Sterling Tyler Photography was founded on Groundhog's Day, 2010. Prior to that, I was a partner at another well known photography studio for 10 years.

Yes. Lots. We carry liability insurance and we're glad to furnish your venue (or anyone concerned, really) with a copy of our liability certificate. In the case that your venue requires to be listed as an additional insured, a $75 administrative fee applies.

The Sterling Tyler Photography team is quite diverse! We can effectively communicate in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Hebrew and Yiddish.

Yes, of course. Everything is shot digitally in color, and images are then selectively converted to black and white. Naturally, we always keep the original color copy available as well.

This is my favorite question - the Nikon vs Canon debate! Currently, we're an all-Canon studio, but that could always change. Heck, as recently as 2005 I used a Hasselblad every day! These days we primarily use Canon 5D Mark III camera bodies, plus a few 5D Mark II and 1Ds bodies kept around for backup purposes.

Weddings - All weddings should have two photographers. Aside from the creative benefits of multiple angles and shooting styles, we need to consider the requirements of all your family. Each wedding will feature the couple and their parents, and likely siblings and extended family. Additionally there is the wedding party, (bridesmaids and ushers / groomsmen), your guests, and all the details and decor that needs to be photographed all at once. For these reasons, all of our wedding collections feature two photographers. The occasional exception is made for elopements and very small weddings with less than 40 guests.

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs - Photography staffing requirements are based on your venue(s), the size of your family, and guest count. For example, if you son is an only child and you're having 100 guests at an easy to cover venue - one photographer + lighting assistant is perfectly adequate. On the other hand, if you have 3 kids, 180+ guests and an afternoon service at Stephen S Weiss with a party following at The London in West Hollywood - two photographers strongly encouraged. We need the extra staffing to make sure everyone gets covered, plus the ability to send one photographer ahead to the reception location while the service is still going on.

We require a retainer when the contract is executed, and the final balance is due at least 15 days before your the shoot / event date. The balance is collected in advance so you can enjoy your special event - and we can focus on photography - free of concerns about monetary issues.

Thankfully in 16 years, this hasn't come up (knock on wood). However, in the unlikely event that your photographer is unable to cover your event, we will substitute him/her with another photographer of equal caliber from our own studio and/or from our pool of industry counterparts.

Discounts are available for active duty military, and occasionally for short notice and off-peak dates. Please contact us for details.

Nope - and we don't accept commissions (aka bribes) from other vendors who ask for us to refer them. We firmly believe in making referrals based on merit and connecting the right vendor to the right client.

Location scouting is most effective when performed immediately before the event. Experience has taught us that visiting a property months in advance is of little benefit. Depending on the time of the year, foliage can change and the sun will be in a different position in the sky. Because of that, when we're photographing at a new location we will arrive extra early to allow time to tour the grounds.

• Las Vegas - Nevada
  
• New York - New York
  
• Scottsdale and Phoenix - Arizona
  
• Portland - Oregon
  
• Austin and Dallas - Texas
  
• New Orleans - Louisiana
  
• Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Orlando - Florida
  
• Denver - Colorado
  
• Chicago - Illinois
  
• Cleveland - Ohio
  
• Toronto - Canada
  
• St. John - US Virgin Islands
  
• Phuket - Thailand
  

Certainly! Shot lists (particularly for family groupings) can be immensely helpful. During the planning process we will discuss the details your vision and Pins / shot list.

Just like “an army marches on its stomach" - photographers burn a ton of calories too. We request a hot meal for all events 4 hours or greater in duration, and adequate time to eat.

We don't set any limits on how many photos will be taken at an event, or how many we will present a client. As a rule, most full scale events generate about 80-120 images per hour of coverage. Variables include the number of photographers, and the size and type of event. We usually take about twice as many photos as we deliver. We cull images for weird faces, duplicity, softness, and anytime we try something new - but it just didn't work out.

Online galleries and digital Preview Files are typically available 2-3 weeks after your event. 4x6 First Edition Proofs will follow in about 10 days.

Color correction is the manual adjustment of white balance, tint, exposure, contrast, highlight / shadow detail, white levels, black levels, clarity, vibrance and saturation. We start with a raw image that typically has a color cast or slightly over/under exposure. These 11 controls allow us to fine tune the image and even enhance it to present you in your best light.

Retouching involves the actual manipulation of pixels to change an image. This includes removing blemishes, softening skin (fine lines, wrinkles, etc), removing fly-away hairs, dodging and burning to lighten and darking areas as required, and removing or altering objects that shouldn't be in the photo (exit signs, photobombs, and/or your Uncle Larry).

RAW files are available for the nominal fee of $500. This includes converting the files to an archive-stable Digital Negative format ( Adobe DNG), and a suitably sized USB thumb drive.

Approximately 6-8 weeks after you've received your gallery, we will contact you to setup an order appointment for your album. During this meeting we will review and finalize the image selection. Then we start the hard work on our end - retouching and album layout. Once the layout is complete, we will contact you for a review appointment. Once the layout is approved, the album pages are printed and your coffee table album is hand crafted.

The blog portion of our old website is still active. To view a directory of the original entries, please click here.