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03/08/2014 06:33:02 PM · #1 |
...yesterday. I'm excited. Even though she's not there yet, my brain is in wedding planning mode, even though I have no idea when the glorious day is going to happen. Of course, a wedding photographer will be needed. In the past, my daughter has mentioned that she has someone in mind, but I've made it clear that I need to approve her choice. The problem is, I have no idea what I need to look for in order to make that approval. I don't even know how much a wedding photographer should cost.
So, what should I look for. How much should I expect to pay? |
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03/08/2014 06:41:52 PM · #2 |
First off congrats, on a non serious note, invite 5-10 people from DPC(one table), ask them to shoot away and send you what they have. Even casually you would get some amazing shots.
Now for others to give you real advice... |
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03/08/2014 07:27:22 PM · #3 |
congrats!
not that you need to post here, but there are some things to consider:
BUDGET. if you read through enough threads and have been around long enough, you know that photography is important, that it isn't automatic, and that you do need to budget for it. no, you don't have to pay 10k, but you really should try to come up with close to 2k, regardless of who shoots it. it might come down to making some decisions as to how much coverage vs how much gets delivered (and in what format), but don't try to skimp. you *might* get lucky and not have to go too deep in the pocket, but it's better to plan for the worst than to expect miracles.
location. i know you're live in a beautiful area, but you're also in an area where talent ain't cheap. is the wedding local to you, or is it somewhere else?
realistic expectations. ok, this is the tough one. what do you and your daughter really want and need out of wedding photography? there are a wide range of options here, but if you think about it and break it down, you can come up with something that can be done where everyone is happy.
what is a wedding:
* it's an event with a potentially a lot of moving parts
* there is a gathering of people (some related, some not) that normally don't get together
* there is a ceremony with a number of moments
* there is a reception with a number of moments
and what do you need in terms of photography? a collection of images to help document the event, capturing who was there, the great times had, and the emotions of the day.
on one extreme, you hire someone to do an artistic interpretation of the entire wedding experience. this is the type of shoot that you see featured in the wedding magazines. this is the type of photography everyone aspires to. every single, little detail is photographed. every single moment and expression is captured. you wind up with a catalog of 1000s of images to pour through, reliving the 6, 8, 10, 12 hours that make up the event. from the time the bride wakes until they turn out the lights at the reception, not a single thing is left un-memorialized. this is what runs 10-20k and could involve multiple shooters, multiple assistants, an art director, etc.
on the other extreme, you find someone who treats wedding photography for what it is: a combination of straight up event photography and grip-and-grin shooting, with the primary difference being that it really does matter that the photos turn out. you settle on a simple list of things that need to be photographed and you settle on a realistic, reasonable set of deliverables. you might simply need 10-15 images from the ceremony, a single photo of each bridal party and/or family group, and a handful of images that capture the essence of the reception. you might be able to get by with 50-75 images delivered. depending on how long this takes, you *might* be able to get it done for $500-800.
the most important thing is finding someone who has a track record of showing up on time and delivering the goods. they need to have the necessary equipment and know how to use it. they need to operate professionally (contracts, insurance, post-production skills, etc) in order for you to feel comfortable that you aren't taking a risk trying to save money.
it really is a challenge finding someone who can meet your needs while meeting your budget. one way to look at it might be not to throw out a dollar figure as to what you think you can spend, but instead look at what it might cost you to get what you need. first, let's simply ignore the option of having someone who can show up, spray and pray for 8 hours, capturing 3000+ images that will go on to a disk slightly edited, and charge you $200-500. instead, assume you want a professional that knows what to shoot, has the skills, equipment, and experience to shoot it, and has a track record of delivering quality images in a timely manner (that is, within a matter of weeks, not months). this person is going to have to charge sustainable rates. depending whether they have the overhead of working out of a studio or not, those rates are likely to range from $100-150/hour for normal event work and more likely from $200-300/hour for wedding work. the hourly rate is typically an "all-in" rate, where the hour shooting also includes all the other post-production and administrative time (as well as possibly including assistants and additional shooters). you may pick up additional charges for travel and specific types of deliverables (prints, albums, etc). this is why you can see a range of $600-2400 for just a reasonable professional.
