Charlotte Kiri Photography Wanaka


Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question for Charlotte about booking a photography session, please  read through our Frequently Asked Questions below to see if you can find an answer there. If not, please feel free to contact Charlotte directly.

What is your photographic style?

 So a little bit about us…

For most of your wedding day, we photograph things as they’re happening. We don’t work solely in one particular style though, as we are very much a creative and editorial style photographer too and like to bring an on-trend look into our imaging.

We do give creative direction in the couples photos to get the best photos of your special day and have you looking your best. This bit of the day can take time, but it’s best not to rush such important memories.

We also believe that happy people make beautiful photos, so if you’re happy you will look amazing. Looking through our stories will give you a insight into how we capture a wedding day.

We are almost entirely a natural light photographer, by using fast prime lenses we are able to keep shooting in most lighting conditions, without resorting to flash – We do pull out the flash for dance floor pics because who doesn’t like good dance party pics!

Our editing style is inspired by film photography with soft pastels and earthy tones.

We do like to have fun and we do like to joke around, we love to laugh and have fun! We can also be serious when I need to be when it comes to your ceremony and family photos we work efficiently so things run smoothly. We are very organised and think this makes your day less stressful if we have a good plan!

We won’t copy other photographers photos – We will photograph your day uniquely for you so your photos are one of a kind, so we won’t copy or emulate Pinterest boards.

We will answer your emails quickly,  we will probably cry on your wedding. We are in this with you as a friend, not just a photographer!

If you said yes to all of the above we think we will be a perfect match!

Why should we pick you to be our photographers?

We have been internationally recognised with top wedding photography accolades in the past two years to name a few:

* Rangefinder Top Rising Stars of Wedding Photography 2021

* SLR Lounge Top 100 Photographers in Australasia 2020

* Looks Like Film Best Wedding Photographers in the World 2020

* Capture Magazine Top 10 Emerging Photographers 2020

* Wild Hearts Best Wedding Vendor 2019

  • I’m a qualified Journalist and Photographer.
  • We have been published in Together Journal, Vogue, Hello May, NZ Weddings Magazine & Wild Hearts to name a few.
  • We only take on 2-3 weddings a month (approx 20 a year) so we can give you our upmost care and love leading up to your event. You are not just one of hundreds of clients, you are one of a special few.
  • Our editing style and photography is unique to us and not something which can be found elsewhere.
  • We have a full client area full of tricks and tips to plan your wedding. Vendor recommendations, downloadable timelines all to make the process as stress-free as possible.
  • We genuinely care about the people we are photographing and will do everything in our power to make your day awesome. We are hard workers and will try our best at every wedding
  • We don’t shoot back to back weddings and only photograph one per week, so you will have photographers who aren’t tired, or jaded on your wedding day.

How will our photos be delivered?

If you have booked us for our 6 or 9 hour wedding package your photos will be delivered to an online gallery. You will also receive a beautiful heirloom photograph box filled with 20 Queensberry prints you can see photos here. If you book our album package your photos will be delivered on an online gallery then we will design you a beautiful flush mount album with your favourite images of your day if you would like to see photos click here.

For elopements, engagements and family photography your photos will be delivered to an online gallery, where you can download them for social media, print and easily share with your friends and family.

How long will it take for my images and wedding film to be ready?

For photos we will have a sneak peek sent to you within a week of your wedding day. You’ll receive your full gallery within 8 weeks. In the unlikely event we are running behind in peak times, we will keep in direct contact with you about the status of your gallery.

For film you will receive this within 10-12 weeks of your wedding date. Film does take a little longer to edit the results are worth every second.

Do you make wedding albums, or books?

Yes, we do! We have a few options available to my clients! We can supply beautiful Queensberry albums in both linen, faux leather, or leather monogrammed covers. If you would like to check them out head over to my album page here for photos and swatches.

Do you offer prints, canvas's, framed prints?

I use Queensberry, the top New Zealand photographic printing company. We believe in supporting NZ companies and our local industry. I offer a beautiful range of fine-art prints, matted & lustre prints, framed prints and canvas’s. Queensberry offer framed and unframed options and will be delivered to your home if you’re not from Wanaka! You can order directly from your online gallery & they will be delivered right to your door both in NZ or overseas.

You can see more on our photo products here.

Do you travel for weddings?

We are strong supporters of using Local Vendors for your special day who know the area best and can be at your special day.

We usually have a flat fee of $150 NZD outside of Wanaka (where we are based) for shoots in Queenstown/Arrowtown/ Cromwell, Bannockburn etc to cover my travel expenses. We love to photograph throughout Central Otago: Queenstown, Cromwell, Arrowtown!

When is the best light for photos?

Our favourite time to take photos/film you is when the light is beautiful and soft. This happens in the first few hours after sun rise and the last one to two hours before the sunsets (golden hour). We will be happy to help you work on your timeline for your day to organise your day around the best light. We recommend having your ceremony later in the day if possible for best imaging in summmer. In winter make sure to check sunset timing, because no one wants to do couples photos in the dark!

