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Free photog vs stress-free photog? NEED ADVICE

bnlamy5bnlamy5
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in Wedding Photography and Videography Forum
I just got a crazy-good offer but I am tentative beyond belief. A friend of my mom (who is a pro photog who has done weddings) offered my fiance and I her services and proofs/prints for free as a wedding gift. Sounds great, right? But the catch is that doing this runs the risk of 1. over involvement of my mom in directing the shots (since its her friend), 2. risk of missing the shots we want bc she is not in "work-mode", but in guest-who-just-happens to have a camera-mode, and 3. feeling obligated to listening/doing the shots she wants because its her gift to us. We arent getting married until 2013 so we havent really even started visiting photogs and getting prices but Boston-area photogs seem to be very pricey.

Anyone have experience with family/friends being the photographer at their wedding? Experiences? Is it worth saving thousands of dollars versus having a smooth-running photo shoot?

Thanks!
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Re: Free photog vs stress-free photog? NEED ADVICE

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    inkulio73inkulio73 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    First of all, if she's a REAL pro that's one hell of an expensive gift.  Beyond $$, do you like her work?  Does her photography speak to you?  Can anyone with a camera give you the same quality of work?  How much do you value excellent photography?  Will you feel like since she's doing it for "free" that she won't put 100% effort into it?

    If someone offered you a free BMW, what would be the first question to pop into you head?  "What's the catch?"  "What's wrong with it?"
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    msgraphicsmsgraphics member
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    edited December 2011
    Either she is your GUEST or she is there to WORK.  I have 2 friends that are pro photographers, the 1 who did an engagement session for us free of charge, said flat out that he wanted to be a guest, mingle and have fun. I realized that I couldn't ask my other friend either, because I knew she would want to catch up with old friends and my family, who she hasn't seen in ages.  
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    drphotodrphoto member
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    edited December 2011

    I never liked the whole free/work thing.  Tog is either there to work or there to play. 

    Corey Schwartz
    www.desertridgephotography.com

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    annandted86annandted86
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    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_photog-vs-stress-photog-need-advice?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:30Discussion:c8595535-a80a-4177-9f9a-10efe9d69edePost:aded901d-9f1c-4794-9bf5-5960d0071623">Re: Free photog vs stress-free photog? NEED ADVICE</a>:
    [QUOTE]Either she is your GUEST or she is there to WORK.  Posted by msgraphics[/QUOTE]

    This.  It's one thing if she wants to be your pro photographer for the day and that's her gift, but that means she's working and not a guest (though she should be fed, etc.).  And you should work with her in discussing what you want in the way of photography just like any other pro photog you'd be working with.  And that includes marginalizing your mom.
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    ceeceed80ceeceed80 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    If you chose your mom's friend, make sure you sign a contract (even if you aren't paying her anything). This will be your proof of the fact that she is there to work, not for recreation. 
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    bnlamy5bnlamy5
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Thanks for all your advice guys! I think if my fiance and I do decide to go with her, we will definately draw up the contract, go over what shots we want and even consider paying for her to have an "assistant" to get any shots she may miss and maximize how many photos we get. That way, when she wants to eat, her partner would have the camera aned vice versa and not miss any key moments. Again, its still a ways away, but its exciting to start thinking about wedding stuff! 

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    lana2007lana2007 member
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    edited December 2011
    Don't worry about it until 2012.. by then the world will have ended anyway.. ;)
    With love from Chile... I blog. Check it out here: www.lanarenee.com
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