PHOTOGRAPHY ~ THINGS TO ASK ~ COMPARISONS

Re: PHOTOGRAPHY ~ THINGS TO ASK ~ COMPARISONS

• JessiC21

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  Ask them about their experience. How did they get into the business? Have they ever missed and event? And if yes, why? Ask what editing tools they use.
  
  You want to figure out what the cost of prints is, as well. Some photographers have incredibly expensive printing companies and getting prints costs almost as much as your photographer. And can your family access the online album and order prints?  Also, how many sessions do they typically allow you to do? How many HOURS on your wedding day are they available? How do they handle possible reshoots?
  
  Ask them about the equipment they use - HOW they answer tells you something. A photographer has a relationship with their camera.
  
  Ask them about their staff.
  
  You still want the photographer themselves to retouch the photos even if they give you the digital imiges because their artistic take on the photos is what drew you to them in the first place.
  
  I have photos of me from 2 different photographers up in my profile. The closeup shots are from MWPhotography and the one of me in the white and green dress is from Parson's Photography.

  Report0 Reply
• wrdgirl member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  It's really hard to compare creativity by price since each person is different. With that said you should first get a feel of what kind of style you want and your budget.  Once you get that nailed down you can compare different photographers of similar style.  Make sure you look at a COMPLETE collection of the wedding and not just their best photos.
  
  I think the following are a few items I think may be important for determining a package:
  1) How long the photographer can spend with you
  2) Whether or not they have or if you require a second shooter
  3) Do you want an engagement session (sometimes it's separate, sometimes it's included in package)
  4) Whether or not you have all your rights to the pictures and get a CD of EVERYTHING (raw original images and not just retouched)
  
  Everything can be added or subtracted depending on whether or not you want them.  So the prices will change.
  
  And everything that Jessi said.  Good luck
  

  --------
  My planning site

  Report0 Reply
• smore154

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  This is probably one of the hardest things to sift through and compare without meeting with them first. You'll know pretty quick once you meet with them if you like the way they do business or not.
  
  I think the easiest thing to do is after you look through the packages of the photographers you are interested in, make sure they have what you want. If you want albums in your price, or want all the rights to print, etc.

  
  

  I based my choice on their experience with photography, how creative they were, and what I got in the package relative to the price. We actually went with an experienced photographer who had only started doing weddings for about a year now, and got a great deal on his services.

  

  Report0 Reply
• kls114 member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  I ran into this the other day....
  
  http://www.perfectweddingguide.com/wedding-photographers/10-questions-to-ask-your-wedding-photographer/

  ~Miss.~
  ~Mrs.~
  **Password: kls114**
  
  
  

  Report0 Reply
• coophoops

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  Photography and video are always the toughest to shop for - because there are so many different companies to choose from!
  
  I understand your plight, and definitely went through it myself.
  
  Everything that everyone else has said is great advice, but amidst planning your wedding, you might not have all of the time in the world to meet with photographers. At least, I didn't when I was planning the wedding. What me and my (now) husband decided to do was to widdle down lists of potential photogs to our top ten - not based on price, but based on connection to their work.
  
  After compiling a top ten list, we spoke with all of them on the phone. Discussed all of the types of things other knotties have mentioned in response to your post - what kind of equipment, their business philosophy, their style, their favorite types of photos to take, etc. The phone call eliminated 7 out of the ten photographers right off the bat. We just didn't click, and that only left 3.
  
  When we got it down to top 3 - then we had to look at budget, connection, and we really had to factor in what kind of photographs we could envision capturing our day.
  
  In the end, it was an easy decision, and wound up being a wonderful one. (http://beimaged.com - she does CT and she is affordable - but who knows your current list might be too long!!)
  
  I say lists are the way to go - with everything matter of fact. Lists and phone calls are the best way to work your way to the photographer who is right for you two!
  
  -Emma
  

  Report0 Reply