After an 1,100 mile flight, little sleep, Krista and I made it to Ashley and Adam's big day. They had a beautiful day, and celebrated late into the night. These two were made for each other, and so much fun to work with. Here are some quick images from the day. The day started with everyone getting ready, even the puppies!
Tons of beautiful details everywhere
And then my favorite part of every single wedding day: The bride and groom immediately after the ceremony.
18 hour lipstick tends to stay on grooms for a bit less time!
And as always, the mother of the bride can't hold back the tears!
Congratulations to Ashley and Adam. Have fun in Jamaica, dodge the hurricanes and stay safe!
Good Monday morning everyone. I hope your weekend was well, and if you are still thinking it is Sunday...well you really need to go to bed! I'm following up on a popular post where I discussed average wedding costs in the Dallas area. I'm going to be a little more specific today and discuss the photography portion. But before I get to that Fox 4 ran a quick segment this morning on saving money by being creative, but keeping the same feel to your wedding. Take a look.
Alright onto the budgeting of wedding photography. Does your wedding budget look like this?
or this?
Either way I am sure you don't want to feel like this:
But in all seriousness how do you know if you are wasting your money or paying way too much? Let's break it down into a few easy to understand points. I sincerely believe a better informed customer is a better customer. It is better for you to know how wedding photography pricing is derived so you can shop as an educated consumer.
If you remember back to the other post I recommended you spending about 10% of your entire budget on wedding photography. This will get you into the ball park of an average professional in your market. You may not get everything you were dreaming of, but you will get a professional. {ALERT} {ALERT} side track coming........ I understand that not everyone can afford a professional photographer. It is the truth. People get married every day with little or no fanfare. And with no budget for a wedding little alone a wedding photographer. I'm here to say to those folks, It's OK. I'm going to be posting a little later this week on how to score some photography on the way cheap.
Ok, sorry, so what do I mean by "ballpark" when I talk about a 10% budget? If your wedding budget is $30,000, and you budget $3,000 for photography in the Dallas market you will find you receive something like 8 hours of wedding day coverage, a basic print or album package. Not bad, but maybe you had your heart set on engagement and bridal sessions too. You also may want three to four large prints for your house, a nicer album, and say two parent albums to give as gifts. Well you just upped your bill to about 15-20% ($4,500 to $6,000) depending on the options. I'm just warning you now so you will not be shocked.
You may be asking your self, "How do photographers come up with pricing?" or "It's digital now why is it so expensive?" I'm going to break these questions down into two parts: Deliverables and Creative.
Let's talk Deliverables first. These are the items you actually can hold in your hand such as prints and albums. I think this is the easiest for folks to understand. They are receiving an actual physical product. It is easy to see that a better paper costs more money for prints or that a leather album costs more than one with a canvas cover, etc. Photographers will mark these items up in order to cover the actual costs we pay, time to post process images (color correct, sharpen, add contrast, etc), and obviously make a profit (yes folks we are in this to make money too!). The amount of profit or markup a photographer chooses to place on prints and albums can vary based on the photographer's work flow process. Some photographers process all of their own images and layout their own albums. Some outsource all of that to other companies or they may have staff. Either of those cost more money, and it get's passed onto the consumer. You will find that the more popular a photographer and if they travel for destination weddings that they tend to farm out these tasks because they have to be out shooting. Outsourcing these are not a bad thing, in fact the quality is often above what the photographer would do because the folks doing the work do it day in and day out. Think of like this: Your general family doctor could treat you for that broken foot, but he is going to refer you to a specialist because they do it more frequently and are more skilled. Same principle just minus the body parts and pain. You will see that print prices can double or triple with these highly sought after photographers due to this. Me? Well I outsource custom album designs, but I post process all of my own images still.
So deliverables vary in price based on quality, how the photographer handles their workflow, the profit margin the photographer is aiming for, and on quantity. Very often fulfillment labs will offer discounts for high volume customers, orders, or duplicate items such as two of the same album. Your photographer should be passing quantity savings on to you. I do. Make sure you ask your prospective photographer about that.
