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As a frequent forum navigator, I have noticed that certain questions come up over and over again with wedding photographers who are just getting started. I originally wrote this article for the benefit of a forum in which I participate, but they encouraged me to spread it to a wider audience. I’ve done my best to be unbiased and offer alternative points of view, and not everyone here necessarily represents my own opinion. Feel free to let me know if you have any additions or modifications to suggest! So here it goes:

Table of Contents:

1. My friend / relative is getting married and I have been asked to film the wedding. Should I do it? What should I charge?
2. What kind of equipment do I need? Is my team good enough?
3. I am ready to start a really real adult photography business in America. What I need to do?
4. Now that I am a real business, how much should I charge?
5. Do I offer a printable picture CD with my packages?
6. Should I record in RAW or JPG format?
7. Should I shoot primes or zooms?
8. How do I become a second shooter?
9. In what mode should I shoot?
10. Do I have to get permission to use someone’s music on my website?

Question 1: My friend / relative is getting married and I have been asked to film the wedding. Should I do it? What should I charge?

Answer 1: Shooting a wedding photographers in miami is a big responsibility. This is not the same as going out for a portrait session, where if you mess up, you can remake or simply offer a refund. These are some of the most important photographs most people will ever take, and you owe it to yourself and your potential client to be honest about your abilities. Weddings often present difficult and changing conditions, and require a high level of quality sustained over a long day. If you make a mistake, it can deeply damage your relationship with these people.

Many responses to this question on this forum amount to “better tell them to hire a real professional.”

Many here will argue that if you film the wedding, taking money for your photography in this situation increases both the potential for misunderstandings and your legal liability if something goes wrong. There is a big difference between someone who is a guest with a camera and a paid contractor. These people would say that you better not accept money.

Some will suggest that if you are confident enough to film the wedding, then you must be confident enough to charge an honest fee. The average American couple spends just under $ 2,000 on their wedding photography, although this varies greatly by region. Many high-end wedding photographers charge much more than this and five-figure prices are not uncommon.

Some here will offer that they refuse to photograph weddings for friends and family, regardless of their experience level, due to the potential for misunderstandings.

Some will suggest that you try to find a local seasoned professional to tag along and get some experience before you go out on your own. Be prepared for some photographers to see this as if they are creating their own competition and will not be enthusiastic about helping. Also, keep in mind that many of the more seasoned photographers get multiple “second shooter” offers each week.

If you decide you are still going to shoot, almost everyone here will advise you to actively look for conditions similar to what you will experience on the wedding day (i.e. go exploring the church) and PRACTICE in those conditions. If you’ve never been forced to shoot f / 1.4 ISO 3200 1/50 without a flash before, then your wedding day isn’t a good first time to learn.

If you are absolutely determined to shoot, good luck and good light to you!

Question 2: What kind of equipment do I need? Is my team good enough?

Answer 2: We had a saying in the military: “two is one, one is none.” This means that if a certain piece of equipment is important enough that it is difficult for you to film the wedding without it, then it needs backup. This means, to begin with, you need:
-Two camera bodies
-Two flashes
-Enough redundancy in lenses that if you drop your 24-70 you won’t be caught in fisheye the rest of the day.

There are quite a few variations in the style of wedding photography. The style of wedding photography depends on the type of photographer your wedding photographer is. Is it someone who views through their camera in a traditional way or someone who takes creative shots? There is a growing movement toward a low-key method of capturing wedding day moments that is more natural in focus. Capture the wedding day as it unfolds. There will be less than the usual gathering of the couple and the guests to pose for pictures. The photographer is nearly invisible to family and friends and simply captures the moments as they happen.

This style of wedding photography creates a narrative and more natural style, each photograph will help tell a complete story of your wedding day. It begins with how the bride prepares for her special day and ends with the party that follows. The idea of ​​documentary wedding photography is to capture moments in a chronological order just as it happens on your wedding day. The photographer is attentive to everything that happens and tries to capture the defining moments of the wedding. The duty of the wedding photographer is to produce photographs that will remain special for both the groom and the bride, as they will recreate their wedding day through images.

What is exceptional with this style of wedding photography is that the day can begin without any disturbance usually caused by the people who have to pose for the photographs. The bride and groom can focus on what really matters on their wedding day, which is showing their love for each other.

This style of wedding photography creates a story that will unfold as the day progresses. All the pictures will help to recreate the wedding day as it happened and hopefully tell a good story. Remember that your wedding is a special day. Details such as the taste of the food, the appearance of the cake, how the guests enjoyed the party all pale in comparison to the outcome of the wedding photographs, it should not only be good but exceptional. After all, once the day is over, it is the photographs that will remind you of how special your wedding day was.

