story, right?

Without, and the reason for that is because

when we give you your photos, we're gonna

change your memories from the wedding.

And I don't want your photos to remind

you about, oh yeah, that's when Lani asked

me to go and do this in the

perfect light for the fourth time, right?

I want it, we want it to remind

you, oh yeah, that's, I remember when that

happened or I remember what I was feeling

when that was happening.

Yeah, and the other reason we do it

is that we feel like reality is much

more interesting, especially on a wedding day.

There's so much happening.

There's so many relationships and histories and reality

is actually so much more interesting than anything

that we can stage or make up.

And we just have to be open to

what's happening.

So that's a really, really important part about

our approach.

You'll also notice on the sheet that we

sent you that we don't limit ourselves to

hours because we don't want you guys to

constrain your wedding day at all to our

schedule.

It's your wedding day.

It's not a photo shoot.

So Eileen, whenever you start getting ready in

the morning, I'm there, right?

And then same with Lani, Ed, whenever you

start getting ready in the morning and it's

nice, Lani and I will tell those stories

simultaneously as separate photographers.

Yeah, yeah, so I mean, anything you don't

want, anything you do want documented, just hold

off until I get there, right?

Yeah.

And also, I mean, we only do 10

to 15 weddings per year.

So, I mean, if we're doing your wedding,

we're doing it.

Right, we're not gonna be limiting ourselves to

winning an hour package.

We're there, we're in it to win it.

Every wedding is like an art project for

us.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

And then basically when Eric and I come

together, you know, after you guys are ready,

you guys come together for your ceremony or

your first look or whatever.

From that point forward, Eric and I basically

work together as a team and we go

until the end of the wedding, whenever that

may be.

Yeah, I mean, you guys are gonna have

an awesome lit up dance floor.

We're gonna be, you know, recording all the

debauchery that takes place.

Yeah, we wanna tell the whole story, right?

From when it starts until it ends.

Another important thing to know is we're not

the photographers who will shoot your wedding on

Saturday and deliver your photos on Wednesday, okay?

So good things come to those who wait.

And the wedding itself is only the start

of the creative process for us.

We'll be living and breathing your wedding for

up to 12 weeks, okay?

So that's how long it takes us to

carefully call and curate all the photos and

then, you know, do all the custom toning

and post-production and get everything ready to

deliver to you.

We'll try to get you some sneak peeks

as soon as we can, like a few

teasers to just tidy over.

But then we're gonna take the time and

put all the care and attention to making

sure those photos are ready to do your

memories justice, okay?

Yeah.

And sorry.

Yeah, I was just gonna say there is

a...

So, I mean, we often come home with

a wedding from a wedding with like about

15,000 frames.

We shoot a lot.

It's just sort of the way our creative

process works.

But we don't deliver you that many, don't

worry.

That would be a huge disservice to you

if we gave you all those photos, because

- Is there a way for us to

see them all though?

You don't wanna see them.

I don't want to, no.

You won't wanna see them all, because most

of them are just my auntie and I

exploring around, testing out light, figuring out what

the best position for our camera is and

all that sort of stuff.

So, but we do, we'll call that down.

We usually call it down to around 1

,000 to 1,500.

So you still get a ton of photos

from your wedding.

And it's not like I'm trying to call

it down to a specific number.

If there's a photo in there of an

aunt that even if it's slightly out of

focus, but it's the only photo of that

aunt, I'm gonna make sure that you guys

get it.

Yeah, basically we're not gonna take out anything

that you guys are gonna wanna see.

It's kind of part of what you're hiring

us for is that curation, that discerning eye

that we bring, because again, those memories, we

know that this one quintessential photograph of that

moment is going to like, let that moment

shine forever in your memory more than giving

you the 12 other- Mediocre shots.

Less awesome variations of that moment, right?

Yeah, it'd kind of be like, going to

see the Mona Lisa and then going to

see all the replicas, right?

Or not the replicas, or the test pieces

that you did in order to get there.

Let's just say we deliver 1,500 images

from your wedding.

What we do is, you guys saw those

sample slideshows I sent you?

Yeah, so what we do is we take

the images that we feel tell the best

story of your wedding day.

The ones that really represent your families and

your friends and the feeling that you guys

really want from your wedding day.

And we put those in a slideshow for

you guys, like you saw, right?

