Wedding Photographer try-out

famed45

My fiancee and I are starting to look for a wedding photographer, and we really want somebody who will be profesional but also good at taking the stress out of the whole thing. (We were thinking of a cd/dvd only package also - not someone who is 2k for the day etc.)

So we're looking to maybe do a trial session, to make sure we go with the right shooter for the big day...

Any ideas, suggestions or offers are welcome.

We are based in Dublin so would prefer someone in leinster area.

Cheers

*** MOD NOTE *** No offers allowed in thread. Leaving this open for advice only.

PCPhoto

most photographers will offer an engagement shoot (to test the waters and see if the client is capable of taking instruction for posed pics)

Also - most wedding photographers I know actually meet the couple several times before the actual day to run through everything from back-up plans to what exactly the couple want photos of.

However getting images on CD/DVD is where the difference is..... some more old school photographers will give a CD of low res images for emails/websites etc.
Some more modern/new age photographers give everything on CD.

the thing you have to do is decide what you want from a wedding photographer, what kind of photos you want from your wedding ...then

find the photographer who shoots that style or is willing to shoot that style.....next

haggle the price/package to suit your budget - most photographers will be willing to give something extra or drop the price a little, sometimes the wedding couple have the photographer they want and he or she is above/below their budget.

like everything else to do with weddings.... you need to look ...and look...and look till you find the perfect one. (perfect for you anyway)

oh and Congratulations on getting engaged.

smelltheglove

As PC said a meeting is a must, you must be completely happy with the person you are going to spend a lot of your special day with, you will want a person that appreciates the sincereity and importance of it and that will go out of their way to ensure it flows as smoothly as possible.

Engagement shoots are a good way to go if you want to be 100% of course just be sure to at least provisionally book your day first, last thing you want is to do an engagement shoot, love it and find out your date is gone:o

Dvd packages are almost a given these days but as PC said, I have seen some brides become upset when they realise their dvd is low res so make sure it is written into the contract that you are receiving high resolution files.

Best of luck with it all.

RoryW

PCPhoto wrote: »

Some more modern/new age photographers give everything on CD.

some give photos on snazzy Alloy USB cards that can be carried around in your wallet etc - for example of what they look like see here which is very handy for bring photos around to show everyone

wingnut

If you have friends that work with photos you can also get the camera raw files, these will be very high quality for post production. <snip>

wingnut

wingnut wrote: »

If you have friends that work with photos you can also get the camera raw files, these will be very high quality for post production. <snip>

I don't see m/any photographers handing over their RAW files. I think you'd be very hard pressed to get a pro to hand them over. Maybe you'd get them from an amateur who doesn't really know what he's doing and will agree to anything, but a RAW file is just that; a RAW version of the photo.

It doesn't represent the finished version, and therefore is not a representation of the photographer's work.

PCPhoto

OP if you find someone claiming to be professional and offering RAW images straight from the camera - please do the decent thing and avoid.

eas

Agree, never heard of any credible wedding photographer giving out RAW files to clients.

Not sure if it's any use to you, but I've copied a blog post I wrote for a bridal site below.

---

......in no particular order: style, budget, personality and experience. Of course there are other considerations when making the choice, but I feel these four are key to making the right decision when hiring the perfect photographer for your big day.

STYLE

This one is pretty simple—do you like the type of work the photographer produces? These days wedding photographers use a plethora of styles to market themselves: from classical, to fusion, to journalism, to fine art. Does it matter that you know the ins and outs of how these styles are defined? Personally, I don’t think so. Does it matter that you find a photographer that shoots in a style you find appealing? Absolutely. What is the best style to choose? Well, there is no “best” style per se, but I offer some considerations.

Obviously style is subjective and what attracts you to a particular photographer’s style may not be someone else's cup of tea. As confusing as it sounds—the photographer who produces your favorite work still may not be the right photographer for you. The important thing is that a photographer’s portfolio should speak to you. Can you imagine yourself in the same photos you’re viewing? The photographs may be absolutely stunning, but if you get cringy at the idea of yourself and your fiancé in the same photos, it may be a good idea to consider looking for something more suitable.

