Crap wedding photographers
Discussion
I've done 3, all for friends. They are VERY hard work. A day in recce and preparation to plan the shoot (dry and wet options). A full day doing the formal and informal stuff with little if any help in rounding up the right people for the right shots. A long night doing the reception and candids. Two or 3 full days finishing off with post processing and presentation.
Total income £0.00p. I would never charge a mate for a job.
Ive been to several weddings where there have been small, cheap disposable cameras on the tables at the reception. These have produced some wonderfull pictures af guests and, sadly, a few arses.
Total income £0.00p. I would never charge a mate for a job.
Ive been to several weddings where there have been small, cheap disposable cameras on the tables at the reception. These have produced some wonderfull pictures af guests and, sadly, a few arses.
Starfighter said:
I've done 3, all for friends. They are VERY hard work. A day in recce and preparation to plan the shoot (dry and wet options). A full day doing the formal and informal stuff with little if any help in rounding up the right people for the right shots. A long night doing the reception and candids. Two or 3 full days finishing off with post processing and presentation.
Total income £0.00p. I would never charge a mate for a job.
Ive been to several weddings where there have been small, cheap disposable cameras on the tables at the reception. These have produced some wonderfull pictures af guests and, sadly, a few arses.
You should charge a mate... If I was one of these mates, reading this, I would be a bit upset that these are your memories of their wedding... But then, I wouldn't let you do it for nothing, if you were my mate...Total income £0.00p. I would never charge a mate for a job.
Ive been to several weddings where there have been small, cheap disposable cameras on the tables at the reception. These have produced some wonderfull pictures af guests and, sadly, a few arses.
Carl Sewell' s philosophy on customer service was always "don't charge a customer for anything you wouldn't charge a mate for" - you wouldn't last long as a freelancer
Wedding Photography is one of the hardest gigs and my respect goes to those that do it properly and as their main source of income.
The world is full of photographers, or rather, people with cameras and it really dilutes the market. What brides and the viewing public forget or rather fail to understand is that those absolutely WOW images appearing on sites are often staged with models and typically you can spot them a mile off if you understand what you are looking at.
I am a portrait photographer. I have done some publicised weddings, some low key weddings, some friends weddings and I now refuse to do them because to me the shots are snap shots, albeit very good ones of course but god its hard but very fun. My advice to anyone that comes to me to shoot their wedding is simple. Do not pay for a wedding photographer unless you pay absolute top dollar and are prepared to take a good 2 or 3 hours away during your day to utilise them for your "WOW" shots that you saw on their site and on top of everything you have a very strong, professional planner who will manage you, your time and your guests.
Every sing one I did wanted me to work some magic, I explained you will need to appreciate if you want those shots you will have to ignore catching up with friends and family during your down time or prepare to do the set shots after the event. All agree, all understand all got carried away on the day and the opportunity is missed. I remind them all that if that's what they want and are unable to do what is needed, they wont get what they want. I also remind them that it is their day and I wont tread on their toes after two or three pushes, all but one had crap planners the ones that did we had very high key guests all in show biz and all brilliant to work with. They did get their shots on top of everything else.
So I would just walk around taking random shots of the guests and compile a brilliant journal of the day. I would get asked why am I taking 1000s of shots, am I crap. To which I would say wait till you see results. the results being stop motion reportage videos of the day.
Truth is, there are some fantastic togs but they are few and far between. There is a true gift to do it time after and for me, I lack the will power and also I like to chose my subject matter. Its horrible to say but you cant work miracles if the material is like the Elephant man but you can take the best shot of them all the same.
So back to my point, I say to people when was the last time you went to a friends and recalled the days weddings photos in the book or watch the film. They are mostly locked away or viewed once and that's it. Of all the weddings I did, I still talk most and all loved the stop motion as its a gimmick captures the day and done to cool music it doesn't bore friends when they see it. Friends like to spot themselves. So I tell people now the best thing to do is get a load of disposable cameras or if you trust your guests give them a load of digitals to return at the end of the day and then have fun seeing the true fun of the party, if they still want the stages shots come to me after. It also doesn't help that in the last year I counted at least 10 divorces from 15 of my clients from 3 to 4 years ago, I don't want to be a jinx.
Wedding togs I salute you
The world is full of photographers, or rather, people with cameras and it really dilutes the market. What brides and the viewing public forget or rather fail to understand is that those absolutely WOW images appearing on sites are often staged with models and typically you can spot them a mile off if you understand what you are looking at.
I am a portrait photographer. I have done some publicised weddings, some low key weddings, some friends weddings and I now refuse to do them because to me the shots are snap shots, albeit very good ones of course
but god its hard but very fun. My advice to anyone that comes to me to shoot their wedding is simple. Do not pay for a wedding photographer unless you pay absolute top dollar and are prepared to take a good 2 or 3 hours away during your day to utilise them for your "WOW" shots that you saw on their site and on top of everything you have a very strong, professional planner who will manage you, your time and your guests.Every sing one I did wanted me to work some magic, I explained you will need to appreciate if you want those shots you will have to ignore catching up with friends and family during your down time or prepare to do the set shots after the event. All agree, all understand all got carried away on the day and the opportunity is missed. I remind them all that if that's what they want and are unable to do what is needed, they wont get what they want. I also remind them that it is their day and I wont tread on their toes after two or three pushes, all but one had crap planners the ones that did we had very high key guests all in show biz and all brilliant to work with. They did get their shots on top of everything else.
So I would just walk around taking random shots of the guests and compile a brilliant journal of the day. I would get asked why am I taking 1000s of shots, am I crap. To which I would say wait till you see results. the results being stop motion reportage videos of the day.
Truth is, there are some fantastic togs but they are few and far between. There is a true gift to do it time after and for me, I lack the will power and also I like to chose my subject matter. Its horrible to say but you cant work miracles if the material is like the Elephant man but you can take the best shot of them all the same.
So back to my point, I say to people when was the last time you went to a friends and recalled the days weddings photos in the book or watch the film. They are mostly locked away or viewed once and that's it. Of all the weddings I did, I still talk most and all loved the stop motion as its a gimmick captures the day and done to cool music it doesn't bore friends when they see it. Friends like to spot themselves. So I tell people now the best thing to do is get a load of disposable cameras or if you trust your guests give them a load of digitals to return at the end of the day and then have fun seeing the true fun of the party, if they still want the stages shots come to me after. It also doesn't help that in the last year I counted at least 10 divorces from 15 of my clients from 3 to 4 years ago, I don't want to be a jinx.
Wedding togs I salute you
I've been a professional photographer on and off for over 30 years (full time for the last 18 months) and am occasionally asked to shoot friends and family weddings and I won't do it... I have taken my camera to weddings in the past and more people wanted my pics than the paid Tog, but the 'once in a lifetime' nature scares the crap out of me...
Yet I have shot loads of World Championships, where you have less than 30 seconds to get a once in a lifetime action shot of the winner, or a quick podium snap in the arena, with a crap background and being jostled from all sides, and it doesn't bother me at all... Mind you the thought of planning ANYTHING brings me out in a cold sweat
So total respect for wedding togs, from me too
Yet I have shot loads of World Championships, where you have less than 30 seconds to get a once in a lifetime action shot of the winner, or a quick podium snap in the arena, with a crap background and being jostled from all sides, and it doesn't bother me at all... Mind you the thought of planning ANYTHING brings me out in a cold sweat
So total respect for wedding togs, from me too
indeed, plus despite getting it as in camera as possible there is the various white balances to contend with or slight adjustments to make (unless you are happy with auto wb) I don't think people realise that the time that the tog is at the wedding party is only a very very small amount of the time you actually pay for.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Quite correct, my parents married 33 years ago and spent nothing on the wedding. There is one photograph; dad in a smart but ordinary suit; mother in a pink skirt suit. They are on the steps of some neo-brutalist concrete monolith housing a registry office. From there they went to a party in a friend's garden. Still together today; so a good example of minimal cost!ITs the point I drive home hardest when asked to do a wedding (because I don't want to and want them to think about it).
