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What
are the advantages of hiring a professional?
A professional photographer will be on time - arriving at your wedding promptly, and getting the results to you on time. A professional has the right equipment for photographing your wedding. Having attended many weddings, an experienced wedding photographer will be at ease at your wedding. A professional uses a color laboratory that is in the business of meeting high professional standards of print quality. And, a professional is used to working with individuals, couples, and groups to make the formal photography go smoothly. When you think about the cost of photography, remember that the photographer's fee is only part of your investment: You, your parents, your extended family and your friends will be investing time with the photographer during your wedding. Don't waste time on your wedding day with a photographer who won't produce results you love!
Shouldn't I be asking "What do I get and how much does it cost?"
Even shopping for shoes or furniture you wouldn't ask that question until you find the style and quality you like. After you have looked through a photographer's portfolio you will know if this photographer has the technique, style and spirit to be the eyes through which you and your children will see your wedding day. Of course, you should determine if the photographer is within your budget, give or take a little, but what you really want from photography is memories and feeling. Look for an established and reliable photographer whose work moves you, whose technical quality is tops. If you find a photographer who makes you happy, you never will regret your investment, whatever the dollar cost. When we have invested in items that will be with us for the rest of our lives, our satisfaction has been highest when we have paid that extra bit for the best quality.
So, how much does wedding photography cost?
Prices range from $600 to $15,000, and even more! Photographs will
be your only permanent record of the day. You want good photographs
so be prepared to spend a minimum of $1000 for a small wedding $2,000
and up for larger ones. Expect better photographers to charge the higher
rates. My research indicates that photography runs between nine and
fifteen percent of the total wedding budget. When couples value photography
highly and are on a limited budget, they will spend up to 30% of their
wedding budget on photography.
Most brides initially underestimate the cost of photography by 50% - in other words, you will probably spend at least twice as much as you budgeted.
We're having a small wedding, with thirty people, and only
wanted to spend $400 on pictures. What can we do?
The first thing to do if you want a professional photographer under
these circumstances is to be flexible. A true wedding professional
only can only work so many weekends a year, and reasonably expects
one or two large weddings per weekend from May through October. If
he/she reserves a prime Saturday in October for you, then larger weddings
will have to be turned away. If you plan your wedding in the evening
or especially early in the day, you might find a photographer who can
fit you in after or before another event, and thus be able to work
with your budget.
What are proofs?
Proofs are made with the identical paper and chemistry as final pictures.
However, only on final pictures can you have retouching and cropping.
Many photographers are now using hi-tech proofing methods: Online,
CDRom, Video and Slide. I prefer a true photographic print (digital
or film) on traditional photographic paper.
Do
I get to keep the proofs?
Some photographers include the proofs in the price of their photography,
others sell them separately. Some keep the proofs, putting them
in the final album or simply not selling them. If your photographer
uses on-line, video or slide presentation, then there may be no
proof prints. Online or CDRom proofing is becoming more popular.
New couples like the fact that distant family members can see the
wedding images and order their own copies. Still, many brides and
grooms would rather have proof prints to hold.
From the photographer's point of view, proofs are becoming a liability.
Dishonest clients are scanning the proofs and making prints. Just
as DVD manufacturers have made it difficult to copy their product,
photographers will move towards proof presentations that protect
the photographers' copyright. Online proofing seems to be a good,
equitable solution.
What about getting an album?
Most photographers offer "Packages," each package having a set
number of hours, images, and certain number of final pictures in
an album. It might be better to get a package that includes an
album that the photographer will assemble completely, because most
of us never get around to putting our pictures in albums if we
have to do it ourselves. Consider ordering parents' albums as well.
Who chooses the pictures that go in the album?
The current trend is the photographer decides which pictures go
in album. After all it is the photographer that has years of experience
and a sense of design when dealing with album production. The photographer
may let you specify the sequence and size of the pictures, so that
the album really shows the wedding the way you want to see it,
with important images enlarged, and related candids grouped together.
You will benefit from the photographer's eye and feel for the wedding.
What about black and white photography?
Some couples want black and white pictures because they like the
classic quality. Also, there has been a return to black and white
(in advertising and weddings) with a contemporary or fashion look
to it. For you, this is purely a matter of preference. If you just
love black and white photography, make sure your photographer uses
black and white film, rather than color film, to produce your black
and white prints.
What's this "wedding photojournalism" that my friends are talking
about?
There are many stories to tell at a wedding: Bride getting ready,
ring bearer being coaxed to walk up the aisle, the bride's mother
watching the father-daughter dance. Moments like these, when photographed
without posing, are Wedding Photojournalism
But capturing moments does not tell the bigger stories: Relationships and Fantasy. A posed loving photograph of the bride and her grandmother captures the relationship, and this is a photo that will have meaning for generations. The bride and groom in a fantasy setting is what some couples want as part of their wedding memories.
Anybody with a camera can take a formal photograph or a photojournalistic
photograph. A good traditional photographer captures genuine expressions
of relationships, and makes everyone look their best. A good pictorial
photographer creates your fantasy images, believable fantasy images!
A good photojournalist captures decisive moments to tell a story. Don't
you want all three at your wedding? Find the photographer who can do
all three well.
Should
we do the formals before or after the ceremony?
Some couples think it is bad luck to see each other before the
ceremony. If following this tradition is important to you, all
of the photos of the bride and groom together will be done afterwards,
but solo shots can be done before. However, getting all the formals
done at the beginning has several advantages: Flowers, clothing
and make-up are fresh, and you can carefully budget time for formals.
(And, if your ceremony ends after dark, the only time for natural
light pictures of the two of you will be before the ceremony!)
Couples who feel formal photos are important will set aside one,
two, or even three hours for formals, which finish up about half
an hour before the ceremony begins. If you do formals immediately
after the ceremony, guests have to wait before they can greet you,
and members of the bridal party will have pose for pictures rather
than mingle. About half of the weddings I photograph have all the
formals taken before the ceremony. Sometimes the bride and groom
are not sure of what their preference is until just weeks before
the wedding.
Some photographers ask that no one else take pictures during
the formal photography. Is that reasonable?
Yes. If the photographer is trying to work quickly through a series
of formal pictures, a snap-shooter might slow the process. A problem
arises when there are several cameras aimed at a formal group -
the subjects will be looking at different lenses. The diverted
attention will ruin the professional's picture. Or, if the professional
is using a light-sensing trigger device ("slave") on a second flash,
other flashes will trigger this flash, ruining the pictures [that
you are paying for] and wasting battery power. There are many other
reasons why a professional might ask others to refrain from picture
taking during formals. On the other hand, many guests find snapping
a few pictures a pleasant part of attending weddings, so it should
not be a big deal for your professional to be relaxed and let people
snap away when formals are over. Ideally, guests should show respect
for the bridal party and photographer and put down their cameras
during the formal photos.
I want to make copies of my photos. Does my photographer really
own the copyright of his/her pictures? Do I still have to pay the
photographer if I make the copies myself?
Yes and yes. According to federal law, images produced by a professional photographer are copyrighted the moment they are created. Federal law prohibits copying or reproducing copyrighted material without permission from the owner of the copyright, i.e., the photographer. If you copy or scan your photos, the photographer should be paid just as if you were buying reprints. If you don't feel comfortable paying for these copies, find a photographer whose work is so good that you are glad to pay. Look for the photographer who will provide you the satisfaction of paying for job well done.
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