Evan Baines

I'll add my two cents: Some of my friends have a good eye but aren't exactly super-geeks in terms of technical photography. However they create interesting compositions that then are taken to the next level in PS. In some ways, they are as much illustrators as photographers. Others find ways with cool lighting, interesting lens techniques, etc to create "magic." My friend Zach, for instance (Gray Photography | GrayPhotograph.com) is so amazing at getting it right in the camera that he hardly uses PS at all. I came from a perspective originally that kind of looked down on the former approach, but I've come to respect it as a valid approach even if it isn't my path. Regarding the high-prices that you mentioned: editing is only part of the issue. There are countless other "behind-the-scenes" things that a wedding shooter may chose to make part of his/her business model that can affect price. For instance: I really try to go out of my way to spend REAL time getting to know my clients prior to their big day. Its not uncommon of me to travel for hours or even over a weekend just to do an e-session with an out-of-towner so that I'm not meeting them for the first time at the wedding. I spend a total of about 40-50 hours on every one of my clients factoring meetings, portrait sessions, editing, proofing sessions, album design, etc... Anyway, just my rambling thoughts late on a Saturday night in a hotel room far from home....

Tony rules, and he's a snappy dresser too!

This is interesting to me as well.... I've been searching for forums/sites that have information for couples planning European weddings and they don't seem to be that popular here in the US. I'm kinda surprised. If we ever do a vow renewal I'd think hard about a European destination... I know I'm looking forward to shooting some weddings in Europe!

I'll agree that the best thing for prospective clients to do is ask the photographer to show you an example of exactly what you'll be getting.... "high rez" and "digital negatives" are pretty loose terms sometimes. Sorry you've run into this confusion! I wish you the bst in getting this sorted out!

Good luck to you in your planning Melissa! This is definitely a good spot to answer your questions!

Congrats, and welcome to the forum!

It varies widely from photographer to photographer, but anywhere from 2-6 weeks is pretty normal. Longer is not unheard of, but I'd expect the photographer to prepare you for that if he/she was likely to take that long.

Congratulations and welcome!

Welcome to the forum!

Another vital thing is to make sure you communicate with a potential photographer to make sure your personalities are a good mesh! You're going to be spending more time with your photographer than just about anyone on your wedding day. Some more thoughts in my older thread here! http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t23076

Welcome to the forum! Love your icon photo! (FYI Zach & Jody are good friends of mine and they totally rock, so y'all should definitely check out their stuff).

Depending on the amount of post-processing the photographer does, anything up to six weeks is totally reasonable. I usually work on a 4-6 week turnaround, as I like to make sure that everything is PERFECT, but I make sure to provide a slideshow of some favorite images in the first week or two to tide my brides over. Post processing is a very personal thing. Some great photographers eschew photoshop and similar programs entirely, and some rely heavily on photoshop to express their creativity. Neither answer is wrong, but some options take longer than others. Personally, I believe in "getting it right" in the camera, but I enjoy the additional creative options provided to me in the digital age. I like the best of both worlds!

I'm thrilled to be working with you! Big thanks for the shoutout! -E

Quote: Originally Posted by SunBride But if the bride is happy with her photos then that's all that matters! No offense, but it bugs me when photographers put eachother down like that. There is a market out there for everyone - let the brides who can't tell the difference and are on a tight budget be happy with their photos. Some people will know the difference, and they are willing to pay more. Others don't know the difference and are happy with lower quality photos and there is nothing wrong with that. I think it's great that there are such a range of quality and price out there to suit any bride's needs. I can't speak for the other photographers on here, but I agree that there are markets and price-points out there for many different skill levels. Every bride is NOT looking to spend thousands on wedding photography, and every photographer isn't Yervant. I actually spend a significant portion of my time mentoring young photographers in the "budget" end of the spectrum, trying to help them with their technique and their business practices: believe me I don't "have it in" for the up-and-comer. However, just because a photographer isn't charging an arm-and-a-leg does not obviate him/her from being a responsible business person. In my previous post, I didn't denigrate inexperienced or less "fancy" photographers on the basis of their art, but I did suggest that its unacceptable for a small "business" to evade taxes, shirk insurance responsibilities, and most of all to contract to chronicle one of the most important days of a person's life without adequate backup to ensure that the job will actually get done. This is especially true given the amazingly inexpensive prices that quality used DSLRs and equipment can command on the 'net. There's really no excuse for a photographer to bring one camera to a wedding, but surprisingly, many do. I suppose that what I'm trying to say is that its totally reasonable for a bride on a budget, or a bride for whom photography is not a paramount priority to seek out a less expensive photographer. However, ANY bride contracting significant money to ensure that her day is photographed professionally deserves to know in advance what quality she can expect, and deserves the piece of mind of knowing that her professional photographer has made reasonable preparations for untoward contingencies. These issues of personal & professional responsibility are even more crucial for the destination wedding customer to assess, as the couple may be making their selection at-a-distance with someone that they might not meet until their wedding or just prior.

