Thanks for the compliments, however, there is a lot of talent out there and it is very easy to price yourself out of work. I only like to use available light though I do have all the flash goodies available.
The website that was referred earlier in the post is clearly traditional in style and you should take that into consideration when choosing your photographer. Do you want traditional or photo journalistic? Either one is great, but you need to find out.
Don't worry about being tough! Its your day and you should be as "tough" as you want!
Available light, huh? That's great, they look good... I don't have a flash yet so I am using all the light I can get... I love natural light... But will buy a flash for just in case!
I like how the picture's were shot, I really haven't given it to much thought regarding traditional vs photo journalistic. I guess that is something I need to think about.
Thanks
_____________________________________________ "I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Most photojournalistic style photographers prefer to blend into the background and try to capture what is happening from an observers point of view. Some use flash and others don't (see Jeff Ascough<cite>). David Jay, one of smugmug's artists-in-residence is another photojournalistic style photographer that comes to mind.
The traditional styles are more about the classic poses and setting up lighting equipment. It can be a more invasive process if done improperly. These are your "mom and dad" type shots after the wedding.
When brides hire me, I tell them upfront the style I am (they should already know though) and they know what to expect. </cite>
"They've done studies you know. Sixty-percent of the time, it works every time."
Ok, so I am getting married next year and I have been looking around for some photographer's and videographer's (which by the way I have no idea about videographer's) but anyhow, how does one truly pick a photographer without being to much of a b****!
Yes I am still at my learning curve but I am not stupid by no means and know what it takes to get a GREAT shot, and by God I do not want anyone who is using auto on everything...
You know if you are going to buy a $1000 or more camera why do you always use it on auto, you need to explore and move that button to manual...
So how can I say it nicely or should I even ask if they are truly using Auto or Manual? And I am all for photoshop but when someone sits there and tells me "well it doesn't matter how your picture turns out I can always fix it with photoshop" that kinda bother's me a bit. I want someone who can at least take the pic and only has to fix minor flaws, not sit there and not care about how the pic turns out...
Ok am I wrong on all this, should I just look at their portfolio and go from there?
I for sure don't want to be a BRIDEZILLA!!!! But the party will come and go, but the pictures will stay forever!
What do I do???????
When I was looking for my wedding photographer, I wasn't into weddings at the time but had been shooting fine art for about 10 years so I was also super picky and I was getting married out of town so I couldn't use any of my connections. I looked at the websites of 63 wedding photographers and remember being disapopinted at some of the level of work I was seeing for my price range (which was one of the reasons I decided to give wedding photography a try).
I basically first decided on a style (traditional, modern/high impact, or photojournalism) and max. price and then created a spreadsheet with the things that I really wanted in a final product. I have to say that with all that research the final decision really came down to professionalism and personality.
If you decide to go the way of a photojournalistic style the wpja was a great resource for me (www.wpja.org)
No, I don't have a budget for a photographer... What I said was that there were a few photographer's that I had interviewed that really didn't meet my expectation's and they were charging a bit over $1500...
I know it's going to take some mulah to get the photographer I want! I went to see those photographer's because some friends of mine thought they were good... But as mentioned in a previous post I have a different eye than they do, and it just wasn't a fit for me....
Thanks
Hey Zuly, where do you live?
I know that around here in OC for example, you won't find much of anything half-decent for less than $2,000, and I personally have standards that wouldn't allow me to hire anyone local for less than $4,000 or so. The competition is THAT tough! (And my standards are THAT high! What can I say, when you've looked at tens of thousands of mediocre wedding photos, you begin to smell them from a mile away...)
I charge about $3,000 for the starting point of my complete packages, for reference. And I've been shooting weddings for "only" ~5 years now.
Also for reference, I'm spending the same amount, $3,000 on a photographer for my wedding. But they're not local, they're flying out from NY. It was cheaper (and a better package) than hiring someone local! (Plus like I said, I've known their work for years and have always loved it...)
There are a lot of differences in regional expectations of what wedding photography style is. Tradtions vary from place to place besides from photographer to photographer. For example, here in Los Angeles, the weddings are more low key in many cases than weddings in New York City.
If you have expectations, put them all in your notes and talk about them with the photographers you talk to. And while I love photographing PJ, you may also want to consider what your family might want - if they are used to traditional photography, then you might want to have someone do just a little bit of formal and posed photography. You don't have to use it for your albumbut your parents might expect that. That is a huge issue between generations.
