My sister paid $2,100.00 and I am not impressed

[oumartin]

she paid that much money for her wedding photographer. He used a nikkon body and lens. 1 lens.
While the photos in her album are absolutely beautiful I got to view the unedited photos and 75% of them had some sort of motion blur in them. Even the still images.

My question is this. the photographer doesn't do any post editing himself so I am curious how the album turned out so beautiful. Are there labs out there that can take a RAW image and adjust the color to the color they see that is correct?

These images went from blurred and cold to very vibrant and beautiful 5x7's and smaller for the album.

[dekalbSTEEL]

How did you manage to see the unedited photos?

[FlyingPhotog]

Yes there are people who hold themselves out as post processing 'experten' and can pretty much work miracles.

[_Jo_]

Not sure how 'motion blur' could be removed - even from RAW? (You sure they weren't just reduced size pixelated proofs?).

Also - I only ever use the one lens when doing a wedding - I know it well and no matter how many others I try, I get what I need from the one lens. As long as the photographer 'get's' the images needed at the wedding then one lens is fine.

[dshankar]

she paid that much money for her wedding photographer. He used a nikkon body and lens. 1 lens.
While the photos in her album are absolutely beautiful I got to view the unedited photos and 75% of them had some sort of motion blur in them. Even the still images.

My question is this. the photographer doesn't do any post editing himself so I am curious how the album turned out so beautiful. Are there labs out there that can take a RAW image and adjust the color to the color they see that is correct?

These images went from blurred and cold to very vibrant and beautiful 5x7's and smaller for the album.

Well if the album is beautiful, what's the big deal?

I'm also curious about how he did things. Perhaps the "unedited" shots were the culled trash shots?

Why don't you call him up, tell him you're interested in photography and post processing and wondered how he did the images..?

[airfrogusmc]

And it was only $2,100.

[oumartin]

for the 2,100 bucks my sister got all the photos.

she brought them home for christmas, so thats how I got to see them. 8 meg a photo so I am quite sure they weren't reduced. he did transfer them all to jpeg however.

the only reason I brought all this up in the first place is I hardly ever print anything I shoot and I am really critical of how my photos look on my computer, sharpness etc.

I have been thinking of taking up wedding photography to help me buy new equipment and whatnot.

I was curious about the labs. obviously there are labs that can work some amazing things.

[tim]

I have been thinking of taking up wedding photography to help me buy new equipment and whatnot.

That's a fairly foolish statement. With an attitude like that i'd expect you wouldn't do so well as the $2100 photographer. People underestimate knowledge, experience, pressure, and plain hard work to become a good wedding photographer. Being an Uncle Bob for $250 is easy.

[airfrogusmc]

2,100 is not allot of money to pay.. And its better that the photographer take care of the PP because he/she is the only one that knows what the finals should look like.

[oumartin]

there was nothing foolish about what I said.

I never once stated I was ready to take it up but it is something I am gonna look into as a way to bring income into this hobby and possibly make it more than a hobby.

and 2,100.00 may not be alot of money now but my wedding photographer cost me 300.00. So, it seems like alot of money to me.

[TheHoff]

2,100 is not allot of money to pay.. And its better that the photographer take care of the PP because he/she is the only one that knows what the finals should look like.

Definitely in the low-end of today's market, but that depends what city you're in. I'm surprised that with that rate the photog could afford a post-processing service... more likely he is better at Photoshop than Photography so that is his style. My sister-in-law's team was like that as well... I'm sure my RAWs were at least as good, after watching them shoot the whole day, but they know how to do PP for a wedding really well so their finals look good.

[tim]

I never once stated I was ready to take it up but it is something I am gonna look into as a way to bring income into this hobby and possibly make it more than a hobby.

Another foolish statement there. Before you decide to dabble in wedding photography to bring in a few hundred dollars a go you should visit a professional and see how much effort goes into learning what to do and how to do it, the amount of prep and post work for each wedding, album design, etc. Photographing one wedding a week takes me 3-4 days in total, including photography, culling, color correction, album design, etc. It took me a year to get any good at album design. My photography equipment is worth more than my car. Albums cost a lot more than you'd expect.

This is why $300 is very low end, $2100 is low end, and some photographers charge $10K plus.

[SuzyView]

I think the OP is not as familiar with wedding work as we are, those of use who have been doing it a while. $2k weddings are really inexpensive here in my area, so to get everything for that amount is amazing. But the fact that the photographer doesn't do any of his/her own pp is more amazing to me. I can't imagine letting a lab do the work, but I guess if the images came out great in the album, that's what is important. I know when I do an event, the images I get in my CF cards all get processed, every one I print. But if it works and the photographer got paid $2k for just taking the pictures, I'm in! :)

It only took me 2 years to figure out I can do this almost as good as a pro, but I don't charge for my work. I do it because I love it. If you are serious about doing this as a business, take time to really look at the business part as well as the equipment and creative part. We all started somehow, but it takes time to get the experience and the skills.

[cdifoto]

she paid that much money for her wedding photographer. He used a nikkon body and lens. 1 lens.
While the photos in her album are absolutely beautiful I got to view the unedited photos and 75% of them had some sort of motion blur in them. Even the still images.

My question is this. the photographer doesn't do any post editing himself so I am curious how the album turned out so beautiful. Are there labs out there that can take a RAW image and adjust the color to the color they see that is correct?

These images went from blurred and cold to very vibrant and beautiful 5x7's and smaller for the album.
If her package was $2100 for a beautiful album rather than $2100 for unedited images, your rant is baseless.

[TheHoff]

If her package was $2100 for a beautiful album rather than $2100 for unedited images, your rant is baseless.




http://www.kansas-bingo.com/topeka/topeka-bingo.jpg

[FlyingPhotog]

I think the OP is not as familiar with wedding work as we are, those of use who have been doing it a while. $2k weddings are really inexpensive here in my area, so to get everything for that amount is amazing. But the fact that the photographer doesn't do any of his/her own pp is more amazing to me. I can't imagine letting a lab do the work, but I guess if the images came out great in the album, that's what is important. I know when I do an event, the images I get in my CF cards all get processed, every one I print. But if it works and the photographer got paid $2k for just taking the pictures, I'm in! :)

It only took me 2 years to figure out I can do this almost as good as a pro, but I don't charge for my work. I do it because I love it. If you are serious about doing this as a business, take time to really look at the business part as well as the equipment and creative part. We all started somehow, but it takes time to get the experience and the skills.

I think you'd probably take a slightly different view if you were to form a relationship/partnership with a true PS Guru.

