leigh miller

there has been a lot covered here already and i think two things when i see any kind of free - giveaway - $1 - wedding photography. #1 - quality! check out the quality of the photography. technically is it solid? how are the "poses"? are they cheesy? do the couples look natural? is this wedding photography you would be comfortable with on your wedding day? is the coverage complete. ask to see an ENTIRE wedding! not just a best ofs #2 - make sure whats included and what the after costs are. get a contract. read it. find out delivery times. etc... all common sense stuff. do be wary of too good to be true offers. you gals are smart! now this goes for any promo like this - whether promoted here or elsewhere. theres nothing wrong with giving a wedding away or doing it for travel only or for a $1 prints. no photographer can make a living that way though! so most are just doing it to really get the ball rolling on their destination wedding market. a lot will determine that DWs are a lot of extra work and stress they dont need or want and burn out quickly. some will love it and rock the DW world with their amazing work i got really lucky and did my first destination wedding in the bahamas on a date i had already planned to be there! so for that one i didnt charge travel but my regular photography rates. there are still a few places id like to add to my portfolio that i would offer a promotion - the rock house in negril - any place in greece - harbour island, bahamas and italy. as photographers we want everyone to have amazing wedding photography! and we are a little protective of the members here! it breaks my heart everytime i hear someone say - i dont love my wedding pictures. in fact, i just met with a couple yesterday and the bride brought her sister who was terribly disappointed with her own wedding photography. and you know what. if i shoot that wedding you know i will do my best to get some photos of the brides sister and her hubby that they will cherish. ok ive said enough. i really appreciate that this forum allows us to be here. it has been such a pleasure to be cyber-involved in your wedding planning and to share my own wedding and photography with everyone! its been a blast working with the handful of you that i have already and cant wait for the upcoming weddings of ann, rebecca, elizabeth and (looks like too) katie! oh my i hope i didnt forget anyone! im sure you will let me know if i did. im not downstairs in front of the calendar - haha! but i will be there, i promise and ann your wedding is in JUNE!!! i know that!

hey courtney - also check out Wedding Photojournalist Association® | WPJA® | Wedding Photojournalism Photos and Wedding Photographers Resources | Reportage and Candid and [AG]WPJA: Artistic Wedding Photojournalism : Fine Art Wedding Photography if they are good it doesnt sound like a lot to me. whats included though? thats something you need to know. i have been really underpriced with my ES and am getting ready to raise them. mine will be a minimum of $500.

ok gals. ive secured a beautiful house on mission bay to do the shoot. we will have run of the house for a few hours. i cant wait. i shot a wedding there last year and contacted the owner yesterday. shed love to have me back there. shes such a gem. i will be sending an email for final confirmation. if anyone else wants to join just let me know by the 25th or so. cant wait! theres a beautiful blue wall in that house i love and of course i will bring the infamous green pillow

hey jen and christine - sent you an email this evening. getting things lined up. thanks! - leigh

im in the waiting camp too. i know its hard! but it will be here before you know it and if youre like most brides will finding yourself wishing you just had a little more time to do things - haha!

no but im watching it on tv

hi elizabeth! so glad to see you posting here. cant wait to hear more about the wedding as you work out the details. you will get loads of help. ttys - leigh

#2 - and here i keep writing cause my message was too short....

wow! sorry ann. theyre paying for the repairs right?

hey sol! so nice to see you posting on here! great info youre sharing. the one thing i always think about with locations is gazebos may stripe your face during the ceremony. we have a lot of gazebos here in cali. and gals shes right about the beach chairs. all the guests at a wedding in the bahamas i shot had to help move tons of lounge chairs right before everything started. and it was HOT! i just got a message from matt last week about great places to shoot in RM. he mentioned gtg while im there in may. im in town the 7th-10th for a wedding at el dorado royale. let me know if you have time! are yall going to vegas next week?

i got it today. its so lovely. i will photograph it tomorrow to share with everyone here if youd like me to. i will go ahead and photograph it in a neutral location just in case you dont have one at the wedding. i wont bring it with me. i think weve already talked about this! but i love it. i cant wait until the wedding. im beside myself thinking of all the fun weddings i have going on this year and three gals from BDW forum thanks everyone. youve all been so great since i joined. (wow got all mushy!) allright mushy gushing over. thats about as good as it gets.