Second, and most likely the least understood, is the creative fee. This is what your photographer charges to show up and shoot. This really needs to be looked at separately from what your deliverables cost as they really have nothing to do with each other. Your wedding photographer must charge you to come out and shoot in order to cover expenses and make a living. I don't want to bore you with an economics lesson, but I am going to put into perspective how much it actually costs to be a wedding photographer with a quick list. It's not all inclusive, but you will get the idea.
Professional Nikon Camera Body: Nikon D3s $5,200
Backup camera body: Nikon D700 $2,200
Nikon 14-24mm lens: $1,800
Nikon 24-70mm lens: $1,700
Nikon 70-200mm lens: $2,200
Nikon 85mm lens: $1,300
Nikon SB900 flash: $460 Total of basic camera equipment: $14,860 Second photographer gear: $14,860 Basic lighting kit for group shots: $1,500 Insurance (annual): $1,200 Health insurance (annual): $3,600 Vehicle expenses (annual): $6,000 Second photographer pay (Annual): $5,000 Computer: $3,000
Total first year expenses: $50,020
In all seriousness that does not cover everything. There are some ways to cut corners on equipment costs, but the adage, "You get what you pay for" id very true when it comes to camera equipment. You may be thinking, "Yeah John, but once you buy that stuff you are set." Well, yes and no. Camera bodies have to be replace about every 18 months just like computers do. Especially if you shoot a ton, which wedding photographers do. There are shooters out there who run their cameras into the ground in a year they shoot so much. We're talking 1,000,000+ images per year. The lenses should last a very long time.....until you drop one and have to replace it. You either buy it outright or file an insurance claim, pay the deductible, and wait on a check. You have to plan, and budget for that.
Notice that these are just business expenses. What about a salary for myself so I can pay rent, buy groceries, buy my wife a Christmas present, etc? Don't get me wrong I am not bemoaning my career choice. I love it, and wouldn't trade it for anything. I just want you to think about what your photographer is actually trying to do. Now that you know all of this. Could you live off of $500 to $1,000 per wedding? Even if you shot 52 per year? Most likely the answer is no. Not to mention you'd never get a vacation or free weekend!
Alright enough with the boring economics of how to run a photography business. My point is this. Creative fees are a relatively non-negotiable item. You can choose to reduce the amount of coverage in order to reduce the price, but you will most likely be very unsuccessful in just trying to get a photographer to reduce his or her creative fee for the same amount of coverage. Make sense?
So how do you save money? Negotiate on print and album packages! At a certain point the profit margin on the creative service becomes very nice. If you were to approach a photographer and say, "Hey I'll book you for an engagement, bridal, and wedding day coverage at your rate if you can knock another 5% off of my print and album order." you most likely will find yourself making a heck of a deal, and the photographer will appreciate the fact that you aren't trying to talk them out of business. Negotiate deliverable prices, packages, maybe even quality (maybe a little better album for the same money). If you find you still can't meet your budget you should consider scaling back what services you are seeking. Maybe the photographer can do a couple of quick bridal portraits on the day of. There will not be as many, and they won't be on some romantic looking beach (unless that is where you are getting married of course) but you can save a little bit of money.
Finally, be honest with your photographer about your budget. I know people are hesitant to throw out how much they would spend because they feel like that is what the photographer is going to quote. This is just not true for professionals for several reasons. First we live on our reputation. If I charged you say $5,600 because that was your budget, and you then referred a friend to me. What if their budget was only $4,000 and I gave them exactly the same package you had. Don't you think that they will tell their friend, and then the next referral from them says there budget is $3,000 then the next is $2,000, and on and on. I'd walk myself right out of business and leave a bad taste in my previous customer's mouth. That is not the way we do business. Professional photographers have pricing structures and profit margins. We want you to get the most bang for your buck. happy customers send us more customers. tell us your constraints, be open minded, and we will work a solution to get you to where you need to be budget wise!
I hope this helps you understand how to approach your potential wedding photographer. One last thing. Don't forget that you are paying for an artistic service. You have to like what you see, not just the price point. Don't be scared to pay more for something which is visually attractive to you. These are your first memories as a family, love what you get!
Hey, sorry for the two day absence on the blog. The camping trip and subsequent cleaning up afterwords has kept me busy. I have a couple of things to cover in this blog so I will jump right to it.
First I want to introduce you to Ebby & Lina and welcome them to John Leonard Photography's extended family! Krista and I will be shooting their wedding next month. I am really looking forward to it. It will be the first time I have shot an Indian wedding. It is going to be gorgeous. I want to thank them for hiring me. It always means so much to me every time someone trusts me with their wedding day. So THANK YOU! And here is the lovely couple.
On with the meat of this post I guess. I have been keeping my eyeballs open for wedding venues that I find to be just visually spectacular and/or have some really cool deals going on.
I do not have images of the venue, but they are posted on their website. I'm going to give them an email and see if they will let me shoot some images there to show everyone here. But here is the description from the website.
The historic Dallas Power and Light Substation used to power the city street lights. The building has been restored and renamed OFF THE GRID. It’s powered up and ready for your special event.
OFF THE GRID has 3 floors with up to 6,500 Sq/Ft and a large outdoor patio area and green space.
Check them out. It looks just perfect for the urban modern wedding with stunning views of Downtown Dallas.
First off, WOW! Stunning views from the 69th floor of the Bank Of America building in Downtown Dallas. Take a look at their website for a great photo slideshow. Here is what they say about it.
Located high atop the Bank of America Plaza Building, The City Club provides the most breathtaking views of the City. The floor to ceiling windows that surround The City Club, offer a 360 degree panoramic view that definitely creates a romantic setting for your special day. Hosting up to 500pp, The City Club provides the perfect setting for your Wedding Ceremony, Reception and Rehearsal Dinner. In the finest tradition, The City Club has enjoyed a long-standing reputation in Dallas for its high quality of service and culinary skills. Let us customize an unforgettable menu that is sure to “wow” you and your guests.
Well, what need I say...."Putting On The Ritz". Now it obviously is not the cheapest venue in the world, but it does offer all inclusive luxury at a not to unreasonable per person price. I stumbled upon a new promotion they are running in conjunction with The Ritz-Carlton, London. i found this information on LoveTripper.com, I am quoting this from their site:
Truly a match made in heaven, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas and The Ritz London have collaborated to unveil a new nuptial offering which allows lovebirds to say “I do” in Dallas, then fly away for a London honeymoon.
A first for the two hotels, the partnership provides a combined wedding andhoneymoon experience offered as a complimentary upgrade for couples who purchase The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas’ Ritz-Carlton Royalty wedding package, which requires a minimum of 400 guests with a contracted rooms and premium food and beverage commitment.
Priced at $275 per guest, The Ritz-Carlton Royalty Wedding Package offers:
Rose petal turndown in a Ritz-Carlton, Dallas Luxury Suite for the wedding night.
Two deluxe Rooms for the parents of the newlyweds.
Access to The Ritz-Carlton Club Level for for the bride and groom and their respective parents.
The opportunity to unwind with a gift certificate for a couple’s massage, courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Spa.
$500 credit for botanical beauty though Bella Flora of Dallas.
A chance to relive the romance with a first wedding anniversary certificate for a one-night stay in a Deluxe Suite.
A wine pour and custom-designed Ritz-Carlton, Dallas wedding cake, which is part of a four-course reception dinner that also includes a four-hour premium bar package.
Guests can greet the sunrise at an all-night “Afterglow” party.
After the wedding day festivities, here are a few of the honeymoon highlights the newly-pronounced husband and wife will enjoy at The Ritz London:
Round-trip flight for two between Dallas and London.
The Ritz London’s Rolls Royce Phantom will take twosomes from the airport to the hotel.
A four-night stay at The Ritz London.
A Full English breakfast every morning.
Accompanied by a private guide, couples can enjoy a day of sightseeing in style in The Ritz Rolls Royce Phantom, which will take the newlyweds to London’s top tourist attractions including The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, The Palace of Westminster and Kensington Palace.
