This FAQ is divided into two sections.
Section A covers questions about all of our services except weddings.
Section B covers questions regarding weddings specifically.

FAQ Section A: General Questions

(Everything but Weddings - Wedding-Specific FAQ below)

How do I schedule any of your non-wedding services?

To schedule any of our services just give us a call or send an email with your information, including the date, and we will call or email you back. We will confirm availability on your requested date(s).

Can I meet you to discuss ideas?

Absolutely! We will be happy to personally meet with you to discuss the specifics of our services and address any questions you might have. We like to know what you are expecting to make sure we can meet those expectations. We can meet at our house or a local coffee shop or diner.

How long beforehand can I schedule your services?

The earlier the better. In order to ensure we are available on your preferred date, you should contact us as early as you can, but if our schedule is open, even just a couple weeks notice would be sufficient. At present our services are only available weekends or weekday-evenings. NOTE: Evenings are optimal for Automotive Art sessions as the light is very warm and natural and the colors and features of your vehicle are more natural but vibrant. Direct extreme sunlight is actually NOT ideal for automotive photography.

Where can you go to take our pictures?

We live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and can cover any area within 50 miles of downtown Charlotte. Beyond that, we would need to add reasonable travel expenses which we will discuss on an individual case basis.

Who will actually take the pictures?

Eric is the primary photographer for all services offered. Evelyn is a second photographer for weddings and typically shoots more of the "candid" images.

How many photographs do you take?

The number of pictures taken will vary depending on the service we are shooting. Real Estate & Home Sales sessions typically end up with 50-100 final images. Likewise with Automotive Art sessions. Portrait sessions will vary depending on the time and people involved - we will shoot enough to ensure we have the best images taken to get what you are wanting. Since we shoot digital, we are not too concerned with the actual number of pictures we take, so long as we get the photos that you are looking for.

When will I get my pictures?

We try to process them as quickly as possible. For simple photo shoots, we can typically have your pictures in a week. For weddings and other photo sessions with higher post-processing or printing requirements, we typically require about 2 weeks for delivery of the photos. Regardless, we will work to get them to you as quickly as possible!

Do you take color or black & white pictures?

We take all photographs in full color, but can convert to black & white, sepia, or other tones if you request. If you would like other special digital editing, we can discuss this prior to the photo session. Often times post-processing can significantly add to the overall effect of a photograph.

Since you take all digital pictures, how secure are they?

We have a RAID drive setup in our primary PC, meaning your pictures are automatically saved on multiple drives, so your pictures are safe even in the case of a hard drive crash. We ensure they are all successfully copied onto the PC before deleting them from the memory cards. We store them on our drives for at least one year after your photo session so they are available if you want additional prints, add an online gallery, etc.

I have a special request or want something not specifically offered in your packages, can you accommodate?

Typically, yes. Obviously, we can discuss any special requests prior to your photo session.

I need actual photo negatives, can you shoot 35mm film?

YES! We have a wide range of 35mm equipment and 20+ years of film experience. We will be happy to accommodate this need, but please contact us with this request specifically so we can determine additional costs for film and development. Also, we need to ensure we have the proper film for your needs. We can include some film shooting during weddings, but we can not use film for our panoramic photography - that is a digital process.

Do you require a deposit/retainer fee?

Only for Weddings and Events & Functions. We require a $500 retainer once the date is confirmed and you have confirmed us as your photography team. The balance is due on the event date. Should you need to cancel for some reason, you must do so at least 12 weeks prior to the wedding or event date in order to receive a 50% refund on your retainer fee. A cancellation less than 12 weeks prior to the date will result in forfeiture of the retainer fee. Any pre-payments made beyond $500 will be refunded. For other photographic services, we do not require a retainer, but do require payment during the photography session.

How can I pay?

We accept cash and personal checks. Payment for the session fee is due at the time of the session. Payment for any photo packages or individual prints is due at the time of ordering.

Who owns the pictures?

