Calling wedding photographers.

Vince

Vince

Vince

Man of Honour
Joined
30 Oct 2003
Posts
13,778
Location
Essex
Hello,

I don't think I have ever posted in photography before so go easy on me. I am due to get married next year and wanted to get to grips with how much a photographer is likely to be.

Also how do you go about picking a decent photographer? I know nothing about what makes a photo good or bad so any advise would be appreciated.

Cheers
 
Vince said:
Also how do you go about picking a decent photographer? I know nothing about what makes a photo good or bad so any advise would be appreciated.
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You need to look at their portfolio to see if you like the style of work they produce. Photography is art, it's impact on the viewer is subjective. As long as the wedding photographer you choose captures images that you and you partner both like, that's all that matters at the end of the day.
 
Vince said:
I don't think I have ever posted in photography before so go easy on me. I am due to get married next year and wanted to get to grips with how much a photographer is likely to be.

Also how do you go about picking a decent photographer? I know nothing about what makes a photo good or bad so any advise would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'm not a wedding photographer but I did get married last year. We got recommendations from friends, got recommendations from the venue and had a little Google.

We got married in the SE of England and the quotes we got were between £1000-2700 for a full day (bride getting ready through to the first hour of dancing). Most quotes were around the £1000-1300 range. I'm sure the price range goes a lot further in both directions, depending on what you want and where you're getting married.

In the end, we set up meetings with our three favourite photographers. Each showed us their full portfolio and discussed how they like to do things. Each had their own style so it really comes down to taste. We picked the one whose style we liked the most and whose ideas most closely aligned with ours.
 
As has been said go with style as your first guide and then meet them and pic someone you like, you will spend a lot of time with them on the day and a good relationship makes life much easier! W saw a range of photographers from £600-£2000 and went with one in the middle because when we met them we clicked hell I liked them more than some of the guests! don't let price guide you too much as it isn't totally indicative of quality!
 
Everything everyone has said so far.

Except if someone is expensive, its usually for a reason.

FYI you will get no end of offers from £0 up to £3k, ignore those that will do it for free, someones wedding day shouldnt be a practice session.
 
Find a photographer whose work you like, and inspires confidence in delivering what you want. Don't price shop if you can help it, as you generally get what you pay for.
 
Vince said:
Hello,

I don't think I have ever posted in photography before so go easy on me. I am due to get married next year and wanted to get to grips with how much a photographer is likely to be.

Also how do you go about picking a decent photographer? I know nothing about what makes a photo good or bad so any advise would be appreciated.

Cheers
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Hi Vince , I only started photographing weddings last year so I am pretty new to it , but I got in to it because I have a passion for photography , its never been about the money too me , its about making people go wow when they see my work and that's how Its always been . You got two types of wedding photographers today, one like my self who is a hobbyist and the professionals as they call them selfs that hate me ! As I don't charge much haha , and then the professional who pays the mortgage with the money they make,


Always look at a photographers style of work first and see who catches your eye as every photographer will capture a wedding in there own way , I can honestly tell you no wedding I have done has ever been the same , I come back with images I never imaged id get.

Then look for reviews and feedback from others .


I tend to charge around £700 for a wedding and this will include all the images from the day edited , I give them 2 versions , colour and black and white , I find my clients like this as they get over 300 -400 photos to have a look at and put in too album them self's.

On the other hand a photographer who makes a living but not necessary better than a hobbyist like myself will charge clients from £800 - £2000 depending on where you live in the country.


There are a lot of creative photographers in the world today so look around and find someone who catches your eye , don't always think right he cost £2000 hes going to be amazing as that's not how it works .

Hope this helps...
 
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Vince said:
Also how do you go about picking a decent photographer? I know nothing about what makes a photo good or bad so any advise would be appreciated.
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It's nearly 5 years since I got married, but my recollection is that quality and cost aren't necessarily linked. I got married in Cambridge, and there were many expensive photographers whose work was uninspiring at best. We had a modest budget and couldn't find anything local in our price range that gave us any confidence in what we'd be getting.

In the end we approached Raymond based on the work he'd showcased on these forums. We loved his documentary style, and his price was well within our budget. He was willing to travel down and stayed until the very end. The photographs and album we got were beautiful and he did justice to our special day. Given we knew little about him at the time, it was a risk but one that paid off in spades.

While that might sound like an advert for Raymond, I'm simply trying to illustrate that it's not always about how much a photographer charges for their work, it's about their work ethic and whether their style suits you. In some cases you might find a photographer whose style is perfect for you, but costs over £2k for the full package. Or you might find one who is cheap but doesn't inspire you. If you're lucky you'll stumble upon someone great like we did who didn't charge an arm and a leg, and who went above and beyond our expectations. But what I *would* emphasise is that you only get one chance at this, so if your wedding photographs are really important to you, don't skimp if your preferred choice is expensive. While digital cameras are ubiquitous and you'll get *some* nice shots from enthusiastic guests, you can't rely on them to capture the memories for you. If your budget doesn't stretch far, don't be afraid to look outside of the local area; if you find the right photographer, they'll probably be willing to travel.

As to whether a photograph is good or bad, in most cases it's purely subjective. When you look at a photographer's work, ask yourself if that's how you'd like to remember your own wedding day. Have a good look around and I'm sure you'll find one photographer or another whose work just catches your eye.
 
I am getting married in a few weeks time and we booked this guy to cover ours:

http://alanlawphotography.co.uk

Obviously we haven't got the shots yet but his portfolio is great and having spoken with him over Skype and email a few times is a really good guy.

For us the photographer was the important thing after the venue. Barring a certificate to say you are married there are very few tangible outputs so wanted to make sure that the photos we get from the day are as good as possible.

We spent a long time looking for photographers we liked and ended up choosing Alan based on the strength of his portfolio and his attitude in conversations that we had with him.
 
The first question should be does he shoot Canon or Nikon. If he uses Nikon your ok. If its Canon I'd run........LOL


Don's flame suit and gets ready...


The problem with facebook and instagram is that lots of people say WOW what a great photo...When its Cr@p.... So recommendations may be biased.

But mostly take note of whats already been said. Pick the style over the cost. In 5 years you would have forgotten that one photographer charges £2000 but you'll NEVER forget the crap pictures. Quality outlasts the memory of the outlay
 
Ekim said:
http://alanlawphotography.co.uk
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Processing wise is not to my taste, they all look like you are looking at them wearing strong sunglasses and has that grainy look applied to all of them and a touch on the warm side on the white balance which is so popular at the moment.

However, great portfolio! Imaginative composition, timing and storytelling. I'd hire him over a lot of other people.

p.s. thanks xyphic :)
 
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