So every single image that we delivered to

you, all 15,000, get custom- Sorry,

1,500.

Get custom-owned and processed to look and

feel the way that we want.

The images that go, the photographs that go

on your slideshow get even further processing.

A little extra TLC.

A little extra TLC.

Like that's where Lanny will go in and

take out hydro lines in the background or

remove an exit sign or really make the

color pop in some way.

And he's spending upwards of half an hour

to an hour per an image with those.

So we obviously don't do that to every

single photo because you would be waiting five

or 10 years for your wedding photos if

that were the case.

So we do that to anything that's going

to go in your album, anything that's going

to go on your slideshow, anything that you're

going to get printed off as artwork, anything

that's ever going to see the light of

day is going to get that full custom

processing.

And to be quite honest, there's not a

huge difference between that first level of processing

and that second level.

There is for someone like Lanny, who's got

like this obsessive eye.

But for me, like for most people, when

I look at those pictures side by side,

I don't really notice that much of a

difference.

Well, because basically, I mean, we're not going

to deliver anything to you from your wedding

that we're not super proud of, right?

That is up to our exacting standards, right?

But we just take it a little further

and a little more obsessively on those ones

that we're going to put into your slideshow.

Yeah.

And that slideshow actually, we'll call it the

world wedding premiere of Ed and Eileen's wedding.

We're going to basically organize a date night.

You guys are going to organize a date

night, schedule a time for you guys to

be snuggled up on the couch side by

side.

You'll actually have to text us a photo

of yourselves with a glass of wine, prove

to us that you are ready.

And then we'll send you a link to

that slideshow and you can relive the wedding.

And while you're watching the slideshow, we'll be

uploading all the rest of your photos that

we're delivering to a gallery for you.

Yeah.

An online gallery.

Yeah.

Yeah, so that's pretty much what you can

expect from us in terms of how we

work and timelines and all that sort of

stuff.

Was there any surprises in there for you

guys or anything you didn't quite expect?

I don't think any surprises.

Yeah, I don't think surprises.

Just to clarify though, like the slideshow photos,

if I do pick a photo that's like

not in the slideshow photo that I want

like a print of, you said that Lanny

would definitely like edit that though.

The extra TLC.

Yes.

Yeah, and that's, you know, I mean, if

you're getting like a five by seven print

of one of your family shots, it's not

going to need a lot of extra TLC,

but if you're getting something that's, you know,

a 40 by 60 that you're hanging on

your wall, yes, we definitely want to give

that a little extra TLC because the larger

you blow up the print, the more you

see the details in there.

So, and it's really good, you know, if

you can get that stuff printed through us

as well, we have a really trustworthy printers.

Plus when you're blowing things up huge, there's

often tiny little details that we don't like.

I did one for a client last week

and her dress, for example, she was tiny

in the frame and she was in this

big mountain scape.

And when I looked at it at 40

by 60, I looked at the edge of

her dress and there was this little purple

haze, which is called chromatic operation.

It's a photography thing.

At 40.

Anyways, you know, that's the kind of thing

that we'll see and we'll take care of

and make sure it's perfect before it goes

to the printer.

So what we're saying is let us know,

if you're going to go loud and proud

with one of your photos, if we haven't

given it our full touch yet, we will.

Yeah, exactly.

And then just to go back to like

engagement sessions, like, do you guys come to

us?

Like, do we go to you?

Yeah, so if we're in Chicago in the

next 12 months, we're totally happy to, you

know, schedule an extra day there and make

sure, but I don't think we have any

trips coming up to Chicago, but we are

in the States.

So you can either fly and meet us

somewhere or you can come and do an

engagement session here in the Canadian Rockies, which

is an amazing place to do an engagement

session.

If we have to fly to you, there

would be an extra charge for that, obviously.

But if we can meet somewhere where we

already are, or you can come to us,

that's our preference.

And again, it's not an essential thing, but

you know, if it's a priority, we're basically,

we're going to be in touch from now

until your wedding.

And if there's any chance that our paths

are going to cross somewhere in the world

between now and the wedding, we're going to

try to make that happen for you guys.

And if it is a real priority, then,

you know, let us know and we can

start looking at flights and stuff.

I mean, what if, so like Tess and

Susie's a photographer.

What if we wanted just Susie to do

our engagement session instead?

