FAQ's
How long does a photo shoot take?
What is the best time of day for young children?
Some tips about children
When is a good time to photograph new borns?
What about props?
What to wear?
Groups
Barefoot or not?
What happens after the photo shoot?
What to expect during the shoot
What size of print should I choose?
What about frames?
How long will it take to get the final framed prints?
Do you sell Gift Vouchers?
Do you restore old damaged photographs?
Weddings. How much time do we need for photographs?
What happens after our wedding?
If we want a wedding album?
Do you produce personalised Thank You cards?
Terms and conditions
COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS ACT, 2000.
For Baby Casting FAQ's - click here.
How long does a photo shoot take?
Generally an hour is scheduled for each portrait session. Sometimes it can be much shorter depending on the number and ages of the people in the shoot. Large groups and babies may take longer.
What is the best time of day for young children?
Children are normally better to work with in the morning. It's important that children and babies are fed, well rested and in good form. However, you know when they are at their best, so seek an appointment around this time. Don't forget to bring some changes of clothes, food, diapers, bottles, etc....
Some tips about children
The idea is to make the whole photo shoot experience fun. Try and schedule the appointment outside of nap and meal times. Do bring along a favourite toy, musical instrument, costume etc.
It is important not to make a big fuss about the portrait shoot, it usually has the opposite effect than the one you hoped for. The more relaxed about the whole thing you are, the better your children will be in the studio. If you are stressed in any way, your children will pick up on this and we may not get the best from them.
Please don't say anything to children during their shoot, like "smile" or "don't do that" etc. Just sit quietly and allow the photographer to work with them. Please do not bring any food or treats into the studio during the shoot as that only leads to disaster!! And please do not give sweets, sugary drinks etc to your children prior to the shoot.
When is a good time to photograph new borns?
If you are scheduling a newborn session, please contact me before your baby is born. A time frame will be set aside based on your due date to ensure your newborn is photographed within their first 10 days.
What about props?
You may wish to bring the things that express your or your children's personality. For instance, musical instruments, a toy, sports equipment (football, surfboard), special mementos, etc.
Pets are welcome too. Just let us know in advance though!!
What to wear?
There are no right and wrong answers to this, but below are listed some helpful hints when planning for your portrait:
If you would like a colour portrait try to think will the colours tone or clash? Strong colours can be very striking, whilst pastel colours work well on babies and small children.
Not advisable is, for example, one person wears all black and another person wears all white in the same photograph! The viewers eye will immediately be drawn to the white area of the photograph. Try to stick to the same tones, so all in black, or all in white, or all in whatever colour you like. The key word here is "all".
Please make sure your clothes are new-ish, ironed and lint-free (fluff, dust, stray dog hairs etc). Avoid linen if possible.
The simpler the outfit the better. Try to avoid big patterns, checks, stripes, logos etc. as instead of admiring your wonderful portraits, everyone will be reading "Nike", "fcuk", you get the idea!
Classic clothes will not date as quickly as the latest fashion.
Long sleeves make for a more flattering portrait for both male and female adult subjects. Short sleeves will draw attention to your arms.
Groups
Follow the tips above but remember to coordinate everyone's look; choose similar colours or patterns and, above all, styles. Don't mix casual and formal. Quietly advise the photographer of any special wishes, things to look out for etc. If bringing a group of kids to the shoot, when we need your parental input we will tell you, until then trust the photographer and let him dictate the pace. We have the experience and we love working with kids!
Barefoot or not?
Photos in which everyone is barefoot can have a relaxed, fresh, modern appeal. So that we can have as much flexibility as possible please be prepared to take your shoes and socks off! However, we won't force you if you'd rather not.
What happens after the photo shoot?
After the shoot I will spend time filtering through the best images and preforming some basic editing on each of the images I've selected. You will never endure a 'hard sell' experience with me. Therefore I do not insist that my clients come back to the studio for a viewing. Your images are instead uploaded to a private gallery on my website where you can view them at your own convenience. When you are ready to order you simply contact me with the details. However, sometimes my clients find it difficult to choose between what images they wish to order and request a private viewing. Images can be viewed in my studio on a large screen and I can help you with your decision. For private viewing sessions, I do however insist that young children are not present.
Once I receive your order I will spend on average 20 to 30 minutes retouching each of your chosen images to ensure contrast, sharpness, colour balance etc are perfect. This time is also spent removing unwanted blemishes, hairs, whitening teeth and whatever else needs to be done to make everybody look their best. After this,the images are uploaded to my professional print lab for printing.
