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About
Us
Our goal is to document your wedding day, seeking
out the subtle candid moments that, when woven together
in a visual form, truly describe the day from beginning
to end. Our years of photojournalism experience allow
us to skillfully and unobtrusively accomplish that
goal. Add to that our fine art background and you'll
end up with stunning images that can grace the walls
of a gallery.
Who are the Freeform
photographers?
The principal photographer for Freeform Weddings is
Todd Hougas. Todd has a decade of experience as a
photojournalist. When a couple chooses one of Freeform
Weddings dual photographer packages, they will be
receiving the skills of Todd Hougas and, in all likelihood,
Jamison Bazinet. If, for some reason, Jamison is not
available to act as the partner photographer on your
wedding date, a fellow photojournalist who is an equally
skilled and experienced will be selected by Todd as
his substitute.
What are
your backgrounds?
As mentioned above, Todd has a decade of photojournalism
experience. In addition, his photography has appeared
in a number of publications, including: Time, People,
The Daily News, The New York Post, The Boston Herald,
The Boston Globe, The Hartford Courant, Cape Cod Times,
Guideposts for Kids, Education Week, The Herald (New
Britain, CT), The Portsmouth Herald (Portsmouth, NH),
The Hampton Union (Hampton, NH), The Exeter News (Exeter,
NH), The York Weekly (York, NH), The Rockingham News
(Rockingham, NH), and a host of other national and
international newspapers through the Associated Press.
He is also a member in good standing of the National
Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and has
won over 20 awards in contests offered by this organization.
Lastly,Todd also is the author
and designer of the Freeform
Weddings website.
Where have
you photographed weddings in the past?
We've photographed weddings in Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island,
Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas and California.
What is your style?
What type of photography do you do?
Our photographic style is
a marriage of photojournalism or documentary photography
and portraiture. We will document the event as it
happens but we don't believe that adhering strictly
to a photojournalism style is the right way to go
for wedding photography. A combination of styles will
provided the best representation of your day - stunning
portraits and moment-to-moment action. All in all,
you'll find that we photograph events as they happen
with a limited amount of posing and direction. We'll
capture all the candid moments when they occur without
sacrificing elegance and beauty of your day.
What is photojournalism?
How does it apply to wedding photography?
Photojournalism is the single most popular style of
wedding photography today. To be a photojournalist
is to observe and document the world around you, ultimately
recording reality and revealing truth. Basically,
a photojournalist's job is to use images to tell a
story without interfering or influencing the natural
flow of events.
Do you take formal
portraits as well? Do you do any posed pictures?
Certainly. As photojournalists, we are constantly
asked to go into the community to make portraits of
people in the news. We make the most out of any environment
surrounding our subjects. And, with our fine art backgrounds,
we can create visually stunning classic images that
you will enjoy forever.
Decisions
May we contact you to ask
additional questions?
Yes, we prefer to be contacted by email. We check
it daily. Drop us a line with any questions or concerns
- info@freeformweddings.com. You can also reach us
at 860-666-5938 or 860-874-5402.
How do we
check your availability for our wedding?
The best way to check our availability is to email
or call us. We prefer to be contacted by email. We
check it daily. Drop us a line with any questions
or concerns - info@freeformweddings.com. You can also
reach us at 860-666-5938 or 860-874-5402.
How do we
secure your services for our wedding? May we hold
a date?
In order for us to reserve your date, a signed contract
must and 1/3 of the total package cost must be received.
Once the contract is signed and first installment
is received, we will provide you a receipt and a copy
of the signed contract. This will ensure our services
for your wedding. We strongly encourage a personal
meeting before signing the contract. Freeform Weddings
will have a PayPal account available for credit card
transactions in the near future.
Should we make
an appointment to meet with you?
We strongly suggest potential clients meet with us
before signing our contract. It's very important that
you are comfortable with us and the services we provide.