As for Natural Light - there is nothing better, but, there are many instances where you just can't make the best quality images without some assistance with lighting. It's all in the technique - you can make flash nearly invisible but it sure will make the end results pop.
When I was looking for my wedding photographer, I wasn't into weddings at the time but had been shooting fine art for about 10 years so I was also super picky and I was getting married out of town so I couldn't use any of my connections. I looked at the websites of 63 wedding photographers and remember being disapopinted at some of the level of work I was seeing for my price range (which was one of the reasons I decided to give wedding photography a try).
I basically first decided on a style (traditional, modern/high impact, or photojournalism) and max. price and then created a spreadsheet with the things that I really wanted in a final product. I have to say that with all that research the final decision really came down to professionalism and personality.
If you decide to go the way of a photojournalistic style the wpja was a great resource for me (www.wpja.org)
Thanks for the reference, I will check it out....
_____________________________________________ "I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Thanks guy's for giving me so much to think about and all the references...
I live in the country, literally, so I know I will not use anyone out here, that is even if there are any photographer's this way, that's how country it is!!! ha ha
But I am 30miles from Dallas, Tx so that is where I am looking... My venue will be prob. 10-15 miles out of Dallas...
I like the natural light as well, but I sure will put on that flash if I needed to without hesitation.... I don't have my flash yet, (hopefully soon), but I am only test shooting and family shot's, so when I go do an event I will definately have a flash with me....
Matt - WOW!!! I've heard the OC is pretty expesive place to live... Glad you found someone for your wedding and it's even better that you already know them... Congrats on the engagement....
_____________________________________________ "I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
I've been looking at site's and look to see if they have more than one wedding / event on there that I could compare, and to see how many they have done...
One thing to note is that a lot of any single wedding is not neccessarily a bad thing.
I'm fully compitent, capable, have plenty of experience, (and and pretty good, if I do say so myself... haha) etc... yet my 50-slide portfolio probably contains less than 20 weddings. And the majority of the images come from my most recent 5-8 or so. I've got 8 images from one single wedding, and 7 from another.
I have done this because I want to show the kind of work I can, and like, the create NOW ... anyone can make a portfolio that rocks if they pull images from 100 weddings - even if they are junk photographers (even a blind squirrel finds a nut on occasion). Maybe the images I made 5 years ago are still 'good', but are no longer my current artistic 'goal'? - ya know?
This is not to say that having a lot of weddings on your portfolio is a bad thing... Not at all.
After that rambling, what I'm trying to say is: You can get an idea of what THEY like to make and what THEY feel are good images from their portfolio... but to really get an idea of what they can create at any single even - you need to look at a single event. Check out an individual wedding, not just some cherry-picked examples from 75 separate events.
Can they get you 200 that really show competence, skill, artistry, and storytelling? Can they get you 100+ images that really knock your socks off? Can they get you 20 that just blow your mind? Are they able to get you 5 that are so good, you are (self) FORCED to get out your wallet and have them produce a 20x30 gallery wrap to hang on your wall?
Additionally - you shouldn't worry about manual/auto (or even how much they have to photoshop). Look at the final product - if they give what you want, who cares how they get it? I've had weddings where I spent the entire ceremony on Aperture-priority, I've had others where I never left manual. I use what I use to get the images needed - nothing more, nothing less.
Best of luck - Dallas is full of great photographers, I'm sure you'll find someone that meets all your needs. (though you might have trouble at 1500 bucks) This thread is full of great advice for you...
But I am 30miles from Dallas, Tx so that is where I am looking... My venue will be prob. 10-15 miles out of Dallas...
Matt - WOW!!! I've heard the OC is pretty expensive place to live... Glad you found someone for your wedding and it's even better that you already know them... Congrats on the engagement....
I spent New Year's in Mesquite, do you happen to live in that direction? My father was raised in Mesquite...
Here's a couple TX photographers I found through the school just now for you to peruse:
One thing to note is that a lot of any single wedding is not neccessarily a bad thing.
I'm fully compitent, capable, have plenty of experience, (and and pretty good, if I do say so myself... haha) etc... yet my 50-slide portfolio probably contains less than 20 weddings. And the majority of the images come from my most recent 5-8 or so. I've got 8 images from one single wedding, and 7 from another.