If you've been doing digital for a while, you get "pretty good" with processing but I've met one or two people who come from the graphic design side and while they can't take very good photos, what they can do with PS just blew me away. The truly amazing part is that it's just as easy and second nature for them to manipulate a Wacom as it is for us to focus and shoot. Their pen is a blur of motion. The really talented ones work almost as fast as that time-lapsed Dove video as they're thinking several tweaks ahead of what they're actually doing right at that second.

To me, this wouldn't be that strange an arrangement simply becuase it's what we're used to in television production. At the highest network levels, a camera man who also edits just isn't a reality becuase you can't be "world class" at both skills. You're either a super star shooter or a miracle working editor but never the twain shall meet.

[airfrogusmc]

So 2,100 a wedding and album? How can someone charging that little support a family if its a one man shop? Do the math. Say 40 weddings at 2,100 is 84,000 a year. Take say 20% off for the expenses of lab and album costs. 84,000 - 16,000 is now were down to 68,000. So ya gotta have insurance both business and health say another 12,000 a year for both. Now we're down to 56,000. Uncle same take 1/3 so thats what 18,600. 37,000 is now your income and that doesn't include putting away for the kids college or your retirement or rent on a space. so 2,000 a year for retirement. 35,000 and if you do have a space say another 15,000 year (thats very low end) 20,000 grand...GOOD LUCK...

In this case he dropped and ran which makes the front end look better but it certainly isn't a good way to build a business for the long haul. ;) So when you think about the price for shooting a wedding 2,100 is not all that much to pay. If you're a photographer and want to have a decent lifestyle unless you're cranking out the volume its a tough road when the bills come in unless you've got other income or live'n with mommy and daddy. But in my opinion shooting for that price is short sighted.

[collierportraits]

I have been thinking of taking up wedding photography to help me buy new equipment and whatnot.

I'll apologize to the OP for being slightly rude, but I have to agree with Tim. Please understand that there are quite a few professionals on here that take their job very seriously and making a statement like that is incendiary.

$2,100 is NOT a lot of money to pay for a self described "beautiful" album. Tell her she got a great deal and should LOVE her photographer. However if the marriage doesn't work, tell her you'd be glad to shoot her next one, because there are some cool new cameras you'd like to buy! :D

[form]

Yes, there are many photographers who take their jobs seriously and make a living off wedding photography. I don't make a living from it, but I do wedding photography and I take my job very seriously. I charge a fraction of that cost, but I include no albums or prints in my standard offering. I'm on a different level and in a different city, and what I do works for me. I understand making a living from wedding photography, but I can't fathom trying to make a living doing it because I don't have the time or money to create such a large-scale operation.

There's no point to my post except as a casual comment from someone else on a different level of the same industry. For what I offer, charging $2,100 would be an astounding windfall for me, but again this is coming from a low-overhead, not-depending-on-it-to-survive angle. Even adding a custom album, some prints, and an assistant, and my costs would have to double just to make the same money I do now.

[OdiN1701]

So....the album is beautiful and they like it....and.......the problem is what?

[TheHoff]

So....the album is beautiful and they like it....and.......the problem is what?

He could've done better for less money and wants to know if it is normal for a pro to make beautiful images in post-processing from average looking RAWs.

< / summary>

[yuriyo923]

I have been thinking of taking up wedding photography to help me buy new equipment and whatnot.


Dont' know about you, but I first got good equipment (and lots of practice shooting, working on albums, general pp, getting others to cc my work) to help me get (buy) weddings!! :)

[MattMoore]

I think he just wants to know what actions or plugins he needs to turn blurry RAWs into album-worthy shots. :p

More of a question about PP workflow, than overall photography.

[collierportraits]

OH! I didn't realize that. Sorry to the OP.

What you want to get is Photoshop BP instead of CS4. (Short for Better Photographs) You can also buy the PP (Pretty Pictures) plug in which makes unfocused images sharp. Bad lighting absolutely excellent. In short, it makes you have, well, 'beautiful images' even if you charge a LOT of money and only use one lens.

[Bob_A]

That's a fairly foolish statement. With an attitude like that i'd expect you wouldn't do so well as the $2100 photographer. People underestimate knowledge, experience, pressure, and plain hard work to become a good wedding photographer. Being an Uncle Bob for $250 is easy.

Hey! At least say "Uncle Horice" or "Uncle Morley" ...

I'm an Uncle and can take some pretty decent shots (once in awhile) :lol:

[yuriyo923]

Hey! At least say "Uncle Horice" or "Uncle Morley" ...

I'm an Uncle and can take some pretty decent shots (once in awhile) :lol:


ha ha ha...

[S-S]

im gonna have to 'side' with the wedding pros on one thing... you dont become a wedding 'tog to make some extra bucks. its a huge responsibility, you have one shot to get it right (sorry for the pun) and unless you have the skill, experience & deep-seated desire to really make the couple's day memorable & special for years to come you ought not to be charging anything at all.

wedding photography is not something you 'take up' like perhaps pottery, square dancing or cooking... (though if you did all three of those at once you might be getting close LOL)

its possibly more demanding than any other major photography field because the photographer has to be skilled in so many completely different areas at once to make a proper job of the day: flattering portraits, documentary/events, children, formals, couples, fashion, action shooting, (sometimes pets!) gardens, architecture & cars, food, flowers, macro/detail work, low light shooting, working in direct sunlight, catching candid moments as well as constructing posed groups, often switching between all these different disciplines throughout the day - and making dear aunty mabel look beautiful even though she insisted on wearing THAT hat, and pulled THIS face... it just goes on and on - and then for most there's the processing and album design as well. you spend the entire day "on" and hyper-noticing everything around you, carrying loads of stuff, most likely get naff-all time to eat or drink (or poop :lol:), and are expected to have the proofs ready yesterday!

regarding your sister's wedding album: its possible that the 'tog she hired used an album designer to remove that part of his workload. now these people don't work for free, they need paying; the printing & binding needs paying for; and the 'tog needs paying for his time & work - i can easily see where $2100 might have gone, whatever the digital 'originals' might look like on-screen. it could also explain why the digital files are not as 'finished' as the prints.

[Fingertip]

He used a nikkon body and lens. 1 lens.


As a videographer, I have run into a photographer several times who at every wedding has only used 1 body and 1 lens (the tamron 18mm-200mm 3.5/5.6)

Every time I see her I get flashbacks of threads on this forum stating how you must have 2 bodies and several lenses to do a wedding correctly (which I agree with and is the reason I am spending every penny I have on new lenses).

This lady is certainly qualifies as a pro, she is decently paid and gets plenty of work, but I am curious to see what her pictures look like. I suppose the fact that she poses her formals better than most of the other photographers I work with must make up a little for the lack of equipment.

