Jason Ford Photography?

amymlyons

Hi! Has anyone used Jason Ford photography? What did you think of him and your pictures? Would you recommend him to other brides? Thanks!

KentuckyKate

I like him.  Granted I've never met him, but I like his pictures and prices.  I'm meeting with him on Friday so I'll let you know how it goes.  I can tell you that he is really funny and his customer service is TOP NOTCH.  Incredibly prompt and accommodating, and genuinely wants to earn your business.  Here is my experience so far:I emailed Jason and several other photographers last Monday- some took days to reply and some still haven't replied 8 days later.  The majority of the ones who did respond sent me their stock "congratulations on your engagement!" email with a price list and then never answered again after I replied back.  Jason answers every email within the hour, but normally in just minutes.  Another little slice of awesomeness about Jason: He sent me his 2009 package price list, and everything I wanted looked a little over my budget.  I responded anyway, and told him what I actually need and want.  He then told me he was going to work on redesigning his packages for 2010, and get back to me.  Later that day, he sent me his new 2010 package list.  He included exactly what I asked for as one of his new packages, but it was still over my budget.  I was upfront about what I could afford, so long story short, he slashed his listed price by about 25% for me and is still giving me exactly what I want.  **I'm crossing my fingers I like him and his work in person as much as I do online**

KrissyK510

HEY AMY!!!! I am looking for a photographer as well, so keep me posted!!

amymlyons

HI KRISSY!! haha. We decided to go with him, so it's a done deal now! Hopefully they are good

millieandshea

I've heard good things about him, also of course Red Tree, James Byrd, Monarch are always reliable options!

kba0717_10032553

Bill Caine is taking my pictures and he's AMAZING. I'm the crazy bride that emails about ever couple of weeks and he always answers me within 30 minutes. His prices were really good for what I wanted and what I'm getting. He's already done our engagement pictures and let me tell you, I'm so happy with them that I could seriously just die.

amandi08

Jason did my wedding pictures back in May. I think I was one of the first people on this board to use him and I was not impressed. I felt like he didn't take the control he should have at the wedding which in turn led to us not getting all of the shots that we wanted. I too was impressed with his portfolio however was only impressed with about 5 photos from our wedding. He definitely didn't capture the photojurnalistic style we were going for. Another thing that I completely despised was the site that all of the pictures are uploaded to. It's awful! In fact it was so bad, I avoided looking at my own pictures that I paid $2,000 for until he finally got around to mailing me a disc of all the pics. Needles to say it has been nearly 5 months since my wedding and I still don't have nay pictures. Not because he hasn't gotten them to me, but because looking at my pics became such a chore that I completely lost interest in them.

squirrly

amandi, did you have a must-take list?  Any advice to other brides who have booked with Jason on how to better ensure they get the photos taken that they want? 

amymlyons

Amandi- Were you more disappointed with the pictures or the website? I can handle an annoying website if the pictures are good! What specifically did you not like about the pics? I'm a little worried now because we have already booked him! Thanks!

Clairee Belcher

For the love of all that is holy......PLEASE listen to us old-skoolers when we tell you about photography. I promise you....we will not steer you wrong.When we talk about "seasoned" photographers, this is EXACTLY what we are talking about. "Seasoned" is defined as not only someone who will take great photos, but also someone that is on top of everything including crowd control and making sure you get ALL of the must have photos. Squirrly....if you hire someone that is an expert in the field of wedding photography, then there is really no need to give them a list. Your photographer should know every possible combination of group and individual photos and then make that happen for you. The only thing you should tell them about is if you have something like your first grade teacher or god-mother, etc. that you want a photo with. The LAST thing the bride needs to worry about on her wedding day is whether or not the photographer is getting all the shots in. Good planning and years of experience should be part of your package.Are seasoned photographers more expensive? Mehhh....sometimes yes. But essentially, you are buying yourself peace of mind. And it's hard to put a price on that when it comes to your wedding day.

squirrly

Clairee, I would agree that using a photographer who has a good reputation is certainly more of a sure thing than one that doesn't.  That said, someone new in the business isn't guaranteed to be bad - everybody who is great started somewhere!  Some brides may have a very different list of photos that they want taken than others.  For example, I doubt that my photographer would know I want a picture with my college girlfriends and that FI wants a picture with his high school guy friends.  Not just to be taken casually, but that those are really 'must take' shots for us - unless I give him a list.  My photog has great reviews, has been in the business a while & he actively asks for that list, to be sure there's no miscommunication.  Since amandi hasn't told os what pictures he missed, I don't know if the list would have helped or not - thus my question.Especially since Amy has already signed a contract with Jason, I'm hopeful we can help her get some specific information to make that a workable relationship.Amy - have you asked him for any references?  Obviously, he will likely give you ones that he knows had a good experience, but you might get some tips from them on how to ensure you get that same good experience.  

Clairee Belcher

*sigh*

Mrs_MollyMalone

*walks in throwing olive branches*I certainly don't mean to offend, and yes, it is a good idea to make mention of "must take pics."However...you SHOULD NOT ever have to babysit any wedding professional.  The fact that he couldn't take control of the day?  Uhm..hello?  Who else will?  (besides a coordinator, duh..but not ever bride appoints/employs one).Wedding photogs are like the sideline coaches of the day.  No really...they do this every single weekend..they can guide you on this stuff.  Your photog is the go-to person for consistency that day.  He/she will give you an itinerary, take you through each step and allow you to make any modifications.  After that..step back and let the man/woman do their job!That means telling everyone in  your family, "Hey...the photog is in charge...if he/she says 'get in line, please', DO IT!"Rarely ever are you going to find a photog that can be with you the entire day, so you've got to fit everything you need to capture in that window of hours for your package, otherwise, you're either going into overtime or you're not getting pics of the cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc. Nothing goes to plan..that's true...but as the bride, you need to appoint someone to guide everyone through organized chaos.  To get you to point A to point B calmly and gracefully.  You cannot be responsible for making sure the boys have their bouts on when they show up to the event...a photog's eye and experience is paramount to the success of your wedding. Sorry you were disappointed amandi.   Hope it goes well for the other brides out there..regardless of who you book.

Mrs_MollyMalone

Ahhh crap, I broke the board again.:( Sorry gals.

KrissyK510

Oh Goodnees Amy!! I have my engagement session with his this week and I will let you know how it goes. One person's experience is not the same as anothers. Why does it matter if a bride wants a list or not? Who really cares? I think it is all on an individual basis. I'll let you know how they go and hopefully this will ease both our minds! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

amandi08

No, I did not provide him with a list of "must take" photos. On the day of the wedding, I reminded him of a handful of photos that I wanted to get that we had talked about in previous conversations. I didn't however think I needed to remind him to get one of me with my grandparents, individual shots of me and each bridesmaid, a pic of our rings, etc. I just assumed these were all standard shots that all photogs took. There's no doubt that Jason has talent, I just don't think he has what is needed to control a situation and take charge of a crowd. It's almost as if he just stood there after the ceremony and expected the bridal party and family to know what to do.The bottom line is give him a list. Give him a detailed list of each and every picture that you must have because if you don't, you won't get it. I'd be happy to share my albums with you to see for yourself. Feel free to e-mail me at amanda.stavenger @ gmail.com

squirrly

amandi, thanks for the feedback!