Would we be able to like cut a

little bit off the price?

No.

Yeah, so the, yeah, the engagement session really

isn't included in the package.

It's just something we try and do with

all our couples, if possible.

But yeah, if your cousin Susie's able to

do those for you, it is nice if

we can get together before your wedding though,

if possible.

Well, Susie can do the photos and we'll

just go out for drinks.

Yeah, we could do that.

So like, but if you guys are coming

to Chicago, could we do it like the

day before the wedding?

Or do you like, like.

Yeah, we can totally do it before the

wedding.

Yeah.

Or some couples, I mean, we're coming all

the way to Chicago anyways.

Some couples choose to do it the day

after the wedding.

It's not really an engagement session then.

It's usually, it's like a day after session.

But if we're already in Chicago and we're

traveling all the way there, we just need

an extra night hotel room and we could

do it the day after the wedding as

well.

Yeah.

You can put your dress on again.

Go make some wedding day portraits the day

after.

Yeah.

Awesome.

I guess the other thing too, like have

you guys ever shot in Chicago before?

Yeah.

No, we haven't.

We haven't shot in Chicago.

Yeah.

Which is actually really exciting because we love

shooting in new places.

Like it's like when we go to a

new location or a new venue or a

new city, it's almost like this blank canvas

and we feel like creative, like we go

out of our way not to look at

anybody's work.

Like we will not Google Chicago wedding photographers

because then we'll be looking at other people's

work and the end result of their creative

process.

We love to go into places with like

a completely blank slate.

Well, I mean, that's pretty much our philosophy.

We try for every wedding to just to

show up and arrive with no expectations or

preconceptions about what's gonna happen, what kind of

photos we are gonna try to be making

because then we're invariably like imposing some sort

of vision and trying to make your wedding

photos look like photos from some other wedding,

right?

In another place.

So we try to just be this blank

canvas and that allows us to just see

and appreciate.

What's unique and special about your wedding?

In your location.

In your location.

The way that the light's happening.

With your people and your humans and your

family and your friends, right?

Because inevitably that's what makes your wedding unique.

Right?

Because every wedding has a venue and a

first kiss and most of them have a

cake cutting and a first dance.

But what makes the wedding unique is much

deeper than all of that stuff.

And then that's what makes the photos unique

too.

Yeah.

Because that's what keeps us curious and excited.

So like having never photographed in Chicago, we're

gonna be at our creative peak essentially, right?

Because we're the most excited we'll ever be,

to be in Chicago.

So like we have the trolley for two

hours.

So we're doing a first look and then

we have the trolley for two hours to

go around to different places for photos.

Would you guys look location scout?

Or is it on us?

Yeah.

So that's a really good question.

So first of all, we would try and

get there at least two days in advance.

A, so that we can have a day

to look around and familiarize ourself with the

area.

And B, just in case flight delays, you

never know these days, right?

But I would ask you guys, just because

we aren't from Chicago, to maybe narrow it

down to two or three special places where

you think you might wanna get photos done.

And then we would just go check out

those locations.

And most of the- The day before.

The day before, yeah.

And most of the time, last wedding we

shot, the bride had picked out three locations

and two of them were really great.

And one, it just really wasn't worth it

from a photographic standpoint.

And we would just honest with you about

that, right?

So just pick a couple of locations and

- And really, it doesn't take us that

long to do it.

We go there, we have a look around,

just enough to get the lay of the

land and figure it out.

Okay, yeah, there's great variety here.

We're gonna be able to make some great

photos with you guys.

Or, you know what?

This is gonna be a little bit challenging

to get good variety.

Maybe we'll pick another place.

But we're not actually scouting out specific photos.

And if you guys have some special places,

maybe where you got engaged or a special

park or area of the city that's really

special to you, let's go do your photos

there.

Awesome.

Yeah, and then in terms of on the

wedding day itself, as we get closer, we'll

work together with you guys on the timeline

and figuring out if portraits are a priority

for you, then when are we gonna do

that, right?

Because we would rather have 20 minutes in

good light than two hours at high noon,

right?

So we might be able to structure the

day to find a good time to kind

of pull you away for a half an

hour and go make portraits.

Okay.

One thing that we were talking about before,

we saw another photographer that we saw online.

They have like, I don't know what it

is.

Like everything looks a lot more white.

Yeah, it's just really bright.

