Photographers of the wedding persuasion [Archive]

F5 Dave

2nd March 2005, 13:06

Well I’m in trouble again I guess.

Situation: Bec has seen a photographer & liked his work (lets call him guy 1), & we agreed to meet another at my place.

2nd guy comes over & I’m very impressed. She isn’t so. Sez he only has one style which is formal where she wants candid photos.

After a day or so she sez maybe we could use guy no. 2 as he is considerably cheaper, but I should meet guy no.1

So I does with her today. Um, to be honest I am not as impressed, I think the other guy is a better photographer. Guy one teaches but only does say 10-12 weddings a year. Guy 2 does 95% weddings & has been for 10 years.

So is it possible guy 2 is incapable of providing candid photos? I would have thought that wouldn’t be that hard to do.

Lets throw in the mix of $$

Guy 1 ~$1700 album extra, like $400-800 extra, but we would probably do that ourselves.

Guy 2 ~$850 album extra, like $300.

I feel like the first guy is taking the piss, what does that work out per hour for heavens sake. Now ok I realise that this is how they make a living & there are a lot of uncharged hours so I’m not trying to undermine a good photographer’s trade, far from it.

So what is my question? Heck I dunno. I think I am going to lose this battle & feel ripped off, disappointed & have to pay the premium price for the privilege.

Know any good photographers we should look at too?

White trash

2nd March 2005, 13:08

Yes I do, but I'll let them nominate their services.

F5 Dave

2nd March 2005, 13:11

Does Jimbo do weddings?

White trash

2nd March 2005, 13:17

Does Jimbo do weddings?

PM him. I'm not sure. He does bloody excellent work though and if I'm ever stupid enough to get married again. He'll be chief Lensman.

Skunk

2nd March 2005, 13:17

We used Lifeworks. Michelle to be exact. $2500 including albums. 175 photos at various sizes up to 8x11. Beautiful shots. As per our requests nothing very formal. That included photos at the reception.
High price? Yes. But they do cheaper options and can't say enough about their flexibility (for the type of shots reqd etc :lol:)
Web Lifeworks Studio (http://www.lifeworksstudio.co.nz/)

Biff

2nd March 2005, 13:26

$2500!!! Far quinnell!!!
I'll stick with a mate and a digi cam thanks. No actually. I'll stay as a 'de-facto'. What the fork that means I don't know, but I do know that I find the term insulting.

Apologies for the semi hijack.
Carry on.

vifferman

2nd March 2005, 13:27

When we got married, I was a poor student, so I thought if we got lots of film, and got several friends to take the photos (several of whom were reasonable photographers), we'd be sure to have at least some decent photos. EHHHH!! Wrong!! Big mistake, deeply regretted.

Do it properly, Dude. You don't need to go overboard on expense, but make sure you're both happy with the work of whoever you choose to do it.

jazbug5

2nd March 2005, 13:30

Hmmm.

If I were you, I'd ask guy no. 2 to show you some more 'candid' work. Is he a little older than the other one?
The fashion has become more and more for an informal approach to wedding photography: B&W reportage style, a little more experimental.
Funny as this may sound, this is quite a different set of skills to those required for more formal, 'formulaic' photographs. Now, hopefully the guy's capable of both styles, but then again, he may not be as good at capturing those 'moments' that happen behind the scenes that your Mrs is probably keen on. That takes a certain sort of eye, and an ability to think quickly on your feet.
You're (hopefully) only going to do this once, so it's worth getting the right guy; I have no idea what the going rate is over here, but I'd say your best bet is going with personal recommendations.
I've been asked to do (and have assisted at) wedding shoots, but personally I find it kind of scary- I'd feel too awful if I didn't get everything just perfect...!
Good luck- and if I see anything/anyone that can help, I'll PM you.