Should we organise a shot list for you?

If you can supply us with a list of the family photos you want that would be amazing, please allow 3-4 minutes per combination in your timeline. We also recommend having someone (usually the MC) who can help organise family in the right place at the right time.

For the rest of the day, we will capture the day as it naturally unfolds. This is achieved best with no list, which means we can all relax and you can be present in each moment.

Can we meet before our wedding?

Yes, we meet all couples before booking in to make sure we are a good fit for your special day. You have to spend 9 hours with your photographer so it’s important for the photography process that we all vibe so we can get amazing photos of you both! We love to meet couples for a coffee if you’re in Wanaka.  If you aren’t based in Wanaka we can set up a online meeting.

Do you take a deposit when we book?

We take a non-refundable & non-transferable 30% retainer/date booking fee to hold your date and then the full amount is to be paid 1 month out from your photo shoot.

 

You’ll also receive an online contract to sign and a questionnaire so I can get to know you better!

Will you use our photos on your social media or website?

We are passionate about creating content on my blog and social media, but only post a select number of the weddings we photograph publicly. If you don’t feel comfortable about this please let me know before your wedding, or session.

What other suppliers do you work with? Can you recommend florist, hair, makeup, celebrants etc?

We have been so lucky to work with some amazing suppliers during all our weddings and have some amazing vendors we can recommend to you! Once you have booked in with us you get access to my private ‘client area’ which has a huge range of planning options from vendors, tricks and tips and helicopter locations.

What camera gear do you use?

We shoot on Canon pro gear: Three Mark IV bodies and new Canon mirrorless R6 as our fourth body. We photograph and film predominantly on Prime L series lenses.  We made the decision to shoot mostly prime lenses this year as they are fast in low light situations, light and give the beautiful background blur (bokeh) that you see in our imaging. We are also Canon Professional service silver members. We fly a Mavic II drone weather and permit permitting (Bruno is also a licensed drone operator).

What helicopters do you recommend flying in?

The bigger helicopters maybe a little more expensive, but twin prop helicopters are a lot safer to fly in than the R44 three seaters read more here. Safety is really important to us for our clients, so as part of my Health and Safety Plan we will only fly in twin engine helicopter options with our clients with approved commercial operators only.

Note to Vendors

Vendors, I am always stoked when you love my photos YAY.. but please do not take images off my website without permission. You can pin them from the Pinterest buttons to use on Pinterest, or if you want to use them for social media, or commercial use please email us to discuss terms of use and we will send you the right size files so they will look epic for you ~ [email protected]

We are more than happy to give out my photos to rad vendors who support my little business, in exchange for photo credit, because it’s all about supporting each other!  YAY

Do you recommend doing photos before or after the ceremony?

We highly recommend doing your couple and bridal party photos following the ceremony (not doing a first look).

When we skype we can discuss perfect timing for photos.  There is a number of reasons why.

  • The light is super harsh in the middle of the day especially in the summer months and the worst time possible for photography because of the angle of the sun being directly overhead. If we have to photograph in this harsh lighting you will end up with big shadows under your eyes ( panda eyes) because of the orientation of the sun – not very attractive 🙁

 

  • Your hair and makeup/dress will generally get pretty ruined if you do your photos/first look before the wedding  (and no one wants a hot sweaty mess) before you get to your ceremony.

 

  • Couples don’t seem to let down their walls and are more anxious/nervous/stiff before the ceremony.  We have found everyone generally feels more relaxed following the ceremony.

 

If for some reason we need to cancel or postpone is the retainer refundable?

Unfortunately no refunds of your retainer will be given for a postponement or cancellation, the non-refundable retainer is used to secure your contracted shoot date and goes towards our allowable expenses and ongoing overheads before your wedding/shoot takes place.

This means from the time of your booking we will turn down future enquiries for this date, making it exclusively yours. There is also to be no reduction of packages once your retainer is paid.

** Covid 19: Booked dates may not be altered, changed or postponed due to Covid-19. Any changes will incur another contract to be signed and another non-refundable retainer to be paid. Please note this includes postponements due to travel/border restrictions. **

Can you Photoshop me to look like Gigi Hadid?

My goal when photographing my clients is to capture the true essence of who they are as a person. I do this through use of natural light, flattering posing and lots of jokes and laughs to have you looking amazing. I will not magically turn you into someone else.

My photos are edited: Colour graded with my special sauce, exposure, contrast, white balance altered, but this does not include photo shopping like removing tan lines, things off walls, face tuning, waist slimming etc

I believe in loving yourself just as you are… if you’re happy, your photos will be amazing!

Smokefree

Bruno and I are proudly a smoke-free business

Still curious?

If you have a question that I haven’t answered above, please feel free to contact me.