You know what I love? Getting advice. Well, actually I love giving it a lot more, but that’s another story for another day. Seriously, though, when faced with a situation I just don’t have that much experience with, I like to ask around and get some opinions of other people. WHICH IS WHY today I am going to crowdsource my wedding photographer situation.
So, as I mentioned the other day, I’m getting married in September, and instead of running around like a crazy person, I’m trying to knock things off my to-do list one at a time until I can walk down the aisle without having given myself a heart attack in the process. Right now, I’m in the middle of trying to book a photographer. I feel like it’s something I need to wrap up in the next few weeks because, seriously, the good ones are dropping like flies (as in they are getting booked, not dying), AND it would give me some peace of mind to check another thing off my list.
I think I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to my top three, two of which I’m scheduled to meet with within the next week. All three cost about the same, so that’s not really the issue…
So my question is, which one of these do YOU like the best? Whose style do you prefer?
I will take any questions, comments, or suggestions on this. Let me know what you think!!
OK, you asked for opinions, so here we go...
ReplyDeleteI tend to skip over posed shots. Every decent photographer can produce some beautiful shots in a meadow, or with 14 lights shining at you from strategic positions. The candid shots are what separates the good from the great.
To me, Three Pennies threw some shots up on their site that were out-of-focus, but post-processed to make them look like arty decisions when they were just bad shots. And Tina looks like she has a shoe fetish. So, if it were me, I'd go with Anna and Spencer.
However, as someone interested in photography, with occasional interest in looking at doing some professionally, I look at all of them and realize I will never be anything but an amateur. Photography has changed so much since I got married 25 years ago; our photographer couldn't deliver shots 1/10 as good as what these photographers do.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jerry! I feel like you were really able to verbalize the nagging feelings I was having about Three Pennies.
ReplyDeleteI like Tina Rowden the best because she had a mix of photojournalistic and artsy/creative shots. I don't know a whole lot about photography, but I DO know about searching for wedding vendors! My advice is:
ReplyDelete1. when you go to the interviews, make sure they show you two or three COMPLETE weddings, not just one, and not just the highlights from several like are on the website. This was great advice from my mom. She said if you're paying out the wazoo, you want at least 60% of the album to be "frameable."
2. Make sure you talk to the person(s) who will actually be shooting your wedding, and make sure that person is not obnoxious. Remember, this person will literally be in your face ALL. DAY. I interviewed a couple photogs with beautiuful work, but I knew they would drive me crazy (some of them think it's all about getting their shot, when it's really all about YOUR day). Everyone's definition of obnoxious is different, of course. I loved our guy because he really melted into the woodwork and he didn't make me do any awkward/weird poses--although he did make Patrick lie down in the grass. I liked him more for that heh heh.
Oh, and the other thing I was going to say is, 3.) ask how he or she handles non-photogenic people. This was a big one for us because Patrick, altho cute in real life, takes truly awful photos. Get them to show you examples even. That was my hesitation with Anna & Spencer...in the online portfolio, everyone looked like glamourous models--not that you and JP aren't of course!--but show me the photographer that can make fat and ugly people look good and I'll show you the money.
ReplyDeleteAnd also, 4.) ask if you can get allll the shots from your day on a disk. A lot of them won't let you do that, but ours did, and it was the A-1 BEST choice I ever made for the whole wedding. Because then you can get your prints and photoalbums made wherever you want (i.e. Shutterfly) instead of having to order from the photog (those albums are mucho $$$$, and it's annoying when you lose the prints and have to reorder two years later because you still haven't made your scrapbook...which has never happened to me). Saves a ton of money, and if the photog is talented they will look just as awesome.