When you are ready to decide who will be your wedding photographers in miami, here are some tips to help you decide who to hire as a wedding photographer. You have to get someone who is the best in their craft, someone who can deliver the best photographs and also someone who can offer different wedding photography packages. It’s also important to hire someone who is adept at handling the technicalities behind good wedding photography. If, for example, you live in a place where there is a lot of natural light, be sure to hire a photographer who knows how to handle different lighting conditions.

Request samples of the photographer’s work. Remember the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”, the photographer’s work will speak for itself. By his work, you can judge whether he is the right wedding photographer for you. Ask for honest feedback from couples who have worked with this photographer. Lastly, ask about the wedding packages offered by your wedding photographer. In the end, you may want to take all the photos. There may be photos that you feel a personal connection to, regardless of what the wedding photographer may think about it. Remember that your wedding day is personal and sometimes no matter how some photos may lack artistic value in the eyes of the wedding photographer, they can be the very photos that will remind you of how special your wedding day was and without them they will not complete your wedding story. .

When reading the title of this article you are probably wondering what attitude has to do with photography or your wedding; to me think a lot!

The Wedding Press, Wedding Blogs and Photographers websites are full of tips for choosing your photographer. Wedding Press and Blog writers will emphasize such as looking carefully at past weddings they have filmed, noting the quality of the albums they sell, carefully considering the price, looking for ways to lower the price, requesting a free engagement session, or asking for record just one record and make your own album etc, while the photographers website will talk lyrically about your qualifications with a professional body, your level of insurance, what your packages include, how many hours will they spend with you, how low is your price is or justifies how high your price is!

Although all of the above are valid ways to search for your wedding photographers in miami, it is wise to look at these tangible elements before explaining why attitude is of vital importance in your choice.

Pictures from Past Weddings – Surely any photographer will only show you their best work in print, firstly because it would be crazy to show you average or bad work and secondly, the cost of producing multiple sample albums is prohibitive.

Regarding the quality of the album: The quality of the sample album is directly related to the price to some extent. A photographer who values ​​his work and takes the time and effort to properly process his images will only use high-quality albums from established album printers. Why would someone who values ​​their own work offer you a cheap coffee table book from a mass market producer?

Find ways to cut costs – If you need to cut costs on your wedding, you need to cut costs across the board. There is a price for photographers below which it does not make economic sense to work, although you will always find some that will if you do not value photographic memories. Few photographers can find weddings to photograph 5 days a week 48 weeks a year, then there is the necessary time in addition to a wedding for meetings with the bride and groom, processing the images (a minimum of 2 times the wedding reservation), transportation to And since the wedding, sure and let’s not forget the equipment (which unlike your home camera will wear out and be damaged).

Free Engagement Shoot – Well done, you get something for free, if a photographer is prepared to do it for free, then they have already included it in their price or made the decision that you have booked and paid the deposit, so if you don’t, if you follow Go ahead with him and cancel after the engagement session, he has his deposit.

Disc Only: There is a market for disc recording, but for the photographer it relies on a large number of weddings per year in this unique package. It is often preferred by beginning photographers as a way to quickly create a wedding series. Let’s be honest, 40 weddings a year at $ 500 isn’t a bad addition to a full-time income, but it would never cover the costs of a full-time business. If someone did a study of those brides who opted for disc-only photography, I’m sure it would show that less than 20% have ever printed any of the images, they just end up on social media. Most photographers will be happy to provide you with their album images perfectly prepared for social media anyway.
The 2 great things photographers will tell you are:

Sure: this should be a fact and something every bride should ask about. Personal liability and professional indemnity insurance are required. Unfortunately, like car drivers, there are those who will not have it either to save money or out of ignorance. Like the uninsured driver, you will receive little reward from an uninsured photographer if something goes drastically wrong or your actions injure one of your guests.

Will a good landscape photography course make one a better photographer? Of course! After all, there is a lot to understand. Photography has a science, so you have to learn the technical aspect, but in truth, photography is an art … you also have to learn to really see.

A landscape photography course is needed to learn the technical fundamentals – setting shutter apertures, focal lengths, and using various filters, to name a few. But while there are numerous voluminous volumes of manuals to read, a landscape photography course can be used to learn it all in a simple, easy-to-learn format.

There are many ways to take stunning photos, even without an expensive, state-of-the-art camera. You can take brilliant, award-winning photos with the cheapest camera; You can also do it with a simple digital camera. A good team works well, no doubt, but it all lies in the talent and technical knowledge developed.

Some things you can learn in a landscape photography course are very innovative. You can experiment with this art by creating new filtering techniques, such as using dyed and wrinkled cellophane wrapping for an interesting effect.

