Adding to a post I made a couple days ago, I wanted to highlight a few things that may have not been clear before. In my opinion the first thing a couple needs to determine in selecting a photographer is what style of photography they are after for their wedding; or to put it another way, which photographer seems to capture a wedding in the style they like most? Seems to me that is the bottom line: do you like their images? Even better, do you love their images? Too often I get questions from prospective clients who want to know whether I use an assistant, or what kind of camera I use, or whatever. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with asking these kind of questions, but sometimes I think that these questions hold more weight to them than the quality of the photographer's work. If they really like the images, why should it matter to them how the images were captured? If they are just curious, and want clarity for the sake of clarity . . fine. But I would encourage you to not get caught up in the weeds. Don't get bogged down with the kind of details that ultimately may not matter. Do you like/love the photographer's images? Okay then. That part is settled. We don't really care about the details . . we just want images like these.
Okay, so now what? Well, at this point there are two other hurdles you need to address before you can/should make your decision. Hurdle #1: Price. Hurdle #2: Do we like this person? Hurdle #1 is pretty obvious. You might love their images, but the photographer you want is way over your budget, with no room to bargain. At that point you might be in the "I love how a Mercedes feels, but I just cannot afford it" position. Instead you have to find a photographer who has the same kind of style, maybe the same kind of talent, but just doesn't cost as much. I like the feel of my Honda. It's not a Mercedes or a Lexus, but it suits my style and my budget much better, and I do like it. The variance in pricing though between photographers may not be that dramatic. I know my prices for wedding photography cannot be that much higher than lower price photographers. So I often wonder why a prospective client would select a photographer who is maybe $500 less than me, especially if that photographer might not have the same quality I provide? Don't misunderstand me here. I am not saying that anyone charging less than me is not as good as me; just like I would not say that anyone charging more than me is better than I am. But in this market, I know there are some pretty mediocre photographers out there charging less just to get the work. If you are stuck in the details, you might see that they are bringing an assistant, giving you all day coverage, and giving you a book, and think to yourself: look how much more we get for the money compared to that other photographer. But more of what? Pictures that you are not happy with? More aggravation? Yes, price is important within the context of your budget. I would just caution you to not to opt for a long list of what's included or a slightly lower price, but then paying for it by giving up on quality or peace of mind.
Hurdle #2 is pretty simple: do you like the photographer? Do they make you feel comfortable? This may not seem like a big deal, but you don't want your photographer to be a source of frustration, either on your wedding day or as you take care of any follow up after the wedding. You want the photos and the photo taking to be fun. You want them to be more than just a chore that you have to get through. Liking your photographer helps make this happen. I know this is an intangible, something that is hard to define. But a good interview and just getting to know the photographer can help you figure this one out. Does the photographer have a grasp on what they are doing? Are they interested in me and what I want? Are they helping me figure things out, or are they just confusing me? You're not out to pick a best friend. This is, after all, essentially a business transaction. But you want to be confident with this person, knowing they will be professional and deliver what you want. Do that, and everything else will hopefully go smooth for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment