Photographer Help

rubber+soul · February 2011

Hello! I usually lurk, but I need some help. A good friend of mine recently got engaged. She's planning her wedding for Jan. 2012. She's booked her venue, and now she's looking for a photographer. She can spend up to $2,000 on her photographer and is looking for someone who has a similar style to this photographer: http://midnightchai.com/ (she would hire him but he's out of her price range). Can you give me some recommendations? I'm no help as I didn't look at more than one photographer (I booked the photographer that shot my friend's wedding last year). Thanks for any help you can give me.

LaRositaMonita · February 2011

Unforutunately, I don't know of any photographers for under $2000 who will give you the photojournalistic style and the quality your friend seems to be looking for. There are certainly photographers in that range, and I am sure some of the girls here can make recommendations, but I do think that to get a true photojouranlistic style our friend would have to up her budget. It's hard to hear when you first start looking and have sticker shock, but truly you do get what you pay for with photography. Amerbutt can share her experience...

Sharyn Frankel is a little more expensive than $2000 but seems to definitely be a good bang for your buck. Marc Anthony (who is actually not my fave style-wise flame away ladies, sorry) does also seem to offer a lot for your money. Kara Loomis is a friend of a former knottie who got mentioned her a few times when she was starting out...not sure of her pricing or what her work looks like these days, though. I haven't heard much about her here lately.

For comparison, I am pretty sure all these photographers are in the $2500-4k range, and I would heartily recommend any of them:
Doug Burns (photographed my wedding)
Jennifer Childress
Sarah Schulte
Mike Landis
Ryan Estes
Tony Hoffer (may be a little over 4k, he is amazing, though)
Sandor Welsh
Rich Lavigne
Kamila Harris (her post-processing work has a similar "feel" to the photographer you posted, in my opinion)

Hope that gives you a little direction, at least...

CaitC21 · February 2011

I will add Jenna Walcott to the list, she is a bit above $2K but A.Lemma just used her for her engagement pictures and they are awesome.

http://jennawalcott.com/?doing_wp_cron

Marc (mentioned above) is also a good closer to $3K

And sadly Kamila Harris (mentioned above) is $5K, unless you are looking at shorter Firday night coverage.

Good Luck!

Josephine0716 · February 2011

First time poster. Long time lurker. Marc Anthony is incredible but unfortunately he was already booked so I went with intrigue in Haddonfield. Sharyn Frankel is good. If you can have her up the budget you won't find someone better under $3000 than Marc. You can also try Photography by Julia. I've met with Rich and Anne Lavigne and found their work very amateur and not worth their price. Choosing a photographer is a huge decision. I'd have her up the budget. $2000 and under is not realistic if you want someone good. I've also met with Kamika. NOT impressed at all. Ryan Estes and Hoffer are amazing but who wants to spend $7000 for all day coverage? Marc Anthony and Intrigue (although i spent $4500 with them) are your best bet.

rubber+soul · February 2011

Thanks ladies! I checked out a few of the photographers and really liked their work. I will definitely suggest my friend increase her budget.

Bride_to_be_2011 · February 2011

My photog is Sharyn Frenkel but shes a little over 2k.

Amerbutt81 · February 2011

>> Amerbutt can share her experience...<<

Trust me, I went with a "budget" photographer and I regret it every single day. I wish I had just bucked up and put in the extra $800 for the photographer I really wanted.

agilanyi · February 2011

We booked Anne & Rich Lavigne. Our engagement photos came out better than we could have ever imagined, so we can't wait until our wedding day! We're paying about $3400 for 8 hours of coverage, e-pics, travel, and taxes. They are also really open to working with you.

I might also recommend Fairmount Photo. We met with them and their prices were somewhere around the $2000 mark (but there were lower-priced packages than that).

LaRositaMonita · February 2011

agil - are you the guys with the marching band photos? I love those!