The basics that one can learn are also very landscape photography prints… like learning the best moments to photograph landscapes. Early morning and late evening are great times, as the low-angle sun can catch shadows and bring out textures in the landscape. Also, it’s often good to find scenes with a lot to see on the horizon (or center of view), and not much above and below; this will allow these parts of the image to be cropped to create a spectacular panoramic or “letterbox” view. Using a landscape photography course is the way to learn the technical side of photography and develop your talents.

Will a good landscape photography course make one a better photographer? Of course! After all, there is a lot to understand. Photography has a science, so you have to learn the technical aspect, but in truth, photography is an art … you also have to learn to really see.

A landscape photography course is needed to learn the technical fundamentals – setting shutter apertures, focal lengths, and using various filters, to name a few. But while there are numerous voluminous volumes of manuals to read, a landscape photography course can be used to learn it all in a simple, easy-to-learn format.

There are many ways to take stunning photos, even without an expensive, state-of-the-art camera. You can take brilliant, award-winning photos with the cheapest camera; You can also do it with a simple digital camera. A good team works well, no doubt, but it all lies in the talent and technical knowledge developed.

Some things you can learn in a landscape photography course are very innovative. You can experiment with this art by creating new filtering techniques, such as using dyed and wrinkled cellophane wrapping for an interesting peter lik photo style.

The basics that one can learn are also very important … like learning the best moments to photograph landscapes. Early morning and late evening are great times, as the low-angle sun can catch shadows and bring out textures in the landscape. Also, it’s often good to find scenes with a lot to see on the horizon (or center of view), and not much above and below; this will allow these parts of the image to be cropped to create a spectacular panoramic or “letterbox” view. Using a landscape photography course is the way to learn the technical side of photography and develop your talents.

Will a good landscape photography course make one a better photographer? Of course! After all, there is a lot to understand. Photography has a science, so you have to learn the technical aspect, but in truth, photography is an art … you also have to learn to really see.

A landscape photography course is needed to learn the technical fundamentals – setting shutter apertures, focal lengths, and using various filters, to name a few. But while there are numerous voluminous volumes of manuals to read, a landscape photography course can be used to learn it all in a simple, easy-to-learn format.

There are many ways to take stunning photos, even without an expensive, state-of-the-art camera. You can take brilliant, award-winning photos with the cheapest camera; You can also do it with a simple digital camera. A good team works well, no doubt, but it all lies in the talent and technical knowledge developed.

Some things you can learn in a landscape photography course are very innovative. You can experiment with this art by creating new filtering techniques, such as using dyed and wrinkled cellophane wrapping for an interesting fine art landscape photography.

The basics that one can learn are also very important … like learning the best moments to photograph landscapes. Early morning and late evening are great times, as the low-angle sun can catch shadows and bring out textures in the landscape. Also, it’s often good to find scenes with a lot to see on the horizon (or center of view), and not much above and below; this will allow these parts of the image to be cropped to create a spectacular panoramic or “letterbox” view. Using a landscape photography course is the way to learn the technical side of photography and develop your talents.

Will a good landscape photography course make one a better photographer? Of course! After all, there is a lot to understand. Photography has a science, so you have to learn the technical aspect, but in truth, photography is an art … you also have to learn to really see.

A landscape photography course is needed to learn the technical fundamentals – setting shutter apertures, focal lengths, and using various filters, to name a few. But while there are numerous voluminous volumes of manuals to read, a landscape photography course can be used to learn it all in a simple, easy-to-learn format.

There are many ways to take stunning photos, even without an expensive, state-of-the-art camera. You can take brilliant, award-winning photos with the cheapest camera; You can also do it with a simple digital camera. A good team works well, no doubt, but it all lies in the talent and technical knowledge developed.

Some things you can learn in a landscape photography course are very innovative. You can experiment with this art by creating new filtering techniques, such as using dyed and wrinkled cellophane wrapping for an interesting landscape photography for sale.

The basics that one can learn are also very important … like learning the best moments to photograph landscapes. Early morning and late evening are great times, as the low-angle sun can catch shadows and bring out textures in the landscape. Also, it’s often good to find scenes with a lot to see on the horizon (or center of view), and not much above and below; this will allow these parts of the image to be cropped to create a spectacular panoramic or “letterbox” view. Using a landscape photography course is the way to learn the technical side of photography and develop your talents.

You have chosen your date, you have reserved your place and you have started buying dresses. You are now looking for a wedding photographer. There are many styles of wedding photography, and although people in the industry may know these styles from the inside out, they can be confusing for couples. Also remember that you are not just choosing a photography style, but different types of wedding photography can make your time on the wedding day different.