Quote: Originally Posted by msasfraz thanks for the info...........whats a reasonable price for destination wedding photographer.. let's say working an hour or two for rehearsal dinner, 5-6 hours wedding day, and 2-3 hours for trash the dress pictures the next day....? I agree with Jill that this depends a great deal on a photographer's business situation, as well as their quality and experience. Further, some photographers quote "flat rate" for destinations, while others require a fee for services plus actual travel costs (or a close estimate). If you'd like a specific price-quote, I'd be happy to provide one to you in direct correspondence. What is "reasonable" to one person may be ludicrous to another. I WILL say that in general the "professional" photography market is flooded with inexpensive shooters that have cut all kinds of corners with regards to tax laws, insurance, training, equipment (especially backups!), etc.

Quote: Originally Posted by jillhigginsphotography All great points! I always think it is important to see complete weddings - and not just the best of shots. Another good question is to ask them what they will do if their flight gets cancelled, airline goes bankrupt, etc. I recently knew of a photographer who ran into problems when an airline cancelled all flights the day they were to travel. The photographer couldn't afford to buy tickets with another airline. That is a risk you take as a DW photographer - you have to be financially able to do what you need to do to get there. That's a totally valid point as well! Another thing that's worth looking for in portfolios is a variety of shooting conditions... The fact of the matter is that a camera's automatic functions may do an adequate (if perhaps uninspired) job for an outdoor wedding on a nice partly-cloudy day in the late afternoon: many portfolios I see are made up almost exclusively of shots taken in these conditions. Dark indoor venues, cloudless sunny mid-days, night-time weddings, and other more challenging situations are a better means for assessing how a photographer handles adversity. Part of what separates a pro from an amateur is the ability to produce beautiful photographs regardless of what conditions occur. If you are making the significant investment to have a professional photographer cover your wedding, you deserve to know that you will have beautiful pictures regardless of what fate throws your way.

Well, I think its probably obvious to the ladies on here that any photographer participating on this forum is either looking for destination work, or at least trying to learn about his/her potential clientèle. However, if I'm going to participate in this forum, I think its worth trying to give something back to this community rather than just take from it. So, anyway, here's my attempt to provide some useful insider information! Here are some things that may not be obvious that are worth asking your potential photographer about: 1. Tell me about your contingency plans! Cameras fail/break/get dropped. Lens AF motors die. Flash tubes break. Computer hard drives get corrupted. Shooters become ill. What happens when the worst happens? Does this photographer have backup equipment? What is his data security plan to keep your photo files safe? What happens if your shooter is incapacitated? 2. Are you fully licensed & insured? $1,000,000 general liability coverage is the industry standard coverage for most photographers, and some venues require proof of this. However, more than that, choosing to do the responsible thing and pay for insurance tells you a lot about the business practices of the photographer in question. If they are cutting corners here.... 3. Who makes your books? A storybook album is a storybook album, right? Not really. Wholesale prices on books vary from two to four figures and everything in between. Some books are built for the long haul, some aren't. A photographer probably won't share his/her wholesale prices, but they should tell you what book manufacturer they use. If you can't see the books in person beforehand, researching the company that the photographer uses can tell you a lot about what you can expect from your album. 4. Tell me about your second shooter! Show me examples of his/her work! Seems like every studio these days offers "two photographers." That "second shooter" could be the next David Beckstead, or he/she could be the photographer's 14-year-old son or daughter who just got a their first DSLR. 5. Most importantly, show me more than one complete wedding! Ever hear the one about the monkey and the typewriter? Being a professional isn't about getting a great shot every once in a while: its about producing professional quality on-demand. Beware photographers who only want to show you greatest-hits reels or who only have one wedding to show you. They may not be able to reproduce their best work. Anyway, I hope this is helpful to you folks! I'm always happy to answer photography art and business questions! Cheers!

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.

Beautiful work Stephanie! Your B&W's are quite arresting. Welcome!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome & Congrats! Happy planning!

Welcome & Congrats! You've come to a great spot for information!

Welcome and good luck! I thought the Cabanas Copal in Tulum were really gorgeous if you did the slightly more rustic, secluded vibe.

Welcome and congrats!