Plushmillem · February 2011

My wedding was june 18th 2010 i spent way more then i wanted on my pics ! I had to suck it up and it was worth every penny !! Gerard Tomko is not on the knot but he is on facebook and you can also google him ! He was the best higher then 2000 but you pay for what you get ! Also remember after the wedding that is all you have left . Unless you have a video as I ended up doing . Hope that might help your friend ! Good luck !

agilanyi · February 2011

LRM, yeah those are us

Thank you! We had such a great time with the kids.

Amerbutt81 · February 2011

I find it interesting that someone that Rich has no record of ever meeting can say they found their "work very amateur and not worth their price".

Just sayin.

rluber · February 2011

jenna walcot will work with your friend on price. we met with her and she is lovely. we ended up lucking out and fi's mom is going to pay for our photographer so we are able to go with cindy guessford, but jenna is a great bang for your buck photographer!

ps when we were negotiating with cindy, she sprung a 7% nj sales tax. this was not in any of her pricing literature or mentioned in the 2 meetings we had. has anyone had a photographer or other vendor spring sales tax on them at the end to add ontp the package price originally discussed?

kroagnon5000 · February 2011

I've hired BG Production (Cat and Al) who are a husband/wife photographer/videographer. I'm getting them for 8 hours for under $3k. I think they're prices went up for 2011, but they are still very reasonably priced (and you can hire each separately). You may want to suggest your friend give them a look...

Amerbutt81 · February 2011

>>ps when we were negotiating with cindy, she sprung a 7% nj sales tax. this was not in any of her pricing literature or mentioned in the 2 meetings we had. has anyone had a photographer or other vendor spring sales tax on them at the end to add ontp the package price originally discussed?<<

ANY wedding-related purchase is going to have sales tax because none of it is considered a "neccesity". Not even a wedding dress.

So just a heads up, when you get the final count for your venue, remember to add sales tax to that as well.

drink227 · February 2011

I used Maria Matthews from Portrait Elegance and spent just over 2K.

Josephine0716 · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_photographer-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:0b35d9f0-1ba6-4ac1-b6fd-3ef9e0d5827ePost:64470dfb-7e01-4ebb-a325-cf561fd491d3">Re: Photographer Help</a>:
[QUOTE]I highly doubt that Rich would lie about not meeting with you. Some of us have had personal experiences with him and therefore would trust his word over yours who has not introduced herself and only posted a few times.
Posted by drink227[/QUOTE]

I know you're trying to come to bat for larosita since Rich is her brother. Fact is. I did meet with him and when I saw his work in person it was amateur. I know Larosita is trying to get him some experience by organizing a group trash the dress session (I can't wait to see how that turns out) but it's no reason to call me a liar. I met with him. His work is amateur. My opinion.

Josephine0716 · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_photographer-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:0b35d9f0-1ba6-4ac1-b6fd-3ef9e0d5827ePost:d2a21aa6-89e9-490d-b4ab-d38f0aa65dc8">Re: Photographer Help</a>:
[QUOTE]I find it interesting that someone that Rich has no record of ever meeting can say they found their "work very amateur and not worth their price". Just sayin.
Posted by Amerbutt81[/QUOTE]

And I'm so sure Rich would say that he did meet with me and I told him he wasn't what I was looking for. Yeah. I'm sure he said he had "no record" of meeting me. Pleeeeeeaaassse! Just sayin'

drink227 · February 2011

I highly doubt that Rich would lie about not meeting with you. Some of us have had personal experiences with him and therefore would trust his word over yours who has not introduced herself and only posted a few times.

bballgirl8789 · February 2011

Your friend does not need to increase her budget! My photographer is $2,000 and I am getting 2 photographers, a cd of all our pictures that are fully edited and she has a photo-journalistic style. I am using Photography by Leah, she is really awesome!! I just switched my photographer about a month ago because I was having doubts and I feel soo much better having her and her husband doing pictures for our wedding.

Here is the link to her website http://photographybyleah.com/

and she also has a facebook page

Good Luck!!!

