Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you?
NonFiction Weddings is a husband and wife team: Scott Squire and Amy Benson. Born and raised in Seattle, educated variously in Seattle, Cairo, and Berkeley, and with a number of careers under our respective and collective belts, we're thrilled to be working together to tell the stories of people's weddings in photographs and video.

Why “NonFiction”?
In our work as social documentary photographers, we strive to illuminate truth by finding beauty. When it comes to weddings, the best way to capture beauty is to focus on truth.

Every event has its own ‘culture.’ We bring the curiosity of an anthropologist and the eye of a fine artist to our work, documenting that culture. We strive to make unexpected photographs that provide an intimate glimpse of people in the midst of extraordinary circumstances.

We have lived, worked, and photographed professionally all over the world, and we work well under pressure. NonFiction Weddings brings that big-world sensibility to one of the most important events of your life. We are extremely easy to work with; we communicate clearly before, during and after the wedding, and in a manner which will ease planning stress and help calm wedding-day jitters. At your wedding, we will be flexible, unobtrusive, and quick to react to the key moments as they unfold. We will get the shot.

Two photographers?
One of the main difficulties of photojournalistic style wedding coverage is that there are inevitably several important things going on at once. With two sets of eyes and ears on the ground, and two lenses on the lookout, no important moment goes unnoticed. When one of us is focused on the bride's expression at the altar, the other can be capturing guests' reactions. If I'm setting up lights for the reception, Amy can be making pictures of kids playing outside. When Amy is mining the room for detail shots, I'm roaming around making candid portraits.

We enjoy working together, and our photographic styles complement one another nicely. Working together, we're offering higher production values and more intimate coverage at the same time.

How much will it cost?
Top-to-bottom wedding day coverage starts at $2500. Have a look at our pricing page for more info. Optional extras include our custom, handmade albums and full resolution 'digital negatives'. We are happy to work with you to custom tailor coverage to suit your exact needs. Flexible is the key word here.

How long will you be there?
As long as possible! we're photographers because we love telling stories.

In a perfect world, we’d start your wedding coverage today, and keep touching base with you until your wedding day, creating a true, long-term photodocumentary. Of course, that’s not always practical.

Some of the best wedding day pictures are made as the bride and groom are preparing and then as the guests begin to arrive.

And some of the most unforgettable pictures come from later in the reception, when the party's in full swing.

Many weddings involve a range of exciting events spread over a long weekend and several locations.

Here's the bottom line: We want to photograph as much of your wedding story as possible. That typically takes 8-10 hours, and our package pricing is based upon that timeframe.



Where are you based?
We live in, and currently do most of our work in Seattle. But we love travel, and will go just about anywhere to make great pictures. We offer special pricing for destination wedding coverage.

 

What kind of equipment do you use?
We photograph primarily with professional Canon digital cameras and top-drawer lenses. We also shoot film, using classic Lieca 35mm and Rolleiflex Medium Format cameras. By special request we'll also occasionally shoot a few sheets of 4x5 film in our big old view camera.

Today's top digital cameras are (arguably) fully up to the quality standard of medium format film. These smaller cameras are the keys to our reportage-style photography. We keep a low profile by using a minimal amount of flash, even in low light—this leads to more natural, visually compelling images.

 

Black and white or color?
Of course the choice is ultimately up to you. Weddings are colorful events, full of brilliant flower arrangements and bright faces, but black and white can create a classic, timeless feel. We like to shoot a mix of both, but we are also happy to shoot exclusively in one or the other.

How many pictures do you take?
In a typical wedding, we shoot between 800 and 1000 images. When we deliver the disc, it will generally contain a folder with about 150 of our favorites, as well as all the other usable images from your wedding.

How can we help you get the best possible pictures of our wedding day?
It’s all about the backstage pass. Some of the most wonderful moments happen behind the scenes. Whether it's a toast at the bachelor party or the bride and bridesmaids getting their hair done, the longer we can spend with you, the better the story will be.

Beyond that, you can let us know if the venue has any photography restrictions.

Do you ‘touch up’ photos?
Any careful printer wants to bring out the best in a picture. Typically we do not try to smooth wrinkles or ‘heal’ blemishes; it's just not our style. However, we are very well versed in the use of Photoshop, so if you have a concern, chances are we can find a solution.

How do you deal with ‘camera shy’ guests?
We have kind eyes.

Do you do portraits?
We love to make portraits. Weddings are big events in family histories, and we relish the opportunity to document the coming together of the people who are important to you. To get a feel for our style of portraiture, please have a look at our portraits page.

In order to help you get the most out of the time we'll have with you, we've put together a little guideline to the portrait session, which you will get as part of your booking package. We’ll ask you to assign a point-person (anyone other than the nuptial couple), who can help us with logistics and timing. We have found this technique works nicely and helps everyone relax.

How long before we can see the pictures?
We'll have your photos ready to view online (on our password-protected gallery/store), generally within just a few days. Our lab produces prints of exceptional quality as well as other photo-merchandise. We can also custom print any image at at even higher quality, by arrangement.

 

Will our guests and relatives be able to see our wedding pictures on the web?
Yes! Anyone you share the URL and password with can view and purchase prints easily online—saving you endless trips to the drugstore and post office!

 

Do you shoot more than one wedding in a day?
Nope. Never have, never will. A wedding is a rich and complex cultural event that deserves nothing less than our very best, most beautiful work.

 

These are just some of the more common questions we've received in the past. We are sure you have many more that are unique to your particular needs. So let's talk! Drop us an email or give a phonecall. We look forward to hearing from you.

—Scott & Amy

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Scott Squire and Amy Benson         Seattle: (206) 407-6470        Email Us!