[DrMitch]

Just for cost comparison, we paid just over $6000 7 years ago for our photographer - he shot mostly medium format then and took a bunch digital (we were one of his first "combined" media weddings) - that got us an engagement photoshoot, one big album, two smaller ones for the parents, a couple of mounted enlargments and the 3x3 proofs. Worth every penny!!! :)

[FlyingPhotog]

As a videographer, I have run into a photographer several times who at every wedding has only used 1 body and 1 lens (the tamron 18mm-200mm 3.5/5.6)

Every time I see her I get flashbacks of threads on this forum stating how you must have 2 bodies and several lenses to do a wedding correctly (which I agree with and is the reason I am spending every penny I have on new lenses).

This lady is certainly qualifies as a pro, she is decently paid and gets plenty of work, but I am curious to see what her pictures look like. I suppose the fact that she poses her formals better than most of the other photographers I work with must make up a little for the lack of equipment.

Are you positive she doesn't have a 2nd body stashed somewhere? If not, IMO, she's playing with fire. The law of averages says it will burn her eventually...she's been very, very lucky.

[airfrogusmc]

Are you positive she doesn't have a 2nd body stashed somewhere? If not, IMO, she's playing with fire. The law of averages says it will burn her eventually...she's been very, very lucky.

If she doesn't have back up the luck will someday run out. If she doesn't have back up, how's she sleeping at night?

[Fingertip]

The bag she carries doesn't seem big enough to carry a 2nd body but I suppose its possible there's one stuffed in there.
I am just surprised that she can get that much work with only 1 mediocre lens.

[FlyingPhotog]

The bag she carries doesn't seem big enough to carry a 2nd body but I suppose its possible there's one stuffed in there.
I am just surprised that she can get that much work with only 1 mediocre lens.

It isn't the arrow .. it's the Indian

(And marketing, promotion, pricing, bang for the buck, customer satisfaction, word of mouth, etc, etc, etc...)

[airfrogusmc]

It isn't the arrow .. it's the Indian

(And marketing, promotion, pricing, bang for the buck, customer satisfaction, word of mouth, etc, etc, etc...)

Better hope her bow doesn't break though or she'll be in heap big trouble kemo saaby...

[FlyingPhotog]

Better hope her bow doesn't break though or she'll be in heap big trouble kemo saaby...

...and How ;)

[airfrogusmc]

...and How ;)

:lol::lol:
FP Happy New Year and fly safe tonight...

[FlyingPhotog]

:lol::lol:
FP Happy New Year and fly safe tonight...

Back at ya!!

Although it's probably safer in flight than on the roads, I'll be staying firmly grounded tonite!

[S.Horton]

s......the photos in her album are absolutely beautiful ......

So, she's happy?

[airfrogusmc]

Back at ya!!

Although it's probably safer in flight than on the roads, I'll be staying firmly grounded tonite!

Ya got that right;)

[bikers1]

you dont become a wedding 'tog to make some extra bucks. its a huge responsibility, you have one shot to get it right (sorry for the pun) and unless you have the skill, experience & deep-seated desire to really make the couple's day memorable & special for years to come you ought not to be charging anything at all.


In my opinion this is a large proportion of what makes a pro, I expend more energy laising with bride/groom mothers prior to the wedding understanding their needs, translating what they are saying into images than I do taking the photos.

They don't give a crap about what equipment you use or f stop etc, they just want to be confident that a successful outcome is your singlemost desire and that you WILL make it happen.

its possibly more demanding than any other major photography field because the photographer has to be skilled in so many completely different areas at once to make a proper job of the day:

Yes, it IS an huge responsibility, and yes, no wedding photographer should have fewer than 2 bodies.


$2100 is a bargain, Personally I'd like to be able to add $1000 for the additional time dealing patiently and professionally with every nephew/niece hanging over your shoulder badgering you about whether you've got the latest 25-93 IS USM L KSG DGX lens and is it tack sharp, coz they read on a forum that there were issues with front focussing at f5.6 on days with a 's' in them :lol:

I give all my clients jpgs of 5 x 7 keepers, and PP their selections onto proper prints, I would never let duffers out of the bin never mind give them to a client. Your F*ck ups are for your eyes and learning purposes only :)

[dmaxpower]

My sister payed close the 10g for her wedding photos. All shot on 1 body a Nikon D200 with 18-200 lens. I couldn't believe it. EXIF info on the dvd shows all shot in green box mode. The pictures however turned out beautiful and she is very happy. I guess that is what matters in the end. It goes to show that the photographer makes the pictures great, not the camera.

[S-S]

hear, hear!

i've heard stories about 'togs having to grab random guests' unfamiliar DSLR cameras when theirs failed and still turning out top-class shots (one story i heard the 'tog did have more than one body and ended up with multiple failures at once - how terrible would THAT moment feel)

[tim]

Hey! At least say "Uncle Horice" or "Uncle Morley" ...

I'm an Uncle and can take some pretty decent shots (once in awhile) :lol:

Nice to meet you uncle Bob.

I got a text today from yesterdays bride thanking me for making their day fun and a day to remember. That's always nice :)

[say_cheese]

If the final product looks good, as you say, who cares if they were shot with a Kodak Brownie.

[sapearl]

Hope we didn't chase off the OP - discussion was getting quite interesting; and I put on fresh deodorant too.

[neil_r]

Back at ya!!

Although it's probably safer in flight than on the roads, I'll be staying firmly grounded tonite!

Take a spare plane with you ;-)

[FlyingPhotog]

Take a spare plane with you ;-)

Hmmm....

Perhaps a visit to a local glider field is in order. Tow jobs are the norm, there. ;)

[magnum703]

I think the OP is not as familiar with wedding work as we are, those of use who have been doing it a while. $2k weddings are really inexpensive here in my area...

lol, I guess everybody starts off somewhere right? :) Nobody can come out and become an expert in a day. For us less experienced wedding photographers we can't charge $2000! haha It just feels wrong charging that much! But I understand and KNOW that $300 for a wedding shoot is waaaaaaay too little for the amount of work a photographer needs to be put in. But as I said, we all need to start off somewhere...... :D

[tim]

lol, I guess everybody starts off somewhere right? :) Nobody can come out and become an expert in a day. For us less experienced wedding photographers we can't charge $2000! haha It just feels wrong charging that much! But I understand and KNOW that $300 for a wedding shoot is waaaaaaay too little for the amount of work a photographer needs to be put in. But as I said, we all need to start off somewhere...... :D

That changes with time... I started out at $500, but I don't do anything for $2000 any more. I have a $2500 package but i'm going to can it, it's not really worth my while.