Bean32 · February 2011

My photographer, Chris Hensel, has some lower 2K packages (or had them when I booked him). They don't include a whole lot, but I think that will be the case with any package in that range. www.wpjphoto.com.

bballgirl8789 · February 2011

Oh and she was also highly recommended by some of the knotties here and we are getting 8 hours of coverage. She is very willing to work with whatever budget you have!

Josephine0716 · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_photographer-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:0b35d9f0-1ba6-4ac1-b6fd-3ef9e0d5827ePost:22fa2193-5059-47d0-a3e9-28281eac0f9c">Re: Photographer Help</a>:
[QUOTE]josephine, please know that falsifying information about a vendor and vendor bashing are bannable offenses on this board. A number of brides here have ensured that Rich was notified about your post and Knot Annie has been contacted. It would be a shame if the positive information you have supplied about other vendors were negated because you have a beef with someone you have never actually had any contact with. ETA: It is not against the Knot's terms of service to recommend a vendor with whom you have a personal relationship, especially if you have used that vendor's services and were pleased. I am not here to "go to bat" for any particular wedding vendor. I have been a member of these forums for nearly three years and have used the services of a number of the photographers I recommended in my post, and have had friends who have been pleased with the services of every photographer I recommended.
Posted by LaRositaMonita[/QUOTE]

Again. I met with him. I understand that he's your brother but that doesn't change the fact that I met him and didn't like his work at all. It's my opinion and I am entitled to it. His work in person was not, what I call professional. It's no different than you saying things about photographers you don't like. But I guess you get a pass because you have 1000's of posts right? Also, I don't think you should be recommending him at all since he's a relative. For all we know you may actually work for him. I mean he tells you that he wants to do a trash the dress with your knottie friends and you go and coordinate it here. Seems like a conflict of interest to me.

LaRositaMonita · February 2011

josephine, if you would like to PM me your real name, the date you met with Rich and your actual wedding date I will gladly apologize for my own accusation about the lie you are telling. He has no record of meeting with anyone by the name Josephine with a fiance named Vince, and no rescord of meeting with a bride whose wedding date matches the one in your profile. I personally don't care about what you think of his work or that you disagree with the Knot's rules about recommending vendors. You are clearly entitled to your opinions. Again, I assert that I am in no way on these boards for the sole purpose of promoting any particular vendor and that in my years of posting (which are prbably at least equal to, if not greater than, your years of lurking) I have been very contientious about adhering carefully to TK's terms of use. I care, therefore, only that you are violating the Knot's rules and defaming a vendor you don't know. I would say the same to a person who came here to bash Marc Anthony or any other wedding professional. Please either prove that you are not lying or remove your post before a mod is forced to do it for you.

Bride_to_be_2011 · February 2011

Anyone can rec whoever they want. I can rec my photog a million times, and I am personal friends with her. not any diff than anyone else rec anyone else.

Josephine, please drop this bs or I will ban you.

Josephine0716 · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_photographer-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:0b35d9f0-1ba6-4ac1-b6fd-3ef9e0d5827ePost:47d7d3fb-fd54-4ea6-b071-609208c6a1f6">Re: Photographer Help</a>:
[QUOTE]Anyone can rec whoever they want. I can rec my photog a million times, and I am personal friends with her. not any diff than anyone else rec anyone else. Josephine, please drop this bs or I will ban you.
Posted by Bride_to_be_2011[/QUOTE]

What am I doing wrong? It's no problem to bash the Pros or Bella when nobody here has used them or met them. But a bride asks about them and EVERYONE says don't use them. Well all I am saying is I MET WITH RICH AND DIDN'T LIKE HIS WORK IN PERSON. Anne does beautiful children's portraits but Rich's wedding photography is much to be desired. Drink and Larosita jump on me because they say that Rich said we never met. Awefully odd if you ask me that they would jump to investigate yet there is no way that they could tell if Rich was lying. I met him. Didn't like him. My opinion. I'm not going to continue this discussion any further. I have a lot that I can contribute to this forum but I will NOT be called a liar or have my intentions called into question.