they came like that. i got them at banana republic in 2005 for my wedding and sarah you look much better on that pillow than the shoes!!!

sorry it took a bit longer. got busy with wedding stuff! they need a little gluing and have some scuffs on the wedges. other wise in great shape. and how do you like that pillow - yowza!!!

melissa - im so sorry. i know how you feel, kind of. i didnt have chicken pox until i was 14. it was unbelieveable. i was covered. and i mean every square inch of my body. i had pox in my ears, up my nose, on my eye balls - if i had a hole, i had the pox there!!! yep i had a fever, throwing up - missed three weeks of school. they snuck me in the drs office. said shed never seen anything like it. i have scars on my face and legs. i hear about people getting them a second time and getting shingles and i pray i dont get them. so i know how miserable you are! i know that doesnt make it any better for you but thought id let you know. just thank god you dont have 3 younger bros living with you who all get them while youre sick. one a week. and of course they never felt bad. just each home for a week driving me crazy when i thought i was going to die! feel better soon! did they give you a timeline? any idea when the outbreaks should run their course?

ooh! ann we have a number of chances to see wedding pics from LC before your wedding welcome!

hi everyone - i just thought id post here my reply to jennifers email. that may help some of you decide the session is $350 for an hour - hour and 1/2 session. that includes a $100 print credit and online proofing. a 50% retainer holds your session. that price is good for all sessions through the end of may. after that the sessions will be $500 with a $200 print credit and online proofing for the basic package. june 1 is the kick off date for all my new pricing. (edited to add) there will be more package options at that time that include things like extended sessions, digital negatives, and albums since a lot of gals are interested in those things

i saw spend a few days in paradise island at the casinos then take the hubby to a more secluded place for the actual wedding and a few nights stay. then you can head back to the casinos. here are my favorite places in the bahamas capricorn house | Eleuthera Bahamas Vacation Rental Home on the Beach Rock House Harbour Island Bahamas The Landing : A Boutique Hotel on Harbour Island, The Bahamas good luck!

of course we can talk! just drop me an email [email protected] - i will take some pics tomorrow. im photographing albums in the morning. when are you going to cabo? im going to be there august 1-7 for lvpbrides wedding at las ventanas. were emailing right now about fun other things. and im doing a BD shoot while im there for someone who will remain nameless - unless they want to pipe up! no place like a 900+sq foot suite at las ventanas to shoot a BD session - yowza. (well of course unless its a studio in chicago. love you gals! you will always be my first from BDW forum...sigh) yes stalling big time!

Quote: Originally Posted by DREA14369 lol....yeah take a look at them and let me know.... Do you have another pic of them? Drea i THINK i could take more

Quote: Originally Posted by DREA14369 Hi Leigh, Quick question.... Have you given away these shoes yet? If not and if you are still wanting to give them away, I would love to have them....how much? Andrea those shoes only come with a photography package - haha!!! love your venue i still have them. let me know if you really want to take a look at them. i paid $140 for them and wore them for about 10 minutes. what do you think is a fair price. 139.99? no? maybe $80? let me see how they look

Quote: Originally Posted by jthrasherphoto.com Leigh, you suppose to say its customary for you to tip your photographer 100% of your package price. i know, i know! sorry. i thought maybe you other photographer would come along and bop me! just relaying my experience. but hey if you want give that photographer a grand or two - haha!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by host yes, i had my parents with me and we were going to push the button one at a time...whoever pushed green had to grab the suitcases with all the stuff and go through... haha! thats what we photographers do too!

please dont pelt me other photographers... i rarely get tips, nor do i expect them. when i get them i really appreciate it, but i usually find some way to give that amount back to the client in prints or album pages, a gift, etc... the tips i have gotten have ranged from $200-$600. so between 5-10% of the package. i start at $3500 right now. (soon to change though) i didnt have a WC so i cant tell you what id tip them but i would guess 20%?

welcome! you will find this place to be tres helpful!!! and congrats on the engagement

i do think the boat sounds nice but i shot a RD on a boat in the bahamas once and it was very difficult because the boat was overcrowded. if youre not worried about over crowding then the boat would be a nice change