[sapearl]

Does this mean you're considering an increase over $2500 Tim? I'm thinking along the same lines, but the economy is so depressed here I may be shooting myself in the foot with any significant increases.

.....I don't do anything for $2000 any more. I have a $2500 package but i'm going to can it, it's not really worth my while.

[S-S]

tim what about doing a 'buffet-style' pricing schedule like bryan, so the couple pays for whatever they actually want to buy?

[airfrogusmc]

The problem that you can have is once you have set a client base with price its real difficult to move up and you won't get the really high end stuff if your clients are paying more for each center piece on their tables than you charge to shoot a wedding. Its hard for them to take you seriously.

Plus most of those clients work with consultants and they (the consultants) certainly want to make a few $$$ also and they certainly are more inclined to recommend a photographer thats changing $8,000 and up over someone charging 2,000. The will get a higher commission form that photographer charging more.

When I move over from doing weddings to concentrating on all corporate/commercial type work 10 years ago I was charging 5,500 minimum. My pricing was set up ala carte. So that 5,500 would include my and my assistants time plus either 30 10X10s or 40 8X8s for the bridal album. The books and pages were and more prints were all extra. My average at that time was around $9,000 and I was working mostly at the major hotels in the area (Ritz, Drake, 4 Seasons, Inter Continental etc) and I got a good portion of my business because of recommendations from consultants. That and repeat business. Another family member or friend.

I always found with these clients I had more creative control and more creative environments to work in. My advice to anyone wanting to shoot weddings is figure out what market you want to be in. Then work for a well established photographer whose work you respect and is successful in that market before you go out on your own. The contacts and business lessons you will learn will be SO VALUABLE. In my opinion 2,100 is not much to pay for someone to work all day in a very stressful environment capturing a very important life event where there are NO RESHOOTS.

[magnum703]

That changes with time... I started out at $500, but I don't do anything for $2000 any more. I have a $2500 package but i'm going to can it, it's not really worth my while.

Hey how long did it take you from $500 to charging $2500?? I just got into weddings cuz a co worker asked me to shoot so I did and I'm seeing how it's going on from there....

[tim]

Does this mean you're considering an increase over $2500 Tim? I'm thinking along the same lines, but the economy is so depressed here I may be shooting myself in the foot with any significant increases.

I'm considering dropping the $2500 price point altogether.

tim what about doing a 'buffet-style' pricing schedule like bryan, so the couple pays for whatever they actually want to buy?

There are good reasons not to do things that way.

[S-S]

There are good reasons not to do things that way.

...which are?

[Perry Ge]

Subscribed. This is a good thread. Wedding photography is not something to be taken lightly. I bought my MKIIN today from a wedding photographer - we were talking, and he had never seen extension tubes before. He slapped one of mine onto my 17-40L, took off his wedding ring, and really quickly shot a macro of it, commenting on where he messed up in the meantime :lol:. That's the kind of skill, comfort, and versatility somethingsimple was talking about earlier I think.

I won't shoot weddings because the idea of f***ing up the most important day of two peoples' lives freaks me out. I like the control of a studio or the time I can take with a landscape - and birds won't kill me if I mess up a shot of them :p.

[tim]

...which are?

Not going to post publicly, it's to do with a sales technique.

[Karl Johnston]

Lol.

[Tom Koidhis]

2100 is pricey. For the service he provided, anyway. It can be reasonable if his service balances the price.

As for the undeveloped raw's being cold (or blurred). I don't know how he fixed motion blur, but the point of raw is you develop the photo yourself on your PC after the fact. The camera does no processing (contrast, color balance, saturation, etc) when you shoot in RAW. That's why they looked dull before processing - cause they haven't been processed. RAW is a tool for greater control over image development.

[_aravena]

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/banghead.gifhttp://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/banghead.gifhttp://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/banghead.gif

That's all, seriously.

Well no, on a side note I thought about going up or being more strict with prices but I know how the economy is and I honestly think doing small bits is helping because people realize I'm not some snobby photographer grabbing at everything I can get. It's also not my sole income but it's starting to balance out at being half my income. Thank goodness for the Mrs. Soon I'll be teaching and then, I'll do what I want.

[AzzKicker]

I dont understand what the big deal about pricing is. There is always a market for a certain product.

I would never in my LIFE think of paying more than 2K for wedding pictures. WTF for? For pictures your going to view once every 10 years. All I need to know is how I looked the day of my wedding, who was there, and something to remember that day. I dont need fancy pantsy artsy pictures that take 5 weeks of PP done :)

And I know I sure as hell aint the only one who thinks that way. If a Client only wants a simple album and some 4x6's they should be allowed to find a sub 1500.00 photographer. And that Sub 1500.00 photographer shouldn't be looked down upon because that is his market.

[_aravena]

Yeah...but your're male. I think most are here. WE can't possibly tap into the understanding of "The Day"

[Tommy]

I dont understand what the big deal about pricing is. There is always a market for a certain product.

I would never in my LIFE think of paying more than 2K for wedding pictures. WTF for? For pictures your going to view once every 10 years. All I need to know is how I looked the day of my wedding, who was there, and something to remember that day. I dont need fancy pantsy artsy pictures that take 5 weeks of PP done :)

And I know I sure as hell aint the only one who thinks that way. If a Client only wants a simple album and some 4x6's they should be allowed to find a sub 1500.00 photographer. And that Sub 1500.00 photographer shouldn't be looked down upon because that is his market.

Wait till you're about to get married and see what the lady has to say about "fancy pantsy artsy pictures". ;)

[Bubble]

she paid that much money for her wedding photographer. He used a nikkon body and lens. 1 lens.
While the photos in her album are absolutely beautiful I got to view the unedited photos and 75% of them had some sort of motion blur in them. Even the still images.

My question is this. the photographer doesn't do any post editing himself so I am curious how the album turned out so beautiful. Are there labs out there that can take a RAW image and adjust the color to the color they see that is correct?

These images went from blurred and cold to very vibrant and beautiful 5x7's and smaller for the album.

1. $2100 is not expensive. I would call it "affordable". We charge much higher.
2. The bottom line is your sister happy with the result and even you admit that
"album are absolutely beautiful"
3. All the file have to be post-process before we put them in the album template and print out. How do you know that the photographer doesn't edit it? if he doesn't, he has to PAY someone to do it for him.
4. $300 for wedding picture? why bother? just give the p&s to your mom/pop and it is FREE. DUH.