An individual consultation with John Williams, MBE, the hotel’s Executive Chef, and Thomas Sorcinelli, the hotel’s Head Sommelier, to create a unique six course dinner paired with fine wines.
A shopping spree for souvenirs of their stay during a personalized guided shopping tour of Bond Street.
A Champagne Afternoon Tea for two in The Ritz’s renowned Palm Court, followed by a visit to a London theatre show of the couple’s choice.
Newlyweds will be dazzled by the diamonds at private viewing of Ritz Fine Jewellery’s latest collection.
Complimentary membership, during stay, of The Ritz Club and Casino.
Couples can drink a toast to their happiness during a “Champagne Flight” in a private capsule on The London Eye Ferris wheel.
The Ritz-Carlton Royalty wedding package is one of three comprehensive new wedding packages offered by The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. Entitled Southern Chic, Texas Traditions and Ritz-Carlton Royalty, the three wedding packages are priced beginning at $125 per person, with differing complimentary honeymoon offers applying to some of these options as well.
So you get a spa, honeymoon accommodations in London, an upscale venue, reception, gourmet meal, and wedding cake for $275 per guest. OK, not cheap, but serious luxury!
I'm going to keep looking for great places and updating on a regular basis so keep checking back!
This is a bit of a personal post so you will have to indulge me just a little bit. Krista and I went camping over the long Labor Day weekend. We headed northwest from Dallas setting our eyes on the Palo Duro Canyon. I absolutely fell in love with the place, and I recommend everyone to go there even if you just drive through it.
Krista is, let's just say a city girl. I mean she grew up in Miami, FL so hiking and camping is just not her thing. Me....Boy Scout 100%. Give me a knife, some matches, and a bottle of water and I am good. But you know over the years Krista has gotten me to do a lot of new things. That is the real beauty of marriage. We each make the other person's life experience richer. So this time it was my turn.
We set up camp on the floor of the canyon. Then set out to grab some pictures as the sun went down. A note for all you aspiring shutterbugs. To get nice landscape shots shoot when the sun is low on the horizon. Either early morning or the last hour or so of daylight. Also if you under expose your image a little bit you get really saturated colors.
We headed back to camp, and I started a fire. We had some visitors. To which Krista did not like! But then again the stick bug was just resting on me...along with two praying mantis and some moths.....I tell you I am Dr. Doolittle even to bugs!
The next morning we were up, and hitting a four mile hike on the canyon floor. What an amazing place. A new post card around every bend. I took my Polaroid camera with me. You should have seen the looks I was getting as I was using it!
Krista did great on her first hike. I mean four miles in 95 degree heat is no joke. Lots and lots of water! But you know as wonderful as all of the new scenery was to me it would have been just a bunch of rocks and trees without someone special to share it with. I can say that after 13 years of marriage we are just now hitting our stride. It takes time, but the memories you make along the road of life together are just magical. We spent the whole weekend laughing about everything, joking about how we used to be. Remembering funny things, not so funny things then but funny now, and just enjoying still being in love with one another. My favorite part was our last night there. I took the cover off of the tent so we could just lay there and stare up at the stars together. We fell asleep under a blanket of stars that has seen many lovers do the same. So to me love looks like a starry night.
And to my wonderful wife.....I love you more now then yesterday, and the stars are witness to that.
I'm going to make Fridays a time to throw up some FAQs. Let's go with the first one ever!
Q: Do you always use two photographers? Can I get a discount for just you?
I always use two photographers. My second shooter is my wife, Krista. I do not offer a discount, and would not shoot a wedding day by myself. There is just too much going on. For my style of shooting I like to have someone as a bit of a safety net while I really push the creative envelope. Sometimes I go over the creative edge, and that is where a second shooter is nice.
Q: Do I receive all of the files digitally and the rights?
I offer as an option for purchase (or if your print and album order is over a certain amount) a disk of high resolution images. I retain the actual copyright. what you receive is a usage license to print the images as many times you'd like at any lab you'd like.
