First off, congrats on being an Internet-Deal-Shopper-Super-Smarty-Pants! We here at GoodEye Photography are huge fans of Groupon and the people who use the service. We know a little about you – you’re educated, know your way around the interweb, more affluent than average (but always looking to save some bucks), and love the whole group-buying process because it’s fun. Our Groupon Goal is to make a bunch of new local friends that will come back to us for our services over and over again – and be so happy with the results that they’ll tell all their friends and… well, you get the idea.

Here’s a bunch of questions we’ve gotten in the past (and some we just made up, you never know…) and some answers. We’re big fans of clarity, honesty, and straight-forwardness and hope you find what you need below. As always, feel free to contact us if you’ve still got questions using the “Contact” link above or call us at (831) 216-6210 or connect with us on The Book of Face.

***Is there some kind of one-page information sheet in a PDF format that we can download?***

Yup. Click me.

Types of Photography Sessions…

What kind of photography can this Groupon be used for?

Most Groupon customers want professional family photos done in a non-studio (see: outside) environment (check these out). However, GoodEye specializes in LOTS of different types of photography. You may want a portrait for modeling or just your Facebook or Dating profile. You may be a small business owner looking for shots of your product or space. Maybe you’re a Yoga instructor looking for some promotional photos. Perhaps you’re a restaurant seeking some mouth-watering food photos, or shots of your restaurant packed with customers. Maybe you need a corporate headshot. Maybe your kid is graduating high school and you want more creative Senior Portrait photos than what the school provided. Get the picture?

We’re getting married, can we use the Groupon for an engagement shoot?

Of course! We love shooting creative, romantic engagement shoots. It’s great practice for couples to get used to being in front of the camera and explore what poses work best for them.

Wow, we <3 all the photos you took, do you shoot weddings?

Oh heck yeah! Contact us for availability at (831) 216-6210 or click the “contact” link at the top of the page. Check out our flash portfolio at www.GoodEye.co or html portfolio at www.GoodEyePhotography.com

 

Scheduling & Locations to Shoot…

What if our Groupon is about to expire and you’re all booked up?

Please make every effort to contact us early – don’t wait. But if our calendars simply refuse to sync up, we will honor your Groupon post-expiration (within reason). If you wait until after your Groupon is expired before contacting us for the first time, the deal is off. BUT we will apply the value of your Groupon towards our services at our normal rates.

What’s your cancellation policy?

If we’ve made an appointment you have the opportunity to reschedule up to 24-hours before our scheduled shoot. More time is nicer of course.

What if the weather is stormy / rainy / super windy?

It happens and is a bummer. We simply reschedule. No biggie!

Where are some good locations to take our pictures in Santa Cruz?

City, Beach, Pier, Field, Forest, Rustic – Santa Cruz offers these and more. We love to explore new places, though, so if you have someplace that’s special to you, please feel free to let us know about it! Browse these galleries, maybe one of the locations will speak to you…

What happens if we totally flake on our appointment?

Integrity and respect are core values in our business. We respond to phone calls and emails very quickly. While we don’t expect everyone to be as ridiculously responsive as ourselves, there’s a baseline level of respect that needs to be adhered to if you’d like to do business with us. Flaking or arriving late without prior notice not only screws up our schedule, but messes up the schedule for appointments after yours (which of course makes us look bad to those customers). We don’t like to look bad, so please don’t flake on us. When we book appointments, we make sure that you have our cell # and vice versa, so there’s really no reason we can’t communicate in real time. If there’s a really really really good reason you missed an appointment, feel free to explain yourself and we’ll figure out the best way to move forward.

What’s the best time to shoot?

We use portable, off-camera professional lighting equipment so we’re not dependent on the ambient lighting at any given point. We can work in a variety of lighting situations (even high noon if needs be), which makes scheduling much easier. Plus, this way we can have the sun to your back so you’re not squinting and/or going blind during the shoot, which is always nice.

How long is the shoot?

Up to one hour. You’d be surprised what can be done in such a short time. We always are!

What’s “limited weekend availability” mean exactly?

We’re a family business – Chris is the Photographer and Husband and Dad – and because we have a family we like to do family things as a family on the weekends. Plus Chris shoots a lot of weddings, especially in the summer/fall, which already cramp our family plans, so that’s why weekends are, well, limited. We hope you understand.

We’re from out of town, so we can only visit on a weekend. Can you fit us in?

Call waaaay before you expect to be in Santa Cruz. Please don’t call and be like, “Hey Chris, we’re gonna be in town this weekend and we’d like to shoot Saturday afternoon,” cuz it just ain’t gonna happen.

Our work schedules prevent us from being available on weekdays. So there!

Our customers have had great success by simply taking off work an hour or two early to get a shoot done on a weekday. Call in sick, play hooky, take a day off – this is a special event, it’s fun, so make yourself available already! We know weekends are convenient, but for most people (when they think about it) getting off work early for one day out of the whole year isn’t as difficult as it seems. PLUS there’s waaaay less people around the cool places to shoot in Santa Cruz during the week, making the whole photo session much more personal, relaxed and fun.

If we want a shoot done ASAP, when is the best time of the week to schedule it?

