[Recovered Thread: 118285]

[PeterP]

Congrats on getting married!

The amount of shooting or time spent is usually in the contract. The longer the more the package will cost.

That is standard practice, the only ones that release the files for free or a low cost are the bottom feeders of the wedding photo world.
The images normally are proofed and the ones selected are run through the full workflow to make them print presentable.
Since the advent of digital, workflow after a wedding can take 40-80 hours just to make all the images presentable ready for the prolabs printers.

Many pros will sell the digital negatives, but the cost will be quite high.
Some will sell a disk but with the original out of camera images, not the ones that have been run through the worlflows.

I'd recommend to try searching for photographers that are members of
WPPI http://www.wppionline.com/directory/
or PPA http://www.ppa.com/files/public/portfolio_frame.htm

Membership in these organizations assures a level of compentancy and weeds out the weekend warriors as they only accept full time pros with a valid business license.

When hiring a pro also ask if they will be providing multiple shooters for the event.
And you shoulden't have to ask this, but make sure they are bringing backup equipment.
Also ask what guaranties if any, they provide for their work.

Other than that poke through the wedding photographer sites and find one with a style you like.
Only six months away is not a long time, most studios I know are now booking their wedding sessions for 2008.


wrote:

Here are a few things to consider that you might overlook


1.) make sure they offer unlimited shooting and will not stop after a certain number of shots

2.) Make sure you geta copy of the negatives or all the digital files on CDs or DVDs... many pros will only keep your photos on file for a year and if you want repronts later your out of luck...... I was surprised to learn that several weedding pros in myarea keep the master files hostage and only give you thimbnail files to view and order from

hope this helps

dave

[JohnG]

Photo 5 wrote:

2.) Make sure you geta copy of the negatives or all the digital files on CDs or DVDs... many pros will only keep your photos on file for a year and if you want repronts later your out of luck...... I was surprised to learn that several weedding pros in myarea keep the master files hostage and only give you thimbnail files to view and order from

Good luck on that one. Guess what - the photographer needs to make money somewhere. IF it's a quality pro, you're either going to pay a very large non-refundable fee or you're going to have to buy the photos through them.

Frankly I'd be surprised if many full-time pro wedding photogs are giving out printable image files for another, important reason. You print those out on regular paper stock on a color (but not photo printer) and they look like garbage. Friends/relatives see that garbage and it reflects on the photographer. Or, you fancy yourself a photoshop guru and "improve" the pictures and again they look like garbage and people viewing said pictures reflect that back on the photographer.

So, even if it's not about print sales it is about quality control. I know that second issue is why I don't sell image files of the sports work I do. I've seen what people do to quality image files and I don't want that done to my work. So, don't be surprised if top wedding pros won't give you files.

[BillDrew]

JohnG wrote:

... Guess what - the photographer needs to make money somewhere. IF it's a quality pro, you're either going to pay a very large non-refundable fee or you're going to have to buy the photos through them.

Frankly I'd be surprised if many full-time pro wedding photogs are giving out printable image files for another, important reason. You print those out on regular paper stock on a color (but not photo printer) and they look like garbage. Friends/relatives see that garbage and it reflects on the photographer. Or, you fancy yourself a photoshop guru and "improve" the pictures and again they look like garbage and people viewing said pictures reflect that back on the photographer.

So, even if it's not about print sales it is about quality control. I know that second issue is why I don't sell image files of the sports work I do. I've seen what people do to quality image files and I don't want that done to my work. So, don't be surprised if top wedding pros won't give you files.

John is right about a pro needing to make money to keep going - if you want someone good who will do a lot for you, you can expect to pay a lot. If the photographer is good, the charge will reflect that no matter how the photos are delivered: print or JPEGs/RAW.

I think more photographers are delivering the images on CDs/DVDs - and charging for it. I also think you should get at least a few images printed by the pro so you have something for comparison to any prints you make yourself. Even if you do get everything on CD/DVD, not having the option to get some printed by the pro should be a danger sign. Expect to pay a whole bunch more than Wal*Mart/Joe's*Bait*Shop charges for the same size print.

PeterP is right: six months is almost to late to find a good photographer. Don't dawdle.

[Caboose]

JohnG wrote:

Good luck on that one. Guess what - the photographer needs to make money somewhere. IF it's a quality pro, you're either going to pay a very large non-refundable fee or you're going to have to buy the photos through them.

Several of the top pros in my area do offer images on a CD, but only with their top of the line packages, and you pay quite a bit for those. One of the best around here has a 3 different packages starting at $1995 and going up to $3595. These are all very nice packages but only the $3595 package offers the images on CD but also includes a copyright release, he also offers 1/2 price reprints with that package along with the album, a pocket album and two parents albums, framed 20x30 portrait, engagement session, bridal portrait session and a framed 16x20 signature protrait. Expensive but you get a lot for your money.

[PeterP]

The packages can include individual prints delivered as wall portraits, but many studios are now giving the option of delivering the albums as leather bound printed books like the Furi's. A large book in a package can get over a 1000 on its own.

Furi Fine Art Books http://www.furifineartbooks.co.za/

Many studios also have the option of including a DVD slideshows of the wedding set to music.

[PeterP]

Wonderfull half my above post disapeared, and I can't remember what I wrote.
I'll blame age for that :?

[TwoStep]

superakuma,

Congradulations on the wedding. I too will be getting married this summer.

The photographer we hired charges by the hour and takes unlimited photos. We paid extra to get a second photographer. The photos are delivered on DVD with the option as to how many prints we want, if any.

One thing I noticed when shopping for a photographer is that some will do a lot of Photoshop to put stars in the background or creative coloring of black and whites or different kinds of borders. Some of these were a little over the top for us, we felt like we were paying for a lot of labor for effects we weren't interested in. They were going to choose what Photoshop editingwas done and to what photos theydo it to. Just something to consider.