I have done this because I want to show the kind of work I can, and like, the create NOW ... anyone can make a portfolio that rocks if they pull images from 100 weddings - even if they are junk photographers (even a blind squirrel finds a nut on occasion). Maybe the images I made 5 years ago are still 'good', but are no longer my current artistic 'goal'? - ya know?
This is not to say that having a lot of weddings on your portfolio is a bad thing... Not at all.
After that rambling, what I'm trying to say is: You can get an idea of what THEY like to make and what THEY feel are good images from their portfolio... but to really get an idea of what they can create at any single even - you need to look at a single event. Check out an individual wedding, not just some cherry-picked examples from 75 separate events.
Can they get you 200 that really show competence, skill, artistry, and storytelling? Can they get you 100+ images that really knock your socks off? Can they get you 20 that just blow your mind? Are they able to get you 5 that are so good, you are (self) FORCED to get out your wallet and have them produce a 20x30 gallery wrap to hang on your wall?
Additionally - you shouldn't worry about manual/auto (or even how much they have to photoshop). Look at the final product - if they give what you want, who cares how they get it? I've had weddings where I spent the entire ceremony on Aperture-priority, I've had others where I never left manual. I use what I use to get the images needed - nothing more, nothing less.
Best of luck - Dallas is full of great photographers, I'm sure you'll find someone that meets all your needs. (though you might have trouble at 1500 bucks) This thread is full of great advice for you...
Thanks, for the suggestions and info...
Yea, I am kinda steering away from thinking manueal vs auto, I see now that it really doesn't matter it's the final product... And I really don't mind photographer's using photoshop, shoot I use it, the only thing that was bothering me was that their mind was set if they screw up all the images they could fix it on photoshop.. I understand a few maybe having to get that extra work on, but all of it, yea I wasn't to sure about that...
Beleive me I love photoshop and all those programs now, but I also like to take the picture as close to perfect as I can get it and just add that little extra to it that would make it GREAT!!! you know?
Well thanks for the info, I will definately keep it in mind, as I am still hunting....
_____________________________________________ "I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
WOW!! thanks so much, I will go over these with my fiance and see if we can set something up... His work schedule is pretty crazy right now, so it's kind of hard going to do things with him...
Um, yea we are about 30miles from Mesquite, I know it well, we use to live 5 miles from there....
Thanks again for the references... Who know's I might just ask you for your guy??!!!???
_____________________________________________ "I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Comments
Available light, huh? That's great, they look good... I don't have a flash yet so I am using all the light I can get... I love natural light... But will buy a flash for just in case!
I like how the picture's were shot, I really haven't given it to much thought regarding traditional vs photo journalistic. I guess that is something I need to think about.
Thanks
"I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Nikon D90
Nikkor VR 18-105mm 3.5-5.6
Sigma DG 28-300mm 3.5-6.3
SB-600 Flash
The traditional styles are more about the classic poses and setting up lighting equipment. It can be a more invasive process if done improperly. These are your "mom and dad" type shots after the wedding.
When brides hire me, I tell them upfront the style I am (they should already know though) and they know what to expect.
</cite>
My Website
My Photo Blog
Twitter Feed
When I was looking for my wedding photographer, I wasn't into weddings at the time but had been shooting fine art for about 10 years so I was also super picky and I was getting married out of town so I couldn't use any of my connections. I looked at the websites of 63 wedding photographers and remember being disapopinted at some of the level of work I was seeing for my price range (which was one of the reasons I decided to give wedding photography a try).
I basically first decided on a style (traditional, modern/high impact, or photojournalism) and max. price and then created a spreadsheet with the things that I really wanted in a final product. I have to say that with all that research the final decision really came down to professionalism and personality.
If you decide to go the way of a photojournalistic style the wpja was a great resource for me (www.wpja.org)
I know that around here in OC for example, you won't find much of anything half-decent for less than $2,000, and I personally have standards that wouldn't allow me to hire anyone local for less than $4,000 or so. The competition is THAT tough! (And my standards are THAT high! What can I say, when you've looked at tens of thousands of mediocre wedding photos, you begin to smell them from a mile away...)
I charge about $3,000 for the starting point of my complete packages, for reference. And I've been shooting weddings for "only" ~5 years now.
Also for reference, I'm spending the same amount, $3,000 on a photographer for my wedding. But they're not local, they're flying out from NY. It was cheaper (and a better package) than hiring someone local! (Plus like I said, I've known their work for years and have always loved it...)
