Hawaii Elopement Photography

Hawaii is a great place for your destination wedding.  I have special one hour packages for weddings with less than 5 guests.  I can recommend and officiant or beach for you. Call or email me to check availability at 808-554-7721. Click here to see my portfolio.  Scroll down for prices and answers to frequently asked questions.

Booking

How do I book?

Booking is simple. First give me a call at (808) 554-7721 or an email with your wedding date and I’ll let you know if I am available. To book the date you pay a 50% non refundable deposit. After that you just have to enter your information on this form and you are all set. The remaining balance is due on the wedding day by cash or check or the day before the wedding if you prefer to pay with credit card. I will typically get in touch with you a few days before the wedding to confirm all the details.  If you don’t hear from me just give me a call or text at the number above. The second payment will be collected at the or before the shoot.

Are there any hidden fees?

The only fee not included in the price is Hawaii General Excise tax of 4.711%. It is like sales tax except that it applies to all transactions.

Is the deposit refundable?

The 50% deposit paid to reserve the date is not refundable.  As soon as I have received the deposit I will put you on the calendar and start turning down other inquiries about your date.

Who will shoot my wedding?

I shoot every wedding that I book personally.

Have you shot at my venue before?

If you are getting married on Oahu at a wedding venue or beach I have most likely shot there multiple times as I’ve shot over 500 events on Oahu.  If it’s on an outer island it’s probably a 50% chance.  If I haven’t been to your venue I will arrive before the wedding to scout it out.

How much does it cost to bring you to an outer island?

I am based on Oahu however I do travel to Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, Molokai and Lanai for a flat $600 fee which includes all my expenses.

How would you describe your style?

My goal for every wedding are natural and timeless images.  I want you to be able to look back at your wedding photos 40 or 50 years from now and enjoy the photos even more than you did when you received them.  I avoid a lot of the fads in wedding photography because I feel they will look dated after 5 or 10 years. I am always on the look out to capture real emotions and smiles.  After the ceremony I will do family groups and couples posing. My goal for the couples poses is that they look like something you would do naturally.

What type of gear do you shoot with?

I am a little bit of a gear head. I spend about 5-10k per year on all the latest, cameras, lenses and flashes.  As of 2017 I am using full frame Sony cameras— the a99II is the first camera ever made to shoot 42 megapixels at 11 frames per second.  I also carry an a7rII which is known for it’s class leading low light abilities and high resolution.  I usually bring about 7-8 lenses, 2-3 flashes, and way too many batteries, memory cards, reflectors and other accessories.   The camera bag is getting really heavy but I like to have lots of redundant gear in case anything dies mid shoot.

Do you shoot same sex marriages?

I love shooting same sex marriages.  Ever since 2012 when Hawaii opened unions up to all couples I’ve been honored to work with gay and lesbian couples.

Can we go in the ocean/underwater?

I love to shoot underwater.  We can start the shoot above water and then move on to some great water shots for you.  No extra charge.

Can I break up the wedding coverage?

All of my wedding coverage prices are for continuous coverage.  If you have a long gap in the coverage I can discuss your day with you to work out a custom price.

Can I get a second photographer?

When I started photography back in the 90’s we all shot film so it was much less common to have a second photographer.  I’ve gotten used to shooting myself so I see second photographers as a bit of a luxury.  I know several good second shooters and I can provide one for you for $150 per hour.

Do you provide any equipment rentals?

Please inquire if you have the need for equipment like bluetooth speakers, a projector, screen, etc.  For a large wedding you definitely want to hire a DJ but for a small wedding I can provide a fairly powerful portable bluetooth speaker.  I also have a screen and projector suitable for indoor weddings.  No charge for the speakers.  There is a fee for the projector as it involves a lot more to carry and setup.  I can bring a tripod for at no charge you if you want to put a video camera on it.

Do you provide videography services?

I have a few videographers that I work with a lot and can provide a referral. 

What will you wear to my wedding?

Here in Hawaii khaki pants, an aloha shirt and sandals are pretty standard wedding attire.  If you have a more formal event just let me know the dress code 🙂

Do you have any specials?

I do have some discounts for longer weddings. 

What types of payment do you accept?

For the 50% deposit to book it is done through the credit card link at the top of the page.  For the balance due at the wedding I can take cash or check made to Adam Palmer.  If you want to pay the balance by credit card let me know ahead of time and I will send you an invoice to pay before the wedding.

When is the balance due?

The balance can be paid anytime before or on the day of the wedding. I can get cash or check from you at the wedding.  Let me know if you need to pay at the wedding with credit card and I can arrange for that.

Planning

What wedding venues would you recommend?

Let me know what type of location you are interested in and I can help you find something you will love.  If you are narrowing your selection of venues down I would love to give my opinions on your options.

What is the weather like in Hawaii for an outdoor wedding?

Hawaii has generally great weather all year round.  The temperatures vary from 66-85 degrees.  It’s really hard to tell what season it is a lot of the time.  It rains every other day on average but just for 5-10 minutes at a time for a few times a day typically.  The winter is slightly more prone to rain than the summer.