[MandaSue78]

Another foolish statement there. Before you decide to dabble in wedding photography to bring in a few hundred dollars a go you should visit a professional and see how much effort goes into learning what to do and how to do it, the amount of prep and post work for each wedding, album design, etc. Photographing one wedding a week takes me 3-4 days in total, including photography, culling, color correction, album design, etc. It took me a year to get any good at album design. My photography equipment is worth more than my car. Albums cost a lot more than you'd expect.

This is why $300 is very low end, $2100 is low end, and some photographers charge $10K plus.



How did you get started? I am almost finished w/an Associates in Photography, and thinking I might want to go work at a studio, obviously starting as an assistant or something....and building up my experience and portfolio before branching out on my own.....

[MandaSue78]

If you say the pics were blurred etc, they had to be edited at some point, or just not used....
my cousin paid 3000, and they were the darkest, oddly angled shots I have ever seen, they were horrible and that is all she has, so your sister is lucky

[AzzKicker]

Wait till you're about to get married and see what the lady has to say about "fancy pantsy artsy pictures". ;)

I got married in 07' and we paid 1500 for our pics that to me were crap. But are fine with me and wife has gotten over it after the first week. She acknowledges that we went cheap and that's what we got however that what we could afford so what else can you do.

[Tommy]

I would never in my LIFE think of paying more than 2K for wedding pictures. WTF for?

So that this doesn't happen....

I got married in 07' and we paid 1500 for our pics that to me were crap. But are fine with me and wife has gotten over it after the first week. She acknowledges that we went cheap and that's what we got however that what we could afford so what else can you do.

Sorry to hear that you got crappy photos of your wedding day. :(

But if you were able to afford it, would you have paid more for the better photographer?

[AzzKicker]

So that this doesn't happen....



Sorry to hear that you got crappy photos of your wedding day. :(

But if you were able to afford it, would you have paid more for the better photographer?


Easily. We had 500+ to feed so a lot of our budget went to food and tables and chairs. I have a large family LOL. I don't really care actually I admit I may get a little jealous looking at other better wedding pictures.

My whole point though is there is always a market for something.

[tim]

How did you get started? I am almost finished w/an Associates in Photography, and thinking I might want to go work at a studio, obviously starting as an assistant or something....and building up my experience and portfolio before branching out on my own.....

I just started doing it, with a LOT of research on forums and books. Months worth before I photographed a wedding.

My experience with people with qualifications in photography is most of them suck, they don't really understand light or the equipment, and they take fairly poor photos. People who are good don't need to get a qualification. Of course there are people who are great and motivated who get qualifications and it makes them better, but they're rare. This is based on interviewing and hiring a few photographers with degrees or part of degrees from a university. What another photographer told me once is the people who are good get jobs doing it rather than stay and finish their degrees.

[neil_r]

What another photographer told me once is the people who are good get jobs doing it rather than stay and finish their degrees.

Boy am I glad that that does not apply to doctors :-)

[MandaSue78]

I changed my major actually, and trying to get a degree more for myself (finally finishing after 7 years on and off)....and also to gain knowledge...
thank you 8-)

[TheHoff]

Boy am I glad that that does not apply to doctors

I'd also rather not hear my surgeon say "Don't worry, we'll fix it in post!"

[jjmucker]

I'd also rather not hear my surgeon say "Don't worry, we'll fix it in post!"


Brilliant :D

[Croasdail]

she paid that much money for her wedding photographer. He used a nikkon body and lens. 1 lens.
While the photos in her album are absolutely beautiful I got to view the unedited photos and 75% of them had some sort of motion blur in them. Even the still images.

My question is this. the photographer doesn't do any post editing himself so I am curious how the album turned out so beautiful. Are there labs out there that can take a RAW image and adjust the color to the color they see that is correct?

These images went from blurred and cold to very vibrant and beautiful 5x7's and smaller for the album.

So looping back to the original question, yes, there are labs out there that do fantastic work, and some wedding books can cost a fortune to produce. We did one where the book itself cost over $500 a copy (our cost) - but the printing was amazing. Working with a good lab can make a average photographer look really good.

Sucks the OP hasn't come back .... Wedding forum kills yet another member...

[DrMitch]

I feel for the wedding photographers - it's a tough field, especially in this economy. I'm not saying that someone can't get great photos from someone charging $300, but it devalues what you do IMO. Figure the time, the investment, and (hopefully) the expertise and $300 much less $2000 barely cuts it. This is not to say that the $300/wedding photographer should be looked down upon, there is a market need, and it is being filled (some may not be, or think they are, worth any more than $300).

Sure, there is a need to fill many different price points, and I think that in this field you generally get what you pay for - sometimes more (bonus), sometimes less (REALLY sucks). Nothing wrong with that, just economics.

Just a quick question for some of you, just curious, have you figured out what your hourly rate works out to for an "average" wedding, or is that how you come up with your fees?

[_aravena]

That's how I'm doing it right now. Although I thought about doing like I've seen some where they designate a price for 4-6hours or the such and then charge so much over. But it's so easy doing it hourly and people seem to connect with it, so I'm sticking to it for now.

[DrMitch]

That's how I'm doing it right now. Although I thought about doing like I've seen some where they designate a price for 4-6hours or the such and then charge so much over. But it's so easy doing it hourly and people seem to connect with it, so I'm sticking to it for now.

Does that include PP time? Or do you work that in to the hourly fee?

[_aravena]

Just coverage time. I enjoy the PP work and since I'm in school it can take a bit longer (although normally it doesn't) so there's a bit of a delay in getting photos back, like a couple of weeks instead of most people's one week or less I'm sure.

I'm always working on photos though whether business or personal it's something to do.

[airfrogusmc]

I just started doing it, with a LOT of research on forums and books. Months worth before I photographed a wedding.

My experience with people with qualifications in photography is most of them suck, they don't really understand light or the equipment, and they take fairly poor photos. People who are good don't need to get a qualification. Of course there are people who are great and motivated who get qualifications and it makes them better, but they're rare. This is based on interviewing and hiring a few photographers with degrees or part of degrees from a university. What another photographer told me once is the people who are good get jobs doing it rather than stay and finish their degrees.

My experience has been quit the opposite. I have a B/A in photography and the technical skills I learned while studying put me way ahead of most of the people I wound up working for. They knew little about QUALITY of light and how to properly use light. I have some very good friends that are also educated in photography and are some of the more technically and most important visually sound photographers I know. And then theres the connections.

I did work for a couple of different photographers after I graduated one VERY high end wedding, portrait and commercial photographer where I did all the custom dark room work and shot most of the large format (4X5, 8X10) commercial stuff. I learned so much about the business from working at those places.

