Finding a photographer is frustrating...

brad1431 · July 2009

I am getting frustrated, the are all so damn expensive, we found one we like that is a good price and everyone else is another $2K more. I was hoping to find 2-3 in the same price range and pick based on who we were most comfortable, but I cant find anyone else in the same range......

soontobemrsdavis · July 2009

yep that was the one area i realized i had to up my budget. But like anything wedding related if you have limited budget you have limited options

brad1431 · July 2009

we dont have a limited budget per se, but we have a range that we are comfortable with. I just thought I would find a few in my range, I am starting to wonder how the person we like is so much cheaper than the rest...

cvl105 · July 2009

Like Stacey, I ended up spending more than I had originally wanted to. I am saving in other areas, so I didn't feel so bad spending extra on photography.

jen629 · July 2009

I feel like I was going with bare bones on my photo although very good and FI up'd the package because he said we are only doing this once and I want great pics to remember it by and hes right its just the one place I cant skimp on and I still feel like I got a decent deal

brad1431 · July 2009

we upped our photo budget when FI lowered her dress budget, but I still cant see spending the $4500-5000 that most people are asking, for what we want. We might have to just book the on person we liked that was a lot cheaper

soontobemrsdavis · July 2009

a range = limited IMO

kewltif · July 2009

I definitely upped my original budget in this area. I originally didn't care about pictures. I thought, eh, they all do a good job. Thank you to the knot for making me obsessed with finding the perfect photographer!

erikag23 · July 2009

brad~ it seems like whenever it comes time for you to book a vendor, there is always an issue. my sil is recently engaged and has almost all of her major vendors booked....seems like you need to increase your budget. or go for a higher priced photographer and cut-out the extras.

jen629 · July 2009

I didnt pay the $4-$5 K you are speaking of but I am still getting a 60 photo album and an 11x14 pic also on the 1 year anniversary gives you the pic on jpeg and proof album

reneel828 · July 2009

When I was looking at photogs we saw a few that were all in the 5k range. We went with Abella Studios because we were able to get what we wanted for about 3k. Overall I am happy with my pics. I'm not sure if I suggested this before to you or not. I know we upgraded our album style, and we got 80 images in the book, 100 thank yous and 2 brag books. Let me know if you want the link to my pics.

reneel828 · July 2009

Oh and I have all my high res photos on a disk that are mine. I made great photo albums for myself and my parents and inlaws on my mac.

njbrowneyedgrl74 · July 2009

Brad, we chose not to get albums, but our photographer was fabulous and inexpensive. We will do our own albums sometime because it wasn't that important to us. We have all our pics and can do what we want with them--that's all that mattered. I hope you find what you're looking for. Lisa Beth

brad1431 · July 2009

we found a photographer we like, the problem is that we cant find anyone else who will give us a similar package anywhere near that range. It is at the point where I am wondering how one photographer can be $2K less than all the others we have seen

cvl105 · July 2009

can be cheaper for a mutliple of reasons brad 1) are new(er) to the industry 2) are photographers part-time 3) don't have as high OH costs (offices, etc) 4) just aren't as good, therefore don't get as much business, therefore need to lower their prices

designgirl14 · July 2009

Brad what is your budget?? Some of the smaller photographers that work out of their homes tend to charge less.. ones that are a one man team for the post part. I know mine was like that.. or others are just trying to get their name out there.. Who are you looking at?

njbrowneyedgrl74 · July 2009

Maybe they are just reasonably priced--if you like their work, why have to search for more to compare. I guess I just know what I like and stick to that.