Copyright ownership of all photos taken by Eric & Evelyn Bowden remain with Eric Bowden. Photos may not be used for commercial purposes without express written consent and licensing from Eric Bowden. Real Estate photos may only be used in sales materials specifically promoting the subject in the photos. Any other uses constitutes copyright infringement. Please contact us if you have any questions about using the photos or would like to use them commercially. As Eric Bowden retains all copyrights, he also reserves the right to use the photos for commercial purposes in promoting Edgy Elegance Photography.

FAQ Section B: Wedding-Specific Questions

How do I schedule you for our wedding?

To schedule us for your wedding just give us a call or send an email with your information, including the date, and we will call or email you back. We will confirm availability on your requested date(s) and ask to set a preliminary meeting to discuss specific details in person.

Can we meet you to discuss our wedding plans and ideas?

YES! We actually prefer to meet with you. We like to know what you are expecting from your wedding pictures - we want to make sure you get what you are expecting. We can meet at our house or a local coffee shop or diner.

How long before the wedding can I schedule your services?

The earlier the better. In order to ensure we are available on your date, you should contact us as early as you can, but if our schedule is open, even just a couple weeks notice would be sufficient - which that probably wouldn't happen unless your plans with another photographer fell through for some reason. We will be happy to work with you! At present we can cover weddings on weekends or weekday-evenings.

Where can you go to cover our wedding?

We live in Charlotte, NC, and can cover any area within 50 miles of downtown Charlotte. Beyond that, we would need to add reasonable travel expenses which we will discuss on an individual case basis. Note that we have covered as far as the South Carolina beach area and into the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Who will actually photograph our wedding?

We will be the ones to cover your wedding. Eric is the primary photographer and Evelyn shoots more of the "candid" pictures.

How many photographs do you take?

We take as many photographs as possible to fully tell the story of your celebration! We use high-resolution digital cameras so there is no extra cost for us to TAKE more pictures. We typically end up with several hundred images - the longer we are there, the more we end up with. Actual quantities will vary based on the package you select.

When will I get my pictures?

We try to process them as quickly as possible. For weddings we typically require about 4-6 weeks for delivery of the photos due to the volume of pictures we end up with, and the fact that we usually have TWO photographer's pictures to edit and organize into one story.

Do you take color or black & white pictures?

We take all photographs in full color, but can convert to black & white, sepia, or other tones if you request. If you would like other special digital editing, we can discuss this during our preliminary meeting(s).

Since you take all digital pictures, how secure are they?

We have a RAID drive setup in our primary PC, meaning your pictures are automatically saved on multiple drives, so your pictures are safe even in the case of a hard drive crash. We ensure they are all successfully copied onto the PC before deleting them from the memory cards. We store them on our drives for at least one year after your photo session so they are available if you want additional prints, add an online gallery, etc.

We have a special request or want something not specifically offered in your packages, can you accommodate us?

Typically, yes. Obviously, we can discuss any special requests prior to your wedding. We are flexible and want you to get what you want out of your wedding pictures, so will will do what we can to meet your requests.

Do you require a deposit or retainer fee?

Yes. We require a $500 retainer once the date is confirmed and you have confirmed us as your photography team. The balance is due on the event date. Should you need to cancel for some reason, you must do so at least 12 weeks prior to the wedding or event date in order to receive a 50% refund on your retainer fee. A cancellation less than 12 weeks prior to the scheduled date will result in forfeiture of the retainer fee. Any pre-payments made beyond $500 will be refunded.

How can we pay?

We accept cash, certified checks (money order or bank check), or personal checks. Due to the high PayPal fees involved, we do not accept PayPal payments for wedding photography services.

Who owns the pictures?

Copyright ownership of all photos taken by Eric & Evelyn Bowden remain with Eric Bowden. Photos may not be used for commercial purposes without express written consent and licensing from Eric Bowden. Any other uses constitutes copyright infringement. Please contact us if you have any questions about using the photos or would like to use them commercially. As Eric Bowden retains all copyrights, he also reserves the right to use the photos for commercial purposes in promoting Edgy Elegance Photography. Note that your wedding images delivered digitally will include non-commercial printing rights so you can get personal prints and enlargements made.