J

PS: Other option might be to get someone who's more of a reportage photographer (there's a lot of good amateurs/students) to do some B&W stuff for cheap? I could ask around, but I know of at least one person on here that fits that bill... step forward, chap.
Then the cheaper 'formal' guy can do his thang without fluffing about changing film/cameras (s'pose he might be digital, of course...)/headspace.
Um.

jimbo600

2nd March 2005, 13:45

PM him. I'm not sure. He does bloody excellent work though and if I'm ever stupid enough to get married again. He'll be chief Lensman.

Cheers for the nod Jimmy.

F5 here's the guts. My missus does wedding photography. She used to work for The Wedding Studio in Auckland. She now does it for herself from time to time. Rates are silly cheap and as a bonus to Kiwibiker dudes I rock up as well and do candid photography on digital so you can see them at the wedding reception. Two photographers for the price of one. If you are interested PM me or call Kathy on 021 454 755. Don't whatever you do leave your bike in her kitchen early in the morning though or you'll be charged angry tax.

jrandom

2nd March 2005, 13:47

she wants candid photos...

So your wife likes, er, 'candid' photography. Nudge nudge, wink wink, know what I mean, eh, squire? Wicked, eh? Wicked!

jrandom

2nd March 2005, 13:48

if I'm ever stupid enough to get married again...

Shudder.

Like I keep tellin' ya. One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer. Rinse and repeat until the self-destructive urges fade.

White trash

2nd March 2005, 13:50

So your wife likes, er, 'candid' photography. Nudge nudge, wink wink, know what I mean, eh, squire? Wicked, eh? Wicked!

A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat.....

ManDownUnder

2nd March 2005, 13:53

I think the guy1/guy2 thing is being address - I like the comment about asking guy 2 to show some more of the candid shots.

A couple of things...
1) Buy a bunch of happy snapy throw away cameras and drop them onto the tables at the wedding/reception/wherever appropriate. A lot of those pics will be riotous!

2) Ask for negatives of the photos taken by the pro. If none are forthcoming (i.e. not part of the package) scan the pics as soon as you get them or get negatives taken off them. I'm not suggesting your rip off the photographer (my Dad is a pro photographer)... just protect the images. If you lose them for any reason you need to get them back and if the photographer loses them/doesn't storte them properly, goes out of busines... etc

rant over
MDU

F5 Dave

2nd March 2005, 14:00

I think the guy1/guy2 thing is being address -. . .

being a dress? :confused:

Don't start me on about the dress, she was going to make her own but then went trying them on & decided to buy the most expensive one in the shop $2200. Sheesh.

Oops, I guess I got started. For a hippy sort of girl who has travelled the world living out of a pack on a few $ a day she sure has formed expensive tastes.

With the reception we had sort of lined up a friend to do that & concentrate the money on the start & service.

Jimbo. Sounds good to me, I'll float it past the girl & see what happens.

I'm not sure where your kitchen is, but I am looking for some storage space when I get around to shifting for a while.

Cajun

2nd March 2005, 14:40

F5 Dave

2nd March 2005, 14:44

Dave - just a comment make sure you get your negatives, we got our negatives back, photographer keeps them for 1 year, then we get them to keep, so we can get any photos remade we want. ours was kind enough to put them all on cds also, low and high quality version of each photo.

Cause sooner or later a photo gets damaged or someone wants a certian one with negiatves you can get it reprinted alot easyer

Cheers, yeah I want to load them onto our system at work so they are backed up. Having them keep the negs so you have to pay for the reprints seems a little on the nose if they charge premium. Then again you don’t want to have to play go between for every guest who wants reprints. Be nice to have them all on a disc & if anyone wants copies you burn them a CD & let them sort themselves.

Marmoot

2nd March 2005, 14:51

I got Tim from www.visualworks.co.nz and he's great. All digital so a bit cheaper on the price, but the result is comparable.
About $1000 (album extra).
But he's based in Auckland. Not sure about Wellington area.

