Look at This!
and My Favorite LINK
This is why professional photographers employ assistants and use current technology.
Sadly; the above scenarios are becoming all too common.
I wonder how many images were forever lost of the ceremony that will never be recovered?
Although it's a funny video, we have to ask ourselves (WHY) this happened and is it a chance you are willing to take on your special day?
While this article is somewhat lengthy, it will save you heartache when choosing a photographer for your once in a lifetime event.
Digital cameras have been out for some time now. The dust has finally settled after so many amateurs have attempted to shoot weddings with less than optimal equipment and even less talent.
Photographers who lack experience (like the ones in the videos); are those who are NOT shooting every day and are simply unprepared & under-qualified.
Experienced photographers always have an assistant. In the video we just watched, the assistant would be walking behind the photographer to alert him/her to any problems. The memory card in this poor guys camera's are probably wiped out. Your wedding day is so important, why would anyone take such a chance on the amateur? A professional uses today's technology to prevent such a possibility by using wireless transmitters that send each and every image to a back up the instant images are taken.
These and other problems often plague the amateur. Sadly, it is the client who pays the final price in lost images and unacceptable photography.
When we go to the doctor’s office for a visit, we are confident they are generally qualified, due in part to the schooling they receive and license’s required by law.
Unfortunately, this is not the case with photographers. Some photographers attempt to fool the client into thinking they are professional by calling attention to their affiliations with photo organizations; (PPA) (WPPI), yet this does not guarantee they are qualified as there is no vetting process with these organizations. Anyone can join the Professional Photographers of America; just send in your dues.
How does the client know they are getting what they paid for, what they hoped for and what they expected?
How does one choose a photographer?
THE EASY WAY
1) Ask for their portfolio or sample images.
Although this sounds like the obvious route and one most clients choose, it is not fail safe.
Sadly, many photographers only publish their very best work to a website. What you see on their web site may NOT be what YOU will receive.
Nearly anyone through the magic of Adobe Photo Shop can splash cute little titles across an image or attempt to correct a poorly exposed shot.
How can you get past this possible deception?
A professional photographer is always available to meet with their clients well before the shoot.
Ask the photographer to bring along his/her camera for this 1st meeting.
When your photographer arrives, ask if they wouldn't mind taking a few photos of you. (There should be no charge for this)
These few photos can be emailed to the client in a matter of hours. If the photographer is a experienced professional, the few images you receive look far better than snap shots. It’s obvious this person knows what they are doing. I’ve heard some photographers bemoan this practice saying:
“It’s not fair since I can’t control the surroundings and light.”
That statement is utter nonsense. A professional is well able to cope with most any lighting situation. To be able to shoot “on the fly” with quality is one of many skills a good photographer possesses. It’s an important quality, especially for the wedding shooter. When I shoot assignments for editors or art directors, I rarely have the control I wished for; my assignment editors really don't care for excuses, they expect results as should anyone paying for photography.
To be fair, the photographer who is willing to cover a wedding for a few hundred dollars should not be expected to do the hours of necessary prep work that insures the images are of high and lasting quality.
2) ASK QUESTIONS
Prior to hiring a photographer, always meet with them before. A good photographer needs to see where the event will take place. A church, outdoors, a home etc…I’ve known some photographers who will simply show up the day of the shooting; totally unprepared for what may come up. Following the shoot, many clients now get their photos only to be disappointed with the final images.
These amateur photographer now begin with their excuses...
“The church was not what I expected.” “I can’t control the weather.” I wasn’t expecting all these people; they got in my way”
"The minister said no flash allowed"
“The light was bad”… etc..etc…
and the list goes on as they try to persuade the client to pay them anyway.
Is the photographer someone you are at ease with?
A wedding photographer is someone who wears many hats. One of these hats is a high ability to make people feel at ease while he/she orchestrates the shoot w/o interfering with your big day.
2) TECHNICAL
Although the client need not have an understanding of technical issues, the professional photographer must! In the world of DIGITAL photography, the professional has mastered not only photography, but (post processing) techniques as well. Most professionals agree, the photography is one small part in a multi-act play, it is what follows that requires the most time, effort and expertise; that being POST PROCESSING & EDITING.
In the past it was relatively easy since we were all shooting with film.
Much of the control in post processing was left to the photo labs we worked with.
Today, the imagery is far superior in the hands of a skilled photographer/editor.
Now the professional photographer controls all aspects of the image.
From the shoot to the delivered print.
Lacking excellent post processing skills is similar to mixing cake dough and never baking it or adding the icing.
Many amateurs will photograph an event, send the files to the client on a DVD so they can make re-prints and enlargements. OK so far.
This is a normal practice as many people would like to save a little money and NOT order a ga-zillion prints. A problem arises if the photographer did not pre-crop the images; most don’t.
The client takes their DVD to a 1 hour lab to make a 8x10 only to discover the heads are cut off or the image isn’t aligned properly.
This problem seems to stem from laziness on the photographers part or little knowledge concerning aspect ratios.
Pre-cropping 100-200 or 500 images can NOT be done in a batch process. It requires selecting and visually cropping each image one by one.
It causes one to wonder if they are unwilling to do this task, how much care are they giving to color accuracy, white balance and exposure? I know of no professional who will undertake this task for a couple hundred bucks.
The people who do are probably building their portfolio and skipping critical steps that insure your images are perfect in all ways.
The above reasons alone are why Uncle Harry, a friend etc... can’t and should not shoot a wedding unless quality is unimportant to the client.
3) Published?
Is it important for the photographer you choose to have been published?
While not a requirement to be an excellent photographer, it certainly shows the world the photographer has passed muster with a very discriminating audience; The Publisher.
Publishers of magazines, books, journals etc..., are not in the habit of working with amateurs. They (publishers) require the utmost in both technical skill, dependability and ethical business practices from the photographers they work with.
If the photographer you are considering has been published, chances are very good you just found a photographer you can trust as well as one that understands the technical aspects to make your images shine.
Anyone today can spend thousands on photographic equipment. This does NOT make them a professional photographer ; no more than me buying expensive golf clubs and expecting to play like a PGA touring pro. If the photographer feels the need to brag about how great their equipment is, look around for another.
2a) Images captured digitally are prone to corruption over time.
All DVD’s are not created equally; yet many photographers use DVD’s of low quality. They are not “archival” quality. If you are receiving a DVD of your images, make sure to ask if the DVD is archival quality. Average DVD life at this time remains undetermined. 5 years seems to be the figure floating in the technical journals. Re-copying / (Re-Burning) your DVD is a must every few years. Your photographer should be using specialized hard drives to archive your event. These are called (RAID Drives)
In the event YOU lose your image files or they become corrupt, your photographer should have backups and guarantee these files for (X) number of years.
Your photographer should be more than just a photographer. They should be an adviser you can count on after the photography is done as well as the person you turn to if a problem arises after the big day.
2b) RESOLUTION
Digital cameras capture images at various resolutions. Some people mistakenly call this “sharpness.” What is important here is that your images need to be recorded at a high level of resolution. Most of us have heard about mega pixels (a 6 MP camera) for instance. Mega pixels is NOT a measure of quality alone. Do not be impressed if your photographer quotes these numbers to you. As a guideline though, no professional is currently using a camera less than 12 MP’s with 24 MP rapidly becoming the norm.
Finally, Nikon and Canon (or better) are camera brands your photographer should possess. Some of us are using medium format digital for the utmost in quality when the client demands the best. These cameras sport a very large image sensor to capture images, providing incredible detail and color rendition. They are used more in the commercial side of photography for magazine shoots. This type of camera isn't needed for wedding or portrait photography unless the images are to appear in high resolution commercial publications.
2c) PRINTS & PAPERS
There are many types of paper to print your images. One of the complaints I often hear from new clients concerns their prints.
They tell me they had this or that studio or photographer do some portraits, and in less than a couple years, they seem to be fading and/or changing color.
Less than ethical studios (or uneducated) photographers will cut corners wherever they can. They will use labs who are the cheapest. I've heard of many weekend photographers who will have prints made at a one hour lab!
The printed images are on a low grade paper. Watch out for this. Ask what type of paper they use if you're requesting finished prints. Many people today prefer to just have a DVD with images from their event. If this is the route chosen, be sure to get recommendations concerning pro labs. DO NOT take high quality photographic images to a one hour lab. (1) One hour labs are set up to batch process hundreds of prints daily based on an average tonal range. Weddings and portraits should never be treated as "average" by a professional photographer.
1 One hour labs do not use high quality print paper
3) MONEY
I have personally covered weddings for $500. (Pre-1995)
I have also seen weddings covered for over $15,000.
What’s the difference?
Portrait and wedding (packages) are fine if the client is satisfied with the “One size fits all” philosophy. Some clients need only 100 images, some need 400. Some ask for B&W with color. Some want a journalistic approach while some prefer the documentation method to capture their day. Creative..edgy…contemporary…conservative etc …are styles of shooting.
Some people ask for makeup artists, some want more than one photographer, multiple shooting locations over a period of a few days etc…
All of these styles and scenarios come into play when selecting your photographer as well as pricing and fees.
To be forced into some pre-made package is too confining for the client. It forces the photographer into a cookie cutter approach. You may as well go to one of those places that will do X number of 8x10’s for $29.95
This approach is a dis-service to the client… Each client should have their photography designed around them, not the photographer’s rigid shooting style and pricing structure.
The client deserves a choice.
Finally, what about these people we all see and hear about who say they want to shoot your event for free or very cheap? If the client is willing to accept the risk associated with this, I see no problem. The result is more times than not a catastrophe. This type of photographer is not a photographer at all. They are attempting to build their portfolio at the clients expense. The professional photographer refers to this type of shooter as "Churn & Burn" In other words, all they want to do is churn out a lot of poor quality work, burn thru the clients event and move on to the next.
The client is volunteering to be their practice time.
For many, photographing (THE) event is a one time affair. Getting the family together for a portrait session or getting married are one time situations. You need to have it done right the first time. There are no “do-overs.”
A patient requiring surgery doesn’t want a medical student, they want the person who has performed the procedure many times with positive results.
So how much should you expect to pay for a professional photographer?
Again, the answer depends on what you desire. This is why all good photographers will have lengthy discussions with the serious client well before the day of shooting.
As a rule of thumb, expect at a minimum $800 for a professional.
An interesting story regarding value of a professional:
I was speaking to a bride & groom last year as part of the “get to know each other” interview. The bride’s mom came along to offer her input. I thought it was a great idea.
We finally came down to the cost based on what they wanted. I quoted them $1,350.
The mom was beside herself. “Are you kidding me?” she asked. Obviously she thought the price was too high. I asked her how long she had been married. She said 42 years. I then asked if she still had her wedding photos from the big day. She answered yes.
At that point I offered to buy her wedding photos and negatives for $2,000. You can guess what her answer was. There was no way she would sell her precious memories for $2,000.
I think that makes the point well.
“Quality photographers aren’t cheap; cheap photographers rarely produce quality.”
4) Why is it so difficult to find a good photographer?
Reason #1) Too many to wade through!
With the proliferation of quality digital cameras, everyone thinks he/she is Ansel Adams ,ready to tackle portraits or a wedding. Hard to believe? On the internet, do a search for (photography forums.) In these forums you will see for yourself how many are trying to jump on what they believe is make money fast & easy with photography with no regard for the client. A quick look at these forum titles and one soon sees titles like this:
HELP! I’M DOING MY 1ST WEDDING
WHAT’S THE BEST LENS FOR A PORTRAIT?
WHAT SHOULD I BE READY FOR AT MY 1ST SHOOT?
SHOULD I USE TTL FLASH OR MANUAL INDOORS?
DO I NEED A CONTRACT?
"I'm doing a wedding tomorrow, how do I..."
..and the list goes on and on. These people are usually the one’s who wind up shooting a wedding that we have all heard about. The result is often disaster.
HERE is just one of many examples what can happen if we choose the wrong photographer or entrust our big day to the amateur.
http://www.photo.net/ is a excellent photo forum with many people participating. Here one finds beginner photographers and professionals alike. Take a look at the ("Wedding & Social") forum; you'll soon see what I mean.
The 2nd reason why it’s difficult to find a good photographer; most are booked well in advance..often up to a year or more.
What is quite sad, many clients still spend in excess of $500 for a couple hundred pictures taken by a amateur, whereas a professional would have delivered 50 images of exceedingly high quality and lasting artistic value for the same money.
CONTRACTS & COPYRIGHTS
Are they necessary?
In a word for contracts; YES!
Do they need to be wordy encompassing page upon page? NO!
If the contract reads like the acquisition of a multi-billon dollar company, I would seek another photographer. There is no need for lengthy contracts filled with stipulations and escape clauses. My contractual agreement is one page and has served me well for many years. My clients are comfortable with it. I’m not photographing secret government installations that require a security clearance. A contract should be fair to the photographer and protect the client. Nothing more, nothing less.
COPYRIGHTS
This is a relatively easy one.
In years past, many photographers would add that big © to the print. This would force their clients to return to them for reprints, often at great cost.
Today, any photographer worth their salt will sign a limited copyright release. This short document gives the client full rights to use the images for personal use such as re-prints and enlargements.
One exception would be commercial gain. In other words, my images are for your personal use, not to be re-sold to a "Bridal Magazine" for profit.
Pretty simple. If a photographer wants to deliver prints only and expect you to come to them for re-prints..avoid them.
There are a fair amount of people posing as "professional" photographers today. It is my desire that this short document serves to assist people in selecting their next photographer.
Many times I am unavailable for a photographic assignment. In that event, I can recommend a few photographers who are of high repute, ethical, and fair. They maintain the highest level of quality photography.
FAQ about Peter Charles Studios
1) How long have you been shooting professionally?
Since 1986.
2) Do you only shoot weddings and portraits?
Although weddings and portraits are my passion, I shoot commercial and editorial work and license my images to stock agencies for advertising or work directly with publishers.
3) Do you have a web site?
Yes. My wedding area is pass word protected and available only to clients.
There are a few wedding samples open for anyone to view.
My Website
4) Are you expensive to hire?
This is a loaded question. LOL...Seriously, I have found the word "expensive" to be a relative term.
I am asked this question all the time when people find out I am a professional photographer.
The answer is; it depends. It depends on what my clients require.
More specifically, if someone were to ask me if I would shoot their wedding for $500, the answer is usually no.
Would I do a portrait session for $250? Possibly; the work load with time invested is far less when compared to a wedding shoot.
5) What do you offer that's others don't?
Experience is always #1. After 25 years, I get it right every time w/o exception.
Following that is creative artistry. This aspect can not be taught. Photographers either have it or they don't. I do. People are my passion; capturing their image is my passion.
Following the photo shoot, I spend an average of 40-50 hours post processing.
I specialize in weddings and portraits.
I am more than a photographer to my clients. I have become friends with many who started out as clients. I am always
available to my clients before and well after the photography is done to answer questions and offer advice.
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OPTIONS
Once a photographer has been selected for your big day, it's time to look at various ways to have the final photos delivered to you. There are several options from simple to extravagant.
1) DVD or CD...
with all images taken at your wedding or portrait session. All images should have been post processed by your photographer
or a editor. This includes pre-cropping of images that do not fit the standard aspect ratio of certain camera sensors.
The selection of a lab to print the photos is left entirely in the hands of the client.
This is by far the most economical way when the budget is tight.
2) DVD/CD with prints and enlargements.
Same as #1 except your photographer is in charge of ordering prints and enlargements with any display albums that may have been ordered.
This option is great for anyone that does not want the responsibility of finding a professional lab to produce prints or does not
fully understand differences in paper quality and types of paper. Your photographer should be able to explain these differences.
3) Photos are uploaded to a commercial site.
With this option, your photographer uploads all your processed images to a commercial website.
The client simply navigates to their name where the images are pass word protected so only you or anyone you authorize
may view the photos and place print orders. This is a nice option for people who have friends and relatives spread all across
the country. Your friends and relatives are given the website location along with the Pass Word, so they can view all the images and order any prints and/or enlargements they want.
The DVD/CD is given to the client with all the high resolution images.
EXTRAS
Many professionals will offer a DVD slide show of your day.
The slide show is viewable on any DVD player. Today, if the photographer is well equipped, Blu-Ray High Definition is also available.
The slide show when done by a experienced photographer is set to appropriate music and is of very high quality in presentation
and creative artistry.
I charge a flat fee of $275.00 for this exquisite service.
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**ADDENDUM**
These companies pay big money to insure their name is seen when we do a search for "Wedding Photographers." The "Company" then sets you up with one or more photographers. If you're lucky, you may get to meet the photographer before your big day. You look at a few pics and make a decision to hire them or not.
Is This a Problem?
If we employ some common sense, I think the answer becomes clear.
1) From the photographers point of view, if they sign on with such a service, the photographer is agreeing to a "WORK FOR HIRE" contract. Good photographers avoid "work for hire." Why?
Work for hire means the photographer does NOT own the copyright!
The company he/she signed with does. It is as though the photographer did not even create the photos; the company they signed with did.
Very few photographers will sign away their copyright. Those that do place little value in their work.
I actually called one of these wedding companies and asked their production manager about this.
"Do I own the copyright if I sign with you?" His response to me was "Yes and no"
Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200!
SOMEONE owns the copyright, it can not me and them unless a legal agreement is in place indicating such.
I hope other companies who hire photogs are a little more versed in copyright law or perhaps just less deceptive to my question. Now imagine this sort of company setting you up with a photographer?
I actually requested a copy of the contract from one of these companies. The contract plainly read "XYZ has exclusive rights to all photos. Images may not be used w/o written consent from XYZ company"
Seems pretty clear to me.
So what's the problem?
Well; if the mega-company is acting as the middleman between photographer and consumer; do we really believe we will receive great customer care? After all, the photog is working for THEM, not you.
Many of these companies are not even located in the state where they attempt to sign on photographers. I am contacted regularly by these companies asking if I want to be on their "list?"
In my research, I noticed many of these "package" deals being offered to the consumer seem too good to be true. $800-$1,000 for wedding coverage?
Wait a minute!
So the big mega-company gets their cut, the photog gets their cut? There doesn't seem to be much left for either? Well; the big wedding mega-company makes it's money in volume, the photog, well; they don't get too much.
So if the photog at YOUR wedding is working for peanuts (for someone else), do you think they will give the consumer 100% effort and care? Then again; why would a good wedding photographer work for peanuts? I'll let the reader answer that for themselves. There is never any "after the fact" consultation with these companies and the photog is nowhere to be found; no doubt because he/she is no longer a photog. Have a complaint about your photos? Good luck.
Perhaps there are some good middleman companies who will find a great photographer for you..as yet I have been unable to locate such a company or photographer who cares more about the consumer than getting onto the next wedding shoot.
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ADDENDUM #2
(December 2011)
Lately I have noticed a disturbing trend.
Amateur shooters offering the client ALL the RAW images!
In a nutshell, the RAW image is the un-processed digital file. Professionals generally like to shoot RAW images as it affords those who understand how to manage and edit these files a great deal of post processing latitude.
Why is offering these to a client a problem?
RAW image files look terrible prior to being processed. This is normal and as it should be.
Is the client with little or no experience supposed to process these files? And even if they could, not all software editors/processors handle all RAW files equally.
In other words, the RAW image from a Nikon camera is rendered differently compared to a RAW image from a Canon camera depending on the processing algorithm of the post processor.
Unlike years ago when many of us shot film, the negative was processed properly as long as the photographer shot the image properly. This is not true today with digital. Although professional photographers refer to the RAW image as the "digital negative", the digital negative requires quite a bit of manipulation. This manipulation usually falls well outside the abilities of most clients.
I can only imagine the questions I would have to ask my client if they wanted only the RAW images:
1) Are you using Adobe Bridge or do you go directly to the editor? Oh; you use Light Room! Wait! Capture NX2? No? Oh; you use Capture One?
2) Do you know how to assign/convert to a color space before printing?
3) Are you printing your own? Really? Will your printer print RGB files or do you need to constrain the space to sRGB?
4) Does your editor process linear in exposure comp. What about color corrections?
5) Is your monitor calibrated?
6) What are you sending the lab to print? Did you download the lab's profile for their particular printer?
Scary!...Just plain scary that anyone would offer RAW files to a wedding client.
A little about © Peter Charles Studios
I have been capturing images for 30 years and have been blessed to shoot at many locations around our wonderful globe. You can find many of my images in national publications.
I am available for Weddings, Portrait sessions and commercial/editorial work.
I'm always willing to help beginning photographers and emerging pro's with advice when time permits.
If you have any further questions in selecting a quality photographer, I will be happy to help if I can.
Fort Wayne Wedding Photographer Fort Wayne Wedding Photographer Fort Wayne Wedding Photographer Fort Wayne Wedding Photographer
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