Q: (This one just asked today, thanks Ann!) Can you print images at the reception?
I can! Just know that this is the most expensive way to print, and prices I charge reflect accordingly. If you know how much ink costs at Wal-Mart for your printer you know what I mean! I am currently limited to just 4x6 prints on location. Anything larger is almost cost prohibitive for anyone.
Q: Do I have to pay for prints and albums up front?
Yes, I know that this makes some folks nervous, but it is industry standard just like paying the full balance before the wedding date. If a person was to order album and prints that is a considerable production expense on my part. if they were never picked up and paid for I can not sale them to someone else. They are a custom ordered product!
Q: Do you use flash?
Oh yeah! In fact it is my specialty. I use multiple flash units off camera throughout engagement and bridal sessions, and on the wedding day. I have actually taught classes on it, attended workshops in NYC with world renowned photographer Joe McNally. I love flash!
Q: Do you use backdrops for portraits?
No. I am what is referred to as an environmental photographer. I am to use the surroundings you select and incorporate those into your images. Just think, you pay all that money for your venue and decorations. Why not show it off?
Alright, more next Friday. Of course you can always send me an email or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook!
I think it can be really hard for brides to get a real idea of what they will probably spend for their wedding. A really neat site to help you estimate what the going average in your area is www.costofwedding.com. Just punch in your zip code and your off.
So how does the Dallas area measure?
Total Average Wedding: $23,201 - $38,668
Wedding Dress - $944 - $1,573
Makeup - $59-$98
DJ- $682 - &1,136
Live Band - $1,565 - $2,609
Bridal Bouquet - $120 - $200
Flowers - $1,785 - $2,975
Invitations - $614 - $1,024
Jewelry - $4,961 - $8,268
Wedding Planner - $1,065 - $1,775
Reception Venue - $2,272 - $3,786
Wedding Cake - $322 - $536
Videographer - $1,161 - $1,935
Photographer - $1,592 - $2,654
You can drill down into that list as much as you want once on the website. I want to touch on the photography point. It is also stated on the website that experience or sought after photographers can be much more. My brides are averaging right on $2,700 when they use me. I think a good rule of thumb for wedding photography is 10% of your total budget. Your basically going to have three tangible things years from now: Your rings, Your video, and your photographs. It makes since to spend the most on these three items. I'd say you can get by without the video and spend more on photography, but don't tell the videographers I said that!
I was flipping through the channels this morning trying to find the Price is Right, and I came across The View. Normally I wouldn't stop, but I saw designer Vera Wang sitting there. They did a small runway show of some of her Fall 2010 line including new wedding gowns like this one.
Of course her gowns start at about $4,000.00 but you can get an idea for trends, and of course always find something similar by a different designer. Check out the entire Vera Wang Fall 2010 Bridal Collection.
There is a growing trend in wedding photography for images that just ooze sex. I'm being serious here! Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking soft porn or just plan trash. I mean tasteful, provocative images that show how gorgeous every single bride is on her wedding day. Some will go a bit further and opt for a full boudoir session which may contain some partial nudity. I've shot some of those sessions (obviously those pictures don't go out to the public on my website or blog!) I have however shot a number of just sexy images with brides, especially during trash the dress sessions.
One of the things I try to do is keep an old wedding gown laying around. I usually pick one up from the local Goodwill. I have one in my storage unit right now. I find something of average size and length and buy it. You have to remember that these trash gowns don't have to fit perfect. We can pin them, cut them, stitch them, or whatever we have to. I love these sessions, and so do my brides. I want to show you a few images from two brides and talk about the making of them. (Caveat here that both of these lovely ladies have allowed me to use these images for portfolio purposes and to show public. I'd never betray anyone's trust on something like that)
First Image
This is a photo of Cicily (Who by the way is shaping up to be one heck of a wedding photographer herself in North Carolina. Visit her at www.stillheartphotography.com). The first thing to note here is that we cut a slit right up the side of the gown. All the way up to her hips. The lighting was just perfect without me having to do anything. There was a big frosted window behind her which just bounced right up off the floor to mostly silhouette her. So why does this image work? One word: Curves! You have to show off a bit. I mean gowns are gorgeous, but show some leg and watch your soon to be husband go crazy! It is tasteful and a lot more sensual because she is mostly hidden in shadow.
