Friend Photographer

[candiekiss]

I wanted to get your opinion on this. One of my friends' is just getting started on her own photography business. She just bought over $5k worth of camera equipment ie. camera, lenses and such. My fiance' and her don't get along too well and he's not sure she'll do a good job. I on the other hand think she will do a great job. Do you think it's a bad idea to have a friend photograph your wedding instead of a professional?

[klopez]

have you seen any of her work? it's one thing to do this is a hobby and another to do it professionally. i would be careful and make sure you have hard evidence and not just "hope" she does a good job...you'll never get that day back so you wanna make sure it's captured properly.

[ErinB]

I don't really see anything wrong with having a friend shoot your wedding under normal circumstances.

 

Let me quilfy this. I had a friend do my photos. I did pay for her trip so it wasn't 100% free. My best advice if you choose to go this route is to treat it like a normal business transaction. If she intends to start a photography business and you are to be a client, then you need to be treated as such. You need to have a signed contract stating exactly what you expect and what you will get. Is she just going to give you a CD with pictures or will she make a photobook?

 

Also, be sure you have a list of all of the photos you want and have a copy with you that day. Will she have an assistant? Somehow, we managed to not get a single posed picture of the two of us, the bride and groom! The day was chaotic and exciting and they got overlooked. I was very disappointed. The pictures that I have are wonderful, but the ones that are missing are kinda major.

 

I would be a little worried if your FI doesn't like her personally. If there is tension, it can very easily show up in your photographs. I think if he is only concerned because she is new at it, treating it like a business transaction might help him ease up. If she is with your for the duration of your trip, he might also relax.

 

You always need to keep in mind what will happen to your friendship should something go wrong. Is it a situation that will get out of hand? Will it end your friendship and are you willing to risk that?

[*Heather*]

FI and I went through this last summer when we were choosing our photographer. One of his friends is a director/photographer who does AMAZING work, but I was still against using him. Not because I thought his work would be bad but because a) I know he doesn’t love shooting weddings, and he would be doing it as a favor to us which would make me feel bad, We wanted to invite him to the wedding, and we’d rather have him there as a guest instead of having to work the whole time, and c) What if he got another paying gig for something amazing, i.e. to shoot a music video or something, and he couldn’t do it because of our wedding? Or what if he takes it, and bails on us and we have no photographer? I just wasn’t comfortable with the idea. Plus, wedding photos are really important, and even though I know he would do a great job, what if I wasn’t happy with something? I couldn’t say anything to him because he’s FI’s friend. Also, it might sound weird, but I think it would be harder to be natural in front of the camera if you’re doing it with someone you know than with a total stranger. That’s just me though. Also because he doesn't usually shoot weddings, I know he wouldn't take the time afterwards to edit them etc. He was just going to throw them all on a disk and send them over to us.

 

So for all of those reasons, we chose a different photographer. FI still doesn’t agree with it, because it would have been cheaper to use the friend, but it is what it is! I really wanted to use someone who does weddings all of the time and who has a passion for it. I think the passion comes through in the final product.

[*Casey*]

I don't think it really matters if it's a friend or not as long as they are good and you are pleased with your previous work. But I DO think it matters that your FI doesn't get along with her. The thing is, is that she's going to be around both of yall the entire time, and you want your FI to have a wonderful and memorable wedding day too. As much as it's our day, it's a little bit theirs too. Lol

[Sapphire723]

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Casey* I don't think it really matters if it's a friend or not as long as they are good and you are pleased with your previous work. But I DO think it matters that your FI doesn't get along with her. The thing is, is that she's going to be around both of yall the entire time, and you want your FI to have a wonderful and memorable wedding day too. As much as it's our day, it's a little bit theirs too. Lol

I agree with that. Even if she's awesome and/or cheap, you don't want to make your FI uncomfortable on the day when you both should be feeling like royalty.

[TATrisha]

Make sure you see some of her work. Buying fancy equipment doesn't mean you'll be a good photographer. so make sure she gets some practice in first. Especially with direct sunlight. It's hard to master or even attempt with good results.

But, like others have said, the fact that she doesn't get along too well with your FI is adding potential risk. Being a photographer, you have to kind of boss people around. I mean, there is no way you can get all of the photos done in the alloted time unless you give instructions on who and where. So is your FI going to be okay with her saying such things to him?

[BachataBride]

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Casey* I don't think it really matters if it's a friend or not as long as they are good and you are pleased with your previous work. But I DO think it matters that your FI doesn't get along with her. The thing is, is that she's going to be around both of yall the entire time, and you want your FI to have a wonderful and memorable wedding day too. As much as it's our day, it's a little bit theirs too. Lol

This was my thought to - It's not the fact that she's your friend, it's the fact that your FI will/may not be comfortable with her. If you can afford a pro...then go with that. You can always ask your friend to take photos too...you'll get a lot of great candids that way too!

[O'Driscoll Photography]

Quote:

Originally Posted by candiekiss I wanted to get your opinion on this. One of my friends' is just getting started on her own photography business. She just bought over $5k worth of camera equipment ie. camera, lenses and such. My fiance' and her don't get along too well and he's not sure she'll do a good job. I on the other hand think she will do a great job. Do you think it's a bad idea to have a friend photograph your wedding instead of a professional?

I think that a couple of things you mentioned here are key points: a.) your friend is just getting started as a professional photographer. It sounds like she has very little, if any, experience as a professional wedding photographer. A wedding is a fast moving, once in a lifetime event which cannot be repeated. So, even if your friend has some experience shooting kid's portraits or landscapes, etc., that doesn't mean that she has the skills and experience necessary to give you wonderful storytelling images of your big day. And b.) your fiance doesn't get along with her. This is a crucial point that I think is very important, and I think that this fact alone is enough to warrant serious reservations about hiring your friend. I believe that in any relationship - whether it is personal or business, there are three things that are crucial ingredients for having a successful, enjoyable relationship. They are: trust, respect, and what I call the fun/likability factor. If any of those are lacking, it makes it much more difficult to have a successful business or personal relationship. And, since your FI doesn't get along with your friend, I think you would be much better off hiring a professional wedding photographer who has a lot of experience, and whose work and personality you love.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Tod

[zoeysmom1204]

We had a "friend" do our photography, and it is almost 2.5 months later and we still don't have our pics... She was originally doing our pics as a gift and then decided she needed to be paid $1100 when her car broke down and she had no money for the repair bill... She also didnt do alot of the poses we wanted with the wedding party because she did not want her fiance (a groomsman) paired up with my best friend because he used to think she was cute... which i didnt find out unitl the DAY of the wedding that she wasnt going to do certain poses... she promised we would have our pics by the beginning of dec to make everyones photo books for christmas but its now jan 15 and we dont have our pics... i would just be very careful about asking a friend to do your photography.. we did not have a good experience at all... do you feel comfortable enough to tell your friend if you are not satisified? and do you think they will work the whole day? ours did not... she missed our first dance and everything and took off during teh cake cutting which is awsome... something a real professional would not do i dont think... just be careful....it isnt worth it to be dissatisitifed on your day.. if i would have known, i would have spent the extra money and got someone else