How do you identify your primary photographic style? Our photography is a mixture of many different styles. For the bridal preparation we use mostly the photojournalistic (storytelling style). We capture the bride and groom with all of her and his emotions just before the ceremony. The ceremony is mostly traditional, capturing the moments of the wedding. Following the ceremony we offer (optional) our couples a traditional (posed portraits) with the family and groups. Then, we like to also include a bit of one on one time with just the couple, capturing their true love and emotional bond between the two. Lastly we finish off the night with photos of the reception, the bouquet/garder toss, the cake cutting and the dancing. There is a diverse set of images with the final product and no two weddings are ever alike.

Please describe any special techniques you offer: For the final editing we offer, black white images, colored images, sepia toning, photoshop editing, facial smoothing, pimple removal, color adjustment, and a mixture of the colored flowers and black white photos which are very popular.

Which lighting situations do you have experience with? We are excellent in any type of lighting. Over a decade of experience has taught us to be able to manipulate light as well as use our own state of the art equipment to light the scene.

Do you have a media preference? We use digital only. We use professional series camera bodies, on and off camera flash units, and only L-series professional quality lenses.

How many photographers do you work with? We have one lead photographer (owner) who does about 95% of all weddings scheduled. We have three photojournalists who assist when the couple purchases a second photographer. Because we are a small studio, we employ two very talented photographers. One is a lead photographer who specializes in capturing all of your “must have” images and one who specializes in photojournalism. Our lead photographer is the person who created the photography artwork through the web site. We do not outsource our art work or hire unknown photographers. We have deliberately decided to remain as a small photography boutique and feel that outsourcing and hiring on additional staff would take away from the interpersonal experience we currently provide to our clients. By stating small, we are able to provide high quality and personalized photography to every wedding client (from Illinois and up through Wisconsin).

Do you guarantee your presence at the actual event? If the couple requests a specific photographer.

Do you sometimes book yourself for more than one wedding in a day? We never ever book a photographer for more than one wedding on a day. Our lead photographer can only be in one place at one time.

Do you have a replacement photographer in case you become unavailable on the wedding day? Yes

What kind of equipment do you typically bring with you on the day-of? We use professional series Canon camera bodies, on and off camera flash units, and only L-series professional quality lenses. The couple can request additional equipment such as studio lighting and backdrops for the reception.

Do you bring back-up equipment to the event in case of malfunction? Yes. Always.

Do you charge hourly or full day? Both. Our prices are all online -- http://www.plumtreestudio.com/pricing/wedding-pricing

If hourly, are you available for shooting overtime? If so, how much do you charge for overtime? Yes. We do offer additional hourly rate. Our detailed price list is all online: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/pricing/wedding-pricing

Do you charge for travel? Travel is included with every package for up to 25 miles from studio. Anything above 25 miles is expensed at the rate of $1 per mile. No additional hourly rate is applied for travel.

How soon after the event are the proofs ready for viewing? Within 24 hours the couple will received a beautiful professionally designed wedding collage. The entire days proofs are usually available within 3 weeks and are posted under Recent Events: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/recent

Do you have samples available:

Samples are available online: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/blog-topic/collage

In what format are the initial proofs offered? Initial proofs are available online under Recent Events: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/recent

How long can the couple keep the proofs? The online proofs are available for up to a year.

Do you retain the copyright for the photos? The studio retains the copyright for the photos. The couple may chose to purchase a DVD of all images and rights for personal printing.

Do you provide the digital files and/or negatives (or copies of the negatives) to the couple? Yes. The couple may chose to purchase a DVD of all images and rights for personal printing.

Do I have to come into the studio to view the proofs?

Not necessary. Because we are a digital studio, everything is online! You can come into the studio for a viewing, however most of our clients chose to simply view online and email us their choices. The easier it is for you, the more time you can spend enjoying your new life together! We feel that the new trend in wedding photography is to offer everything digitally, using the internet and security. We are leading the pack with the digital revolution.

Will images be available for viewing on an online gallery? The images will be available for online viewing and purchase at the digital gallery: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/recent

What kind of albums do you offer? We offer both digital albums, screen savers, video's of images, as well as designer wedding coffee table books. The wedding albums are designed in house and are sent to a professional book printing company for a professional book.

When will I get the final book? Usually the books are available about 3 weeks after the order is placed with the publisher.

We have reviewed your web site and love your portfolio. Is a consultation required to book with your studio? Do I have to come in and meet with your photographer?