Image Two
Here Cicily is again, same location, but now moved into the window. You can now see the slit, and of course those bright red hose and heels. So what really makes this image work? Contrast! The hard edgy light, deep shadow, and then POW and explosion of color leads your eye right to her legs. This was lit with one small flash unit.
Image Three
Say hello to the lovely Leigh. To say she worked on this gown would be somewhat of an understatement.....it used to have sleeves! Really she cut it down to the corset, and once on the beach I again cut slits up both sides to her hip. If you'll notice the gown became rather translucent once it was wet. Lady's please make sure you are wearing a nude colored bra that doesn't do that! Obviously the location here plays a huge roll, as well as the time of day. The ocean, the geometry of the piers, and that beautiful golden sunlight of late day. Needless to say we drew a crowd at Myrtle Beach, SC running around in the water, but we both had fun!
Image Four
Again with Leigh at the exact same location. This time in B&W. The thing I really love here is her hair. Totally wind swept, mysterious, and sensual. She looks like a maiden of the ocean walking onto shore. Again natural light, and Leigh just relaxing and letting herself feel as beautiful as she looks, just gorgeous.
I have to admit that when I do these beach shoots I often ask my brides to imagine they are in a Chris Isaac video; come on you know the one! ( I admit I think that way too! Hence a lot of black and white)
But really, these types of images are really catching on. They are very memorable for whomever you decide to show them to. You get to let go, have fun, and create some super sexy art!
I was surfing some popular wedding planning, information, and advertising sites tonight and it struck me how much outdated information is out there. It really concerns me because some of these sites (I'm Knot Knaming Knames but one of them started with a K) are very well respected, and almost a goto source for brides to be. I mean nothing was actually incorrect about the information, but just old. Many, many, many of the articles, FAQ, and checklists all revolved around film. And that is great if you are hiring a photographer who shoots film. So I thought I'd do an update here.
What Do You Ask a Potential Wedding Photographer?
This is one of the most important days of your life. I want you to have good questions to go into these meetings with vendors. So these questions are what I think are really important to ask any photographer you are thinking about hiring. I'm going to list the question, and then tell you why it is so very important.
How many back-up cameras, lenses, flash units, and memory cards do you have?
Notice that this question is not, "Do you have a back-up camera?" Any wedding photographer worth his or her salt knows that you absolutely must have back-up equipment. Two cameras gives me a sufficient comfort level as long as the second is not a point and shoot. Lenses, well that can be a little tricky. It is not necessary to have the exact same lens, but it is a good idea to have at least two lenses that cover the "normal range" of between 35mm to 85mm. Don't worry if you have no idea what that means, just ask the photographer if he dropped and broke his lens during the ceremony does he have another that he could use without having to move closer or further away. Flash units, O.K. I'll cut some slack here. It is not necessary to use flash, and there are some fabulous wedding photographers who don't. But most do, and they should have spares. Finally memory cards, this seems silly right? It is not, it may be more important than a back-up camera. They make memory cards so large that I can shoot well over 4,000 images on one card. Cool right? What happens if that card goes bad, gets lost, damaged, or just plan breaks? You loose all of your images. Now compare that to someone who switches out cards every 200-300 shots. You'd only loose some of your images. I've never had it happen, but I'm not taking chances you know.
Do you use lenses with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or greater?
And your eyes just glazed over! I'll make this very easy. The aperture is the hole light passes through, the bigger the hole the more light. A bigger hole is represented by the f/number. The smaller the number the bigger the hole (kind of backwards I know). These lenses are also called "Fast". It be perfectly acceptable to ask, "Do you use fast glass?" You want your wedding photographer to have lenses with f/numbers of f/2.8, f/2, f/1.8, and f/1.4. They need at least one lens with one of those numbers. This is important because those lenses allow more light in, so if you are in a dark environment like a church your pictures ultimately come out sharper. Additionally they are better built (Think less chance of breaking) using better optical glass in them for better images. Think of it like this you can have a Alpine stereo in your car with 4,000 watts of power, but if you have cheap factory speakers it does you no good. So why wouldn't wedding photographers just buy these good lenses then? Well they can be very expensive with prices approaching and sometimes going over $2,000 each!