I think you'll call it light and airy.

It's just very dreamy looking.

Like, do you guys edit like that as

well?

Because I know you guys are very like,

the blacks are just very like.

Yeah, we love literally everything that you do,

but can you make your pictures a little

bit more brighter?

Like more, yeah, like Eileen said, more dreamy

looking.

Yeah.

More dreamy, bright and airy.

Yeah.

Well, the first thing I'd ask is which

do you prefer?

Like which look, which photos speak to you

more?

Which sort of style speaks to you more?

What do you guys say?

We definitely think you guys.

It's just like, it does catch our eye

like once in a while.

I'm like, oh my God, she looks like

she's an angel.

You know?

Right, right.

So both.

So both, yeah.

So, well, it depends on a few things

really.

It depends on what the light is like

when we're shooting.

There's so many different factors that factor into

the end result of the image.

There is the editing, but I'd say that's

a pretty small factor in the grand scheme

of things.

But yeah, if you look on our website,

you can see a few things that could

probably be categorized as light and airy, if

you wanted to put that in a box.

But mostly what I hope you guys see

in our website is the uniqueness of each

wedding and each couple.

And I hope the photos make you feel

something.

If our editing or if the photos don't

do that, if you get distracted by the

editing, then I would probably recommend that you

find a photographer's work that doesn't make you

feel anything.

That's absolutely what it boils down to.

You just, you gotta go, you gotta dig

into the work and not just the portfolio

reel, right?

Not just the highlights.

Dig into blog posts and get a sense

of the work that that photographer consistently produces

because that's the result of not only the

way that they edit, but the way that

they light, the way that they shoot, the

way that they expose and ultimately the way

that they see and experience the world.

And that's inherently different for all of us.

So you have to like genuinely feel that,

yes, the work speaks to me.

I love the work because you can't hire

photographer A and expect them to do what

photographer B does because they see the world

differently, right?

So that's the main thing is just really

make sure that you love the work because

what you see is what you're gonna get.

Yeah, so I wouldn't want to like answer

yes to that question.

Oh yeah, we can do a few light

and airy shots because it's so dependent on

so many different things.

And I'd rather go to your wedding just

knowing I'm gonna make the best shots that

potentially exist in your wedding as opposed to

recreating something that would be a little bit

more forced.

Yeah, I mean, we know that we can

do the best job for you.

We can make the best photos for you

if we do what we do, which is

trust in the way that we see and

experience the world, your moments, capture them as

best we can.

And then when it comes time to tone

them and process them for you, we're gonna

do whatever makes sense for our eyes that's

gonna make that moment same.

That's gonna capture the feeling of what that

photograph's about.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, no, that makes sense.

Yeah, it does.

That sounds great.

Yeah.

Oh, sorry.

Well, I was gonna ask then about Pinterest

boards then.

Cause like we have this like inspiration board,

like we love everything you just said, but

we have this like inspiration Pinterest board that

we put together that we would love to

send over to you guys.

Like it's got a bunch of shots at

the Knickerbocker and around Chicago for you guys

to take a look at and see what

we like.

Cool.

Well, we can definitely take a look at

it, but I just wouldn't want you guys

thinking that we would be altering our creative

process in order to create some other photographers.

Right?

You wouldn't want us to be.

Yeah, because really, like we could do that.

We could, you know, grab the Pinterest board

and try and recreate those photos.

But honestly, if I really think about it,

I think it would be in your best

interest and ours to not look at it.

Because I don't wanna be pigeonholed into other

photographers' creativity because I feel like I'm gonna

end up making a shittier version of what

they made.

Right?

So that's what you hope to do.

That's what you can hope to do.

So.

And meanwhile, in doing that, in syncing the

creative time and energy that goes into reproducing

a shittier version of that photo from somebody

else's wedding, we're missing all these magical opportunities

that are just spilt by because we're not

seeing them.

Right?

We're not tuned into the actual magic of

your wedding and your day and your light.

We're trying to recreate some other idea.

Yeah.

Yeah, exactly.

Sure.

So I'd say like send the Pinterest board

to your wedding planner, because that's gonna, do

you guys have a wedding planner?

Yes.

Yeah.

So that's gonna give her an idea of

the style in terms of the decor and

the mood of the lighting mood and all

that sort of stuff.