Absolutely not required. We do not require a consultation with the bride and groom. We often simply communicate via email or phone with our clients. In this modern high tech world many of our clients noted that they prefer simply to talk over the phone or in email to answer their questions. Not a problem. We can even email you screen shots of the a sample wedding album so you can see a preview of the finished product. Approximately half of our brides and grooms we didn’t meet until the day of the wedding! We pride ourselves on being professional and courteous; you get a sense for our photography style and interpersonal style from our web site, our blog, and our emails. Of course, if you do want to meet with a photographer in person, please just let us know and we can arrange a time. 

We have reviewed your photos and want to meet with a photographer for a consultation. How do I set up a consultation?

Please discuss with your partner or fiancée and find a time that works best for your schedule. Or if you will come in alone, pick a time where you can set aside around 30 minutes. Send us an email with a few days and times that you are available. We will do our best to accommodate those times. Remember that we specialize in wedding photography, pet photography and family portraits, which means we are often commissioned for assignments and need a few days notice. We will do what we can to meet with you when convenient.

Who will be our photographer?

Because we are a small studio, we employ two very talented photographers. One is a lead photographer who specializes in capturing all of your “must have” images and one who specializes in photojournalism. Our lead photographer is the person who created the photography artwork through the web site. We do not outsource our art work or hire unknown photographers. We have deliberately decided to remain as a small photography boutique and feel that outsourcing and hiring on additional staff would take away from the interpersonal experience we currently provide to our clients. By stating small, we are able to provide high quality and personalized photography to every wedding client (from Illinois and up through Wisconsin). 

We do not live in Lake County but want to commission Plum Tree Studio as our photographer. Is this an option for me? How far will you travel? What is the cost?

Yes of course! We will travel anywhere within Illinois and Wisconsin, within a 75 mile radius of zip codes 60060, 60048 and 53126. The standard mileage cost is available online: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/pricing/wedding-pricing. There is no hourly fee for travel times, only mileage.

Additional information about travel is available online:

http://www.plumtreestudio.com/blog/how-far-will-you-drive-for-a-wedding-or-portrait-session

Do you do weddings in Chicago? Do you also cover weddings in Milwaukee?

Yes and yes. We have a studio in Mundelein Illinois (near Libertyville Illinois) and in Franksville Wisconsin (near Racine Wisconsin). You pay for the mileage from either location, whichever is closer to you. This means if you live in Chicago you pay for mileage from lake county and if you live in Milwaukee then you pay for mileage from Racine County.

We have decided we want to book with Plum Tree Studio. Now what?

Great! Once you decide you want Plum Tree Studio as your photography studio on your wedding day, you can relax. Please send us an email confirming your decision. We will then email you a contract and pose list. You will need to print, complete and sign the contract and return to us, along with the retainer, via snail mail. The pose list you can return to us in snail mail at a future date or you can return to us along with the contract.

What is your down payment requirement?

We require a $300 retainer fee at the time that the contract is signed. You mail us a check for the $300 along with your signed contract and we reserve the date on our schedule. Going forward we turn away any clients for that date.

What are your payment methods? Do you accept credit cards?

We accept cash, paypal, check or money order. By using credit cards we would be required to increase our prices to our customers. We made the strategic business decision to make our art and photography affordable, thus keep our prices reasonable by limiting the types of payments we accept.

Do I get all of the images on a cd or dvd? 

Yes, this is an option. You can chose to purchase the cd of images for the A Le Carte fee listed on our pricing sheet. With this option you receive all of the images in full size along with the rights for personal use. Your DVD comes delivered to your home in about 8 weeks, fully edited. You also receive a hard plastic case, label and insert to preserve your cherished memories. In addition, we back up your images and keep two copies at our studio for up to one year after your wedding date.

What are your prices?

Information about pricing available online: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/pricing/wedding-pricing

Do I get to choose the images in my wedding album?

Yes of course. After we post the images online, you email us the name and number of your favorite 50 to 60 images. We then design your book and send you a final email jpg of the book for any last minute changes. Then we order the book and send it to your home. Easy!

What do you mean by wedding album and coffee table book? Do you mean the photos inserts or is it an actual book?

This is an actual book hard cover book. It is printed through a reputable and highly rated book publisher. It is hard bound like a regular printed book and can come with a slip cover and photo bound onto the front page. We can send you sample jpgs if you are interested to view.

How Far Will You Drive For A Wedding or Portrait Session?

