1. Photographers have it easy... they just work 8hrs a week.
So not true... the fact is from start to finish your 8 hour wedding usually takes close to 35-40 hours. Remember the time spent before we even sign the contact at the coffee shop, the travel time to get there... the questions answered the additional phone calls. Then the wedding itself where we arrive early to make sure we are on time and set up; and then after where we tear down with your other vendors. Then the post work arrives as we all want stunning photos professionally edited. For every hour we shoot with you we generate over 100 photos and each photo takes around 1 min to edit the first go around. There is the second process to make sure everything looks the same, your imperfections are removed and drunk uncle jimmy is cut out of the photo. Then we look to print production, archiving and making the album. All of this time adds up quickly. Most people ask why our rates are so high per hour... the answer is the one hour we spend 'at' the wedding we send another 4 hours after or before... so our $250 per hour rate is actually closer to $60 per hour.
2. Ill just have Uncle Jimmy Shoot our wedding!!
This is conceivably the greatest piece of ballyhoo in the wedding business. Numerous brides commit this error every year and one just needs to complete a fast search on any of the marriage chat boards to perceive how decimating this misstep really can be. Even photographers that have some expertise in different regions i.e., landscape, infant, fashion, and so forth don't attempt to shoot a wedding. Most will concede to the pro similarly as I would on the off chance that somebody needed to accomplish something out of my strength. The experience of a refined wedding photographer is essentially excessively vital. We will know whats going to happen and when... We will know whats going to turn out badly before it even happens. We can change for troublesome lighting circumstances. I write about hiring a 'Uncle Jimmy' here. Just don't do it... Your best bet is to find a photographer with a broad portfolio. Look for a well balanced portfolio or set of portfolios on their website that show their ability to capture portraits, weddings, décor etc. It takes a certain type of photographer to handle the fast pace, high stress atmosphere of a wedding. You want someone who is quick, can handle stress easily while capturing beautiful images throughout the wedding day. You also want someone with a great personality as they will be around you all day as well as interacting your guests.
3. Table shots.
We often hear 'we want shots of all of the guest at their tables'. We happily oblige as it is your request and we are there to make your day special and follow your instructions. But think this through. The only time to get these shots is when everyone is at their table...eating. We almost never seen them in the final album as someone is chewing or the setting is not ideal as there are glasses and plates full of food. On top of this the bride and groom are sitting at their own table and the guest always want to be in the shot with the happy couple. Also think about the timing... half the table will need to go stand on the opposite side; so you are going to average 3-5 minutes per table to get it set up. Now say you have an average crowd of 150 people. Tables are normally 8-10 each. That’s 19 tables at 5 minutes each which is over 1 hour of your wedding devoted to taking image of people gathered around a cluttered table. Kind of a long way to go for shots like this. But as stated above... if you want them we will take them!
4. Its best hire a company that does both Video and Photography.
Beyond a doubt its simple to write one check. Yet, most photographers and most videographers are not proficient at both arts. The strategies for each are totally unique. The familiar adage "Jack of all trades; master of none" seems to fitting. There are even organizations that propose they can do everything – Limo, video, photograph, dj and so forth. I've worked with a few of these organizations. Truth is, they just are alright at every one of them. The best professionals in any field are called masters. Isn't that what you want for your wedding? You wouldn't have a podiatrist do your eye exam would you? Obviously not, you would need somebody who had some expertise in precisely what you require. In the event that you need a videographer, fine, locate a decent one; however be careful about the folks endeavoring to offer you a bundle bargain.
5. Photography is overrated and over priced
This is one hurts a little. It appears though a sensible thought, as great photography isn't 'cheap'. As a matter of fact considering that the pictures taken turn out to be a portion of your most loved memories, its really invaluable and far from overrated. Keep in mind, as discussed above, the normal wedding photographer will burn through 30-40 hrs on you and your wedding. On top of this we have overhead to keep our business running and the limited number of events we can work in any given year. Your wedding day is one of the most important and most beautiful days of your life, and as with all things, you really do get what you pay for. Your wedding photographer will be one of the most important decisions you make in planning, so invest in your wedding day to have wonderful memories that last a lifetime.
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