But don't worry, we're gonna capture the feeling

of your wedding based on how you're creating

it.

Yeah, I'll just break the fifth wall here

for a second and just kind of let

everybody know that, I mean, these are all

real questions that we all face, but you

probably get the sense that the responses are

getting a little bit repetitive because what happens

invariably by this stage Ed and Eileen are

gonna get it, right?

Like if they don't get it yet, most

of these questions they're asking now, they already

know the answers to because we've kind of

already answered them.

And that's what happens in educating them and

taking them through our process.

Most of the questions that they had have

already become irrelevant, where we've essentially already answered

them.

And if we haven't, then it's clearly some

sort of a red flag that maybe we're

not the right fit, right?

Okay.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm back in.

Yeah.

I love your laugh, Ed.

I just remember, best laugh ever.

It's a good laugh.

So good.

Okay, so action?

Yes.

And action.

What did we do?

Yeah.

Questions, more challenging questions.

One thing, you know, just really quick is

I know you guys are talking about style

and all that.

We really like the way you work and

we really like your photos.

One thing I'm just kind of worried about

whenever I look at photos of the Knickerbocker

though, they're always just so dark.

Like how do you guys handle like a

dark venue?

Like the lighting and it's just, it looks

weird.

And we don't, I don't want everything black

and white, of course.

And like other photographers we talked to, they

say they use like- Is this a

hotel?

Just like a- Yes, it's a hotel.

Is this where you're getting ready?

Or is this where the reception is as

well?

Both.

Okay, yeah.

Listen, if it's a dark venue, you've come

to the right place.

Honestly, we get, we teach photographers all over

the world how to use lights.

It's, we are very, very comfortable using our

flashes and our lights in creative ways to

really capture the feeling of a space.

So I wouldn't be worried about that at

all, to be honest.

As long as you, and I mean, that's

why you hire a good photographer because I

mean, often the true test of a wedding

photographer is not what they can do during

the portrait session when they're outside or in

natural light, it's what they can do in

a dark venue and quickly, right?

Because, so we are completely comfortable shooting in

dark venues.

We're completely comfortable, you know, using our lighting

and equipment to.

We got you.

Yeah.

We got you.

You do not worry about the photography.

I mean, I have another question.

Is that okay?

Like, what's your cancellation policy?

Like if something happens or needs to postpone,

like what does that kind of look like?

Yeah.

So, yeah.

So basically we've got our policy that's in

the contract and then we've got the policy

that we're very reasonable people.

Okay.

And those are two, those are two different

things.

So the policy in the contract is we

take a 50% retainer or deposit right

now.

When you book, right?

When you book and that holds your date.

In the contract, it is non-refundable.

That being said, we are reasonable people, right?

If it gets postponed because of the global

pandemic or whatever might, whatever might happen, we're

gonna do everything in our power to, you

know, find a date that works for both

of us and just apply that forward.

You know, particularly if it's, you know, we

have, it's not like we've been turning away

all kinds of couples for that, you know,

prime weekend or something.

You know, if it gets canceled the week

before your wedding because you broke up, then

we'd probably keep the cancellation policy as is

because we couldn't rebook that date.

Yeah, it's very specific to the situation, but

just know that Lanny and I are very

reasonable people.

And that's actually one of the really important

things going forward with us is that you

have that trust with us, not just in

taking your photos, but just trust as human

beings, right?

That's one of the most important things between

us is that you have that trust.

So knowing that we're gonna do this is

what's fair.

You don't want us at your wedding, right?

If you don't trust that we're good, you

know, reasonable people, then you don't want us

at your wedding.

So, yeah, but the winners don't get to

choose.

What's that, sorry?

Is it always you two at the wedding

or like what happens if like one of

you guys get sick?

Yeah, well, it hasn't happened yet, but I

mean, if one of us gets sick, I

think we'd have to be really sick.

As in the ambulance on the way to

the hospital or on our deathbed.

We'd have to be really sick.

We'd probably bring an assistant to your wedding,

regardless of if one of us is sick

or not.

We usually always bring an assistant to help

us along, but we're also very, we're extremely

well-connected in the photography world.

We know, and we've taught photographers all over

the world, and we know tons of amazing

photographers right in Chicago who we could call

in a heartbeat and ask us to help

us out if the unthinkable happened.

Yeah.

