Photography - what do you want?

[COFPhoto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvt In the end our photog created a "tara and joe package" for us, which was awesome.

THAT is the best way to go. I wish that A. more Photographers were flexible with their packages and B. more people were willing to ask a Photographer to be flexible with packages. So many Photogs have a "here they are, take it or leave it" mentality, but if you only have 2-3 packages, there's no way that they will work for everyone.

Just remember - if you find a Photographer that you REALLY like, just ask them if they can customize a package just for you. It wouldn't hurt to start you email by buttering them up with "We just LOVE your work...." etc.

[StephanieMN]

I agree that every couple is different so it's really hard to say exactly what to do.

A friend of mine just told me she has the digital files of her wedding and has done nothing with them. She hasn't printed any or made a book! So she would be the one who would want the book made for her and the print package.

 

I agree that it is getting harder and harder for photographers with the digital age in that people now want their photos on a dvd/cd so they can worker their own projects. I hope you are all able to come up with a solution.

[kerryjbrown]

This is a great question for us all to consider as we choose our photographer. For me, I have a few requirements:

 

-2 photographers, to capture it all from multiple viewpoints

-photo journalism with one of the photographers. I want my images to show the emotions and over all feel, not just posed pictures

-include hi-res DVD if album purchased

-touchups done ont he album

-not to be killed on price for buying additional albums as I have 4 seperate parents to buy parent books for.

 

Hope this helps!

[COFPhoto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerryjbrown This is a great question for us all to consider as we choose our photographer. For me, I have a few requirements: -2 photographers, to capture it all from multiple viewpoints -not to be killed on price for buying additional albums as I have 4 seperate parents to buy parent books for.

Having two Photographers is something that a lot of people don't put a lot of thought into up front. But it can be very difficult to shoot a wedding ceremony by yourself. Having two Photographers allows you to get many more angles of different parts of the ceremony. When I shoot a small ceremony by myself, I will actually set up a 2nd camera on a tripod with a wireless remote. So when I'm shooting from the opposite side, I can just hit a button and get another shot from a different angle.

As for the albums, most Photographers charge a lot of money for a custom designed coffee table style book. A quality book isn't cheap for the Photographer to buy, but it also has a lot to do with the amount of time involved in designing the book. Many Photographers use templates to help speed up the process. I prefer designing each one from scratch, and I'm pretty efficient with Photoshop so laying out the book pages isn't that time intensive for me.

Because a lot of the cost involved has to do with the design time, we offer 40% discounts on duplicate albums (same design, same size book or smaller).

I would definitely use the fact that you want 4 albums as a negotiating tool when hiring a Photographer. Tell them that up front, and assuming that you want them designed the same, they should give you a discount. However, if you want four different designs, that's a different story.

[Evan Baines]

This is a great thread! Here's my two cents on one thing:

 

I think brides should be aware that not all "coffee table" or "storybook" albums are created equal. This can be especially difficult for a bride who is selecting a photographer/package from a distance. For instance, my flush-mount books (to use the industry term) cost me more WHOLESALE than some shooters charge their customers RETAIL. However, there's only so much a photographer can say to convey this difference at a distance. One storybook album sounds much like another. For this reason, it would be worth those of you brides who are considering expensive photography packages to ask the Photographer who manufactures his/her albums. If you contact the company, you MAY even be able to find a local photographer or outlet that carries these books for you to have the opportunity to handle them. At the very least, the book company website typically provides more information on the printing & binding materials and methods.

 

Be aware that an Asuka Book and a KISS wedding book are NOT the same, even if they are both "storybook" albums.