My degree opened doors for me that would have otherwise been shut tight and I wouldn't be working in the field I am now in if it weren't for my degree. I worked as the staff photographer at a hospital for 10 years and the prerequisite was a B/A in photography, 5 years experience, strong references and a SMOKE'N portfolio. I also had a high end wedding business while I worked at the hospital. I no longer shoot weddings and haven't for 10 years.

I started my own business 8 years ago specializing in health care. I shoot annual reports, executive head shots, environment portraits, advertising, surgical procedures and any other type of photography related to health care.

The advice I would give you is go to work for a photographer you respect and has a good business and learn all you can about the business. See what he/she does thats good and also what he does thats not so good and learn from that.

My education has helped me in ways I can't even begin to describe in a thread. Its opened doors, gave me an edge, and the contacts that I made in school have all helped in so many ways.

[F4 Cyborg]

Event event photographers account for the (PP) time. Travel time...

[airfrogusmc]

If weddings are your only source of income I would love someone to show me how one could possible support a family on 2100 a wedding. I know I couldn't do it. See post my post #17 in this thread.

[Perry Ge]

If weddings are your only source of income I would love someone to show me how one could possible support a family on 2100 a wedding. I know I couldn't do it. See post my post #17 in this thread.

I hear ya - but what indication is there that this is the only source of income for the photographer in question?

[tim]

My experience has been quit the opposite. I have a B/A in photography and the technical skills I learned while studying put me way ahead of most of the people I wound up working for. They knew little about QUALITY of light and how to properly use light. I have some very good friends that are also educated in photography and are some of the more technically and most important visually sound photographers I know. And then theres the connections.

I did work for a couple of different photographers after I graduated one VERY high end wedding, portrait and commercial photographer where I did all the custom dark room work and shot most of the large format (4X5, 8X10) commercial stuff. I learned so much about the business from working at those places.

My degree opened doors for me that would have otherwise been shut tight and I wouldn't be working in the field I am now in if it weren't for my degree. I worked as the staff photographer at a hospital for 10 years and the prerequisite was a B/A in photography, 5 years experience, strong references and a SMOKE'N portfolio. I also had a high end wedding business while I worked at the hospital. I no longer shoot weddings and haven't for 10 years.

I started my own business 8 years ago specializing in health care. I shoot annual reports, executive head shots, environment portraits, advertising, surgical procedures and any other type of photography related to health care.

The advice I would give you is go to work for a photographer you respect and has a good business and learn all you can about the business. See what he/she does thats good and also what he does thats not so good and learn from that.

My education has helped me in ways I can't even begin to describe in a thread. Its opened doors, gave me an edge, and the contacts that I made in school have all helped in so many ways.


Things might be different elsewhere, and if not you're the exception! Motivated peolpe will do well either way, but a degree can obviously open doors.

I've just found the people with degrees locally i've hired haven't been great. One assistant 3 years through a degree can't get things in focus, she's used to Nikon and I have her using Canon, but seriously, 30% of images out of focus? I have to teach her about focus points, my cameras all use center focus. And she's one of the GOOD ones.

[F4 Cyborg]

That I'd like to see also.

A "well to do"couple visited Picasso in order to have a painting made of them from a Polaroid. He talked with them for a few minutes, then directed them to go into town and have a wonderful afternoon.
They returned a couple hours later to collect there painting.
That's a wonderful painting what do we owe you. Picasso responded $5,000.00. Five Thousand Dollars but, it only took you a couple hours to do. "Yes but your not paying for time your paying for Experience"
That and his name might have had something to do with it.

[airfrogusmc]

Things might be different elsewhere, and if not you're the exception! Motivated peolpe will do well either way, but a degree can obviously open doors.

I've just found the people with degrees locally i've hired haven't been great. One assistant 3 years through a degree can't get things in focus, she's used to Nikon and I have her using Canon, but seriously, 30% of images out of focus? I have to teach her about focus points, my cameras all use center focus. And she's one of the GOOD ones.

I used to print negs from a very successful photographer and he couldn't expose film properly and focus he would hit sometimes. Most of the very good photographers that I studied with didn't go to work shooting weddings. They went into advertising and other commercial areas.

I shot weddings all through college and went to work for an high end wedding portrait studio the day I finished so it was a natural for me. But even going to work for the a high end photographer was helped by my degree. I am and was a very good color and B&W custom printer and my portraits were always very good which I did shoot a good deal of for that studio.


Tim, an education doesn't mean you're going to be a good photographer but I think the odds if you make it through a GOOD program will be there that you will at least be competent. And you know there a those that will just skate through and those that will excel and will excel in the professional world as well.

[_Jo_]

I just started doing it, with a LOT of research on forums and books. Months worth before I photographed a wedding.

My experience with people with qualifications in photography is most of them suck, they don't really understand light or the equipment, and they take fairly poor photos. People who are good don't need to get a qualification. Of course there are people who are great and motivated who get qualifications and it makes them better, but they're rare. This is based on interviewing and hiring a few photographers with degrees or part of degrees from a university. What another photographer told me once is the people who are good get jobs doing it rather than stay and finish their degrees.

I couldn't agree more.

[tim]

An education doesn't mean you're going to be a good photographer but I think the odds if you make it through a GOOD program will be there that you will at least be competent. And you know there a those that will just skate through and those that will excel and will excel in the professional world as well.

That's true. I guess the programs here are pretty poor.

[F4 Cyborg]

You can teach them how to see the photography but, you can't teach them how to see it clearly.

Hey that sounds a bit like (you can teach them how to fish but you can not guarantee they will catch any)

One liners, Blame Groucho

[airfrogusmc]

I hear ya - but what indication is there that this is the only source of income for the photographer in question?

Perry, they didn't but I was making a business point. I donno about you but if I'm leaving the family on a weekend for 8+ hours I'm making it worth my while. My time and my talent are worth more than 1200 or 2100 to shoot a wedding. I did it part time while I worked full time as a staff photographer for a hospital and I started at 5500 average was around 9000 and that was 10 years ago. I would book 30 weddings a year and that was it. I turned away a lot of jobs a year.

One thing some new photographers don't think about is longevity and future when they're first starting out. Its VERY hard to go from shooting wedding for 1200 to 8000 because once you've set your client base with price its hard to move out of that base.

[Croasdail]

One thing some new photographers don't think about is longevity and future when they're first starting out. Its VERY hard to go from shooting wedding for 1200 to 8000 because once you've set your client base with price its hard to move out of that base.

I hear this all the time, but I just don't get it. I don't make what I made 5 years ago. I am better now, my skills and tools improved, my work better respected, and my fees have grown with it. If your not able to raise your fees, it means either your work isn't getting better or your market won't support a higher rate. But if you are getting better, and reputation improving, and you can't raise rates..... something else is going on.

