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Frequently Asked Questions
Since choosing a photographer is not an everyday event, nor is your
wedding, here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions
about wedding photography.
What are the advantages of hiring a professional?
A professional photographer will be timely - arriving at your wedding
promptly, and getting the results to you on time. A professional has just
the right equipment and film for photographing your wedding. Having
attended many weddings, an experienced wedding photographer will be at
ease at your wedding. A professional uses a colour 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!
So, I want a professional to photograph my wedding. What do I do
next?
Visit wedding photography web sites, then choose photographers to call.
Emailing is not personal enough for wedding photography. If you like the
photographer on the phone, arrange an appointment and visit their place of
business. When looking through sample albums pay attention to your
emotional response to the photography and to the communication skills of
the photographer. Once you have decided on a photographer whose work has
meaning to you, discuss prices, deposits, packages, quantity of pictures
and so on.
What is the first question I should ask the photographer?
Once you have established that the photographer is available for your
date and location, you will want to ask, "If we select your studio,
will you be the photographer covering our wedding?" Some studios have
several photographers and you may be speaking to a salesperson. The sample
albums may have been done by photographers who do not even work for the
studio anymore. If this is the case, you should make arrangements to meet
with and see the work of the particular photographer who will be doing
your wedding. You should also ask for a commitment from the studio to that
effect, in writing.
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 - seeing candids, formals and illustrative
pictures, you will know if this photographer has the technique and style
that's right for you. 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 and whose technical quality is
outstanding. If you find a photographer who makes you happy, you never
will never 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.
It's difficult to pay too much for something you really like. Yet,
price is usually the one obstacle that prevents many wedding clients from
selecting the photographer who undoubtedly could give them the best value
for the money.
Quite often the difference between the price of the photographer you
really like and one who you feel is "within the budget" is
miscalculated. Understandably, of course! When wedding plans come down to
dollars and cents, it's hard to keep spending a little more here, and a
little more there. Somewhere along the line, you feel, you have to give a
little. Yet, within the framework of the entire wedding day, it makes good
sense to evaluate the money spent on photographs in relation to what's
being spent on flowers, food and music. Although everyone knows that the
pictures are the only thing you have after the moment has passed, some
people still feel that they have to put the money "where it
shows".
Later, in the privacy of their own hearts, many of these people are
often disappointed with photographic memories that give them nothing but
heartaches, and there's no remedy!
So, how much does wedding photography cost?
Prices range from $400 to $4,000 and even more! Photographs (and maybe
video) will be your only permanent record of the day. You want good
photographs, so be prepared to spend a reasonable amount in line with
wedding your budget. If you are looking for a bargain and shop via phone
for pricing, you are following a recipe for poor to mediocre photography.
Most couples initially underestimate the cost of photography. Be prepared
to be realistic.
We're having a small wedding, with thirty people, and only wanted to
spend a small amount on pictures. What can we do?
The first thing to do if you want a professional photographer under these
circumstances is to be flexible. For a majority a photographers, time is a
large part of their cost to you. The smaller the amount you wish to pay,
generally results in less time for the photographer to capture your day.
When you are limiting yourself to a smaller photo budget you should never
expect lower quality photographs, but you may reasonably expect a reduced
number of photographs.
How much time will the photographer spend at my wedding?
A photographer should reasonably be expected to commence taking
photographs at the bride's house and finish up around 30 minutes into the
reception (somewhere around 4 hours). You can have the photographer meet
both the bride and groom where you are getting dressed, and keep taking
pictures until you leave the reception or even into late night photo
shoots. You may just want a few hours of photography, with a few formal
photographs and some photographs of the ceremony. Variations from these
times are entirely up to you.
What are proofs?
Fifty years ago, photographers presented clients with proof pictures
printed on special paper; images would last for a few weeks and then fade.
Now, colour proofs are made with the identical paper and chemistry as
final pictures. However, only on final pictures can you have retouching
and cropping. Some photographers use the term "images" or
"originals" in order to avoid the confusing word "proofs. A
proof is a full quality 4 inch by 6 inch photograph, identical in size to
those produced by 'mini labs' (eg. Kodak, K-Mart, etc).
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 colour film, to produce your black and white prints. There is
a magical quality in black and white film that cannot be matched with colour
film. Yes, black and white is more expensive.
Do colour photographs last as long as black and white?
No. Colour paper (and colour negatives) are made of three layers of colour.
