photography??? use the resorts or hire your own??? help!

[jystar13]

help!

[gonzaloNunez]

Hi Jystar!

Usually the photographers from the resort are inexperienced and underpaid. Choose with your heart, photography will be your only memory for all your life. Put this responsibility in hands of an experienced photographer. I know that resorts will charge you with a fee, but bringing your own photographer will be the best option. And I am telling this for my experience. Not because I am a photographer.. J

Happy planning!!

[gersbja]

Thank you for the great advice!!!!!!!!
 

Originally Posted by gonzaloNunez 

Hi Jystar!

Usually the photographers from the resort are inexperienced and underpaid. Choose with your heart, photography will be your only memory for all your life. Put this responsibility in hands of an experienced photographer. I know that resorts will charge you with a fee, but bringing your own photographer will be the best option. And I am telling this for my experience. Not because I am a photographer.. J

Happy planning!!

[gonzaloNunez]

you are welcome!!

[SassyCass]

We were able to find a photographer that is giving us a very generous photography package and all we had to do was pay for her trip down for 3 nights.  We offered to pay for 5 so she added some more items to the package!  We really lucked out since she's trying to build her DW portfolio.

[skadow]

It really depends what you want and what your budget is. If you have a specific look you are going for, or if you want a photographer that does something that the resort photographer does not TTD, late hours, ect) then I would book a photographer. If you looked at the resort photographer and are happy with their pictures stay with them. I am sure the resort wouldnt hire someone that isnt a professional.

 

I personally feel in love with my photographer

 

I have Del Sol http://delsolphotography.com/blog/  booked for my wedding on February, 18th. They are the first vendor I booked. I booked them the day after I booked the hotel because I was paranoid they wouldn't be free lol.

 

I love their style. Their work has been seen in magazine around the world and have been voted one of the top ten destination wedding photographers in the world. They are a little pricey, but they take “Quality†to a new level by there unparalleled ability to capture photo journalism.

If you love the Del Sol style, but would prefer a more economical choice. Matt, Owner of Del Sol apparently started another company under the Del Sol umbrella called La Luna.

 

Their website is located HERE -> http://www.lalunaphotographers.com/ I believe they start around 400 an hour.

 

You should take a look; I believe some of the pictures posted on the website are of Best Destination Wedding Brides.

[Elizabeth Medina]

I really think that when hiring a photographer (through the resort of otherwise) the very best way to avoid surprises is to view several sets of full finished wedding galleries by the specific photographer in question as a primary shooter. (ie not random website "favorites" and not photographs from workshop set ups or taken as a second shooter and especially not photographs from other photographers working for the same resort or company!). 

 

Looking at several full weddings from the specific photographer who would be shooting your wedding will allow you to judge how consistently this particular photographer's skill set, equipment and most importantly artistic vision hold up during the different aspects of the day and under different conditions, timelines, etc. that can be a part of the wedding day. It will also let you evaluate the photographer's grasp of the different aspects of wedding photography ie. how do they approach the spontaneous moments? details? family photos, photos in different lighting conditions? Going through completed galleries will also give you a clear idea of how the photos are presented and edited (are all the photos edited to look like the ones on the website or just a handful?). Finally I think that looking at full sets of wedding photos will allow you to get an idea of what you would like to be included in your package and how much you will end up paying realistically when all is said and done...would you be happy choosing 50 prints or can you tell ahead of time that will you want to purchase the entire set on CD? 

 

If you are not able to view photos by the specific person who would be shooting your wedding because the assignment of photographers is more of a random thing I would think that would be something of a "red flag" (whether it could actually happen or not I think a vision comes to mind of the pool guy being handed the camera and I don't think anyone wants to go there!). If an independent photographer is not wiling or able to share full galleries of actual weddings shot as a primary shooter I think this would be a good reason to keep looking as well.

 

Best wishes!

[jystar13]

thank you very much for the advice!!!! photographs are very important to me and i am stressing about having an "ok" photographer.......your pictures are amazing by the way! i already check and you were booked on my wedding date!

[Teira1031]

I had planned on usig the resort photographer until I was reading on here about how most resort photographers aren't specifically wedding photographers so they don't always get the best shots. I've decided to use faber photography and am very excited! I found out about them by looking through the vendor forums.

[jystar13]

thanks for the advice! you have amazing pictures as well i just took a look at your site and emailed you for more information
 

Originally Posted by gonzaloNunez 

Hi Jystar!

Usually the photographers from the resort are inexperienced and underpaid. Choose with your heart, photography will be your only memory for all your life. Put this responsibility in hands of an experienced photographer. I know that resorts will charge you with a fee, but bringing your own photographer will be the best option. And I am telling this for my experience. Not because I am a photographer.. J

Happy planning!!