Hitcher

2nd March 2005, 14:56

These are exactly the reasons why my cousin, an outstanding lensman and Master of Photography, is now a compliance officer for his local district council. He saw the light and got out of the professional photography business.

Everybody's got a 35mm, digital camera, or video camera or has a "mate" who can do them a "deal". Either you want professional photographs taken at your wedding, or you don't. Simple choice really. You could always have Dominos or KFC for the reception as well. People understand cost, they don't understand value.

Celebrants/Ministers have similar issues: "Doh, I've got this mate who can read out loud real good. I'll just download a service off the Interweb or cousin Pschantelle can write one for us (with little hearts for dots on the Is)..."

F5 Dave

2nd March 2005, 15:09

Yeah I don’t mind paying for a decent job from a competent professional or tradesperson. That is cool. But it seems you only have to mention the word ‘weddings’ & it is a licence to say, “oh hold on, I’ll get my special price list”

If you pay someone to do the job it is because you don’t want to do it or they will do a better job. I got a friend to paint my kitchen after doing the whole house myself because I knew he would do a better job being a professional painter & I was wrapped with the result.

Money well spent.

But if he had come in & done a shoddy job I would have been a bit gutted.

White trash

2nd March 2005, 15:21

Don't whatever you do leave your bike in her kitchen early in the morning though or you'll be charged angry tax.

I didn't fucken "leave" it there! I was standing right next to it!

F5 Dave

2nd March 2005, 15:23

Bring it around to my kitchen. Finders keepers though.

jrandom

2nd March 2005, 15:25

... it seems you only have to mention the word ‘weddings’ & it is a licence to say, “oh hold on, I’ll get my special price list”.

It's because as soon as a wedding is mentioned, women turn into blithering, dribbling idiots who wake up every morning with an irresistible compulsion to warm their hands in front of a bonfire of hundred-dollar bills.

Skunk

2nd March 2005, 15:25

$2500!!! Far quinnell!!!Yeah over 8 hours wrk and 350+ photos taken. Plus special colour albums (two). I reckon what we got was great *value*.

Blakamin

2nd March 2005, 15:43

$2500 for 8 hours aint bad... considering i would have to work for about 5 weeks to get that..... (normal paying job... before tax)

Skunk

2nd March 2005, 15:53

$2500 for 8 hours aint bad... considering i would have to work for about 5 weeks to get that..... (normal paying job... before tax)You're forgetting the cost of processing, albums, retouching etc. That was 8 hours photographing only... Doesn't include all the other work. I reckon they spent at least one week on it, plus materials.

Blakamin

2nd March 2005, 16:04

I'm still in the wrong profession.... I would love $2500 a week....

Hitcher

2nd March 2005, 16:43

scumdog

2nd March 2005, 20:37

It's because as soon as a wedding is mentioned, women turn into blithering, dribbling idiots who wake up every morning with an irresistible compulsion to warm their hands in front of a bonfire of hundred-dollar bills.

Time to strap on a white bandana with Japanese writing on it, climb into an old Zeke or similar and go looking for American warships and shout Tora, Tora, Tora......

3rd March 2005, 03:35

It's because as soon as a wedding is mentioned, women turn into blithering, dribbling idiots who wake up every morning with an irresistible compulsion to warm their hands in front of a bonfire of hundred-dollar bills.

..
.
I strongly resent this comment!!!!

This would only happen to me in the Ducati Accessory Shop.

..
.

jimbo600

3rd March 2005, 06:54

I didn't fucken "leave" it there! I was standing right next to it!

Yeah OK. She probably wouldn't have been quite as curt if it was just the bike.

Slipstream

3rd March 2005, 06:57

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by jrandom

It's because as soon as a wedding is mentioned, women turn into blithering, dribbling idiots who wake up every morning with an irresistible compulsion to warm their hands in front of a bonfire of hundred-dollar bills.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

..
.
I strongly resent this comment!!!!
..
.