Some of you all may have been able go out first crack charging 5 - 10k, and good for you doing that. But many more broke in as second shooters, doing pro-bono work, and worked their way up.

[Tommy]

I hear this all the time, but I just don't get it. I don't make what I made 5 years ago. I am better now, my skills and tools improved, my work better respected, and my fees have grown with it. If your not able to raise your fees, it means either your work isn't getting better or your market won't support a higher rate. But if you are getting better, and reputation improving, and you can't raise rates..... something else is going on.

It's not impossible to raise your rates... it's HARD. As my skill level went up, and I got more experience, I also raised my rates (just like you). But every time I raised my rates, it took time for the new market to realize I was there and start booking weddings with me. Meanwhile, I was losing out on a lot of jobs because all the prospective clients from the old (cheaper) market would call and find out that they couldn't afford me. It was almost like I had to start my wedding photography business all over when I moved into a higher end market. Luckily I have a second full time job, so the loss in business revenue didn't keep food off my table. But for those that rely primarily on their business income, this situation is a dreadful one...

[Croasdail]

Hey Tommy, what your describing is not the impact of you raising your rates and the value people put on your work, rather how much people are willing to spend. You absolutely can get to the point where you are too expensive for your market. CDI faces that hurdle. I live in a market that sits in the middle. The mega dollar weddings are far and few here, but are increasing.

What you can't do is discount work 80% of the time, then when someone has a big budget you jack up your rates. Which leaves you with the decision of either walking from a lot of projects, or selling a more limited offering protecting your value.

But growing your income by starting low until you have established a name for yourself is a tried and true way of doing business. Existing pros that have a problem with new people shooting for less need to be a little more introspective. If you can't establish value, that is a big issue. If there is an over supply of people at your talent level, that is a huge issue.

[airfrogusmc]

I hear this all the time, but I just don't get it. I don't make what I made 5 years ago. I am better now, my skills and tools improved, my work better respected, and my fees have grown with it. If your not able to raise your fees, it means either your work isn't getting better or your market won't support a higher rate. But if you are getting better, and reputation improving, and you can't raise rates..... something else is going on.

Some of you all may have been able go out first crack charging 5 - 10k, and good for you doing that. But many more broke in as second shooters, doing pro-bono work, and worked their way up.

You probably need to work for a high end shooter for a couple of years first. Thats what I did. That way you meet and get know all the consultants, orchestras, florists, video and all the other people that are involved at that level. You also get to see that way they market and deal with clients. Its not the same as they way you would market for a different clientele. Most of these high end weddings have consultants. Thats were the B&G will get a list of photographers that the consultant recommends.

Another thing you have to realize is your work has got to be there. But thats just one piece of the pie. Your appearance and the way you conduct yourself is also in the mix.

An example that comes to mind is one of the top florists that I worked with didn't advertise or even pass out cards and did some of the most amazing work. I remember I had a bride with a blush dress and a row of flowers that circles up here train and ended at the waist. This particular florist matched her dress with flowers in the isle, hupa (Jewish wedding) and table center pieces with pink roses and the same design that was on her dress.

This florist I don't think even had cards and wasn't listed in the yellow pages but turned away more work than he did in a year and was ultra expensive. Remember these clients and these consultants will not take seriously if first the works not there and if the florist is charging more for each center piece than you are to shoot a wedding.

[airfrogusmc]

It's not impossible to raise your rates... it's HARD. As my skill level went up, and I got more experience, I also raised my rates (just like you). But every time I raised my rates, it took time for the new market to realize I was there and start booking weddings with me. Meanwhile, I was losing out on a lot of jobs because all the prospective clients from the old (cheaper) market would call and find out that they couldn't afford me. It was almost like I had to start my wedding photography business all over when I moved into a higher end market. Luckily I have a second full time job, so the loss in business revenue didn't keep food off my table. But for those that rely primarily on their business income, this situation is a dreadful one...

Its hard once you're established to move into a higher market. Thats why I think its so important to figure out when you're getting started where you want to be. Nothing wrong with doing low and medium $$$ weddings you just have to do a bunch more to make the same money. Plus the higher end market is in the really nice locations to shoot in. Its not hard to find great places to shoot at the Inter Continental or the 4 Seasons plus the clients are looking for something thats not cookie cutter so you have more creative freedom with each client.

[airfrogusmc]

One other thing is you won't get the attention of anyone at that level if theres not something different in your work than what everyone else is doing.

[Michael_Lambert]

I know for our wedding we spoke with the company who we have delt with in the past for other events and ended up hiring them to shoot our wedding and only provide 200 printed proofs and a CD with the raw files. Now we paid just over 2 thousand for that. so to have paid $2100 for the CD of the files and still got a album i think you did very well and we haggled and called in favors to get the $2000 price, they usually charge $1800 for a very basic package that is the photographers time and then online proofs only.

[tim]

I've raised my rates from $300 for my first wedding to $6000 for my top package. It took a few years and I was a little nervous when I raised my rates, but it worked out fine.

[Croasdail]

You probably need to work for a high end shooter for a couple of years first.

I have been working for many years - and I still seek out opportunities to work with those whose work I admire. There is one shooter I work as a second for as often as I can simply because each time I learn something new. I hope that working often enough with him, some of that rubs off on me.

[Karl Johnston]

I've raised my rates from $300 for my first wedding to $6000 for my top package. It took a few years and I was a little nervous when I raised my rates, but it worked out fine.

I've never understood that. What'd you do for 300 $ and what did you do for 6 000 that justified the price difference? How did you do a wedding for 300? That said, what do you do to justify 6 grand ?

[tim]

I've never understood that. What'd you do for 300 $ and what did you do for 6 000 that justified the price difference? How did you do a wedding for 300? That said, what do you do to justify 6 grand ?

For $300 I did a pretty good job given my lack of experience. I don't try to justify $6000, I charge it for my top package and people pay it, and even upgrade the package from there. I guess the reason people pay it is i'm good at what I do, i'm a qualified photographer, i'm very experienced, I have a lot of equipment and I know how to use it, I have an assistant/2nd shooter, the package has a lot of products in it, and I get on well with people. Some might find that last point hard to believe... i'm a little nicer in real life than online - just ask my girlfriend, who I met at a wedding I photographed ;)

[TheHoff]

I've never understood that. What'd you do for 300 $ and what did you do for 6 000 that justified the price difference? How did you do a wedding for 300? That said, what do you do to justify 6 grand ?