The first slot we usually book is around 4pm, but it depends on the time of year. But we’re flexible. If you are making the effort to make yourself available during the week, then we will likely be able to accommodate you very quickly.

Pricing & Merchandise…

How much do prints cost?

Check our Family Photography Sheet for individual print and canvas pricing.

What other options do you have aside from prints that we can purchase?

Many of our clients love the custom coffeetable-book albums we create. They’re super-high quality and true keepsakes – and if you love a lot of your photos this is the most economical way to bring the photos into your home. There’s tons of other merchandise available directly through our website www.GoodEyePhotography.com

We missed your Groupon offerCan we still get the deal?

Sorry, it’s exclusive to our Groupon clients.

We just want the files from our shoot, is that possible?

We’re people pleasers, so it pains us to ever have to say “no” – but this is a business, and we want to be around 2, 5, 10 years from now to serve you. If we gave out hi-res files, you wouldn’t exactly be inspired to purchase a canvas print or album (don’t lie, you know it’s true!!). Keeping them in-house preserves the integrity of our business model – that is, to stay in business. And yes, we’ve given files out in the past, but moving forward in 2011 we can no longer afford to do so. HOWEVER, we’ve found our clients are so happy to have the medium-res digital versions (900×600 pixels) that look *great* on computers and are ideal for sharing via email and Facebook. You get an un-watermarked digital version of each print you order from us.

But other photographers give out their hi-res files, why don’t you?

We’ve found this to be an unsustainable business model for portrait photography, and we’d like to be around a while. A long while! So if another full-time professional is giving out their hi-res portrait photography files, I’d love to hear how they plan to stay in business in the next couple of years. Seriously! Let me know.

After the Shoot…

What happens  after we get our photos shot?

If it’s a family or other portrait session, refer to our information sheet as it explains the whole process. If you’re any other type of customer, it will probably involve a proof gallery.

How many photos do you present from each shoot?

We usually present anywhere from 40 to 120 photos.

How long does it take before we can see the photos?

We usually have all the photos edited within a week (maybe even sooner!), after which point we’ll contact you about scheduling the presentation.

What’s this whole “in-home presentation” all about?

Photography is a personal business for us, and it doesn’t get much more personal than coming to your home and presenting the best, edited photographs of your family on a big screen set to music. Imagine your family cuddled on the couch, the light dimmed, and seeing beautiful photos of your family unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. That’s the moment we love – seeing your faces, your laughter, your tears – it’s truly what drives our passion for photography. It’s fun, it’s emotional, it’s personal. We are there to guide you to choosing the best way to bring these photos into your home – whether it’s a big canvas over the fireplace, a custom album for the coffeetable, or different sized prints to frame and hang here and there. This is our expertise, it’s what we do. We just wouldn’t feel right about not doing it this way. To simply send out a link after the shoot would be doing you a disservice, and isn’t the ideal way to get keepsake art hung on your walls.

Okay, so the in-home presentation thing actually sounds kinda cool. Do we order our Groupon prints and anything else that same night?

Ideally, yes – because we offer about 25% off all purchases made that night. We take as long as you need to help you with this process. It is not high pressure, it is a lot of fun and our clients are always thankful we’ve devoted so much time to helping them choose the best products for their home.

When do you post the images online?

We post the photos online after we’ve presented the photos in person at your home. The timing for this depends on our respective schedules.

We don’t live in Santa Cruz so an in-home presentation isn’t practical. What then?

We can schedule a presentation online and by phone – it’s definitely not ideal but we understand geographic limitations and do our best to serve you from afar.

How long will the proof gallery be online?

We guarantee the photos will be available for additional orders for at least two weeks via www.GoodEyePhotography.com. It may stay up longer, but we won’t take it down sooner, promise.

Can our out of town family order the pictures through your website?

Absolutely. It’s very easy.

 

Online Privacy…

I don’t want GoodEye to post any of the photos taken of our family on the Blog or Facebook – AND I want our online proof gallery password protected. Is that cool?

Of course, we respect each client’s right to privacy. We can password protect proof galleries and opt-out of publishing in any other way.

I want GoodEye to post their favorite photos from our shoot on their blog and Facebook page so all our friends can see and comment. Is that cool?

Of course, the vast majority of our clients want to share the pictures with friends and family. We like to post a little story about the session along with our favorite photos on our blog and our Facebook business page. We make it super easy to share the photos online after you’ve put in your print order.

Random Questions…

This deal seems too good to be true. What’s the catch?

No catch. No bait-and-switch. We hope you love the photos so much you’ll buy more than you get with the Groupon. It’s just that simple. Some of you will take what you get with the Groupon and run – that’s cool. Some of you will spend way more, and that’s cool too. Most important is that you’re totally satisfied with the results and would recommend us to your friends.

How many photographers work for GoodEye?

Just one – Chris Schmauch.

What kind of equipment do you use?

We use a Nikon D3, D700 and D300, about six nikon speedlights, and tons of expensive pro lenses. We love Apple products, and often shoot directly from our Nikon SLRs to our jailbroken iPad. Want more info, just ask!

Are you a full-time professional photographer or a “weekend warrior” with a day job?

Full time pro, why do you ask?

Why do you write in the third person, or “Royal We”?

We’re not sure…