Question 1

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER?

Accepted Answer

I photographed my first wedding in 1999, and have personally photographed 600 weddings all over the world. Wow, that happened quickly. I now have a callus on my shutter button finger the size of a Buick. OK, it's not that big. I guess it’s not really a callus. In 2002, I photographed 55 weddings. Now I try to limit myself at 20 weddings a year so I can give clients my full attention.

Question 2

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?

Accepted Answer

When I was 10, I got a camera from my parents, a beautiful silver Voigtlander they brought back from Germany. I was immediately hooked. I bought my first camera on my own with my first job, a Minolta X-700 + 50mm lens, when I was about 15. When I was 16, I was my high school yearbook photographer and I shot for the school paper. This gave me my first experience in the darkroom and developing film

Question 3

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE?

Accepted Answer

My work has been referred to as "cinematic," "documentary style" and "wedding photojournalism" as I act in the role of observer rather than director. I am always looking at light and carry a camera with my all day everyday. Unless I'm swimming, of course. Although I am by nature a social person, I try to be as invisible as possible. I don't direct the action: I observe and wait for moments.

Question 4

HOW DO WE RESERVE YOU FOR OUR WEDDING?

Accepted Answer

Contact me and let me know your date and location. If I'm still available on your wedding date and in your budget, we can meet or talk on the phone/FaceTime/Skype to discuss the details. If you want to move forward in hiring me to photograph your wedding, I merely require a deposit and a signed contract. I accept all major credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and checks

Question 5

HOW MANY PHOTOS DO WE GET?

Accepted Answer

There are countless factors that determine quantity, like the number of guests, number of locations, specific customs, the duration of your wedding, etc. For a 6 hour wedding, I typically deliver 600 images. My editing rule is simple: if they aren't awesome, I toss 'em. I will give you everything I think you will want.

Question 6

WHEN WILL WE SEE OUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS?

Accepted Answer

I'm as excited to see the photographs as you are. Really. During peak season, I typically deliver images to clients in about 4 weeks. I operate on the premise that quality is more important than speed. I always do my best rather than just crank things out to get them done. I am a perfectionist and personally do all of the editing myself. I won't settle for second best and neither should you.

Question 7

DO YOU MAKE WEDDING ALBUMS?

Accepted Answer

Making albums is not only rewarding, but a permanent, beautiful piece of artwork preserving your wedding rather than merely having your images sitting on a hard drive. There is a lovely quality to well made, tangible things that also makes them impervious to loss due to hard drive crashes or format obsolescence. The books are made to last a lifetime.

Question 8

YOUR PORTFOLIO HAS A LOT OF B&W. DON'T YOU LIKE COLOR?

Accepted Answer

I love color, but my favorite images have always been black and white and my portfolio reflects that. I typically give clients about 60% color unless they have specific preferences. I photographed a wedding in Rajasthan, India in 2005, all in film, and that was 95% color because of the setting and the vibrant colors. Similarly, my coverage of Indian weddings in the US is about 90% color.

Question 9

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHERS?

Accepted Answer

Ralph Gibson, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Anton Corbijn, Elliott Erwitt, Robert Frank, Josef Koudelka, Sebastiao Salgado, Ernst Haas, Harry Gruyaert, Saul Leiter, Bill Brandt, David Alan Harvey, Rene Burri, Garry Winogrand, Sam Abell, William Eggleston, Fred Herzog, Martin Munkacsi, Fan Ho, Stephen Shore, Gerard Uferas, William Klein, Chien-Chi Chang, Guy Le Querrec, Richard Kalvar, Constantine Manos.

Question 10

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET SICK OR CAN'T MAKE IT?

Accepted Answer

I've never missed a wedding in my 21 years of shooting, but in the winter of 2002 I photographed a 6 hour wedding with "flu-like symptoms." Aside from sweating like Elvis and turning down dinner, it was business as usual and a great wedding. If something worse than that happened, I would pair you with one of the great photographers in Minneapolis that I refer clients to when I am already booked.

Question 11

WHERE HAVE YOU PHOTOGRAPHED WEDDINGS? DO YOU TRAVEL?

Accepted Answer

My first travel wedding was November 3, 2001, in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. I've photographed weddings all over the world, including Bali-Indonesia, Hong Kong-China, Udaipur-India, Bangkok-Thailand, Seoul-Korea, Honolulu-Hawaii, Washington DC, Anchorage-AK, Vancouver-BC, Portland-OR, Chicago-IL, New York-NY, Burlington-VT, Atlanta-GA, Phoenix-AZ, Los Angeles-CA, San Diego-CA, and San Francisco-CA.

Question 12

HAVE YOU WON ANY ACCOLADES OR AWARDS?

Accepted Answer

I do what I do because I love it. That, and I've lost every other marketable skill. I've won a lot of photo contests, including PDN's "Top Knots" in 2016. I've been named to many best wedding photographers in Minnesota lists. Check my website FAQ for greater detail.

Question 13

ARE YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

Accepted Answer

I am on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and even post my favorite iPhone photos to the VSCO sharing network. I have two Instagram accounts, @bradleyhansonphotography is my professional account with weddings, portraits and landscapes, and @bradleyhanson is my diary of personal images from my iPhone.

Question 14

WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH SALES TAX?

Accepted Answer

There are a lot of misunderstandings about sales tax, understandably. I photograph weddings outside of Minnesota and outside of the United States. For weddings in Minnesota, the required state tax will apply because I have to pass it along to the state each month, as required by law. For weddings in other states and in other countries, your wedding is tax exempt.

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