LaRositaMonita · February 2011

josephine, please know that falsifying information about a vendor and vendor bashing are bannable offenses on this board. A number of brides here have ensured that Rich was notified about your post and Knot Annie has been contacted. It would be a shame if the positive information you have supplied about other vendors were negated because you have a beef with someone you have never actually had any contact with.

ETA: It is not against the Knot's terms of service to recommend a vendor with whom you have a personal relationship, especially if you have used that vendor's services and were pleased. I am not here to "go to bat" for any particular wedding vendor. I have been a member of these forums for nearly three years and have used the services of a number of the photographers I recommended in my post, and have had friends who have been pleased with the services of every photographer I recommended.

LaRositaMonita · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_photographer-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:105Discussion:0b35d9f0-1ba6-4ac1-b6fd-3ef9e0d5827ePost:c2d8bef5-9165-48d7-b3f5-7a6b62f7889b">Re: Photographer Help</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Photographer Help : What am I doing wrong? It's no problem to bash the Pros or Bella when nobody here has used them or met them. But a bride asks about them and EVERYONE says don't use them. Well all I am saying is I MET WITH RICH AND DIDN'T LIKE HIS WORK IN PERSON. Anne does beautiful children's portraits but Rich's wedding photography is much to be desired. Drink and Larosita jump on me because they say that Rich said we never met. Awefully odd if you ask me that they would jump to investigate yet there is no way that they could tell if Rich was lying. I met him. Didn't like him. My opinion. I'm not going to continue this discussion any further. I have a lot that I can contribute to this forum but I will NOT be called a liar or have my intentions called into question.
Posted by Josephine0716[/QUOTE]

Wedding factory companies do not get bashed on this board. Many of us have had personal experiences receiving multiple spam phone calls and e-mails from The Pros and/or Bella and have known people who have had bad experiences. Likewise, if you truly lurked here, you would see that some brides do counter with positive experience they have had with those companies. Again, I am not saying that you are not entitled to like or not like a certain photographer. I am saying that some knotties who respect a vendor you are bashing decided to investigate your claims and found them to be false. You have done nothing to disprove their counterclaims except accuse Rich of lying himself. You are entitled to falsify information about yourself to protect your identity on these boards, which may be the root of why people think are you lying, but you have clearly done nothing to clear the air and seem to now only be wishing to stir up further drama, hack a thread in which a poster was looking for good information, and ruin the reputation of more than one honest business person. (I cannot imagine that the OP would take your recommendations seriously at this point.)

drink227 · February 2011

A bunch of people were talking about wanting to do a TTD, which is how the whole group TTD started. LRM is not specifically promoting Rich, he is on her list that she posts about photogs. She actually promotes other people much more. She is not trying to get him experience as he has plenty of experience to begin with.

It would help if you posted an introduction so we knew who you were before you jumped in and started posting.

Josephine0716 · February 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_photographer-12?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:0b35d9f0-1ba6-4ac1-b6fd-3ef9e0d5827ePost:44192a89-7492-479b-ad91-b1116533420f">Re: Photographer Help</a>:
[QUOTE]A bunch of people were talking about wanting to do a TTD, which is how the whole group TTD started. LRM is not specifically promoting Rich, he is on her list that she posts about photogs. She actually promotes other people much more. She is not trying to get him experience as he has plenty of experience to begin with. It would help if you posted an introduction so we knew who you were before you jumped in and started posting.
Posted by drink227[/QUOTE]

I'm not much for getting personal with complete strangers especially those who've be married for nearly a year or even longer and still feel the need to be on these boards. But thanks. Some people just need to move on with their lives.

ooodsie · February 2011

I used Mike Landis & Ryan Estes (he was the 2nd shooter, I hit the wedding photography jackpot!) .. they are above your price range, but highly worth it. Sharyn Frankle is a little lower, and also very good quality. and I'm not going to even start to get involved in the prior drama, except to say that I do enjoy Rich Lavignes photos (not due to knowing LRM, but just because I actually enjoy his work) and for the price, both he and Sharyn Frankle are a good value.

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