Truely it is like the emporers new clothes but if you are going to get your photos done you may as well pay top dollar, insist to see the togs public liability to make sure if they do screw up you can speak to Breadvan and instigate some sort of global litigation but as with the Wedding dress when do you ever wear that again?
My wedding is in Vegas next year, I will be getting it in a chappel of love and then she will be getting it in a motel of inequity. The photographs will be taken by friends (with a little guidance for the set shots) and that will be it. I would never pay for a wedding photographer but for those that do it I do respect them as its a rough gig with so many bottom feeders these days.
Truely it is like the emporers new clothes but if you are going to get your photos done you may as well pay top dollar, insist to see the togs public liability to make sure if they do screw up you can speak to Breadvan and instigate some sort of global litigation but as with the Wedding dress when do you ever wear that again?
My wedding is in Vegas next year, I will be getting it in a chappel of love and then she will be getting it in a motel of inequity. The photographs will be taken by friends (with a little guidance for the set shots
) and that will be it. I would never pay for a wedding photographer but for those that do it I do respect them as its a rough gig with so many bottom feeders these days.Hair Flick said:
So I tell people now the best thing to do is get a load of disposable cameras or if you trust your guests give them a load of digitals to return at the end of the day and then have fun seeing the true fun of the party, if they still want the stages shots come to me after.
These days most people show up with thier own digital camera. a friends wedding a while back she got all her mates to send her a CD of all thier photos and she's put together a seperate album of them all. She reckons her favorite photo is one taken by a guest rather than the official photographer.Interesting point about the staged shots, the photographer we've booked showed us several people albums they've shot and they've got some fantastic couple shots and did say we'd need to go off for a fair while to do them.
RizzoTheRat said:
These days most people show up with thier own digital camera. a friends wedding a while back she got all her mates to send her a CD of all thier photos and she's put together a seperate album of them all. She reckons her favorite photo is one taken by a guest rather than the official photographer.
Interesting point about the staged shots, the photographer we've booked showed us several people albums they've shot and they've got some fantastic couple shots and did say we'd need to go off for a fair while to do them.
Always do them after the event is my advice unless they can and will spare the time. You still will get some cracking top drawer shots with limited time but often what the bride wants is what she has seen on a website and doesn't realise its staged, models with all the ambients being duly managed not contending with variable weather, conditions, timelines etc. I love doing them once on the job but you have to be able to ignore the politeness of waiting whilst people chat and talk to the couple, you have to be firm yet polite and strong enough to say if you want these shots that you are paying for (regardless) then lets chop to it.Interesting point about the staged shots, the photographer we've booked showed us several people albums they've shot and they've got some fantastic couple shots and did say we'd need to go off for a fair while to do them.
And wtf is it with the group shots, is it 1980? The format struggles still based on a tradition set when a tog had 2 rolls of film and this greatly limited their ability to get creative. Now its digital people think ooh its cheap and esay we want 500000 shots for the money we are paying. The amount of crap clients I'd turn down, despite the money because you just knew it simply would not have been worth the hassle. When they start making demands for the larger number of shots or start to look and how to reduce prices you simply pass them to someone on FB thats just got a camera (usually the fauxtogs shoot Nikon so always make sure you talk to a Canon shooter
) and is calling themselves a photographer.Loving this thread I never realised I had such a bee in my bonet as I turned my back on it... another bug I hve now is all these bloody associations as if paying for membership instantly elevates you to David Bailey status but the clients lap the letters up and then theres the current issue with society where you must have a degree to be a good photographer. Christ someone better go talk to Brandt and rewrite history to say he was crap
Hair Flick said:
And wtf is it with the group shots, is it 1980?
No but aunts and uncles are all from the 40's-70's so we'll still be doing group shots 
Good point about doing shots afterwards, our photographer does offer an extra session, usually before the wedding (for use on invites presumably), might check the the proto-Mrs about what her favorite shots were from the albums she looked at. I'm working on the theory the photos (and a signed pice of paper) are the main thing you take away from the day so may as well spend the money and get some good ones
An interesting development, http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4895713/...
