why oh why can't i find a photographer?!

Re: why oh why can't i find a photographer?!

• sarahebrown member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Hi Rosey,
  Welcome to the Board and Congrats on your engagement! October is a great month in OBX, I'm getting married THIS October in Kill Devil Hills. You should defintely still be able to find a good photographer since you are more than a year out. We went with Ginger Snaps (www.gingersnapsphotos.com). Our package is $1,728 which includes 4 hours of wedding day coverage, our online album and complete rights to our pics. Ginger is great to work with, but is in the OBX, so if you're looking outside of the area, she's not your gal. We picked her because my fiance and I loved her and her portfolio. I feel like photos are really personal on your wedding day and I wanted someone we both would feel 100% comfortable with. Also, she loves kids and dogs and we will have both at the wedding, so that was a plus. Our budget wasn't really a deciding factor, since we found similar pricing when shopping around. Hope this helps and I'm sure the other ladies will give you their recommendations too. I don't think any bride is using the same photog on this board! Good luck with you planning and feel free to ask anything you need!

  

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• rebecca2929 member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  We went with Michele Denotter who is out of Apex, NC just outside of Raleigh.  I went to high school with her and she does great work with kids and families.  She's new to weddings so to build her portfolio, she's doing free wedding this year.  We just had to pay for her travel but $300.00 for a full day is a steal if you ask me.  She's already done a few wedding and has done great work IMO.  Next year she'll start charging regular price but I think it's still very reasonable.

  

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• WhitKD711

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Last month we got engagement pics taken in Raleigh by Beth Ely and we really loved her. She's young and has a really great vibe- we really connected with her. We're strongly considering her for our wedding. She sent me her wedding prices and I think including travel she would be right around $2000.

  

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• OBX2011 member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Hi Rosey and welcome to the board!  Congratulations on your recent engagement...this is such an exciting time in your life!  You will find all of the ladies and 1 gent (yes we have a guy) are beyond fabulous and are all more than willing to help out in anyway that we can.
  
  Have you looked at Matt Lusk yet?  His shots are amazing....and he even does a lot of natural beach shots and even does some pro surf shots too....of course all of this on top of the wedding shots.  He was my #1 choice but was booked for my day.  I went with Outer Banks Productions and I'm very happy that I did....like Sarah said, having a connection with your photographer is very important b/c he/she will be solely responsible for THE best photos of your life.
  
  I know you may not want to wait this long....but I was engaged Christmas day of 2010, went to the wedding expo in Jan and booked my photographer in Feb for a Sept 16, 2011 wedding....so there is still time for you.  Since I went to the expo, I got a fabulous deal that was only offered to people who attended the expo and I was very happy!  4 hours, 2 photographers (THIS was key for me), online album, rights to our pics, 2 8x10's, 2 5x7's and 100 prints of our choice....ohhhh and the dvd image with editing and proofing, etc.  I got all of this for $1200 so I was beyond happy with the package we got.  Doug and Michelle are a husband and wife team and they also did my SIL's nags head wedding a few years ago and her pictures were great too!
  
  Sooooooo....tell us a little about yourself.  How did you and FI meet?  How did he propose?  Colors?  Theme? Venue? 
  
  Again, congratulations and welcome! 

   

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• eeforbes member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  We are having Matt Lusk too - check him out!!

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• roseygb member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks for the recs so far! I have looked into Matt Lusk and Ginger Snaps and I think they just don't fit what I'm looking for (or I'm just being unrealistic with my expectations). Ginger Snaps seems like a lot of really traditional shots and poses. I liked Matt Lusk more but I still feel like I'm seeing a lot of standard shots and a lot flat light from camera flash, and mostly moments that look sort of set up, like "oh stop what you're doing, look here at the camera!" type shots, if that makes sense. And a whole lot of bride and groom/bridal party pics but not much of anything else. That's something I've been seeing all over - like, where are all the guests? Where's the party? I don't know. I might just be unreasonable. : /
  
  Oh but as for us! We met in college which feels like a century ago. We took a trip to Mexico and proposed on the beach there. As for the wedding, I have NO idea. We just got engaged last month so I'm trying to sort that all out. We definitely want to get married on the beach in OBX, most likely a rental house type thing, but my head is spinning with all the options. Photography is the most important thing for us (read: me) so that's why I'm sort of freaking out. Thanks in advance for further recommendations/advice! I'm so glad I found this board.

