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number of photos?

samimabrysamimabry
First Comment
in Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
Hi all,

My wedding photographer is actually the cousin of one of my bridesmaids. She takes amazing photos and since she is "technically" considered an amateur photographer, she doesn't charge out the wazoo. I got an e-mail from a company the other day for a coupon for a wedding photography package that would lower the price down to $1000 and just laughed. My photographer charges $600 for her wedding package and it includes the engagement session, bridal session, and wedding day photos.

Anyway, I'm sure there are others out there who have gotten much cheaper deals than that, so I'll stop "bragging" and get on with my question. She said that her wedding day session usually consists of 150-200 photos on a CD. Is that a typical number of photos or should I request more?

I have been considering not doing any bridal portraits, simply because the wedding is in 36 days and I honestly don't know if I'll have time between now and then to do them. If I don't do them then I was thinking of just asking her to replace the bridal session with more day-of photos. But if 150-200 is a typical number then I'll just ask her to replace the bridal session with something else, like maybe some family portraits with my son at a later date or something like that.

In some ways, 200 photos sounds like a lot to me, but then I start thinking, well, after group photos with me and the wedding party and then the groom and the wedding party, and then he and I together and together with the wedding party, and then the parents, etc., there will be a lot of those as it is, and that isn't even factoring in the ceremony and reception! So then I start thinking that 200 isn't nearly enough!!

HELP please! Thanks in advance for any responses!! :)

Samantha
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Re: number of photos?

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    AnnaScarlettAnnaScarlett member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The real question is how many hours is coverd in that $600?

    We had 10 hours of coverage and ended up with close to 1000 edited pictures. (there were some duplicate poses, but not a lot)

    Our photographer told us about 60 photos an hour is prety standard.
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    samimabrysamimabry
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Well the wedding is from 6-9 PM; I will be arriving at the chapel at 4:00 which is when I was going to have the photographer arrive as well. I wanted some pictures of me and my bridesmaids getting ready, as well as photos of the groom and groomsmen getting ready too. She hasn't said anything about a specific number of hours, just the number of photos.
    BabyFetus Ticker
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    katiedidthatkatiedidthat
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our photographer said he takes (on average) 300-700 photographs during the day.  He arrives 2 hours before the ceremony and stays until the bride and groom leave and uses a photojournalistic style.  Our engagement pictures were close to 150, I would definitely ask her if she does a lot of candids or only posed pictures.  I've heard of photographers that push close to 1000 pictures and then par it down to less with editing and then let you choose a smaller amount, I'd be more comfortable with more pictures to choose from rather than knowing that I'd only get 200 max. 
    BabyFruit Ticker Photobucket image Photobucket
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    GolfChick78GolfChick78 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our photographer said we should count on 700+ and 1,000 isn't uncommon.

    You may find that this is not as much of a bargain as you thought it was.
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    Muffin'sMomMuffin'sMom
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My daughter had 1300 unedited...it was overwhelming.
    My baby girl is a married woman...and now my baby girl HAS a baby girl. Time unfolds in such an amazing way. I've been blessed!
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    fallbride1109fallbride1109 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My photographer took around 1500 and we ended up with 875.  We had over 200 of just wedding party and bride and groom portraits alone and over 300 of just the reception.  Also, you should get them on a DVD, not a CD as the resolution will not be high enough for printing, an album, etc.

    You are paying amateur prices but you're also not getting very much.  Being happy with the overall quality is what is most important, rather than how many pictures you actually get.
    Planning the Meal
    With All the Trimmings
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    woodfrogswoodfrogs member
    First Comment First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    When my husband and I got married, we got 200 proofs. That was in the days of film(hard to believe that was only 9 years ago). And it was more than enough. Lots of family and groups, ceremony, reception, etc, the whole thing!
    That being said, I usually deliver between 500-800 to a couple that has us booked for the whole day. It's a lot, and can be overwhelming. Not to mention that more doesn't necessarily mean better.
    Why not see if you could sub in an "after" session. You and your groom dress up again sometime after your wedding(doesn't matter when, a week? a month?) and get some interesting couples shots where you don't have to worry about getting dirty, or other folks waiting on you to get finished(sometimes called Trash the Dress or Rock the Dress).
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    JimMeadeJimMeade
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The number of photos is less important than the number of 'good' photos. I would imagine that a pro covering a full wedding (maybe 10 plus hours) would take around 1200 shots and edit that back to 700 - 1000 good quality proofs from which you could choose enlargements, album etc.

    The difference between an amateur and a professional is practice...not the gear they use or how flashy the website is...often not even the price. An amateur practices until they get it right...a professional practices until they can't get it wrong.

    You say your bridesmaid's cousin takes amazing pictures, does she take amazing wedding pictures? Shooting an event like a wedding is way more challenging than a studio shoot where the photograper is in total control of lighting, time etc. The wedding requires a detailed knowledge of the flow of the day, what happens when..so you don't miss anything important.  My advice..choose someone with a demonstrable portfolio of wedding work that you like.
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