Another thing to consider when choosing your desired style is the time investment that each style will require from you on your big day. For example, a purist photojournalist will require very little if any of your time during the day, leaving you to mingle with guests, drink champagne and eat canapés until your heart’s content. Of course this extra time comes at a tradeoff. While you get a beautiful selection of natural moments captured, you may not get set-piece shots that a traditional photographer gets while he takes you away for the customary afternoon photo shoot. It’s always a good idea to ask photographers how much of your time they will require to produce their work.

Every style requires a different approach, skills and sometimes equipment from the photographer. Photography is like many other professions where you have specialists and generalists. In my opinion if you want fine art wedding photography then only talk to photographers who specialize in that style, or at least can show a strong competency for the look you’re after. I’ll use myself as an example for this. I shoot what’s termed “Portrait Journalism”, a more modern and free-flowing approach. If you were looking for a traditional wedding photographer—I probably shouldn't be on your short list, because it’s not an area that I’m particularly experienced in. I could pull it off, but just not as well as Mr. Traditional a few doors down. If however, you like the idea of having most of the day progress naturally with little intrusion, but can invest an hour for a splash of family groups and a dash of dramatic bride and groom portraiture, then I’d be a good match.

In order to make a sound decision on a photographer’s style and consistency within that style, make sure you have the opportunity to view entire weddings, not just a selection of favourites. I make it a point to offer prospective clients a heap of photography to help their decision. There are samples on my website, I bring an extensive print portfolio to consultations, and I offer a minimum of two complete wedding galleries for review. In a nutshell, if your photographer is shy with samples, there could be a reason why.

As a final point, don’t forget that the photographer’s style also extends into the albums they offer and the design and layout of the albums. Be careful when it comes to album layouts that seem to be over designed and have elements that might be out of fashion by your first anniversary

BUDGET

There’s a wedding photographer for every budget these days, from €200 to well over €10,000 for the superstars in the industry. Sometimes it’s not clear why one photographer is more expensive then the other, but just like any investment, be wary of photographers that offer you the world for very little money. There is good value to be had, but remember that the photographer is a very important aspect of your wedding day, with a lot of responsibility. For peace of mind, and if your budget allows for it, it’s worth considering paying more for someone with experience and a positive track record. As they say, once the cake is eaten and the dress is back in the wardrobe, your photographs will be there for generations.

In general, it’s a good idea to list all the bits you expect to pay for on your wedding day and put them in order of priority. If photography comes high on your list then budget accordingly. If you’ve short-listed a photographer that’s slightly over your budget, then look at the bottom of your list to see if you can shave anything off to make up the difference.

The wedding album plays a significant part of the investment with professional photographers, and for good reason. The higher-end albums are built to last a lifetime and beyond. A cheap album could start to discolour, warp, or even lose pages over time. Getting a quality wedding album at the start can save additional costs and possible grief in the long run. If your budget can’t stretch to include the album at the time of the wedding, ask your photographer about the option to purchase one after the wedding. Photographers will often offer a discount if you agree to purchase an album within twelve months of the wedding date.

PERSONALITY

You’ll be seeing a good bit of your photographer on the wedding day, so you want someone who will compliment the atmosphere. You also want someone who you’ll get along with, and someone who’ll be able to make you laugh along the way. If you get a feeling that the photographer is all about himself or herself, or will be over-bearing on the day, it may be a good idea to keep looking. Having said that, you also want to be confident that the photographer has it in them to command a situation when required. Believe me, organizing 150 guests for a group shot does require a degree of assertiveness.

The personality of the photographer will have an impact on how at ease you and your guests feel. A good wedding photographer has an arsenal of techniques to get the best out of people in a situation where they are naturally uneasy or insecure. This, in turn, has a positive effect on the naturalness and quality of the photos.

