FAQ

What should I wear for my portrait or headshot session?

Simple is usually best. Try to avoid clothing with busy patterns or fine stripes. For business portraits, something you would wear to work is a good idea. A popular choice in recent years has been a solid, cool colored dress shirt and darker jacket. A lot of men have been opting to forego a tie. For artist and musician photos, something that represents your style and coincides with your creative vision is a good choice. On occasion I will suggest specific things.
 

What is your turnaround time for delivering my photos?

For most individual business portrait sessions turnaround time is within 3-4 days of making your final selections from a private online gallery. This is not a guaranteed time and may be longer depending on the complexity of the requested retouching. If any revisions to your initial retouching are requested this will add a few more days to that time, so it’s important to schedule your session well in advance of the time you need your photos, preferably two weeks or more. Commercial jobs may take anywhere from one to three weeks to be delivered, subject to change depending on workload. Final images for all shoots will be delivered via online file transfer.
 

DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN STUDIO?

Beginning June 1, 2023 I will be shifting to an all on-site format. Over the past few years, more and more clients have opted for the convenience of getting their portraits done in the comfort of their own space. I am fully equipped to produce top quality images with the same professional gear you have come to expect from my studio. The modern gear I work with is lighter, more portable, designed not to be disruptive to your environment, and all without sacrificing image quality.

do i own the photographs and can i use them however i want?

This is a common question and it can be quite confusing so I’ll try to make it as simple as possible. As an independent contractor, ultimate ownership and copyright of photographs taken for any given session remain with the photographer. The client is given permission to use the photographs through a usage license. When you pay Chris Cote Business Photography you are paying for two things: The creative work that I do (essentially everything up to and including the taking of the photos), and the right to display said photographs, ie licensing. Rest assured, all the most common usage scenarios are included in the base price of your booking, and in most cases are good for life. Generally it is only large public signs and billboards, product packaging, and national television and film usage that will require further licensing beyond what is included in the base price. The cost of additional licensing is determined case by case, and is usually a small sliding scale percentage of the average costs associated with the photo’s final placement, and the market it is in, for 1 year at a time. For example, the cost of using a photo on a billboard that is rented to you at $1250 a month would be $750, or 5% of the yearly cost. Licensing for an additional year would earn you a 50% discount, so that license would cost only $375 for the following year. I’m more than happy to answer any questions you might have about extended licensing.

I DON’T SEE ANY PRICES FOR COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, WHY IS THAT?

Every commercial job is different and all require different approaches. Most often I'll ask how much you are able to spend, or how many photos you need, and draw up a detailed estimate from that information. Please contact me to receive a quote or estimate. While I am open to negotiating price for certain jobs, copyright ownership is not negotiable. I do not offer copyright buyouts for any of my work, and I am unable to sign a contract that contradicts this policy.
 

Do you shoot weddings? How about family and pet portraits?

I don't, but I'd be more than happy to recommend some of my talented colleagues who do!
 

When do I pay you?

Portrait sessions are to be paid in full at the time of the shoot. For commercial work, a deposit is due upfront to confirm a booking , and the remaining fees are due prior to the delivery of the finished photos.
 

What types of payments do you accept?

Cash, Check, Credit Card, Gift Card

Don't see your question here? Shoot an email to chris@seacoastnhphotography.com and I'll respond ASAP!