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/honolulu/hawaii/united-states/ushi0026

The east and south facing shores tend to be windier than the west and north shores.

Can you give me wedding day timeline recommendations?

This is one one the most common questions I get.  I’d love to help you plan the timing of your wedding.  Most beach ceremonies take about 20 minutes but by the time you add getting settled I usually recommend planning on 30.  For couple shots I need at least 20 minute but would prefer about 45 minutes.  If you really want to get a bunch of poses I can do as much as 2 hours of couple photos on your wedding day.  Family pictures should take around 1-3 minutes per group (it all depends how fast you can round up the friends and relatives).  After that people usually as me how long I recommend for preparation shots.  I love shooting the pre wedding shots so the more of these the better but I really only need to be there for the last hour. That will give me time to get some jewelry shots, the dress hanging and someone zipping/lacing your dress.  If the guys are also getting ready nearby I can bounce back and forth between the two of you if you give me 90 minutes.  The last thing people ask is how much time after the program I would recommend.  I do love to shoot all the speeches, cakes cutting, bouquet toss, etc.   When the dancing starts I would definitely recommend having me there for at least 10 minutes of the open dancing but I don’t think you need a professional photographer for the entire time the dance floor is open.  If it’s a decision between more time at the end or more time with the preparation I’d recommend more time up front. 

Can you recommend an officiant, DJ, caterer?

I’ve been shooting here on Oahu for almost two decades so I’ve met a lot of other wedding professionals.  I’d love to help you plan any aspect of your wedding.

Do you require a meal?

For any wedding less than 4 hours I usually don’t think about eating.  Around the 5 hour mark I will probably start getting hungry so let me know if you aren’t providing a meal and I’ll stuff something in my bag before I leave. 

Do you require a shot list? Would you like to see my Pinterest page?

I have been shooting long enough that I have a mental shot list in my head for all weddings.  Because I have a camera in my hand and another hanging off my shoulder it would really slow things down for me to be managing a list.  If you want to provide a list to your planner or a guest that knows everyone to check it off that would work for me.

If you have a Pinterest page I would love to check it out.  Send me the link. It’s nice to see what type of photography you like.  If you want to recreate a pose or two I’d be happy to give it a try with you.  I do have to limit that to just a few poses though.

Can I break up the wedding coverage?

All of my wedding coverage prices are for continuous coverage.  If you have a long gap in the coverage I can discuss your day with you to work out a custom price.

How do you feel about family taking pictures?

I don’t mind guests shooting along side me.  I’ll let them know gently if they are getting in the way of my photography. 

How far in advance should I book?

The first person to pay the deposit will book the date so if you are sure about having me as your photographer I would recommend booking as soon as possible. For weddings in the peak season and on weekends it definitely pays to plan ahead.  If you are eloping and are flexible with time an date you can all me anytime and I’ll try to squeeze you in.

Do you require a meeting?

Because I live out in the country in Hauula I actually prefer to meet with clients on the phone or by FaceTime or Skype.  You are probably just as busy as me so I’m happy to arrange all the details by text or email as well.

After the wedding

Will I get full size digital images? Are there any restrictions?

After I have culled the rejects and adjusted the color and cropping you will receive full resolution 42 megapixel files to with as you please.  There are no restrictions.  You can use the images for prints, albums, slide shows, posting online, etc.

How many photos are included?

You will receive a minimum of 150 images per hour booked.  After I shoot I remove all the blinks and awkward faces. I correct color, white balance, crop, contrast a number of other settings before uploading all the photos for you too download at 42 megapixel resolution.

When will I have my photos?

Your photos will be ready to download two weeks after your photo session.  You can then order your retouched photos which will be available two weeks after you order.

Can I get a prints/album/slide show?

I’d love to make an album for you. For sizes and prices click here. For slide shows click here. For print options click here. If you want to make your own albums and prints from the images I provide I can recommend a few great labs here.

What type of retouching is included?

Once I have uploaded the photos on the computer I go through and remove all the blinks and any other rejects.  After that I individually edit the color, crop, white balance, contrast and several other aspects of the photo to achieve the perfect color and clarity that I like.  Those edited photos are put on the web at full resolution for download.

A smaller set of images is included with heavier retouching.  Click here for more details. 

How large of a print can I make?

I use a 42 megapixel camera with top of the line lenses so I have gotten great results up to about 40×60 inches.

Can I get a black and white version?

I love black and white.  Living on such a colorful island we don’t get much calls for it but if you would like me to convert a percentage of your photos into black and white during my post processing just let me know how many and I’d be happy to do that.

How should I back up my images?

After the wedding I will provide you a download link to download your full size files.  I would recommend downloading those to your computer.  I intend to keep hosting them online indefinitely although I can’t guarantee they will always be available.  For that reason I recommend keeping one copy on your computer and another copy on a few free online backup services.  Google drive is my personal favorite.  They provide 15gb free to anyone and are backed by one of the world’s biggest companies so they should be around a while.  It never hurts to have redundancy so I would also recommend signing up for a free Dropbox account. Microsoft also provides 5gb of online storage free. If you need any help setting it up I would be glad to assist.