Remember, it is your day and ultimately you need to
be happy. By meeting us in person, you will get a
better feel for us and we can both make sure that
our style of photography is right for you. Our online
galleries are meant to demonstrate our abilities
and they are constantly updated with new images. You
can also visit our photojournalism site - Freeformfoto
- to see additional work by Todd Hougas.
Do you have
a wedding contract? When do we sign?
After a representative from Freeform Weddings speaks
with the client and our services are requested, a
personalized wedding contract will be uploaded online
for viewing and download as an Adobe Acrobat file.
The client will be sent an email containing a link
to the contract.
What happens if
we need to change our wedding date?
We will make all possible efforts to accommodate you
and the changes you desire. If we are free on the
new wedding date, then it is simply a matter signing
a new wedding contract. If the new date is already
taken AND it is within thirty (30) days of the original
contract signing, then you will receive a full refund.
If the new date is already taken AND it has been more
than thirty (30) days since the original contract
signing, then you forfeit your deposit. You will not
be responsible for the remaining balance.
What if something
happens and we must cancel our wedding date? What
is your refund policy?
If you cancel the wedding contract within thirty (30)
calendar days of the contract signing, any deposit
paid to Freeform Weddings shall be refunded in full.
If you cancel the wedding contract after thirty (30)
calendar days of the contract signing, you will forfeit
your deposit, but will not be required to pay the
remaining balance.
Packages
What kind
of packages do you offer?
Please go to the Freeform
Wedding Services page to view our products and
services.
Will you
book more than one wedding per day?
No. We never book more than one wedding on any given
day. We prefer to concentrate on only one couple per
day.
What's the
difference between 1 and 2 photographers?
One photographer is often perfect for a wedding. Freeform
Weddings is very comfortable with "one photographer"
weddings. It takes experience to make quick "on-the-fly"
decisions when choosing where to go and what to shoot
and the Freeform Wedding photographers are well prepared
to make those decisions. Two photographers can give
you twice the coverage. One photographer can move
with the bride, capturing all the emotions leading
up to the ceremony and the other photographer will
do the same with the groom. These preparation photos
are often some of the most memorable, and the nervous
excitement leading up to the time the bride and groom
see each other is something you won't want to forget.
Who will be the
photographer at my wedding?
Todd Hougas is the principal wedding photographer
at Freeform Weddings and will be photographing every
wedding. If you have chosen a dual photographer wedding,
then Jamison Bazinet will in most cases be the second
photographer. If, for some reason, Jamison is not
available to act as the partner photographer on your
wedding date, a fellow photojournalist who is an equally
skilled and experienced will be selected by Todd as
his substitute.
How much time will you spend
at my wedding?
Our services all include
a minimum number of hours for which we will be in
attendance, but there are times when an extra hour
or two is warranted. At the photographer's discretion,
up to two (2) additional hours of photography may
be added without charge to the client couple. Each
wedding schedule is unique and we'll be better able
to determine the number of hours needed after we meet
the couple. We enjoy photographing the entire wedding,
from the bride's hair appointment in the morning to
the couple waving good-bye as the limo heads down
the road. In general, there should be approximately
1 hour scheduled in between the ceremony and the reception
to spend on the formal photographs. All of the scheduling
can be better worked on when we meet in person.
What kind
of payment options do you have? What if something
happens and we can't pay on time?
At present, we take cash and personal checks.
We have plans to set up a PayPal account so couples
can pay by credit card online. If for some reason,
a situation arises in which the couple cannot pay
on time, call or email Freeform Weddings right away
and we can come to discuss the problem.
How do the payment
installments work?
For the 8-10 hour packages, we require 1/3 of the
total cost or $1000, whichever is the greater amount
at the contract signing. Half the remaining balance
will be due on the day of the ceremony. The final
remaining balance is due upon delivery of proofs and
negatives.
For the 2-5 hour packages, we require $1000 at the
contract signing. The remaining balance is due upon
delivery of proofs and negatives.
