Photographer Prices RANT!

falsara

@iloveotters2014 -   Its the Flint area. I know some of the Universities have satellite campuses there, I just haven't been able to get in contact with their department.

theartistformerlyknownas

Try Titus Photography in Midland. Not a lot of experience with weddings, but some. Several of my old college pals have her do their family photos and are quite happy with her work.

falsara

Thanks lolo883!

flyingfoxes

I do think you sometimes get what you pay for.  My photographer gave me a $1k deal, including the e-shoot with 2 photographers on he wedding day, but it was like pulling teeth to get the e-shoot scheduled, then we had to hound him to get the 10 edited images so we could print what we wanted.  I'm a bit concerned about the wedding day and getting those shots (he's lazy - that's the only word for it), but we do have a contract with him.  I went to elementary school with him, that's the reason I booked with him, plus the price.  I think his laziness is what we get in exchange for that price.  We'll use him for the wedding, but we won't use him again in the future for anything.

Aray82

cwradford said:

@Aray83 - Unfortunately the wedding is in a place that doesn't have a TK local board. The city that's closest to it that does have a Board is over an hour away and Detroit is not cheap on weddings.  Plus the only reason we're having the wedding in that area is because family lives there, not because we do, so unfortunately no friends to hit up and the two cousins who have been married in the last ten years,1 of them never got her photos, and the other one I didn't like the quality of the photos. 

Oy. That's tough. I was expecting some big expenses, but photography was definitely the one that shocked me the most. 

atlastmrsg

I paid much more than that because the photos were really important to me, and because I didn't hire a videographer.  I knew I wouldn't sit around and watch the wedding video, so skipped it.

I used a regional photographer based in Kentucky who is experienced and well-known.  She brings a second shooter with her--an apprentice working in her studio--to all weddings.  In the end, I don't know which photos are hers, and which are the apprentice's because they're all edited in house the same way.

If you find a big time photographer you love, see if they have a junior photographer or apprentice.  This studio's apprentice photographers are only $475 for the first two hours, $150 for each hour afterwards, which is hundreds less than the mail photographer.  That includes editing and everything on a disc (no prints).