You've got questions? I've got answers!

Q. Who are you and where are you from?

A. My name is Sally A. Siko, I'm the owner and lead photographer here at Silvercord Event Photography. I'm a professional engagement and wedding photographer who primarily serve clients in the Raleigh, Durham, and Triangle area of North Carolina as well as throughout the state of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. My best friend Gregg and I have been married for about a million years and we have 2 awesome kid's whom we love with all our soul's. 

These are the people, places, moments, and things that I love.

Suburbanites who have been fleeing the city life for as long as we can remember, my husband and I grew up in the outskirts of major metropolitan areas ( Me- Reston V.A., Gregg- Pittsburgh, P.A.) however we both spent much of our youth camping and exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appalachians.

 Our shared sentiment of a primal connection with the simple joys found in the natural world was even carried into our own wedding day. Gregg and I were married on the patio of an old hunting lodge in the foothills of western Pennsylvania mountains which was followed by our honeymoon on our boat in a nearby lake during the following week. 

We remain big-time outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy traveling all over our country in our RV, horseback riding, hiking, birding, and fishing. This is pretty awesome because most of my life's work revolves around sitting at a desk editing photos and I just can't stand to be cooped up indoors all the time!

Of course, I love taking photos along the way, and yes, although I've got multiple DSLR cameras's at my disposal, I love using my iPhone while on the go just as much as you :)  To see what I mean, check out the images below from my behind the scenes Instagram feed that feature a few of the things I like to take pictures of when I'm not being a wedding photographer. As you can see, there is a lot of birds shown below. This is because I am also the owner of Birdwatching N.C., a small birding tour company and media site.

Q. Will you personally be the photographer for our wedding?

A. Yes. If you're getting married in N.C. or V.A.  from start to finish I will handle 100% of the work for every photo shoot. 

Q. Are you a full-time photographer?

A. Yes. All day every day! 

Q. Do you offer a second shooter service just in case I think that I may need more than one photographer to cover my event?

A. Yes! A second or even a third photographer service is available for your wedding day upon request for a one time fee. Details on my pricing may be found in this link to my Investment Page.

Q. Do you have a studio location?

A. No. My team and I shoot entirely on locations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia and do not operate a traditional brick and mortar studio.

Q. How long have you personally been a full-time photographer, and how many weddings have you photographed?

 A. 13 years as a fine art/ nature photographer and 14 years as a professional event and wedding photographer with 560+ weddings and counting…

Q. What size events have you handled before?

A.  3 to 400+ guests.  No matter the length of a guest list I can always find a reason to love taking pictures of your big day!

Q. Have you ever been published in a photography magazine?

A. Yep...Wedding Photography: Virginia Neighbors Magazine, The Munaluchi Bride, My Hometown Bride 

Fine Art:  PI Creative Arts International

Q. Do you bring backup equipment with you?

A. Yes ALWAYS! I carry multiple Canon SLR camera’s, Canon flashes, Canon lenses, high capacity memory cards and batteries on every photo shoot.

Q. Do you have a backup photographer ready to take your place if you cannot shoot our wedding?

A. Yes,  if for some reason I could not fulfill my duties as outlined and agreed upon in my service contract on your wedding day I will provide a replacement photographer. If there is no other photographer available, I will refund you the entire cost of money paid to Silvercord Event Photography.

Q. Do you provide a candid approach to wedding photography as well as traditional posing options when needed?

Yes, in fact, I am primarily a “photojournalistic photographer". This means that other than the formal portrait session, I am the proverbial “fly on the wall” never interfering with the natural flow of the day's events. My approach for delivering images in a candid style comes in waiting for the moment when the eyes sparkle or the smile comes after the punchline is delivered with a joke between friends having fun at a wedding.   That being stated, I'm quite adept at posing my clients and their families as needed for their formal portrait session and can even answer the question "What do I do with my hands?"  lol, but I prefer to stay behind the scenes and out of the way when it comes to capturing the entirety of a wedding day.

Q. How do you know how many pictures will I receive?

A. This depends on exactly what the scenario is that I’m shooting is. generally speaking, I strive to deliver between 60 and 100 photos per hour.