there are a couple other factors that come into play in terms of what photographers charge. when it comes to sustainability, most pros opt to charge day or half-day rates, rather than a flat hourly rate. they have enough experience to know how much work is involved in a shoot, how much work they normally can handle, and they charge accordingly. a normal range is $600-1500. that brings us to the second factor: we're talking about a wedding!. you *should* expect to pay more than a normal rate for someone who is experienced in shooting weddings. however, this does not mean that you should necessarily pay industry overhead. it's the difference between changing your oil yourself for $25, going to a franchise that charges $40 (and is done in 15 minutes, including topping off all your liquids, vacuuming out your car, and you don't get dirty), or getting a concierge treatment for $100. it's a matter of what you can afford, what you need, and what makes sense.
that's why a solid, proven professional will probably charge you between $1000-2000 for somewhere between 4-6 hours service. i'm not saying that miracles are impossible, but from a planning standpoint, i think you'd be better off not taking a risk.
ON THE OTHER HAND
depending on where your daughter is getting married, you could do this: call the closest large newspaper and ask if they have any staffers that shoot on the side, or if they could give you a list of stringers that do event work (you do not need to say it's for a wedding). these shooters will be capable of shooting what they're told and turning it around quickly, and, unless they've bought into the whole wedding-photography buzziness, they will have reasonable rates. hire them to simply cover the 15 minutes before the ceremony through the first 30 minutes of the reception, including knocking out 10-25 group photos (and a handful of shots of the bride and groom). work out a reasonable list of what really needs to be photographed, and this might cost you $500 for 2-3 hours of coverage; expect 25-50 images within 2-5 days.
and, as others have suggested, either host a table of dpc'ers or go with disposables. i personally would recommend the former ;-)
hope this helps, and again, congrats! good luck with ALL the details!
Message edited by author 2014-03-09 08:57:11. |
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03/09/2014 12:45:13 AM · #4 |
| Congrats!!! The going rate nationally is about $2,500. Something you kight want to think about is to have the pro do the ceremony and some bride/groom/family images, than put disposable cameras on all the tables. Your gusts can take photow of the reception, and theyll likely be a lot more fun than anything the pro will do. |
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03/09/2014 03:14:29 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
Your gusts can take photow of the reception, and theyll likely be a lot more fun than anything the pro will do. |
And be sure to proofread the invitations. ;-D |
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03/09/2014 05:12:51 AM · #6 |
| If you pick me I'll be your photographer. I know that 30/40% of the price would be for the flight but it would be a great way to meet some American friends ;) |
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03/09/2014 08:30:56 AM · #7 |
I am about 2 hrs away from you. I can come just pay me travel expense and that would be about $150-$200 :)
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03/09/2014 09:34:51 AM · #8 |
will shoot the whole thing most memorable
as 2nd shoot will need that Canadian guy-whats his name again?
laurance ,larry?
will look it up
anyway not important
Message edited by author 2014-03-09 12:31:02. |
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03/09/2014 09:43:22 AM · #9 |
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03/09/2014 12:32:04 PM · #10 |
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03/09/2014 12:33:52 PM · #11 |
| I'm not far away -- I'm in VA! |
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03/09/2014 12:51:42 PM · #12 |
If you describe it to me I shall re-enact as i feel fit and post you the results all for $476
Just ask if you need that. |
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03/09/2014 12:55:32 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by tanguera:
Congrats!!! The going rate nationally is about $2,500. Something you kight want to think about is to have the pro do the ceremony and some bride/groom/family images, than put disposable cameras on all the tables. Your gusts can take photow of the reception, and theyll likely be a lot more fun than anything the pro will do. |
We thought about doing that at our reception but are going with a more modern approach. Our photographer will still be covering the reception but we are going to leave cards on the table saying to use their cell phones (there will be no photography at the ceremony except for our hired photographer) and to upload them to Facebook, instagram, twitter and use a hashtag unique to us. That way we will have all of those in a couple of places that we can see them. |
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03/09/2014 04:46:15 PM · #14 |
| Thanks for the info, ideas and offers. She has someone in mind (a girl she knows from high school). I've checked her website, and she does nice work at the lower end of the price range Skip mentioned. |
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