Vendors refusing service

bananasplit472001

kitty8403 said:

Re copyrights and print releases, this is an issue where most experienced photographers have set contracts and policies in place. (eta) In general, wedding photography is not work for hire -- that is, the photographer is the artist and therefore owns the artwork. You are given permission to reproduce the photos in various formats for personal/family use. If you want them to change something in their contracts, they may or may not go for it. 

I am curious, though. Are none of the packages you're paying for covering editing services? I can't think of a wedding tog I've interviewed who didn't include up to X number of edited images in the pricing. (I've shot weddings with minimal/no edits and no rights restrictions before, but those cases were strictly as personal favors to friends). 

Many were actually including edits for only about 20 pictures.  That seems to be the norm now and have moved on from that.  We have also realized that it is the norm for photographers to only offer printing rights. 

bananasplit472001

lyndausvi said:

If you are communicating to the photographers like you are to us it's no wonder you are having problems.

Not trying to be mean, but delivery is half the game in negotiations.  If everyone is turning you down either your demands are too much (which on the surface doesn't appear to be) and/or your delivery on what you want is not being properly conveyed. 

At some point this becomes true:

Maybe it's time to either rethink your demands or how you are trying to convey them?

Thanks for your input.  We actually just found 3 amazing photographers and will book one of them by following everyone's advice.  As someone who has never planned a wedding before or is the first of friends and family (my age) to be married it is difficult to understand what is expected out of photographers and vendors without going through it and figuring out which questions are appropriate. 

vh2014

As a previous photographer, I agree with PPs about the copyright question. The copyright belongs to the photographer and while they can sell it, they generally won't - unless they don't know what it really is and then you don't want that photographer anyway.  You want a license to print the photos.  Which some photographers still won't give you because they still are priced to make their money on prints.  I priced weddings based on how much I needed to make per hour and included prints to make people feel better... prints don't cost much in materials and I've already done the editing at that point anyway. 

Maybe a different approach would be to ask the photographer what packages they have that include the rights to reprint the images up to X size.  As for the venue- Trust them.  More important for me was had my photographer done sunset pictures before- the light can be tricky.  Location- a good photographer can make an alley way or your backyard look awesome with the right angles. They'll see it, that's why you are hiring them. 

And...sorry in advance for who I offend... but please print your photos somewhere nice.  It's worth the extra few cents to get a good lab.  Part of the reason I included prints was so that if someone did print their images at Walmart (just picked them... maybe you know a Walmart that calibrates and is good.. ours SUCKS)  and then saw mine they would know it wasn't bad photography, it was bad printing.