What decides the scope, price and delivery of a shoot

“How much does it cost?” is a natural first question for any shoot. Quotes are prepared according to the services you ask for and the scope of the project, because our way of working is flexible and customisable: even two jobs on the same day can differ greatly. In this article we explain what scope and price depend on, what is delivered after the shoot and when, how the deposit works at booking, and what happens if the balloons are cancelled.

What decides scope and price?

Your quote is prepared according to:

• Your expectations: what you want, what for and how.
• Shoot duration: a short sunset session and a full production day are not the same job; the duration is set by the scope of the project.
• Locations and number of people: every additional location means travel and a light plan; a couple and a group of ten are planned differently.
• The team: whether I attend the shoot alone or with a team, and what that team covers, is discussed and agreed in advance, based on what the project needs.
• The services you need: photography, camera video, short vertical content, drone, styling, models, hair and makeup, dresses, cars, transfers and special locations.

The services are not tied together

Photography, camera video, drone, crew and other services are not sold as one compulsory bundle in every project. You can ask for photography only, video only, or another combination of services. Drone footage is not automatically included in every project; when it is wanted, it is shot by me or by my team depending on the project. This also applies to destination weddings: whatever the size of the event, the quote is prepared around the services you want. This flexibility is an advantage: it makes it easier to build a plan that fits your needs.

Our services are not limited to particular headings. You can come to us with your own idea, your dream or a different project request; we assess the need together and build the right shoot and production plan. When preparing your brief, the checklist in our brief article may help.

Delivery: three separate timelines

1. Unedited photographs. We share every photograph taken during the shoot as unedited JPEG. We complete this delivery on the day of the shoot if possible, otherwise by the evening of the next day.
2. Edited photographs. You choose the photographs to be edited. From the frames we send you, you select the agreed number and tell us; we edit from that selection. The one-month editing period starts on the date you tell us your selection, and edited photographs are delivered no later than one month after that date. That does not mean delivery will necessarily take a month; depending on workload it can be delivered sooner depending on workload.
3. Videos. Videos are delivered no later than one month after the shoot date, and may be finished earlier depending on workload.

For photographs, our standard delivery format is JPEG. We do not normally deliver RAW files, but we can if this is specifically discussed before the shoot and agreed.

Where can you use the images?

We settle, together and according to your project’s needs, where and how the images will be used. We share your images on our own website, in our portfolio or on our social media only with your permission. If you prefer no sharing, we do not share. If you have specific preferences, such as allowing only frames where your face is not visible, we respect those limits.

Reservation and deposit

We take a deposit when a reservation is confirmed. There is no fixed amount or percentage; the amount is agreed together with you. The deposit is taken to reserve the date and time of your shoot for you and to avoid accepting another booking for the same time slot.

If you cancel the reservation of your own accord, the deposit is not refunded. The reason is that we have turned away other requests for the time we held, and the cancellation leaves that slot unused. We share this openly so the calendar works fairly for you and for other guests. A separate condition applies to balloon cancellations, below.

Balloon cancellation and rescheduling

A cancelled balloon flight does not necessarily mean the photoshoot is cancelled; we can continue without balloons. Two situations are different:

• If the balloon cancellation is known the day before and the shoot has not started: the date can be changed free of charge, subject to calendar availability. If the requested date is not available, another date is considered. If no common date can be found, the payment received, deposit included, is refunded in full.
• If the balloons are cancelled on the morning of the shoot, after we have finished our preparations and arrived ready to shoot: this does not create a right to free cancellation or free postponement. The shoot can go ahead; if postponing it to another day is requested, an additional fee is required.

How does a quote work?

1. You write a few lines about your need and timing: through the contact page if you are a business or production team, or the quote form for a couple, family or special-occasion session.
2. We settle the scope and duration together and a quote is prepared for you. Sending the form does not confirm a reservation; we reply with availability and a plan, and the date is confirmed by mutual agreement and a deposit.
3. Once the plan is agreed and the reservation is confirmed with a deposit, the shoot day, times and locations are settled.

You can find more answers on the frequently asked questions page. To see how a shoot changes with the season, read which season for a Cappadocia photoshoot.