Each layer, being different chemically, fades, both in the light and in
the dark, at a different rate. So, if the green layer fades more in twenty
years than the red layer, your pictures will look brownish. However, black
and white prints (on black and white paper) should last at least a
century. Some colour labs are printing black and white images on colour
paper, sometimes with a faux sepia tone. These pictures, like colour
pictures, have no silver in them, and will fade over time.
What technical details in sample photographs should I watch out for?
Lighting quality is an important ingredient in superior photographs. The
light in photographs should be natural and flattering, so that the
pictures look three-dimensional. Overuse of on-camera flash can ruin
wedding pictures. Watch out for flattened faces, harsh reflections off of
cheeks and foreheads, and dark shadows directly behind or next to the
subjects. Look for a variety in subject size - a mix of distant, medium
and close-up pictures. Even with groups, lighting and posing should be
interesting. There is a trend among skilled photographers to produce
highly posed bridal portraits - which can get great scores in print
competitions, but which may not be a true picture of the bride and groom's
personality. While you may anticipate wanting a few of these dramatic
images from your own wedding, probably most of your photos will consist of
traditional and candid pictures. You might want to take a look at another
page that discusses four aspects of wedding photography.
My mum likes soft focus pictures, but I want sharp photos?
Except for mood shots and some portraits, pictures should be sharp. You
should be able to count the threads in the veil. But a soft filter can be
flattering in a close-up photo. A soft filter can soften other unwanted
details that are not important to the photo. You might tell your
photographer that you want a few pictures done soft-focus and the rest
sharp. Then, when you get the proofs, you have your choice for each pose.
Everybody says to go with photojournalism. Is it the best?
There are many stories and vignettes 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, 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 an idyllic setting has that fantasy
quality that we all seek.
Anybody with a camera can take a formal photograph or a
photojournalistic photograph. A good formal photographer evokes and
photographs the 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.
What else should I look out for when I am looking at a
photographer's samples?
It is important that each album you see is only one wedding from start to
finish, not just a collection of highlights from a dozen different
weddings. If a photographer assembles and shows the best photos from
several weddings in one album, you are not seeing an accurate
representation of the results you might expect from your wedding.
I just hate posed pictures - I always look so stiff and unnatural in
them.
Everyone knows what you mean. Everyone has had posed pictures taken for my
high-school photographs. People still cringe when they think about how
awful they were. However, the person behind the camera was probably given
minimal training and had no real interest in photography. If you have
gotten this far in this FAQ, you probably are going to be looking at
professional photographers, who will be far more skilled. Unless you are a
fashion model, you probably will look better posed - assuming you have a
true craftsman behind the camera.
What sort of balance between posed shots and candids should I get?
What about the trend of photo journalism?
This is also a matter of taste, combined with necessity. Great wedding
photography can be done with no formal posed pictures at all (wedding
photo journalism). But, there may be many people and combinations of
guests that will never be captured unless the photographer deliberately
gathers them in one spot for a picture. (Whether the picture looks posed
or natural depends on the photographer.) When planning with your
photographer, draw up a list of "must get" photos, such as, kids
from your old neighbourhood, a four generation picture, and so on. If you
want a large catalogue of specified pictures, then expect your
photographer to spend more time doing those, and less time doing candids
and wedding photojournalism.
What can I do to keep the photographer from running my wedding day?
It is essential that you meet with your photographer in that last week
before your wedding. Go over your time line for the day. Find out how long
the photographs you have requested are going to take; If it is too long,
cut out some of the posed pictures. If you have dozens of posed shots on
your photo list, expect your photographer to be persistent in getting
them. Or tell your photographer the way you have scheduled the day, and
that he/she is to follow your schedule. A posed photo of cutting the cake
takes ten seconds, and the rest of the cake shots should be candid.
Shouldn't my photographer have a back-up in case he/she is sick on
my wedding day?
That would be ideal, but consider the plight of the backup photographer
who has to turn down weddings just in case she/he is needed for yours?
Professionals are part of a network of photographers, and do have many
people they can call in emergency. No doubt as your wedding approaches you
will have many far more significant worries. Let your photographer manage
this problem.
Some photographers ask that no one else take pictures during the
formal photography. Is that reasonable?
Although many photographers do object to guests taking pictures during
formals, I have no such objections. 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 take a few snaps
during formals. Ideally, guests should show respect for the bridal party
and photographer and not take photos at the exact same moment as your
professional does, to avoid excessive flash in the pictures.
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 at a copy shop?
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 or your videographer transfer the proofs to
videotape, 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 or ask whether
the negatives and rights can be transferred to you. In other words, you
will own the negatives and the right to copy them. |