So we will be there come hell or

high water, or we will have somebody there

in our place to get the job done

right.

Will you guys still edit the photos though,

or like, will it just be a completely

different photographer and like their style and all

that?

We would do everything in our, I mean,

it depends if we're dead or not.

Well, it depends.

If we die, we won't.

We won't.

It depends if it's one of us or

both of us.

If it's one of us, obviously, yeah.

It's still a two-man wedding.

We're still, you're still getting two-man photography.

We're going to do what we do.

But if it was for some crazy reason,

you know, the million-year storm, and both

of us couldn't be there, you know, in

some sort of an emergency situation, and we

got you set up with, you know, the

best photography team that we could find to

take over from us.

We're going to make sure they're good at

editing.

Right.

In that rare situation, it would be over

to them now because they're doing everything for

you, right?

And the editing is kind of part of

their process.

It's kind of hard to make those two

things fit for different photographers and different editors.

Yeah.

Yeah, they might get offended if you said,

can we give all your photos to line

it up and edit?

And honestly, I wouldn't have this, editing them

wouldn't be the same.

Like, not only because they're shot differently, different

angles, different lighting, the heart and soul wouldn't

be there at the same level.

Having actually experienced your wedding day with you

guys together, having that emotional connection to the

photos is part of what drives me to

edit as obsessively as I do.

That disconnection from having not been there and

not experienced the moments would be different.

Do you guys work with videographers at all?

Oh yeah.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

We work with videographers, I'd say probably 50

% of the weddings.

What I will, have you guys already hired

one or?

Yes, yeah.

Yeah, okay.

So what I would double check with them

is just in terms of what their process

is and if it's similar to ours, if

they're- In terms of their approach, like

- In terms of their approach, right?

Because it's- Can we send you a

video for you guys to take a look

at, to let us know, like- Yeah.

Or maybe just send me- You could

also send me their contact.

Okay.

I can touch base with them.

Also, what is more, this would be an

important question for you guys to just answer

personally.

What would be more, what is more important

to you guys?

Like the photography or the videography?

Like what?

I think- No, 10 years- I

think where Ed is definitely photography.

All right, go ahead.

Sometimes, I think where Ed is definitely photography

and for me, it's videography.

So I would say like 50-50.

Yeah, okay.

Okay, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, obviously the videographers and us,

we are there for the same purpose, which

is to immortalize that day for you guys.

And we work with a ton of videographers.

It does help if we're, if we have

a similar approach.

If the videographers have a completely different approach

than us, it can, it can impact the

photography for sure.

In that, for example, we're taking a documentary

approach, right?

We're not directing anything, but the video team

is, right?

It's two different approaches, which is fine.

We've worked with that and we can work

with that.

And as long as you guys are okay

being directed on your wedding day, then that's

totally cool.

And we'll just do what we do and

we'll document that as it's happening.

But if that's not what you want, you

just want to make sure that you've got

a video team that's on board with that.

Yeah.

Yeah, and I, one thing, like my friend

who got married, like she and her photographer

and videographer, like they were in like each

other's, like there was like the photo person

in the video and in some of the

photos, there was also the videographer.

Like, is there a way you guys like

work together to make sure like you're not

in like each other's work and stuff?

Yeah.

And that's how it rolls all the time,

right?

It's, we basically communicate as best we can

with each other and- No, but you

will probably, if you have a videographer and

a photographer, you're going to have some shots

with the videographer in.

And it's not necessarily about, I mean, not

all your shots, obviously.

We're talking about a very minute number of

shots, but sometimes I'll even include the videographer

on purpose.

Like, it sounds weird to be saying that

to you, but because we're storytelling photographers, because

we're trying to tell you the story of

your wedding day.

I mean, what other, what other day do

you have a video team following you around?

Right?

It's going to be part of your memories

from the day.

It's kind of part of what makes that

day.

You've got a video team following you around

all day.

So there's probably a few shots that where

I'm going to tell that story because I

want you to remember that.

Yeah.

And if like in your case, photography and

videography are equally important, right?

For each of you.

So we're going to understand that together with

the videographers is because inevitably there's often a

one best place for a camera.

And if there's already a camera there, I'm

not going to be an asshole and push

the videographer out of the way, right?

I'm going to go to the next best

place, right?

So that's just, it's a give and take,

it's a compromising.

