photographer // videographer help!

loro929

Hi everyone,

I don't know about any of you, but I am about neck deep in looking at different photographers // videographers and to be honest, I don't even know what I am looking for anymore.

This being said, I am turning to all of you here for information! I am curious as to what photographer // videographer all of you NJ Knotties are using? What is their starting price point? Why did you end up selecting them? Any other info / advice??

Gordo2014

This a question that is actually asked quite often and a search would probably yield some good answers.  Also, it would help to know where in NJ and what budget you have planned.

Our decision came down to Jaon Rhee and Robert Wayne Photography.  Both are recommended often on this board and that's how we found them.  We liked Jason but went with Bob for a few reasons.

Most importantly, we liked his photograhic style best.  And we liked him personally, too.  You are going to spend 8+ hours with your photographer on your wedding day so you want to make sure you feel a connetion with them.  We loved Bob's albums; much nicer than Jason's or others we had seen but not any more expensive.

Price is hard to describe as everyone wants something different.  One of the things that we really liked was that Bob is priced a la carte; there are no predefined packages.  We're paying $1,999 for the photography.  We will finish in the mid $3k range once we add a large album for us and a pair of parent albums, including the disc of images.

We looked at doing video and liked GT Modern (also frequently recommended on this forum).  That said, we decided we didn't want an over produced video; we just wanted basic coverage of the important moments (the ceremony, toasts, first dance, etc.)  We were tempted to ask a guest to take some video for us, but we knew that wasn't the right thing to do, either.  A close friend offered up someone to shoot this video for us for just a few hundred dollars.  It won't be fancy, but it's all we're looking for. 

loro929

Thanks for the info @Gordo2014

Robert Wayne is actually one of the photographers that we have been looking at! So its great to know that you have had such a great experience so far.

az1177

Addie Eshelman Photography...She's amazing!

mellyD2014

I've booked with Jeff Tisman. I found him one night years before I got engaged and fell in love with his style. It's very different - he used to photograph bands (Bon Jovi, etc.) and does amazing things with light and shadow. He is definitely our splurge and we have a pretty basic package with him. I also hate posed photos, and prefer the photojournalism style, which I feel he captures beautifully.

We ended up getting an E shoot, 9-10 hours of photography, and a disc with all of the hi-res images for a little over 6K. As I said, it's absolutely our splurge but we've already received our Eshoot photos back and I already know it's worth it. He's a super funny guy, very laid back, but you can tell he knows what he's doing. He's also offering a free "bootcamp" to people who booked him to teach them about timing of the day, how to move and pose for photos to be most effective, etc. My fiance loves working with him, too.

His blog and website give you a good idea of his work - I'd absolutely recommend him and can't say enough good things about him so far.

MissADS1981

The first thing is to decide on the style you want. For me photojournalistic was a must. Most claim they do it, but check their work online and google them to see the other photos that are out there. Every site is always going to showcase their best work but look around at other images floating the web.

Make sure you know what shots you want and how many hours of coverage. Do you want preperations? just for you or also your groom's house? are you wanting a second shooter? 

Don't go with "photography agencies" many of them just outsource you to whatever photographer is free that day, adn you may never even meet the person until the day off. there are many of them on here and in NJ.

Go with someone you feel 100% comfortable with. tell them things you want them to shoot and even angles of your body or face you don't like. Meet with them before you sign anything.

I personally am going with Brooke Courteny Photography and they are not even in NJ but they are so talented and exactly the style i want. I am willing to put them up in ahotel over night to shoot my day because they are amazing! find the photog you feel is right in your heart.

your budget is also very important

littlekik

We wanted to stay in the 3-4,000 range for photographers and ended up going with Robert Wayne.  We liked him a lot on meeting him and he did our engagement photos and they were beautiful.  I like the a la carte approach he uses so you don't have to worry about how much money you are spending coming up to the wedding.

 

For video we looked at GT from this board's recommendations and they were already booked.  We used another name that came up a lot for us which was John Jae...very reasonable.  I wanted a videographer but didn't want to put the same amount of our budget into it as photography and he met us perfectly.  He has three packages ranging from 900-2000 and we ended up combining the first package but added things we wanted from the second package that was perfect for us. 

We have not been married yet (July) but based on meetings and our experience so far I would definitely recommend Robert Wayne Photography and have had nothing but a positive experience so far with Daniel from John Jae.

 

Good luck!

Peaseblossom55

We are using Jason Rhee, he is amazing.  Super responsive, he was very flexible with our budget and we absolutely love our engagement photos!

MnM4ever3

We are using Kinga at ks photo as well as the videographer she works with (Mark). I believe her prices started somewhere in the 2000s, she had a very warm personality that we clicked with right away and we felt we could trust her. Also, she does incredible work and gives you a lot more bang for your buck compared to some other photographers. Good luck deciding!!

BrianaJane

I am using Jacquline foxx photography. I found out about her through one of my art teachers. I went to school for art and am very picky in terms of quality, but also in price. I went with the level one package which is 1900 and includes 2 photographers from getting ready through the cake cutting and a proof book. I am making my own album so I am buying the digital pictures for an additional 200. This is very reasonable pricing for such a quality photographer! For videography I am using Alexander Kaplan. I am editing my video myself and the cost including the raw footage is $900. He has a very high quality video camera and I was impressed by his videos. It is important to me to document the day but not break the bank!

jenmong

I booked with Elssol Production for video I'm spending 1400. You should check them out.

loro929

Thanks for all of the tips.

Has anyone by any chance worked with Milan Photography / knows someone who is / has?

Cookie Pusher

We're not using a videographer, but we're using Bernadette Marciniak Photography for photos. She has been really wonderful to work with, and we're looking forward to seeing what she captures at our wedding!

bereasonable2

Cookie Pusher said:

We're not using a videographer, but we're using Bernadette Marciniak Photography for photos. She has been really wonderful to work with, and we're looking forward to seeing what she captures at our wedding!

Where did you even find this photographer? She's not holding her camera properly in her bio picture.

Cookie Pusher

bereasonable2 said:

Where did you even find this photographer? She's not holding her camera properly in her bio picture.

Through a referral from someone else who has worked with her. I've seen her work (both freelance and in her day-job as a photojournalist), and am pleased with not just the final images I've seen but even the raw images. But, based on other posts you've made, my opinion is inferior to yours as you seem to dislike a great many photographers that many other brides have been happy with. And seem to have issues with brides who are on a budget. Perhaps, instead of knocking vendors that people have used, you could recommend some that you approve of?

liyaliya1

We are using Dennis Pike Photography (for photos) and Northeast Horizons (for cinematography). 

We chose Dennis Pike because we love the way his images aren't too "posey" or forced and the colors he tends to get out of them.   He is also very straightforward in his pricing...he doesn't offer 800 different packages with albums and this or that, it's just the coverage and the rights to print the photos however you want. 

Northeast Horizons is  prominently well known in New Jersey and they are a little pricey, but they are very good at what they do.  One of my coworkers owns the company as his side business and has been doing it for over 20 years.  They offer both a cut down version and the long film and edit everything really nicely together with music, etc.