When you charge a higher rate than others providing a similar service, what you give your clients is the perception of exclusivity -- if it is known that other people, like their friends who referred them, have paid the price, and if it is known that you are busy, and in demand, then new clients won't have a problem paying the same thing. It doesn't matter that the service could likely be found for half the cost, if the client has the perception that they're receiving "the best that money can buy" then they will pay for that privilege.

That's the rub -- when you set yourself up as a premium service provider, you don't need to justify the cost. A certain type of person wants to pay the higher price because they think they're getting something different.

(And no insult to Tim, but art is subjective. Whether he is actually "better" than the guy next door charging $3,000, and worth the difference, cannot really be determined.)

[_aravena]

Watching...um, TLC or something like that, saw an amazing wedding where the budget was $55,000 and location cost $33,000 alone. Somehow they manged (although the photos weren't shown but they were happy) a bus limo, the photographer, and something else...I forget for $8000. If you saw this wedding, my word.....

Now it makes me wonder, who the heck was the photographer? A cheap person, someone cut them a discount or what? Although I see on here a lot, especially when I asked for one, amazing photographers ask for ticket and a hotel. Some added a bit in but that was a lot cheaper than their normal package so maybe it was to extend their locations. Anyone else do or notice that?

[_Jo_]

I've never understood that. What'd you do for 300 $ and what did you do for 6 000 that justified the price difference? How did you do a wedding for 300? That said, what do you do to justify 6 grand ?

Experience. You can't expect to charge top-dollar when you are starting out - you would never get any work. Once you have firmly established yourself, your style, then you can start charging your worth. The market will pay what you are worth.

[tim]

I'm photographing $6K package wedding in a couple of weeks. The couple own a historic three level house with MASSIVe grounds and two smaller houses on the land, have a new Mercedes, Holden, and two 4x4s, and spent 6 months last year travelling around the US and Europe. $6K is nothing to them.

[bnlearle]

I've never understood that. What'd you do for 300 $ and what did you do for 6 000 that justified the price difference? How did you do a wedding for 300? That said, what do you do to justify 6 grand ?Really not meaning to single you out ;) but here's my answer...

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=7061875#post7061875

[weezerfan84]

subbing to this thread. Want to do something like this after I graduate college in May 2010 if I can learn a WHOLE LOT in that time. I won't have school and will only have my 8-5.

[Lightworks Imaging]

I don't know. I shoot weddings, as an "Uncle Bob" as Tim might call me. I simply realize taht I'm not a serious pro, I'm a student with a camera and my work shows that. Some good, occasional greatness and mostly adequate. But, I digress. I'm getting married in a few weeks and I secured a pro to shoot our event. $1,800 including the "nice guy discount" and that is only the beginning of what could be spent here in Milwaukee, WI. $2,100 seems like a deal. My pro's rates are going to double after my wedding. Seems to me your sister got a steal. I spend a whole week putting together an album and my stuff is poor quality compared to a real pro. IMO, paying for the vision of a pro and that skill to know what's good and what needs help is what garners the premium price. Just my two cent's.

[device01]

Unfortunately, brides only really care about how their Wedding Album will turn out.
No matter how dull the original pictures are but the end product (the album) is fantastic to the bride - and it's worth their money then it's all good - heck she might even recommend the photographer to her friends.

[bnlearle]

Unfortunately, brides only really care about how their Wedding Album will turn out.
Why is that unfortunate?

[collierportraits]

Why is that unfortunate?

+1 ??

[acousticvibrations]

Are there labs out there that can take a RAW image and adjust the color to the color they see that is correct?

natural color labs does edit your photos for color, contract and hue etc for $0.10 an image.

:)

[bnlearle]

natural color labs does edit your photos for color, contract and hue etc for $0.10 an image.

:)
Who are you responding to?

[acousticvibrations]

Who are you responding to?

sorry i was tired.

I visited their lab last year in Massachusetts.

their were 20 people just editing wedding images for color, sat, etc.

their consoles were awesome. Very efficient.

I just do not trust someone else editing my weddings.

[gheesom]

what a thread!

That was a good read.

[Bobster]

$2100 is a good deal if they got a beautiful wedding album thrown in for that!! posibly an error on the photographers part to include the ones he should have culled...

couple i shot last year just spent an extra $2700 on a couple of albums..

[snyper77]

That's a fairly foolish statement. With an attitude like that i'd expect you wouldn't do so well as the $2100 photographer. People underestimate knowledge, experience, pressure, and plain hard work to become a good wedding photographer. Being an Uncle Bob for $250 is easy.
I agree with Tim. Even though I'm just starting out (only 6 weddings so far), I now know the preparation, dedication, pressure, etc. that comes with accepting the job as "wedding photographer". Saying that "you'll do it for the money", is just wrong. You have to do it "with your heart" and be very, very prepared.

[Bobster]

Saying that "you'll do it for the money", is just wrong. You have to do it "with your heart" and be very, very prepared.
theres a local tog here that books 150 weddings a year, say's he shoots them all, but in reality he shoots the easy 1/2 day ones and at that its about 15% of his bookings, he sends 2nd rate togs to do the rest..

he's in it for the $ but its all starting to back fire on him! he has no respect for the weddings, the way he treats his B+G is disgusting..

[gh patriot]

some photographers charge $10K plus.

Not many people could afford that it would seem but hey, Im just a poor landscaper making 40k.

[howzitboy]

forgot who mentioned it but they posted bout a "pro" who shot in the green ie program mode. i read on a website from one of the top wedding pro's in the US and he shoots in program mode. he wants to concentrate on capturing the moment, not worrying about settings. His work is amazing.
i also shoot my weddings with ONE lens and ONE body. yes i have an extra camera with lens for my back up. But, when u have NO time, blasting away with one camera is nuff.

[sapearl]

Although this other pro shoots in "program" mode, I would suggest that since he is a pro, he does this with a THOROUGH understanding of exposure.

If you completely understand the relationship of shutter speed to aperture to ISO to quality of light to direction of light, etc..... I believe you can really shoot most events in just one or two modes. I don't "green box" it myself, but somebody who understands his camera can make IT do what he wants in most instances instead of the other way around.


forgot who mentioned it but they posted bout a "pro" who shot in the green ie program mode. i read on a website from one of the top wedding pro's in the US and he shoots in program mode. he wants to concentrate on capturing the moment, not worrying about settings. His work is amazing........

[macro junkie]

forgot who mentioned it but they posted bout a "pro" who shot in the green ie program mode. i read on a website from one of the top wedding pro's in the US and he shoots in program mode. he wants to concentrate on capturing the moment, not worrying about settings. His work is amazing.
.
your right.

just because a pro likes to shoot in tv mode ect don't mean hes any worse a photographer than the guy next to him using manual.i use tv mode alot when shooting natrula light shoots.