Take care and good luck,
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
Thanks for the reference, I will check it out....
"I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Nikon D90
Nikkor VR 18-105mm 3.5-5.6
Sigma DG 28-300mm 3.5-6.3
SB-600 Flash
I live in the country, literally, so I know I will not use anyone out here, that is even if there are any photographer's this way, that's how country it is!!! ha ha
But I am 30miles from Dallas, Tx so that is where I am looking... My venue will be prob. 10-15 miles out of Dallas...
I like the natural light as well, but I sure will put on that flash if I needed to without hesitation.... I don't have my flash yet, (hopefully soon), but I am only test shooting and family shot's, so when I go do an event I will definately have a flash with me....
Matt - WOW!!! I've heard the OC is pretty expesive place to live... Glad you found someone for your wedding and it's even better that you already know them... Congrats on the engagement....
"I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Nikon D90
Nikkor VR 18-105mm 3.5-5.6
Sigma DG 28-300mm 3.5-6.3
SB-600 Flash
One thing to note is that a lot of any single wedding is not neccessarily a bad thing.
I'm fully compitent, capable, have plenty of experience, (and and pretty good, if I do say so myself... haha) etc... yet my 50-slide portfolio probably contains less than 20 weddings. And the majority of the images come from my most recent 5-8 or so. I've got 8 images from one single wedding, and 7 from another.
I have done this because I want to show the kind of work I can, and like, the create NOW ... anyone can make a portfolio that rocks if they pull images from 100 weddings - even if they are junk photographers (even a blind squirrel finds a nut on occasion). Maybe the images I made 5 years ago are still 'good', but are no longer my current artistic 'goal'? - ya know?
This is not to say that having a lot of weddings on your portfolio is a bad thing... Not at all.
After that rambling, what I'm trying to say is: You can get an idea of what THEY like to make and what THEY feel are good images from their portfolio... but to really get an idea of what they can create at any single even - you need to look at a single event. Check out an individual wedding, not just some cherry-picked examples from 75 separate events.
Can they get you 200 that really show competence, skill, artistry, and storytelling? Can they get you 100+ images that really knock your socks off? Can they get you 20 that just blow your mind? Are they able to get you 5 that are so good, you are (self) FORCED to get out your wallet and have them produce a 20x30 gallery wrap to hang on your wall?
Additionally - you shouldn't worry about manual/auto (or even how much they have to photoshop). Look at the final product - if they give what you want, who cares how they get it? I've had weddings where I spent the entire ceremony on Aperture-priority, I've had others where I never left manual. I use what I use to get the images needed - nothing more, nothing less.
Best of luck - Dallas is full of great photographers, I'm sure you'll find someone that meets all your needs. (though you might have trouble at 1500 bucks) This thread is full of great advice for you...
Here is a wedding website I created for a customer as a value-add. Comments appreciated.
Founding member of The Professional Photography Forum as well.
Here's a couple TX photographers I found through the school just now for you to peruse:
http://christinetremoulet.com/
http://www.stevetarverphotography.com/
http://sacredartphotography.com
Christine looks pretty darn good!
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Thanks, for the suggestions and info...
Yea, I am kinda steering away from thinking manueal vs auto, I see now that it really doesn't matter it's the final product... And I really don't mind photographer's using photoshop, shoot I use it, the only thing that was bothering me was that their mind was set if they screw up all the images they could fix it on photoshop.. I understand a few maybe having to get that extra work on, but all of it, yea I wasn't to sure about that...
Beleive me I love photoshop and all those programs now, but I also like to take the picture as close to perfect as I can get it and just add that little extra to it that would make it GREAT!!! you know?
Well thanks for the info, I will definately keep it in mind, as I am still hunting....
"I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Nikon D90
Nikkor VR 18-105mm 3.5-5.6
Sigma DG 28-300mm 3.5-6.3
SB-600 Flash
WOW!! thanks so much, I will go over these with my fiance and see if we can set something up... His work schedule is pretty crazy right now, so it's kind of hard going to do things with him...
Um, yea we are about 30miles from Mesquite, I know it well, we use to live 5 miles from there....
Thanks again for the references... Who know's I might just ask you for your guy??!!!???
"I am just here to learn more and be a better photographer..."
Nikon D90
Nikkor VR 18-105mm 3.5-5.6
Sigma DG 28-300mm 3.5-6.3
SB-600 Flash