Has anyone ever used Bella Pictures?

I'm still in the hunt for an E-Pic photographer in NYC. I have an appointment with Bella Pictures on Monday, and was just wondering if anyone has used them and what you thought. They have photogs all over the country, so I thought I would throw it out there.

from what i've heard its not good. they are like a photog broker for people trying to get a start. i think its better to go straight to the photog that is a good match for you & leave out the middleman

oh, so they don't have their OWN photographers?

oh & they claim to have photographed celebrity weddings. the guy who owns it has photographed celebrity weddings, but that doesn't say anything about the quality of the photographers he is hiring. not that they would be bad, but there wouldn't be any consistancy.

try the wpja to locate someone. then browse through their blogs & portfolios. for a wedding, make sure to see a few full weddings.

I'm an idiot... what's wpja?

Oh my gosh. What a great website! Thanks so much, Morgan, for all your help!

no problem. I like helping people get great pictures

Bella is a big national company that seeks out local photographers who are willing to "shoot on the side" or "fill the dates they haven't booked" by shooting for them at a discount.

Bella has a dubious reputation among photographers for their efforts to undercut the local privately-owned studios...

One key factor with Bella is that last time I checked, you don't get to chose your photographer: you'll get whoever they assign you and you won't meet the shooter in advance. They might be a talented shooter moonlighting, or they might be a total hack.

I'd encourage you to also check out WPPI, which is the largest and most important professional organization for wedding photographers in the world.