Frequently Asked Questions - F.A.Q.

Do you have a studio? Yes! I have a 1100 square foot studio 11740 Jollyville in Northwest Austin, plus I also can do most any type of photography on location as well! Here are directions to my studio. Why should I choose Kevin Gourley Photography? Great question! There are so many reasons, I devoted a whole web page to that answer! See: Why Kevin? What should I wear for my photo session? Dress according to the type of photograph you are wanting to achieve. Generally if you are wearing clothing that is flattering and you look your best, you will also feel more confident in front of a camera. Make sure your clothing has been neatly ironed or pressed and isn't wrinkled. Choose matching solids. Avoid patterns. If you're doing professional headshots, avoid shirts with logos (unless it is YOUR company's logo). Medium toned to darker colors work well if we are doing a photo shoot in front of dark backgrounds or in darker settings. Lighter colors work well for outdoor settings. Long sleeves work well because bare arms can distract from the face. Of course it depends on time of year, if we are doing an outdoor shoot. Choose comfortable clothing that allows for ease of movement and natural positioning. For clothing changes, we have a changing room in the studio. If we are doing a longer photo shoot outdoors with multiple changes of clothing, we will plan on a location where you may change clothes easily. Should I do my own makeup? You certainly may, if you know what you're doing. A professional makeup artist is knowledgeable about special needs regarding photography and the reflective properties of certain makeup products. I work with several very talented makeup artists who do great work. If you wish to have them do your makeup or hair, just let me know. There is an extra charge for this, of course. The makeup artist must be requested at the time of the booking (since I have to make arrangements with their schedules). Are there any special instructions I need to follow for the makeup artist to do my makeup? Come clean-faced with dry hair. If you use a moisturizer, try to put it on at least an hour ahead of time. What are your rates? I have a web page that explains everything about my rates! Click Here May I pay with a credit card? Sure! You may pay with cash, check, or credit card. What kind of equipment do you use? I use Canon photographic equipment including a Canon EOS 6D, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, and have a backup Canon EOS 40D. My lenses are of the very finest quality such as the Canon 17-40mm f/4 L Series, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L Series, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L Series, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L Series IS, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L Series, Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro lens, and a few others. I use Photogenic monolights for my studio lighting. May I bring a friend with me to the photo shoot? Certainly! Do you do weddings? No, sorry, at this time I do not do weddings. I do bridal and engagement photos though. What if I don't like the photos you took of me? My objective is to create images that you will love. We can schedule a reshoot! Here's more info about scheduling a reshoot. Can I just purchase a CD with all of the images from a portrait or headshot session, unretouched? I try to maintain a a high standard of quality for all images released as a "photograph by Kevin Gourley." That standard of quality is important to me, and in order to maintain that standard of quality, while also trying to keep prices reasonable, I prefer to offer a means of licensing the images you like the most and then retouching and perfecting them to make them the best images possible. Therefore I do not sell CD's with unretouched images from a session. I noticed that you charge a "Image Preparation Fee" for every portrait image I select, whether it is a print or if I am just purchasing a digital image. I don't see other photographers doing that. What is it? I believe it is important that I provide the best possible photography to my clients, and thus I make sure the image is "perfected" in various ways and a moderate amount of retouching is included when you buy an image from me. Many photographers tack on these costs onto the price of the print, so for example a portion of the 8x10 you purchase from them is actually covering the retouching. But guess what? If you buy a 5x7 and 11x14 as well, you end up paying for the retouching multiple times, since it is included in the price of the print. So what I do is break out that Image Preparation Fee as separate, so that you only pay it ONCE and not for every print! To me, that just seems like a more fair way to price my services while ensuring that I provide you my very best quality work! For commercial photography, will you work in a "work for hire" arrangement where my business can hire you and my business directly owns the copyrights to all images that you take? No, sorry, I do not generally accept "work for hire" arrangements. My work is all done as an "Independent Contractor" and I retain all copyrights to images taken, but I do offer means of easily licensing usage rights for all types of photography. My reasons for not accepting "work for hire" arrangements are in accordance with the Professional Photographer's Association position statement on Work for Hire. If you absolutely MUST own the copyrights to the images, we could consider it, but the pricing would be substantially higher. In order for you to come onto my company's premises for a photo shoot, they require that you carry professional liability insurance. Are you insured? Yes! Absolutely!