How many
photos do you take? Is there a minimum or maximum?
You can see on our services
page the approximate number of rolls I use when
shooting a wedding. They are an approximation.
Are there additional
costs or hidden costs?
All our services are all inclusive except travel
expenses if required.. You will not be surprised
by any additional costs at the last minute. The only
option you may want to purchase is additional copies
of the image CD-ROM's, but those can also be done
by yourselves or an outside source. So, as we said,
no surprises.
- Additional CD-ROM(s) - entire set
included in price - $100.00 each
- Extra Hours of Photography Service
- $250/Hr/Photographer - Our packages all
have a minimum number of hours for which we will
be in attendance, but there are times when an extra
hour or two is warranted. At the photographer's
discretion, up to two (2) additional hours of photography
may be added without charge to the client couple.
Any hours beyond two (2) will be charged to the
client couple at $250/hour/photographer.
- Travel Costs. See
Below.
Will you
travel outside Connecticut and/or New England to
photograph weddings?
Certainly. We'll travel anywhere. We've photographed
weddings in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas and
California. Personally, Todd has traveled throughout
the United States and Canada, and has spent time in
Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, France, Switzerland,
Germany, Gibraltar, Sweden, and Morocco.
Do you require
extra compensation for travel?
There are no travel costs if the wedding is within
Connecticut. Outside of CT, the fee will depend on
the distance. At that time, we ill charge $60/hour
for actual travel time - this will be broken down
into 15 minute increments. If the wedding requires
an overnight stay, then lodging accommodations and
meals will be expensed at the cost of the client couple.
All costs will be kept very reasonable and will only
be charged as necessary. Ask us for the costs involved
with your location.
Final
Products
What kind
of packages do you offer?
Please go to the Freeform Wedding Services page to
view our products and services.
How long
will it be before we receive the images?
Your prints, digital images, and proof albums will
will be ready approximately 2-4 weeks from the wedding
day. Your images will be posted online at about the
same time.
Will we be able
to see our photographs online? May we control who
can see the photos?
Yes, a select number (see approximate numbers on our
services page) of the couple's
wedding photos will be available online for viewing
by friends and family about 2-3 weeks after the wedding.
They will look like the Freeform
Wedding galleries. The online portion of our services
is not password protected at this time. Email us if
you would NOT like to have your wedding images online
for public viewing.
Do we receive all
the negatives? How will they be presented?
All of the negatives are yours to keep. See
usage restrictions below.
What are
proof albums?
Proof albums are the photo albums that will contain
all your 4x6 proof prints. They are classy archival
albums that many couples use as their formal wedding
album.
Is the proof
album of archival quality?
Yes, all our packaging materials, the negative sleeves
and photo albums are all of archival quality, so your
materials will last as long as possible.
How are our negatives
and proofs packaged? How are the negatives, prints,
and digital images organized ?
The photography lab we use prints the film roll numbers
are on the back of each print and also the respective
negative number. Also the CD's we provide will have
the corresponding roll numbers printed on the outside
and the digital files and folders within will be easily
navigable.
Does Freeform
Weddings offer formal wedding albums?
At this time, Freeform Weddings does not offer any
formal albums. We are researching this idea and may
offer some formal albums in the future. When we do
make them available, we will post the information
online.
Who owns the photographs
and negatives? Are there any usage restrictions?
All photographic materials, including but not limited
to negatives, transparencies, proofs, and previews,
shall be the exclusive property of the Client. The
Client may make reproductions of the wedding photographs
created by the Photographer of Freeform Weddings for
personal use but the client may NOT sell the photographs
or enter the photographs made by the Photographer
in photographic contests or art exhibitions. If the
Client is obtaining a print for a newspaper announcement
for the wedding, Freeform Weddings authorizes the
Client to reproduce the print in this manner. In such
event, the Client shall request that the newspaper
run a credit for the image as "Created by Freeform
Weddings" adjacent to the photograph, but shall
have no liability if the newspaper refuses or omits
to do so. If the Client desires to use the photographs
created by the Freeform Weddings' Photographer for
other uses, the Client shall NOT do so without first
obtaining the written permission of the Freeform Weddings.