I resent it too.
When I heard "wedding" being mentioned, I got happy at thought of "officially" and publicly anouncing to the whole world (for anyone that cared to notice :p) that I had found Mr Perfect and that he wanted me too.
Had absolutely nothing to do with money!
If it had, I wouldn't have married him in the first place.

Maybe that's where I went wrong..... :confused:

Slipstream

3rd March 2005, 06:57

Jimbo600 and his Lady are awesome photographers :niceone:

jrandom

3rd March 2005, 07:08

This would only happen to me in the Ducati Accessory Shop.

Will you have The Sunglasses with you on Sunday?

They've achieved an almost-mythical status. I'm hanging out to gaze upon their laser-etched goodness.

jrandom

3rd March 2005, 07:10

I resent it too.

Tora! Tora! Tora!

YHBT. YHL. HAND. :2thumbsup

Paul in NZ

3rd March 2005, 07:31

Weddings - 'shudder'.....

Change the thread you bastards - I have 3 daughters

Skunk

3rd March 2005, 07:42

Weddings - 'shudder'.....

Change the thread you bastards - I have 3 daughters :killingme You're BUGGERED!

F5 Dave

3rd March 2005, 08:17

Ahh, these days it isn't common for the father to foot the daughter's wedding bill alone.

You can also use the line when they move out of home or in with someone "You know that this means you can pay for your own wedding now?" (Never mention this before or they won't move out of course).

ajturbo

3rd March 2005, 08:36

A couple of things...
1) Buy a bunch of happy snapy throw away cameras and drop them onto the tables at the wedding/reception/wherever appropriate. A lot of those pics will be riotous!

MDU

this is what my sister did for her wedding.. best thing she did... put a couple of the throw away ones on each table...

some really great photo's ..candid ones... drunk ones.... perverted ones..(hahhaha).. but all collected and put in a seperate album....

Slingshot

3rd March 2005, 08:41

Dave,
My wife does weddings as well (and I tag along as the assistant).
Flick me a PM if you want to have a look at some work.

Cheers John

F5 Dave

7th March 2005, 10:59

Well we went to see some chick in Petone. Now she is good & I think Bec is set on her. Problem is she is expensive as well. The albums were hideously expensive but they looked so nice Bec is in love with them.
I suggested book binding could be her new hobby, ‘cause I ain’t forking out over an extra forkin grand for some hand made album.

I’m going to have to give her a day or so to calm down & see if she is totally set or if there is a possibility I can reason with her. No point wasting Catherine/Jimbo’s time if her mind is made up.

Still, not till sept.

So we’ll see. [Sigh] Maybe another budget plan after a mortgage plan will put her in ‘save’ mode (wish there was a switch on this model, it seems to come on regularly but flick off at the wrong times).

Krusti

7th March 2005, 11:18

Way back when we got married.....20years I think...lol we paid $1800 for the photos (bloody expensive then) Trouble is now we dont think she is even in Buss and as she said the negatives were hers we have none. I believe alot of photographers now say they own them for a certain number of years then they are yours. GET THE NEGATIVES if at all possible. You never know you may still be happily? married in a life sentence time and still not be able to replace the ones you lose. Pisses us right off.

I think the ownership of negatives is the main problem. My advise also is try not to get sucked into paying through the nose for an album. With good photos you guys will do just as good making up your own.

Of course it is not only women who get carried away with weddings, I was willing to pay anything for my young virgin:whistle:

In the end who cares as long as you can afford it. DONT WORRY BE HAPPY.:2thumbsup

Kwaka Girl

7th March 2005, 11:38

I do a bit of work as a wedding photographer, your'e really paying for someone's reputation if they are renown photographer you can expect to pay more, but if someone is just starting out in the business they will charge less just to get the bookings. My advice is go with what you like.

Kwakagirl.

MikeL

7th March 2005, 11:53

These are exactly the reasons why my cousin, an outstanding lensman and Master of Photography, is now a compliance officer for his local district council. He saw the light and got out of the professional photography business.

