Something has been weighing on my mind very heavily lately… the economy sucks and so many couples are skimping on photography. You know, the one thing that will remain after the wedding day (aside from the dress you won’t wear again) and will be passed down for GENERATIONS… I’m talking great, great, great grandchildren here. I realize that I’m a bit biased in this because it’s my business AND my passion but for the life of me I cannot understand why a couple would hire an inexperienced photographer to capture what is possibly the biggest day of their lives. I do completely understand being simply broke and not being able to afford to do anything the way you want to (that was me), but I cannot understand spending loads of money on things that don’t last or will never be used again - the food, cake, invitations, attire, favors and then skimping on the one thing that does last. I’m not saying to go super cheap with everything and hire a photographer that costs 75% of your entire wedding budget (you still want you and your guests to have a good time!), but I am saying that this is one of those things that should not be overlooked. I recommend seeing what compromises can be made to hire the best photographer you can afford… even if it means that you can only afford to hire your photographer for 6 hours instead of 10 or that you have to hold off on the album until the budget allows. I was talking with someone today and he said something that made a lot of sense… he said “If I couldn’t afford to get everything I wanted, I would choose to get a few of my favorite images made into large canvases and skip the album.” I gasped at this for a moment and then realized something… the images in your album will only be seen when you are sitting down and looking at your album. Canvases hanging on your walls will always be in view. Certainly food for thought.
BridalGuide.com just published an article titled “Choosing your wedding photographer” and I think it is definitely worth the read. Bravo, Bridal Guide!
I have been working with a couple for almost a year now… I did not photograph their wedding but I have been working with them to try to “fix” their photos and create an album for them. I was provided with photos from the professional photographer (I am using the term very loosely here) as well as from several guests at the wedding. The ceremony was in Fiji at sunset… absolutely stunning backdrop for a wedding… the stuff that dreams are made of. The “professional” images have pitch black backgrounds and overexposed people… not only is it not flattering to the people in the photos but you cannot even tell that they are on a beach, much less Fiji at sunset. It is heartbreaking to look at these images. The photos that the guests took with their point and shoot cameras are for the most part better than the “professional’s” because you can actually see that it’s Fiji at sunset… though everything is very blurry and the resolution is tiny. I worked very hard to make these images the best that I can but there is only so much that can be done. You may be able to get dressed back up and have a photographer take photos of the two of you at a later date, but that is not the same as having good images from your wedding day. The huge smiles that couldn’t be wiped off of your faces, the tears in his eyes as you met him at the altar, the looks on your faces after you said “I do”, those quiet moments between the ceremony and the reception when reality hit you that you were actually married, how gorgeous Grandma Rose looked, how the best man got out on the dance floor with Great Aunt Betty and got the whole place laughing… these are the moments that matter. These are the moments that you want to trust to a true professional.