In simple terms, the couple owns everything
and may do most anything with photographers and negatives
as long as it is for personal use and not for profit.
If the couple would like to resell the images or place
them in any publication or on any website, they must
speak to Freeform Weddings before they take any action.
We do, however, authorize the couple to place the
images on any not-for-profit website personally owned
and run by the client couple.
Who owns
the copyright to the images?
Freeform Weddings retains the copyright
to all images created and the exclusive right to make
reproductions. Our contract states that the Client
shall agree to make the negatives available to the
photographer if requested in order for the photographer
to digitally scan the images or make prints for the
term of one (1) year from the date of the couple’s
wedding. Freeform Weddings will only make reproductions
for their portfolio, samples, self-promotions, entry
in photographic contests or art exhibitions, editorial
use, or for display on the World Wide Web (WWW) or
within or on the outside of the our studio. If Freeform
Weddings desires to make use the photographs for any
other purpose, they shall not do so without first
obtaining the written permission of the couple. Freeform
Weddings reserves the right to alter these terms at
our discretion without notice.
In simple terms, this allows the Freeform
Wedding Photographers to use the Client's images to
promote Freeform Weddings or the individual photographers
by entering them in contests, or posting them on our
website, or using them in publications to promote
ourselves. We will NOT sell them in any way without
written permission from the Client.
If , the Client does no agree to the
Copyright terms, Freeform Weddings is certainly be
willing to discuss the terms and adjust them if need.
The Client should please make Freeform Weddings aware
of any concerns - todd@freeformweddings.com.
Do we order prints
from you? Can we purchase finished photos from you?
As stated above, we provide the negatives of all images
taken to the Client. This will allow the Client to
look at the photographs at their convenience and then
make prints for family and friends at their leisure.
This could save the Client a substantial sum of money.
At the Client's request, Freeform Weddings will suggest
a professional lab for all post production work. Freeform
Weddings does not receive compensation for any suggestions
given. All suggestions are based purely on past Freeform
Wedding experiences and Freeform Weddings shall NOT
be held responsible or liable for unsatisfactory work
received by the Client from any suggested third party.
Equipment
What kind
of cameras do you use?
We use professional Canon camera equipment.
What kind
of film do you use?
We use all 35mm film. It is the most appropriate format
for working as a photojournalist. 35mm film can make
excellent prints even if enlarged to 16x20 inches.
We photograph with color negative film and will mix
in black and white film if the couple asks. All the
digital files we provide may be converted from color
to black and white with ease. Most professional labs
can make excellent prints up to 8x10 inches in size
from the digital files we provide.
Do you have
backup equipment?
We have backup lights, camera, lenses, and other equipment
and all are inspected before each wedding.
Problems
What happens
if the Freeform Wedding Photographer is sick and cannot
possibly photograph our wedding?
This is a standard legal clause and you'll see it
in virtually every wedding contract. This legal disclaimer
is important, but to date, none of the below have
ever happened to us at Freeform Weddings. ---- If
Freeform Weddings cannot perform services due to a
fire or other casualty, strike, act of God, or other
cause beyond the control of the parties, or due to
photographer’s illness, then the Freeform Weddings
shall return the deposit to the couple but shall have
no further liability with respect to the agreement.
This limitation on liability shall also apply in the
event that photographic materials are damaged in processing,
lost through camera malfunction, lost in the mail,
through bad film, or otherwise lost or damaged without
fault on the part of the photographer. In the event
the photographer fails to perform for any other reason,
the photographer shall not be liable for any amount
in excess of the retail value of the client’s
order.
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