Everybody's got a 35mm, digital camera, or video camera or has a "mate" who can do them a "deal". Either you want professional photographs taken at your wedding, or you don't. Simple choice really. You could always have Dominos or KFC for the reception as well. People understand cost, they don't understand value.

For many years I did wedding videos professionally. Not any more. The trouble is that the equipment has got so good that the difference between amateur and professional video on the technical side is minimal. So people think that if their camera is capable of professional results, so are they.

I also got fed up with people trying to do me down. One man wanted me to reduce the price because of all the "black bits" in the video. Turns out he was referring to the fades to black in between the main sequences...

Krusti

7th March 2005, 12:01

F5 Dave

7th March 2005, 12:15

Unless you can digitally impose Elle as the wife shots. :banana:

F5 Dave

8th March 2005, 08:30

Guess what? Well it’s pretty much decided that she wants this photographer we saw on Saturday, so I am going to roll over & let it all happen.

Thanks Jimbo etc for offering - if it was up to me (trust me) I’d be keen as with all the recommendations.

But,

Well I guess these things are all about compromise & here I am trying to pull back the cost for something she sees as valuable. She did the budget & it ended up being about $18k, which is funny as she was thinking 10k was too much a couple of days after I proposed. Actually I'd sort of thought it would pan out at 20.

What the heck, if I don’t let her have this imagine the retort in a few years when I’m eyeing up a new bike for well over 20k.

One day. . . I’ve always wanted a new bike.
What?

Skunk

8th March 2005, 09:53

She did the budget & it ended up being about $18k, which is funny as she was thinking 10k was too much a couple of days after I proposed. Actually I'd sort of thought it would pan out at 20.:lol: we budgeted 8k and it ended up 20k... :shake:

F5 Dave

8th March 2005, 09:57

That makes me feel a bit better.

Hey wait on, when did you budget 8? Before or after everything was supposedly booked?

EEEEKKKK!

ManDownUnder

8th March 2005, 10:01

Ours was done and dusted (i.e. after the money was actually finally spent)... all up at $5,300!

50 people invited (and plenty insulted), small outdoor gathering, a few drinks, a formal lunch and photographer etc...

it was 10 years ago but it shows what can be done. Dress was made to hire (i.e. they made it for her, then hired it out afterwards)... so that came in at about $400 I think...

aaaa the joys of a thrifty wife...

F5 Dave

8th March 2005, 10:10

Yeah well I thought mine was thrifty as well, she was going to make the dress, but ended up dropping $2.2k when she saw one in a store, & then there is all the other paraphernalia to go with it.

Skunk

8th March 2005, 10:30

That makes me feel a bit better.

Hey wait on, when did you budget 8? Before or after everything was supposedly booked?

EEEEKKKK!The *idea* of 8k was when we decided to get married. Like the house renovations... "Let's spend 10k on it"... 55k later we're still going. :brick:

Hang on... I just realised; she's the one with these ideas. :confused:

Slingshot

8th March 2005, 10:56

Best advise ever given to me when I started taking heaps of pics was NEVER DO WEDDINGS. Have done the odd school play etc but yeah never a wedding! Would have to be pretty rare for someone to be totally happy with their wedding photo's me thinks. Bugger that.
I don't agree with that statement, when I got married (2 years ago today) we used a photographer based in Martinborough. The price was very reasonable and the photos were just superb!

Now for me & my wife to be really really happy with the photos they had to be fantastic, consider our backgrounds...I used to work in the photographic industry (for about 4 years) and my wife has a degree in photography (as well as working in the industry for 4ish years). We're probably more critical than most yet still thought the photos were great.

My advise...It's important that you like the photographer's style, look at examples of their work, but it's equally important that you connect with the photographer, if you feel uneasy with them...it'll show through in the photos.

Also, you need a photographer that is discrete...you don't want them getting in the way or being really obvious during the ceremony.

jimbo600

8th March 2005, 16:24