Do you use a second photographer, and is that included in the price?
Again, it is not mandatory, but recommended. A skilled second shooter doubles your chances of getting great shots. It definitely means you will get a second angle of important moments. Second shooters will cost a photographer about $200 per day so expect to pay for that comfort, but it is worth it.
Do you use flash or just available (or ambient) light?
Again this is a preference, but it is important because you need to consider your venue. If you know your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception are all going to be very dimly lit then it may be necessary for the photographer to use flash. Now if you are in a bright venue or outside it might not be necessary. Sometimes you do have to use flash on very bright days to fill in shadows from hard sunlight or when the sun is behind the subject. It is a lot about style, but take that style into account when you plan your venue. If you really love a photographer who only uses available light then talk with them about what they need to produce gorgeous images for you. If you choose a flash photographer make sure their images are lit nice and even in a style that looks good to you!
Do you do a lot of post processing (some people will say photoshop) on your images?
Not every photographer uses Photoshop (including me) there are some very powerful image editing tools out there that cost a lot less that work just as well for photographers. Every wedding photographer should include basic color, exposure, and contrast corrections with their images. Some people, photographers and couples, really like images with very heavy editing or artistic effects applied. That is purely a style point, but make sure you know what your potential photographers style is. The really big point here is to not assume that the photographer is going to remove aunt Betty's mole from the end of her nose in over 300 images for free! Detailed editing and touch up takes a considerable of time. Time you will have to pay for if you ask. It is customary for retouching such as skin softening, minor blemish removal, and eye and teeth whitening to be done on portraits. I do that for engagement and bridal session free of charge. These are often the images that get printed the largest, placed out for everyone to see. Make sure you ask if this is done.
How many finished images can I expect with my package?
Your photographer should be able to give you an approximate number based on how many hours they will be shooting. You are not going to get every image. Photographers only release images which meet their quality standards. It is a form of brand protection. Even the most famous photographers in the world take bad photos! The trash goes in the trash!
Can I have a list of what I will be receiving in this package attached to my contract?
Wow, that one is full of meaning! Let's go piece by piece. First, many people shy away from contracts. We feel they are an obligation, we get nervous, we doubt, etc, etc. They are in fact an obligation by you. But guess what, they also are an obligation by your photographer to perform and deliver a service and/or product! By making sure everything the photographer promised you is in writing on the contract you are signing you are protecting yourself too. Don't take, "Oh I do that for all of my clients." Make them right it down on the contract. Make sure the contract has their contact information, it guarantees your date, and all services, prints, and albums you agreed upon. If they don't have a contract, walk away. Seriously, walk away!
Now how about some questions you don't need to ask!
How many megapixels (MP) is your camera?
When digital first hit big, that might have been important. Any digital SLR (DSLR) camera bought within the last four years is more then sufficient to shoot weddings, magazine ads, or even billboards from a resolution standpoint. Megapixels are just a measurement of resolution. In fact Cannon manufactured a great high end point and shoot camera called the G10 (I own one) the next model was the G11. The G11 actually had fewer megapixels! Why you ask? Well, a camera's sensor has to be a fixed size. The more pixels you cram into that space you can destroy image quality, especially when shooting at a high ISO level.
How many rolls or type of film will you be using?
Obviously shooting digital does not require film. But I guess for the sake of talk if you are using a photographer who uses film expect them to be a lot more expensive. Film has gotten very expensive along with processing it. A roll of 120 film, getting it developed, and scanned will run a total of about $17 - $20 per roll! And that is for 12 pictures.
I really hope these question gets you thinking about what you should ask every potential photographer. if you have questions about...uh...the questions shoot me an email.