uppereastgirl · July 2009

You really, really, really may want to up your budget. I know it is a lot of money to spend on something that seems so silly, but your photos will be one of the few things you'll have after the wedding. Getting photos that you're happy with is super important. You might want to get past the sticker shock and find people whose work you love. Photography is an area that we really, really splurged on... we went for a major brand name. Sometimes when I think about it I can't believe that we spent that much money on someone's services for one day, but in retrospect I LOVE LOVE LOVE our photos and think it really was worth every penny. My sister had a destination and booked a local photographer (who charged what you'd pay in NJ, so it wasn't even like she cheaped out) but there just wasn't much talent to choose from around there. She hates her pictures, which are mostly uninspired and stiffly posed, and which miss important moments (dancing with my grandfather, etc.). She never got prints, an album etc. and can't even talk about her pictures because she hates them so much. In retrospect, she really wishes she had flown someone in.Just remember, it is something that you'll have forever, but that you can't redo. Cut back on flowers, don't get a fancy limo, etc... photography just isn't the right place to cut corners if you don't have to.

soontobemrsdavis · July 2009

are there details that are missing from his package that others have.I noticed things like hours of service, quality of camera, quality of images on CD/DVD, etc. Some people had a great prices but in comparison the quality is where the inequality was.

mbcdefg · July 2009

We went a bit over budget, but we're satisfied with who we booked and I think he'll do a great job. We like his prior wedding shots and really dug his personality.FI balked at his pricing at first, but after we met with him and checked out his work, FI agreed that spending more than we'd initially planned would be worth it. I'd rather cave and spend more money (and trust me, I'm not out to splurge on my wedding) and have the peace of mind that I'm getting someone good. Winding up with crappy photos is my only real "fear" when it comes to our wedding.

jtheiss · July 2009

Check out Louis Schroder. We got a package for $2500 and I think we're getting a fair amount with a good photojournalistic photographer. We're not getting parent albums, but I think we could have added them for another $500 or so. (but we'll make our own from the proofs for much much less than that!) We're getting 8 hours of photography, rights to all images on high-res DVD, online album, bride-groom album, framed 11x17 enlargement, and 4 8x10 enlargements. I'm pleased.

brad1431 · July 2009

He is giving us more than we wanted, I dont know what else I could even ask for. Our budget is about $3K-3,500

njbrowneyedgrl74 · July 2009

If you like him, book him. I had no stress planning (besides Iraq)because I went with my gutt and it all worked.

jtheiss · July 2009

Then what the hell is the problem? If you like the guy and he's giving you more than you would ask for and his pictures are good BOOK HIM! Quit being indecisive. You could look endlessly for a better deal, and maybe there is one out there, but is it really worth the time and headaches to find out?

soontobemrsdavis · July 2009

to me it seems like he thinks he may be getting too much for his buck. i can understand that..but maybe he/she just doesn't have a lot of overhead costs. As long as you saw their work and are happy with it i think you should be fine.is it a secret photographer or can we know who it is?

brad1431 · July 2009

yeah, I am frustrated to the point of being 1) effff it and book the photo we like 2) how can he be cheaper and I like his work better than the others?

Partymixx27 · July 2009

What type of photographers were you looking at? Of course the big-name photogs with their work in magazines, lots of advertising, and those that are well-known and well-established are going to be more money. Just like anything else. I'm sure there are many photogs out there who maybe advertise mainly through word-of-mouth that are fabulous, they just don't get a lot of recognition here or in the "wedding world" because not a lot of people know about them. There are a ton of reasons why a good photographer may be cheaper, and talent doesn't necessarily have everything to do with it.It sounds like you found someone you really like that's giving you a lot for your money, and cheaper than the other guys you've looked at. Price is a good starting point to compare photogs, but it is certainly not the only factor.

reneel828 · July 2009

Have you stated who this less expensive photog was? Maybe someone has a review of them.

brad1431 · July 2009

no not yet, I will once I am about to make a decision.

reneel828 · July 2009

Don't you think it would help your decision if you said the name?

nmoscoe · July 2009

I'm curious if there's a reason you're waiting to give his name? When I asked you about Jason Rhee yesterday, I also asked if you had a list of photographers. You said you liked him, but had 4 more appointments booked. I'm not sure why you didn't just tell me who with, so I asked again. A few of the ones you listed, you just gave me first names. If everyone on here was that helpful, this website would suck.

Finding a photographer is frustrating...

Re: Finding a photographer is frustrating...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards