Have you’ve been searching Atlanta wedding photographers online and gotten sticker shock. You’ve noticed there is a HUGE difference in what Atlanta wedding photographers charge. Unfortunately it’s no really possible to make direct comparisons because it’s such a personal service. But here are a few reasons why there’s such a big difference.

1. Talent & skill
Talent is the biggest factor in determining the value of a wedding photographer. Some are downright bad, possessing no fundamental knowledge of photography and relying on their camera to get the shot. In the middle you have the mediocre, or what I call competent wedding photographers. Yeah they can the job done with proper exposures and create nice pictures, but the images are boring and uninspired. They don’t elicit any emotional response. Finally there are those with true talent to create or capture an image. Their images are captivating and draw the viewer in. I believe having a photographic eye is inside a person and can’t be learned. It can be developed with experience but not learned. With that comes the skill, or the knowledge of the technical side of photography needed to pull of your vision. Skill without talent is why some photographers are only competent.

2. Experience
Experience is the second biggest factor in the price. Newer photographers are generally less expensive even if they are talented. But they may have difficulty organizing your family for portraits and quickly & politely get them done. They may not be able to anticipate moments or be in the right place to get the shot. Experienced photographers are able to work under pressure and solve problems without missing a shot.

3. Image Processing
Some photographers will deliver you photos straight out of the camera with little or no adjustments, while others will completely retouch some or all of your images. Several hours of work goes into processing these images so some with lower fees may charge you to retouch a photo, while others like myself, include it in the base fee.

4. Quality of Products
Some photographers offer consumer style albums where you slip prints behind plastic sleeves. These are not archival and can eventually result in discoloration, fading or even transfer of the image to the plastic. Then there is varying quality in professional albums where the images are permanently mounted to the page. Some don’t hold up to wear & tear. The image may discolor at the seams or even separate from the page. Cover materials (leather versus leatherette, metallic or canvas photos) are also a big factor in the price. High quality wedding albums are expensive even at wholesale so a low priced photography package will likely not have the best quality albums available. I guarantee my wedding albums.

5. Customer service
Lower cost photographers may not have the time or patience to deal with the many questions a bride may have. They’ll take days or even weeks to respond to questions. They may not be helpful or pro-active in handling problems. There’s also a big difference in delivery time-lines. Some photographers deliver your wedding photos within weeks of the wedding while others take can take several months for the photos with even more time need to complete your album. I’ve gotten wedding albums to couples in less than 2 months after their wedding.

6. Legitimate business
Photography is one of the easiest businesses to start. There are plenty of magazine articles advising people to make money off their cameras but it’s actually a very challenging and expensive business to maintain. Some cut corners by not being properly licensed and insured, not paying taxes, or having inadequate equipment for the job. I do operate my business legally but I keep costs down by not having a studio or staff and limiting myself to only the number of weddings I can handle while still providing excellent customer service.

I remember going through sticker shock when I was a bride. I was a hobbyist not a Pro photographer at the time. Wedding magazines often underestimate the true cost of photography and give bad advice for keeping costs down (like using disposables or hiring students). But here is a good resource for actual cost of Atlanta wedding photography as surveyed by recent brides. My prices very competitive and I do offer a lot of value. Contact me for more information.

Last night was the sneak preview of this annual charitable gown sale. The turn out was great with lots of brides leaving with wedding dresses. I brought 15 gift bags to give to brides who bought gowns and ran out of all of them before the end of the evening. The sale officially starts today so if you haven’t found your wedding dress you don’t want to miss this sale. There are over a thousand dressing including designer styles and the prices are great. Every year this charitable gown sale raises thousands of dollars for Making Memories Foundation, a non-profit that grants last wishes for terminal breast cancer patients.

Look for me or my display when you enter the sale. Tomorrow I’ll be there to volunteer and I hope to have the opportunity to dry on a dress or two.

For more information please visit http://www.atlantabridal.com/gownsale/

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Though well worth it in the long run, the cost of hiring a wedding photographer to capture priceless memories can be pricey. That’s why, when investing in wedding photography, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting precisely what you want. To do that, ask the photographers you speak with these key questions…

 

What is your background?

No, I don’t mean what kind of degrees, awards you have. Since photography is a creative profession, judging by formal training versus a natural eye isn’t necessarily the way to go. Instead, use what you learn about a wedding photographer’s background to help you understand what motivates them to shoot and why they shoot they way they do. If you like what you hear, keep them on your short list of wedding photographers; if not, move on.

 

Which genres do you shoot the most? What is your specialty?

Most photographers are NOT “one-size fits all” vendors. For instance, the type of shooting that’s done for a fashion editorial is very different that a portrait session. And a great portrait only photographer may not do well under the stress and timeline of a wedding day.   Therefore, it’s important to know what the photographer is accustomed to and interested in shooting. Otherwise, your expectations for your wedding images may not be met.

 

Who will really shooting?

If you are interested in a “one-man” show photographer then you won’t really need to worry about whether the samples you’re seeing are his / hers. You’ll also know, 100%, that the person who is going to show up at your wedding is the person you spoke with. However, some photography studios are staffed with multiple photographers. If you decide on a company that does this, ask to see individual portfolios. That way, you can pick the photographer whose style you like the best and request that photographer for your wedding rather than “rolling the die” and hoping for the best. With some studios, you may not get to choose and the samples you see on their website are the best of the best photographers.

 

What’s included in the price?

When choosing a wedding photographer, do not just look at price. Why? Two reasons: (1) Price alone doesn’t tell the full story of what’s included. For instance, one photographer may present pricing solely based on fees for shooting, meaning that the prints have to be purchased separately; others may provide pricing based on the packages they offer. While you may prefer one way or the other, either pricing method if perfectly legitimate in the world of photography. Therefore, ask what’s included in the price. (2) When you purchase photography services, what you’re really purchasing is a photographer’s talent and ability to shoot in a style that you prefer. Price has nothing to do with style. Therefore, the only truly feasible way to compare photographers is by style. Choose the photographer who shoots in the style that you like best.

 

Who’s got the rights?

The images taken may be of you but the work resulting is the photographer’s. Therefore, you should discuss rights with your wedding photographer candidates up front. Ask who will have the rights to the final images, how the images can be used, and what, if any, stipulations there are. Knowing the answer to this question can save a lot of headache and confusion down the line.

Good luck and as always, feel free to contact me with any questions!

Wedding Faux-tojournalism
What Wedding Photojournalism is Not!

Have you ever seen candid photos of a bridal party all jumping in the air? That is a common example of wedding faux-tojournalism, a term coined by fellow photographer. While it’s possible that the jump was spontaneous, it’s likely that the shot was requested by either the wedding party or photographer and staged. The photographer would likely have determined the best location where there are no distracting elements in the background. He or she would direct them to do it several times ensuring the entire party was frozen in the air. These are fun shots, but they’re usually not photojournalism.

Photojournalism, simply put, is telling a story with pictures. It does not matter if the image is in color or black & white or if the angle is tilted. Candid snapshots are not an example of photojournalism if it doesn’t tell a story. Pick up your favorite editorial newspaper or magazine and look at the photos and read the captions. They all say who, what, where, when and why.

While I have never been a newspaper or magazine photographer, I am a wedding photojournalist. I attended a seminar hosted by a team of award winning photojournalists turned wedding photographers. I was reminded of the basics of grammar – the structure of a sentence – and taught the basics of journalism. In news photojournalism, nothing can be staged or planned and certainly not photoshopped. Many photographers have been fired for such an offense. The only way a photographer can ethically manipulate a scene is to direct themselves. To change the background they have to shoot from a different angle. To crop they must zoom in before pressing the shutter, or walk closer. To change the lighting, they must move to take advantage of natural lighting or maybe use a flash of some sort. All these strict rules are for one purpose- to tell a true story.

The rules are not so cut and dry with wedding photojournalism because couples want us to make them look great on their wedding day. But the intent is still the same – to tell a true story of your wedding day. We want to provide you with memories of your day that exclude our presence. We will retouch your photographs to enhance them but generally not alter reality. When you flip through your wedding album with your grandkids, we want you to remember how you felt & re-live the moment, not think “that pose the photographer made us do is so cheesy.”

As you search for a photographer, you will notice that most claim to do photojournalism because that is the popular buzz word. But ask yourself what story are the pictures telling?

I came across this blog post that I wanted to share.  A woman admits to stealing from her photographer by scanning photos instead of paying for them.  She felt guilty yet continues to do it because she feels entitled to more than what she paid for.  The original article has been removed because the website doesn’t want to advocate it.  But in comment #45 is a link to her original posting.

As a photographer this is very personal to me and it’s frustrating to read the views of consumers who don’t understand the business.  Other photographers have posted our point of view.  I understand (yet disagree) with some of the consumers point of views. Hopefully some of them will read the photographers’ responses and understand that point of view.

http://www.wisebread.com/are-you-stealing-from-your-photographer