Q. What time do you arrive at the venue to set up your equipment?

A.  At least 30 mins before our official requested start time. I will not charge you for this prep time. 

Q.  What are your policies regarding the downloading of digital files?

A.  Here at Silvercord Event Photography, you will be provided with an online storage gallery with all of your full size highest resolution photos available for free downloading with printing rights that are included with every photo.  All files that are delivered to you come with a print release for your personal use only. Releases for commercial use are different and may be purchased separately unless of course, you are paying for a session that comes with a commercial use release. 

Q. Does your print release give me the copyrights?
A. No. I know this can be confusing, so I'll try to give you more information here. 

The Federal Copyright Act protects the author/creator (in this case the photographer) of a work (photograph) and makes the photographer the owner of the photos taken by the said photographer. If you take the photos, you are the copyright owner regardless of who or what is in the photo. 

If I take the photos, I am the copyright owner regardless of who or what is in the photos. In addition to snapping the photos and the time I spent setting the photos up, I take time to hand edit the photos. This is also a creative process protected by the copyright law, and the copyright protects these images from someone else being able to edit them unless they have been given the rights to do so. 

When you purchase digital files, I provide you with a Printing Rights Release that allows you to make, for personal use, unlimited reprints or copies of the files purchased. It does not allow you edit, sell, redistribute or claim the images as your own work because these are things protected by copyright. Your print release will satisfy the requirements by photo labs that require the photographer's permission to reprint the image.
-If you would like more information about the copyright law, there are unlimited resources you can find, but here is a simple one: http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/doingMore/copyright.shtml

Q. What are your policies regarding delivery times?

A. All photographs and high -resolution JPEG files of the images will be delivered to you no more than 90 days after the day of the event.

Q.  Do you provide a written contract?

A. Yes, absolutely! My service contract outlines everything that you can expect from me photography wise and is required to be completed and returned by you before booking their date.

Q.  I need a videographer, a florist and a wedding planner too. Any recommendations?

A. Yes! I am blessed to have worked with some very talented wedding professionals and have compiled a list of the people that I regularly recommend as providing exceptionally awesome service for my past, current, and future clients. Check out the list of links below...

WEDDING VENDOR FRIENDS OF SILVERCORD EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Q.  I want to book you as my photographer. How do I do that?

A.  A reservation deposit of 50% of the total hourly package price is to be paid and the signing of my service contract is required to secure your date in my book.

Q.  When is the final payment due?

A.  2 weeks before the wedding date

Q. Is gratuity included in the price?

A. Lol! That would be sweet of you to do that for me, but it is not customary to tip me. That being said, thanks in advance if you decide to do so!   

Q. How many hours of service coverage are you available for booking?

A. 3 hours to unlimited hours! By the way, if you are unsure of how many hours you think that you'll need on your wedding day check out this wedding photography timeline guide that I published in the link listed below to help you figure out which hourly package best suits your unique needs.

WEDDING DAY PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE HOURLY TIMELINE

Q. Do you offer coverage for the rehearsal dinner the night before a wedding?

Y. Yes!  This service is available at a flat rate of $400 per hour and includes all of the image rights that my wedding packages offer.

Q. Do you provide engagement photography too?

A. Yes!  Engagement sessions are $275 for a one-hour session and include all of the same printing rights and delivery as the wedding package.

Q. What are the locations in the Raleigh area that you recommend where we can take our engagement photos?

A. Harris Lake Park, Yates Mill Park, the JC Raulston Arboretum and Moore Square downtown Raleigh are just a few great places here in the Triangle that serve as lovely places to hold a photo shoot.  My extensive list of location suggestions may be found HERE.

Q. Do you allow clients to bring their dogs or other animals with them during an engagement session?

A. Yes absolutely! I'm all for you bringing your dog to your engagement photoshoots. I love animals and really enjoy photographing the bond that a happy couple shares with their furry friends.

Q.  What are the charges for travel?

A. No charge for travel within a 50-mile radius of Raleigh N.C.

+ 50 miles: $55-$100

+100 miles: $100-$200

+150 miles: $200-$300

+ 200 miles: $300-$400 * This price includes 1-night hotel accommodations depending on the location and photography start/end time.

+ 250 miles: $400 -$500 * This price includes 1 or 2-night hotel accommodations depending on the location and photography start/end time.

+ 300 miles: Call for a quote

If you have any additional questions please call me (Sally) at 919-449-7331 or send Silvercord an email anytime!

-S. Siko