Is he nickel and diming me??

Kerri~Lynn · March 2010

So I found a photographer and his work is amazing, but It seems like his pricing structure is unorthodox, and he is a little unprofessional...

So this is the situation, he says that he lives in New Jersey (at the shore) but that he services New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvannia, and Delaware. So I made an inquiry and told him which package I would like to get, and that I would like to have an engagement session. He told me that his engagement session was $350, which seems extrememly high, considering most are either included or $125-175. And on top of that he charges travel expenses at $30 per hour. This seemed EVEN CRAZIER to me considering that I am in Philadelphia, which is an area that he already services!!

Also, he hasn't given me any details as to how many pictures he takes, if we get the copyrights, or what is included in the album that is in the package, but he is pushing me towards signing a contract... Should I run??

I do however have a $300 credit towards a package/engagement session, which will reduce the cost, but does this seem absurd to anyone else??? PLEASE HELP!

goheels05 · March 2010

The prices don't really bother me. In fact that seems really low. My photog spent 48 hours on our enagement photos when it was all said and done--drove 2 hours up and 2 hours back, spent 4 or more hours shooting, and another 40 hours editing and putting our photos to disc and mailing them to us. So, if he had only charged us $350, that works out to $7 an hour. I don't know many professionals who will work for $7 an hour. And I don't blame him for charging for travel. Mine didn't, but I think that is fairly standard and very fair.

If $350 is more than you can afford to spend, then you need to find someone in your price range.

The fact that he hasn't told you how many pictures are included and whether or not you get the copyrights is bothersome, particularly if you have asked and he is ignoring your question.

It sounds like you've pretty much made up your mind to move on, and that's probably the best thing.

nhelene · March 2010

Don't sign anything until he answers the questions you want answered, and get everything in writing.

It sounds sketchy to me, but I don't know much about this stuff either.

kducharme · March 2010

I think you need to move on..your pictures won't turn out good if you feel uneasy with the photography. I would cut my loses and find someone you will enjoy wokring with and that will reflect in your pictures! Good luck

megandjay · March 2010

All of the details (such as copyright- which they almost always keep by the way), if you get a DVD or CD of the images, about how many images and what is included in the album and when it will be provided to you, etc.- that should ALL be included in the contract. Otherwise you have no recourse if he doesn't deliver.

shawnarazz · March 2010

The number one thing about photography is you get what you pay for. And it's hard to say how worthwhile things are because I don't know what priority you put on your photos or what his work is like.

I used to work for a photographer myself, and I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get the copyright to your photos. After all it IS his creative work. I would instead get what you are allowed to do in writing. Like are you allowed to take the digital images and get as many copies in as many sizes as you want. That's not necessarily copyright and I'm not sure what else you would need to do with your photos anyway. Usually photographers just don't want YOU to make money off of their pictures. If he doesn't allow you to make your own copies, I would not use him.

In regards to the number of photos... I wouldn't ask how many you will get, but rather if you get a digital copy of ALL the images, (Of coarse you can allow him to go through and delete any ones he feels are bad) My photographer couldn't tell me how many images I would get and I ended up with 80 engagement pics. You can ask about the number of pictures that he will do re-touching on, but they usually only do whatever pictures are getting put into the album.

As for the engagement session.... in my experience a good photographer (not saying he's bad but this may be where the inexperience comes in) will give you a free e-session as it's more for them then you. An e-session allows the photographer to learn the best way to shoot you and FI.

I wouldn't write him off because he's inexperienced either. I know a couple people who are using inexperienced photographers, getting an awesome price, and are going to have AMAZING photos. I would ask to see an extensive portfolio, and go based on that. Sometimes photographers even have blogs of their recent shoots which can give you a good idea of their shooting style. Maybe look into his photography history, not just weddings, but how long he's been taking pictures and what of because maybe he's been doing it for decades and just got into weddings.

Anyway that's my best advice, hope it helps!

sophs_ro · March 2010

I'm not very experienced about photographers/what they charge/what you get etc etc but i think the fact that you posted this thread means you are unsure or unhappy with the deal. Look again, maybe you'll find someone else that you feel more comfortable with.

pondering_gal · March 2010

I'm sorry, but if you've only done 4-5 weddings, you have some balls to charge over $2,000. We found someone in a similar situation (1 wedding, her brother's) and charged $2,000...and we got someone highly recommended, done weddings for 20 years, for $300 less than her.

But really, if you don't feel right about a vendor, you shouldn't go with them. It's just another worry you'll have on your day. Trust your gut!

Kerri~Lynn · March 2010

Thank you all for replying!! It really has helped, but I am still undecided as to whether or not to use him. But I have been checking into other vendor's for comparison purposes.

He did e-mail me ans answered all of my questions, which made me feel a lot better! I do get the copyrights to my photos, and he does not put a limit on how many photos he takes. So that's good news...

One more question though, Is it necessary to have an assistant on the day of the wedding? We are having 120 people, and he said he would not be using an assistant... Should I be worried?

luckyme502 · March 2010

I wouldn't be worried about him not having an assistant. I have been to a few weddings, and none of them have had an assistant and the pics turned out wonderful .

Is he nickel and diming me??

Re: Is he nickel and diming me??

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