Weddings

What guidlines or contracts do you have? I have a friend who asked me to shoot his wedding (as a secondary photographer) I told him it would be business first and pleasure second while I am at the wedding. But..

For those of you who have shot weddings, when you are done editing all of the pictures.. Do you send them in a full size format for them to order their own prints? Or do you hold onto the full size copy and send them smaller copies with or without your watermark?

At a certain price point, most wedding photographers will offer the digital images with no watermarks. Usually they are not full resolution, as it's a bit too big. I try to keep my images no greater than about 1MB per image. Most of my clients seem to print 8x10 or smaller, so the resolution doesn't need to be huge.

So he's hired a professional photographer and also wants you to come along? Two problems there, most professionals contracts will specify no other photographers, and even if it doesn't you'll ruin the other photographers photos if you're in the same area. Two cameras = people don't know where to look = photos ruined. If there's a professional, do them the courtesy of calling first. If it was me I'd say please don't pick your camera up or stand near me while I'm taking photos as you will ruin a lot of photos, and ideally leave your camera at home. If you must take your camera don't take photos of the same people the professional is, or go anywhere near them.

Contract... photographers toolkit website has a good one. Buy it, it's cheaper than hiring a lawyer to draw one up. Wedding photography is a business that requires investment. If you want to take photos for your friend you don't need a contract.

Final photos: sRgb jpeg 3600x2400 Q10/80%. My culling strategy is I give the customer every photo I took that I'd want if it was my wedding. Each image I give to them has been processed to look its best, in ACR/LR with only 1% of images going into PS.

tim wrote in post #16553346
So he's hired a professional photographer and also wants you to come along? Two problems there, most professionals contracts will specify no other photographers, and even if it doesn't you'll ruin the other photographers photos if you're in the same area. Two cameras = people don't know where to look = photos ruined. If there's a professional, do them the courtesy of calling first. If it was me I'd say please don't pick your camera up or stand near me while I'm taking photos as you will ruin a lot of photos, and ideally leave your camera at home. If you must take your camera don't take photos of the same people the professional is, or go anywhere near them.

Contract... photographers toolkit website has a good one. Buy it, it's cheaper than hiring a lawyer to draw one up. Wedding photography is a business that requires investment. If you want to take photos for your friend you don't need a contract.

Final photos: sRgb jpeg 3600x2400 Q10/80%. My culling strategy is I give the customer every photo I took that I'd want if it was my wedding. Each image I give to them has been processed to look its best, in ACR/LR with only 1% of images going into PS.

The other photographer is another friend of theirs. They are on a tight budget and do not have the funds to hire a full out professional. I personally have never done a wedding before and they insist I shoot at their wedding.

I will definitely look into that contract. I have been wondering about the legalities of shooting professionally.

I suggest you talk to the other photographer, work out a strategy. Also read this, it's old but still useful.

tim wrote in post #16553428
I suggest you talk to the other photographer, work out a strategy.

Absolutely. For the best results for your friend, you'll want to collaborate with the other photographer, not compete. If he's an experienced wedding photographer, he should be able to give you some direction.

Re full res images or not:

It all depends on your contract and what you want to include in a package price.

Some photographers charge extra for a DVD of the edit (in the UK typically £500), but I presume their starting price is lower.

If they buy the gallery they get full res images, no sense in not providing them once I'm paid for it.

They are a friend and you don't shoot weddings. Give them everything, count it towards professional development.

vengence wrote in post #16563480
They are a friend and you don't shoot weddings. Give them everything, count it towards professional development.

That is what I was thinking

vengence wrote in post #16563480
They are a friend and you don't shoot weddings. Give them everything, count it towards professional development.

Good Point, Under promise and over deliver.

If the other photographer is okay with it, do you have a specific passion? are you a detail oriented person? Try and deliver something that the other photographer may not capture... you after all are better friends and likely know the couple more than the photographer who likely has only interacted with them for <10hrs tops.