AIUI the couple paid £100 for the photos. TBH for that amount I don't think they've been done, you don't get much for that money.
AIUI the couple paid £100 for the photos. TBH for that amount I don't think they've been done, you don't get much for that money.
Love this "Evette, 32, of Coventry, said: “It’s just awful, she’s robbed us of everything. Nothing is ever going to get our day back.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4895713/...
You paid 100 quid. I well imagine you called someone like myself but scoffed even at the absolute bargain basement 800 quid which gets you on the starting blocks only and even that is because we have to compete with the 100 quid types. Then I bet you looked around and found a friend who said they know someone that will do it and they are really cheap. Well you got actually what you paid for.
Loving the glum look she is pulling in the headline shot too and then to say its completely ruined because you will never get your day back! Lolsburger. You got married, the photos should be a nice add on but not the be all and end all. You paid 100 quid, you got yourself 100 quid in value. Let the lesson be learnt, if you cannot afford it don't scrimp. If your heart is set on an M3 but all you can afford is a 316ti, don't buy the 316ti.
These couples are exactly the reason why I don't even entertain this s
t anymore. Like proms, you can make a packet but then everyone knows someone that can do it for 50 quid.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4895713/...
You paid 100 quid. I well imagine you called someone like myself but scoffed even at the absolute bargain basement 800 quid which gets you on the starting blocks only and even that is because we have to compete with the 100 quid types. Then I bet you looked around and found a friend who said they know someone that will do it and they are really cheap. Well you got actually what you paid for.
Loving the glum look she is pulling in the headline shot too and then to say its completely ruined because you will never get your day back! Lolsburger. You got married, the photos should be a nice add on but not the be all and end all. You paid 100 quid, you got yourself 100 quid in value. Let the lesson be learnt, if you cannot afford it don't scrimp. If your heart is set on an M3 but all you can afford is a 316ti, don't buy the 316ti.
These couples are exactly the reason why I don't even entertain this s
t anymore. Like proms, you can make a packet but then everyone knows someone that can do it for 50 quid. Hair Flick said:
Love this "Evette, 32, of Coventry, said: “It’s just awful, she’s robbed us of everything. Nothing is ever going to get our day back.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4895713/...
You paid 100 quid. I well imagine you called someone like myself but scoffed even at the absolute bargain basement 800 quid which gets you on the starting blocks only and even that is because we have to compete with the 100 quid types. Then I bet you looked around and found a friend who said they know someone that will do it and they are really cheap. Well you got actually what you paid for.
Loving the glum look she is pulling in the headline shot too and then to say its completely ruined because you will never get your day back! Lolsburger. You got married, the photos should be a nice add on but not the be all and end all. You paid 100 quid, you got yourself 100 quid in value. Let the lesson be learnt, if you cannot afford it don't scrimp. If your heart is set on an M3 but all you can afford is a 316ti, don't buy the 316ti.
These couples are exactly the reason why I don't even entertain this st anymore. Like proms, you can make a packet but then everyone knows someone that can do it for 50 quid.
Hair flick; will you be having the old 'all the guys running towards the photographer' shot at your wedding?Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4895713/...
You paid 100 quid. I well imagine you called someone like myself but scoffed even at the absolute bargain basement 800 quid which gets you on the starting blocks only and even that is because we have to compete with the 100 quid types. Then I bet you looked around and found a friend who said they know someone that will do it and they are really cheap. Well you got actually what you paid for.
Loving the glum look she is pulling in the headline shot too and then to say its completely ruined because you will never get your day back! Lolsburger. You got married, the photos should be a nice add on but not the be all and end all. You paid 100 quid, you got yourself 100 quid in value. Let the lesson be learnt, if you cannot afford it don't scrimp. If your heart is set on an M3 but all you can afford is a 316ti, don't buy the 316ti.
These couples are exactly the reason why I don't even entertain this s
t anymore. Like proms, you can make a packet but then everyone knows someone that can do it for 50 quid. Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff