Commercial FAQ

For us, it simply means capturing people in their element. Whether that’s a workplace, home, or activity that they love. Great environmental portraiture provides context and insight into both the person and the place. Although we often focus on this approach when we do commercial and editorial people photography, it’s actually something that has grown out of our experience working in rapidly changing environments such as weddings and journalistic assignments. The challenge of finding the perfect portrait composition in a new or difficult environment is one of the things that keeps photography exciting for us, regardless of subject matter.

True documentary photography means attempting to capture real people and places without the photographer manipulating or impacting the scene—or at least doing so to the smallest extent possible. It means finding the art and beauty in every-day moments. It means telling stories within the frame of the picture. We strive for this approach during our wedding work, or for clients looking to capture the reality of their people or organization. It’s also the approach most suitable for news coverage and reportage.

For us though, it is something more fundamental: an aspiration that all of our work tells a story.

Our commercial rates vary depending on a whole host of factors. For this reason, we prefer to custom quote commercial projects.

Please provide as much info and context as possible when requesting a quote. Who and what are we photographing? Where are we shooting? Are there specific dates we need to plan for? Are their deadlines for final delivery? What will the images be used for? What type of image licensing are you needing? Do you have a vision for the style of the finished photographs?

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It’s a lot of questions. If you aren’t sure where to start, please just contact us.

Some projects may require additional expenses, including creative development and prep time, assistant/crew fees, model fees, accommodation and food allowances, additional travel costs, rental equipment, etc. These are determined on a per project basis.

Broadly speaking, there are two main licensing options in commercial photography: limited licensing and full copyright buyout. In both cases, clients receive high-resolution digital files of the final photos and the right to use them for self-promotional marketing purposes.

Most clients are 100% happy with limited licensing, which in our case means they can use the images perpetually for marketing purposes across mediums, but that we retain the copyright as the content creators.

Some clients prefer to buy the copyright from us outright. This means that we give up all rights to the images. This typically costs twice as much, or more. It’s not for everybody, but for some clients it’s important. The full terms of these options are always presented in our contract language.

We have supported a number of non-profit and charity organizations in the past through discounted and gift-in-kind work. We’d be happy to discuss your needs with you.

Yes, and yes. For liability reasons, we strongly suggest you collect photo releases for any identifiable people in your shots, including staff. We have a standard release we can provide. It’s usually helpful if clients collect most of the releases before the session, but we always bring some to ensure we get them from everyone we photograph. A favourite trick is to ask the individual to pose for a quick shot with their release so we can know later who has signed and who hasn’t.

We sure do. We have created a stock photo library focused on Peace Region landscapes and other regional photographs. Images are available to license from us for a variety of commercial uses. Please contact us about licensing any of these images.

Yes we do, although it is a service area we are still developing. We have completed video projects for a number of clients and been involved in directing and producing larger commercial video projects involving dozens of collaborators. If you have video needs, please let us know and we can explore some solutions. Visit Beauchamp Creative for a sample of video work we have helped to create.

Depending on scope, video projects often require additional expenses, including creative development and prep time, assistant/crew fees, model fees, additional travel costs, rental equipment, etc. These are determined on a per project basis.

We work with all of our clients to establish deadlines that meet their needs. We know photos are often a lynchpin in bigger marketing projects like websites and tradeshow materials.

Professional photography takes time to edit and deliver. Please contact us as soon as possible if you have upcoming marketing deadlines. If you are in a  pinch, we also offer rush service fees to expedite delivery. Ask us about those options.

If we are capturing documentary style images or environmental portraits, then staff should dress appropriately for their work tasks (including any relevant safety equipment). If we are doing more formal portraits or headshots, then staff should wear something professional that makes them feel good.

It’s likely best to avoid t-shirts, non-company logos, shorts, sneakers and sandals.

We are Chris and Laura Beauchamp, a husband and wife photography team based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. We work full time as photographers, although we do some other things as well. We specialize in documentary-style photography and unique environmental portraiture, with a focus on the eternal qualities of great photography: timing, light, and composition. We have been in business since 2010, although each of us nurtured our own development in photography for years before that. You can learn more about us here.

First, hopefully, because you like our images. The clients who hire us see something in our style and approach that aligns with their own vision.

Second, because you are looking to work with professionals, in the simplest sense of the word. We have the experience, equipment, and confidence to produce great images anywhere, under whatever difficult conditions may come up.

Finally, we find most clients also hire us because we are personable, friendly, and easy to work with.

It depends. For larger commercial projects, events, or things like weddings and engagements, we work as a two-person team, with each of us capturing images. We are each “primary” photographers and are both capable of taking the lead to produce great images. In these types of settings, we are able to cover things from multiple complementary perspectives and cover each other during important moments.

For other sessions, like family photographs, portraits, or smaller projects, we will typically work independently, with one of us handling the session.

Other times, we both may be present, but one of us will take the lead photographically, while the other assists with lighting or posing.

If you want to know which of these approaches we plan to use for your booking, please just ask.

Everybody’s different. For us, that’s the point.

Some really appreciate photography as art. Some are sentimental. Some adventurous. Some shy. Some want to push the boundaries, and some want to be a bit more subdued or traditional. We believe in authenticity. It’s the moments between the forced smiles that count.

Our commercial clients want their business and people to look as great as they know them to be. Our family portrait clients want photos to share and treasure. Our wedding couples value naturally beautiful images of once-in-a-lifetime moments.

You can see most of our past clients—and just how different each of them are—by checking out our blog and Facebook page.

Hopefully: easy and fun. We strive for an unobtrusive approach in our work, but gently guide when needed.

We know not everyone loves to have their picture taken, and we work with al of our clients to ease into the session. We find that the first ten minutes of any new session are often the hardest, but it always gets easier. We will pose people during portrait sessions and formals, and occasionally make suggestions (such as moving closer to nice light), but we encourage everyone to be themselves, above all.

No, we do not. We prefer to do “studio on location,” which means we bring our professional lighting gear to the location. This allows us to produce professional imagery in context. If you are looking for traditional studio portraiture we can arrange to rent third-party studio space. We would also be happy to refer you to another photographer who specializes in in-house studio work.

We ask for our travel expenses to be covered at cost, in addition to our commercial fees. In the past, this has included hotels, flights, meals, and/or rental cars. If you need us to drive, we charge$1/km (round-trip) to cover our time and expenses for all locations 20 minutes or more from Grande Prairie. Please contact us to discuss your specific travel needs. If you have a special arrangement in mind, we are always open to discussing it.

We use Canon 5D Mark III cameras and a variety of “L” series professional lenses. We prefer prime lenses (Canon’s “Holy Trinity” of 35L, 85L, and 135L) for the majority of our work. We have backups of everything that matters, including camera bodies, lenses, batteries, flashes and storage media.

We also carry commercial liability insurance and Canon Professional Services membership to ensure efficient gear repair and replacement as needed.

If you have another question, please contact us. We’re friendly.