The Experience
My Work is
Intimate
Honest
Photojournalistic
Photography
To Tell Your Story
WHAT TO EXPECT
“I think the main thing I learned was the key to documenting…is having trust and access.”
- Pete Souza, Reagan and Obama administrations official photographer of the White House.
Sure, anyone with a camera and an eye can photograph your wedding, but if you are uncomfortable around them (at worst) or apathetic (at best), your photos are going to tell a very different story, one you may not be happy with in the end.
The way we come to that trust and access is by connecting well before your wedding day. Once you have a signed contract and paid deposit, we’ll schedule our first chat to talk about your story, your hopes for the upcoming wedding, and whatever else comes up. This isn’t therapy, this isn’t forced, this is one human being curious and caring about another - and if you want to enjoy a glass of wine, bourbon, tea, or coffee while we do this I absolutely encourage it. This is where you begin to open the door, and I begin to show you how safe and fun this can all be.
You can tell me about your wedding, you can tell me about your week, you can tell me how your mom is driving you nuts (seems to be a fan favorite amongst all human beings), or how your dog crapped on your rug while you were at work today. Whatever is going on in your life, I am interested to hear about it. And in turn, I will share what’s happening with me.
Right now, you are probably thinking that this sounds an awful lot like the sometimes awkward experience of making friends as an adult, and you would be right. I would say that 99% of the time my couples and I walk into their wedding day feeling like friends, and that’s how it should be. My experience with over a hundred weddings in the last ten years has shown me that even if we don’t meet face to face prior to your wedding, those 3-5 video calls we share will make all the difference when you see me walk in on your wedding day. You’ll see a familiar face that you know beyond a portfolio and that you have connected with beyond your wedding, in addition to feeling a sense of ease and comfort that will spread to everyone else during the event.
Sound good? Let’s schedule that call and start that conversation!
they say:
An Unforgettable Experience to Live & Share.
“Besides his great photographs, he is genuinely one of the nicest people ever. We hired Adam because he took the time to get to know us as individuals and as a couple, and that truly shows in every single photo he takes. He was able to capture everyone's personality, and when we look back at our album, we can feel every emotion we felt that night.” - Megan and Ryan, Salem, MA
“If you want your gallery to look like every other bride's that you know, good luck! Adam goes beyond the obvious and ordinary wedding photography formula and delivers the extraordinary. They shot thousands of frames and edited down leaving us so many great ones from which to choose! How many different words are there for amazing? Not enough to describe Adam Chapin Photography!!” - Glenna and Nathan, Baltimore, MD
“Before the wedding Adam spent time getting to know us over drinks. Picking him as our photographer was the best decision we made! We loved how our pictures turned out, they really represented the whole vibe of our wedding.” - Paulina and Jordan, Toronto, ONT CA
HOW IT WORKS
Introduction
The first step is to connect and set up a time to chat about your wedding (and engagement session), talk specifics, and answer any questions you may have.
Make it Official
Once you’re ready to move forward, we’ll make it official with a paid deposit and a signed contract to get your date on the books.
Planning
Through a series of video chats we’ll get to know each other and go over logistics, what you’re looking for through this experience, and create a detailed schedule.
One Month Out
About one month before the wedding your balance will be due and we’ll schedule a check-in session to go over how you’re feeling, any last minute changes, and the final event schedule.
The Big Day
The day of I’ll capture all the moments throughout the event, big and small, and be on hand to make sure you get the shots you want while having a great time. A special sneak peek will be sent to the couple within a day or two of the wedding.
Happily Ever After
A final photo gallery will be delivered digitally within two to three weeks, where you can choose prints and albums to order and share images with friends and family. I love staying in touch with couples and having the honor of capturing their vow renewals and family portraits in the future (plus catching up over coffee whenever you’re in the Asheville area).
GALLERIES
WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS
PORTRAITS
Travel / Landscapes / Street
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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I welcome bookings up to two years in advance of the wedding date.
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Your deposit is $2000 and is paid for the day you sign your contract. Your balance won't be due until a month out from your wedding.
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Within Asheville or up to 2 hours drive from Asheville, there are no travel fees. For driving destinations over two hours I ask that you take care of two nights in a hotel (the night before your wedding and the night of your wedding), I book my own hotel and usually opt for a simple Hampton Inn if there is one nearby or if you have a hotel block I am happy to stay there. For weddings within the US that require me to fly, I require my flights and two nights in a hotel paid for, plus any additional travel needed to reach your wedding (rental car, train, etc.). And for all international weddings, I require my flights and four nights in a hotel paid for - generally the two nights prior to your wedding, the night of, and the night after, plus any added travel needed to reach your wedding location (rental car, train, etc.). I book my own flights but am happy to stay in whatever hotel you have blocked for your wedding guests. All final travel fees are added to the final invoice.
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Yes. I do offer them, at an added cost of $1000. I only work with photographers I know well and would trust on my own wedding day. That being said I don't believe that the majority of weddings need a second photographer, and I am happy to talk to you more about the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
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No, I am strictly still photo photography. However, I know lots of great videographers and would be happy to recommend a few for your wedding day.
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2-3 weeks maximum. Once your photos are ready, I will reach out and schedule a 20-minute zoom call with you to share the details of your gallery and walk you through the options within. From there it is yours to share and enjoy (and hopefully to make prints, or at a minimum make at least two backups because you don't want to lose these).
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No. I have a strong credo in my work and that's I will never ask my couples to do anything they don't feel comfortable with or that I wouldn't do myself. That said, I do believe the time we can spend making photos prior to your wedding can be a great time to be more intentional with one another during a time when there can often be a lot of stress with planning, life, etc. For more on that, read this post and maybe you will be a little more open.
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Yes, I charge $500 for each date change. But first, please be sure to let me know as soon as you know that this may be happening so we can talk about open dates. Once you have chosen a new date, I will move it on my side so we are in sync.
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No. Not at all. I am happy to photograph your wedding day from 100% candids. I can say that most parents will at least want family formals, and at least one classic of you and your partner looking right at the camera, but I leave that up to you. Most weddings are a mix of about 10-20% posed and 80-90% candid by nature, and we can talk more about what that looks like as well as the pros and cons of both.