And we know, we understand that.

If it were the case that you prioritized

one or the other like photography, much more

than videography, that would be a good to

know and a good to communicate with the

video team so that we can be respectful

of each other and to make the best

photos and video for you guys.

Awesome.

I think that's mostly what I've got.

Yeah.

Oh, can we pay you in Bitcoin?

I don't know how to, I don't even

know how Bitcoin works.

Yeah, me neither.

Like Venmo, can we pay you?

Can we pay you?

Yeah, honestly, I don't know how Bitcoin works.

Our preference, no, I'm just kidding.

I'm just going to try to think of,

because we're, you know, we're all in the

same boat.

We are a business, a legitimate business.

So no, we only accept cash or credit

card or e-transfer.

So my dad is a lawyer and he

kind of wants to read over the contracts

of everything before we move on.

Is that something you guys would be able

to- Oh yeah, totally, totally.

So our contract gets better every time we've

got a couple of whose dad is a

lawyer or mom's a lawyer or one of

them is a lawyer.

So, cause obviously we're a small business.

It's just the two of us.

We don't have an in-house lawyer, but

yeah, happy to have your dad look through

it.

If there's something that he feels is off

or some sort of cause that he wants

in there that I haven't got in there,

that's reasonable, obviously.

Just have him give me a call and

we can chat about it.

Yeah.

Cool, sorry, I keep thinking of questions.

Hit us, hit us.

If you guys are traveling to the U

.S. is there like considerations, like what happens

if you get stuck at customs or do

you guys need anything from us to like,

how does that work?

Yeah, well, we actually have a visa for

working in the U.S. So that shouldn't

be a problem.

We're, what do they call it?

Exceptional aliens.

Yeah.

That's what the visa is called.

An artist visa that we had to apply

for and submit all this stuff.

But that's one of the reasons why we

always fly out, like not the day before

the wedding, but at least two days before

the wedding because we want to account for,

yeah, the unthinkable happening.

Either they don't let us across the border

or there's flight delays or whatever.

Yeah.

That makes me feel comfortable.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So let's, we're going to break the, what

do you call it?

Fourth wall again?

Fifth wall.

The fifth wall.

Okay.

So we're going to, we're just going to

go into, that's it for questions, guys?

Yes.

We're done.

Yeah, I think I'm done.

Okay.

How we would close the meeting off.

First of all, you guys are like our

ideal clients, even though you asked some really

hard questions, like just the way you're dressed

and you're super casual and down to earth

and then Ed's laugh.

Like if they, I would be pointing out

his laugh several times throughout the Skype because

I just love it.

And I think that's an important take home

is to know that this is like, honestly,

how our Skypes often go and how they

feel is like we're talking to friends.

Yeah.

Right.

And that's the way we explain our approach.

That's the way we answer questions the same

way we would to our best friend or

to a colleague.

Like just this is the way it is.

We're not trying to be the consummate professional,

the hired help, the, you know.

Yeah.

So we would finish off somewhere around here

and we'd probably start off with, so we

are so glad you guys found us.

It was super great to meet you.

Your wedding sounds like it's going to be

really fun and really like the kind of

events we really like to photograph, but we

know this is a big decision.

So take your time.

Like- No pressure.

There's no pressure.

Like take your time.

We'll pencil it in.

I'll pencil you in for that date.

It was October 8th, right?

I'll pencil you in.

What's the 16th?

Yeah.

We'll pencil you in for that date.

And what I'll do is I'll let you

know if we've received another inquiry for that

date.

And if we do, that's when we need

commitment from you.

Or if we're starting to reach our quota

of weddings, which is 10 a year.

Yeah.

And I already kind of got this soundbite

in earlier when I was answering the question,

but I'll usually work this into the close

as well is that idea of, do your

research.

It's a big decision.

We know we're not the most affordable option

out there.

So make sure you love the work.

Dig down deep, get a real feel for

the body of work that we consistently produce

and make sure you love it.

Because what you see is what you're going

to get, right?

And then if that's the case, let us

know and let's give it.

Yeah.

And if you have any questions at all,

feel free to text me or email me.

And even if it's just a little question

or something that we didn't answer on the

call today.

So, all right.

Thanks a lot, you guys.

Yeah, thank you.

Okay.

I'm gonna stop recording.

How do I?

Oh, there we go.