Plum Tree Studio is the elite photography studio serving Lake County Illinois, Cook County (Chicago) and Racine County (Wisconsin). Our photographers specialize in wedding photography, senior portraits, family portraits, engagement photos, baby portraits, real estate photography, and pet photography. The studio offers multiple packages at various price points. We have studios in both lake and in and we cover weddings anywhere within a 100 mile radius. Our first photography studio is located Lake County Illinois. Specifically we are local to the Mundelein (60060), Vernon Hills (60061), Libertyville (60048) and Wauconda (60084) markets. Our second studio is located in Racine County Wisconsin. Specifically we cater to the local markets in Franksville (53126), Milwaukee (53201), and Racine (53403). We are located in Lake County (Illinois); however we travel to multiple locations outside of our district including McHenry County and Cook County and in Wisconsin. Most of our customers come from local suburbs of Chicago as well as all the way from Chicago. We are the premier portrait studio for northern Illinois, covering every suburbs in the greater Chicago area. Our primary locations in lake county include Burbank, Oak Lawn, Hometown, Chicago Ridge, Summit, Clearing, Justice, Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Hickory Hills, Worth, Palos Hills, Alsip, Crestwood, Midlothian, Harvey, Robbins, Palos Park, Orland, Lemont, Darien, Willow brook, La Grange, Hinsdale, Brookfield, Berwyn, Westchester, Downers Grove, Maywood, Lawndale, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Wheaton, Forest View, Antioch, Bannockburn, Barrington,  Barrington Hills, Beach Park,  Buffalo Grove,  Deer Park,  Deerfield,  Fox Lake,  Fox River Grove,  Grayslake,  Green Oaks,  Gurnee, Hainesville,  Hawthorn Woods,  Highland Park,  Highwood,  Indian Creek,  Island Lake,  Kildeer,  Lake Barrington,  Lake Bluff,  Lake Forest,  Lake Villa,  Lake Zurich,  Lakemoor,  Libertyville,  Lincolnshire,  Lindenhurst,  Long Grove,  Mettawa,  Mundelein,  North Barrington,  North Chicago,  Old Mill Creek,  Park City,  Port Barrington,  Riverwoods,  Round Lake,  Round Lake Beach,  Round Lake Heights,  Round Lake Park,  Third Lake,  Tower Lakes,  Vernon Hills,  Volo,  Wadsworth,  Wauconda,  Waukegan,  Wheeling,  Winthrop Harbor,  Zion. Our primary location in McHenry County include Alden, Algonquin, Barreville, Belden, Big Foot Prairie, Bull Valley, Burtons Bridge, Camp Algonquin, Cary, Chemung, Colby Point, Coral, Coyne, Crystal Gardens, Crystal Lake, Crystal Manor, Crystal Vista, Eastwood Manor, Emerald Park, Ferndale, Fox River Grove, Franklinville, Greenwood, Haegers Bend, Harmony, Hartland, Harvard, Hebron, Holcombville Corners, Holiday Hills, Huntley, Johnsburg, Lake in the Hills, Lakemoor, Lakewood, Lawrence, Lilymoor, Marengo, McCullom Lake, McHenry, McHenry Shores, North Shore, Oakwood Hills, Palm Beach, Pistakee Highlands, Port Barrington, Prairie Grove, Rawson Bridge, Richmond, Ridgefield, Ringwood, Riverstream, Silver Lake, Ski Hill, Solon Mills, Spring Grove, Sunnyside, Terra Cotta, Trout Valley, Turner Camp, Union, Wonder Lake, Woodstock. In Wisconsin our main cities include Bohners Lake, Browns Lake, Burlington, Caledonia, Dover, Eagle Lake, Elmwood Park, Franksville, Mount Pleasant, North Bay, Norway, Racine, Raymond, Rochester, Sturtevant, Union Grove, Waterford North, Waterford , Wind Lake, Wind Point, Yorkville, Madison and Milwaukee. In addition our service extends up through Madison Wisconsin and down to Champaign Urbana! If you are looking for a local photographer, who has lived in the Midwest for years, then look no further! Since we also work with models on a regular basis we can give your wedding poses "flair" and help you create a unique look to your wedding album that is strictly your own. You’ll be the envy of all of your friends! Ask us about our modeling techniques and how we can design a signature wedding just for you. Of course, this is optional; we have years of experience doing traditional wedding photography. Member of Professional Photographers of America, Inc. PPA is the premier international trade association for professional photographers.  You receive one on one customer service. We don’t outsource our work. When you email us, one of us will respond within 24 hours. We speak Polish. Mowimy Po Polsku.

Additional information available online:

http://www.plumtreestudio.com/blog/how-far-will-you-drive-for-a-wedding-or-portrait-session

Tips and Advice

·       Our main site: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/  

·       Our wedding blog: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/blog-topic/wedding   

·       Our wedding gallery: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/gallery/weddings  

·       Recent wedding events: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/category/recent-events/weddings  

·       How to contact a photographer at Plum Tree Studio: http://www.plumtreestudio.com/contact