What to expect during the shoot
I work from a dedicated studio equipped with professional grade equipment for all aspects of lighting, backgrounds and image capture. Generally I will try different poses which sometimes involve different lighting set-ups and backgrounds/props. The aim here is to provide you with a good range of quality images to choose from. If there are young kids involved, this also gives them time to get used to the studio and of course the photographer.
What size of print should I choose?
It's entirely up to you how many prints you want and what sizes they will be, but you need to think about what you would like before going to the Preview session. You need to take into account not only the print itself, but also where it will be placed in the home. What size would look good on what wall etc. Larger prints have more impact.
What about frames?
Once you've made the selection, you need to choose a frame. There are a large selection of different frames in the studio to suit most tastes and budgets. Again, think about your home and what frame colours would suit.
How long will it take to get the final framed prints?
Once I am in receipt of your order, the framed and mounted pictures will be ready for collection within about 3 weeks.
Do you sell Gift Vouchers?
Yes, gift vouchers are available, and can be used against a portrait session or towards the price of photographs and/or frames. Gift vouchers can make a wonderful gift and they never expire!
Do you restore old damaged photographs?
Yes, I do. Photo restoration is not an exact science and the success of the final outcome is directly related to the condition and size of the original photo. This can be very difficult, time consuming and intricate work and therefore no job will be taken on unless I am confident of a pleasing result. In addition to a print of the restored photo, I will also provide a high resolution digital file of the restored image.
Weddings. How much time do we need for photographs?
This depends on the number of guests and the type of photography coverage you are looking for. The most common mistake here is that when booking the church and hotel, couples don't allow sufficient time in between for photographs. The photography session then can become rushed, stressful for everybody and you may not get the range of photos that you had hoped for. It is very easy to underestimate the amount of time that is taken up by travel, the church or civil ceremony itself and guests wanting your attention. Typically a minimum of 1 hour is required for photographs of the couple and bridal party. Additional time is required if family group photos are required (these photos will always take longer than you think!!). Couples need to factor in the time to greet guests after the church ceremony, travel time between church and photography location and travel time from photography location to reception.
What happens after our wedding?
The process here is similar to a portrait shoot except on a bigger scale. Typically depending on the amount of photographic coverage on your wedding day, an additional 1.5 to 2.5 days is spent editing all the photographs taken at your wedding. All images are initially colour corrected and then as each image is unique, a variety of touching up and editing occurs to enhance and optimise each image. This is a time consuming and often painstaking process and I generally need to spread the work out over the course of a week or more. When all this is done, I then upload all the images to a private gallery and I send you the link and password to view. Quite often you will still be on your honeymoon at this stage. I then have your disc of high resolution images ready for you when you return from honeymoon presented a a beautiful leather bound disc holder.
If we want a wedding album?
If you wish to have an album designed, you can then pick out your chosen images (generally about 90 for a storybook album) and I will come up with a design which I will email to you in a PDF format. If you want to make some changes to the design, I can then do so. Once we are agreed on a final design, we sign off, I collect a deposit and I send the design off to the manufacturer. Approx 6 weeks later your album is ready for collection.
Do you produce personalised Thank You cards?
Yes. I can incorporate any of your images into a card. These cards can be used as a Thank You card following an event such as a wedding, christening, communion etc; Christmas card with your family portrait and a personalised message for example. The list is endless. Cards are available in two sizes; 6x4 or 5x7. Each card comes with a high quality white envelope. Minimum order is 30 cards.
Terms and conditions
Private portrait sessions - there is no minimum order, you simply order what you want. Your only obligation (once you've booked a session) is the €50 session fee (€80 if on-location).
All portraits are kept on file to allow you to order extra copies at a later date.
Delivery Time - all unframed and framed prints will be available for collection within about 2 to 3 weeks of ordering.
Payment - The fee for the session is payable on the day. Payment for photographs is due at time of ordering following your viewing session. This is necessary as all photographs are unique pieces of work.
We accept Cash, Cheque and PayPal.
All portrait prices quoted include VAT.
COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS ACT, 2000.
Under the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000 the copyright of any photograph, image or works belongs to and remains with David J Duignan Photography.
David J Duignan reserves the right to use any of the images captured at the shoot or event in all locations on the David J Duignan web site, portfolio, literature, display areas, exhibitions, competitions, advertising, videos or slide shows for David J Duignan’s promotional purposes. The Client shall grant David J Duignan permission to display any copyrighted images for promotional purposes without payment of any fee.