EXPERIENCE

As I mentioned earlier, an experienced wedding photographer brings an element of calmness with them to the wedding. They know how to make people feel at ease, and can deal with situations that may arise in ways that a novice may not. They’ve had time to perfect the skills required to work their equipment, and know the development of the day like the back of their hands. An experienced wedding photographer will have a sense of timing and an ability to see opportunities that an amateur may miss. An experienced wedding photographer will know exactly where to position themselves for the important moments and capture them in creative ways. Experience can be expensive, but under the wrong conditions, could prove to be priceless.

Of course we all have to start somewhere, every wedding photographer has to shoot their first wedding sometime. There isn't a photographer worth their salt that would walk into a wedding unprepared and risk making a mess of someone’s special day. If you happen to ask a friend or relative, or go for a photographer with little or no wedding experience, make sure you’ve discussed your expectations thoroughly. Make a list of shots you want (particularly groups and family shots) and give this to your photographer well in advance of the wedding. It would also be a good idea to visit the locations with your photographer before the wedding day, to talk about what and where you may want to take these shots.

famed45

Thanks for all the replies folks.

So far I havent come across anyone mention RAW files, Im an amateur myself and would be surprised/put off if anyone offered.

Got a good response so far and yes, looking through preferred styles etc so hopefully on the right track.

Cheers

Byrne29

yeah avoid anyone handing over raw files. All good advice above. <SNIP>

smelltheglove

I have been asked for RAW files myself on a couple of occasions and I have to say, not a hope. As pointed out above it is an unfinished image, I have a mountain of work after a wedding with days of editing each image one by one to ensure that they are exactly as I want them.

If you were hoping to be able to edit the images yourself this needs to be discussed with the photographer and written into the contract, although my clients are given jpegs that does not mean they can edit, they have permission to print and display not to edit so if that is something you want you will need to ask for permission.

witchysmurf1

Congratulations on your engagement!

Plenty of good photographers will offer a cd only package if you're not interested in an actual album. As mentioned earlier no reputable photographer would let you near their RAW files!

While its good to shop around, realistically a proper, professional photographer (with proper insurance which a lot of hotels are demanding now) for the whole day will cost you about €1500, which will cover the hours of work they spend working on the images long after the wedding day. You should get an album/cd and parents albums included for that money though. If anyone is quoting you much lower than this for a decent package, run away! They're either a newbie (which is fine, they all started somewhere!) and haven't actually done the maths yet or they're a cowboy and cutting corners. <snip>

If you really don't have that in your budget but still want good pictures (after all, look at what you're spending on everything else for the day - your photos will be all you have to show your grandkids) many photographers offer half day or midweek packages where they'll just be there for a few hours and you get less photos, but still from a professional photographer.

Its also a good idea to do a shoot with the photographer before you book. Maybe get them to do a family portrait to see what they really work like. Many offer couples shoots to let you get used to them before the day which is a good idea. They're gonna be in your house on the most stressful morning of your life, you want someone you click with!

Best of luck!!:)

spezi

Personally I think anything under the 1k mark for the whole wedding day sounds a bit "too good to be true". This is your ONLY chance to get these images, you might as well spend few hundreds more to ensure you get what you're looking for. There is no way a photographer can get you 250+ images all professionally retouched etc and charge you 700 eur for it. It just wouldn't be profitable.
Also I would definitely want an album. Firstly because so often people get images on CD or memory stick and never manage to print them off, and if they do, they print them cheaply, which compromises the quality of image.

As suggested by others an engagement photo shoot is a good way of "testing the waters" seeing what the photographer is like and also getting comfortable in front of the camera, trying out some poses etc, all to make the big day a bit easier and less stressful.
Also, I find engagement a very special and intimate time for the couple. Without all the family and friends around, this shoot is all about you two. And you could even use the pictures in your invitations.

Most photographers include engagement shoot in their wedding package but to be on safer side I'd book just the engagement and once you're happy with the images book for wedding too.

happy engagement!:)