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• keb2482

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  We are going with Matt Lusk also, who I love!  But I'm hearing a lot of people talk about liking Christpher Nieto for his more "photojournalistic" style.  He is also extremely reasonable.  He is half your price.  I've also heard that Neil GT is very non-posed and should be under $3000, not exactly sure how far under ;o)  These are all OBX people though so you may have already checked into them.

  

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• jlbmousie member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Hi Rosey,
  
  I live in Elizabeth City, NC which is about 45 minutes from the OBX. 
  
  Look at Amy from Stillframes photography.
  http://www.stillframesphotography.com/about
  or
  Jill from photography by Jill
  http://www.portraitsbyjillkoch.com/
  
  ( both of these vendors have recent pictures on facebook; they are both located around Elizabeth City, NC)
  
  I met with both of these vendors and I am going with Jill.   I was able to choose my package.  I have her services for 5 hours and it is less than $800.00.  I will receive 500 proofs and a cd with a release of copyright that will enable me to go and have my pictures printed where I want and any size that I like.   I can also purchase every picture that she and her assistant took that whole day.   ( I can't remember this cost)
  * she does charge a travel fee for weddings 51-100 miles is around $100.00.  Unless you are getting married down around Avon or Hatteras the fee would probably be around that*
  
  In this area you have to book early.  We decided in early October 2010 that we were getting married at the end of October this year.  When I called to make arrangements to meet photographers, dj, etc some already had 3 + weddings booked. Some people did not  have my wedding date available.  Be prepared when you do find a vendor to act quickly. 
  
  Best of luck.

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• [Deleted User]

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Rosey - I'm in the same boat that you are. I hate all the perfectly posed pictures that so many of the photographers seem to be into. If you find something that you like, let me know too. I bet you prefer a much more casual take on it, like I do. Good Luck!

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• roseygb member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Teach - yes! We're totally in the same boat! I read your earlier post and I feel the same way about what I've seen so far with OBX photographers. No one has grabbed me yet. I actually just emailed Bridget McEnaney, one of the photographers someone else listed on your thread. She's the first one that really made me say wow out of all the people mentioned on here. Did you contact her? Good luck to you too!
  
  OBXShelly - I'm new here but I'm pretty sure vendors aren't suppose to advertise on message boards. To be honest, it turns me off completely, and to be really honest, the 6 photos on your intro page are all posed. Actually, every photo I see on your blog is posed. It's fine if that's your style but it irks me when photographers just say what the client wants to hear even if it's not reflected anywhere in their portfolio.
  
  

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• wxkristin

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Hi roseygb,

  
  

  I initially had the same issues as you...  I kind of fell in love with Brooke Mayo, The Love Project & Mary Basnight, but when I contacted them they were well over $3000 for the 5 hrs/2 photographers/image rights that we wanted.  Just a bit more than we had in our budget.  

  
  

  I spent a long time agonizing over all the choices (countless hours on blogs from everyone I found OBWA, anyone that got suggested on this forum, or just google searches).  After weighing both the costs and photography style we decided to go with Daniel Pullen...  To be honest I wasn't 100% sure about this choice even up to our wedding day.  During that day though, both Kate and Daniel had me sold.  They were both incredibly friendly, laid-back, and didn't force any poses on us unless we said we wanted them (e.g., pictures with family after the ceremony and with bridal party on the beach).  They were with us for over 6 hrs and they gave us a discount in pricing compared to their webpage listing w/o us asking (not sure if this was b/c we were doing a Trash-the-Dress session w/them as well).  I've also been extremely happy with the photos we've seen so far from them...

  
  

  BTW, I really like Bridget McEnaney's stuff as well.  Don't think you can go wrong there, especially if it fits your budget.

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• roseygb member

  

  July 2011 edited December 2011

  Hooray we booked with Bridget today! I'm so so so happy to check this big one off the list and we're so pleased with her. One vendor down, 483450938523414 more to go! lol

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• okrun member

  

  December 2011

  try www.LindseyKphotography.com

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