Choosing the style of photography you want at your wedding comes down to three things. What style of images do you want, how much time do you want to spend with a photographer on your wedding day, and most importantly, your own personality and comfort in front of the camera.

There are many different photography buzzwords. Vintage, editorial, artistic or contemporary are just a few. Perhaps most confusing is that they are used by different photographers in different ways. Ultimately, it is up to couples to ask lots of questions and do a lot of research before choosing a photographer, and rely on seeing a full set of completed wedding photos.Don’t rely on the best five or six shots from various weddings to make a decision.

Wedding photography styles are a compromise between producing fantastic work and sticking to a schedule. A photographer can produce brilliant photos, but if it takes too long to produce them, you will probably not enjoy the experience.

Traditional wedding photography (or posada)

Many people think of traditional wedding photography as endless sweltering group photos where everyone looks stiff as a board. Worse still, the different collections of people seem to last forever. I think there is a fad in traditional wedding photography, but the actual framework remains the same for most wedding photographers. Photographs may be more elegant, but the actual experience of the day for the bride and groom is very similar.

There is always a trade-off between the type of work a photographer does and the time it takes to photograph him. Photos of more formal poses will take longer to set up and achieve. Any photographer producing posed artwork will need a certain amount of time to produce their best work. It is important that you find out how long it will take and how it will fit into your day. There are photographers who dedicate a couple of hours to formal shots. Make sure you’re happy to put in that amount of time on your vizcaya wedding photographer day. If you are not as comfortable in front of the camera, this type of photography may be more difficult. A good photographer should be able to help and reassure you, but for many people it can seem a bit overwhelming.

Wedding photography for reportage (Wedding Photojournalism)

If the traditional thing is about posed photographs, then reportage wedding photography is the opposite. It’s based on capturing moments as they happen, and it’s more like a documentary about the fly on the wall. This form of wedding photography means that the photographer spends most of their time in the background, which is why it has become increasingly popular with couples. Weddings are also becoming less formal than they used to be. Documentary wedding photography requires a different skill set than traditional wedding photography, so you need to make sure your photographer has the right photographic background and can show you entire weddings to support this. Wedding photojournalism is more about a complete set of all-day images than a set of a dozen highlights. There are photographers who jump on the trendy bandwagon to win business, but still wear the same old style. Wedding photojournalism is all about anticipation and being in the right place at the right time. It’s not about directing people closely, which is why it places many traditional wedding photographers outside of your skill set. There are some less ethical photographers who will use the latest buzzwords to enhance their search engine presence, but will still take the same old photographs.

It is no secret that all couples are continually looking for a professional photographer, who is capable of taking the pinnacle in perfect wedding photos, and most likely your wedding photographer wants to have the opportunity to capture your special day and provide you with those perfect wedding photos too. The key to getting amazing photos is purely in communication. And unfortunately, since not all professional wedding photographers may not want to tell you what they really think (as a courtesy), this article is here to do it for them.

Your wedding photographer doesn’t have a crystal ball.

Although they wish they did, your wedding photographer is unable to read your mind and anticipate what it is that you really want. This means that it is your responsibility to be honest and tell them exactly what you want and what you don’t want. It is recommended that you provide your photographer with a short list of photos you would like from your special day.

Photographers are not magicians.

The wedding photographer will do their best to get the shots you want, but they are unlikely to make your wedding look like something out of a high-end movie. You may have also seen something on Pinterest that you like, although it’s great to be inspired, your photographer is an artist and may be reluctant to copy another photographer’s work, so don’t expect your wedding photos to be identical to the ones. of another person.

You can do it with Photoshop, right?

It all depends on what ‘it’ is. Your vizcaya wedding photographer will want everything to be as physically perfect as possible on camera. Exploring camera location, poses, and settings can “fix” most things before you click the shutter. However, if a family member decides to inappropriately photograph you with a bomb during the shoot, your photographer will want to retake the photograph. It is much easier to get your wedding photo right the first time than to fix it with Photoshop later. Many photographers will often charge for extensive levels of Photoshop editing, as the process can be time consuming.

Allow your wedding photographer plenty of time.

Deadlines and a lot of planning will make your photographer very happy. However, the need to be flexible is still there. Getting that perfect shot may take some time, which may take longer than you originally thought. For quality photos, don’t rush your photographer! If you want your photographer to capture most of the coverage in documentary, candid style, any length of time is fine.

Don’t forget to clean!

When your wedding photographer needs to take photos of the bride and groom getting ready for their special day, don’t forget to clean up! Serious half-eaten breakfast, spilled fresh orange, and empty coffee cups are not something you want to see in your photographs.

It is unlikely that you will see each and every photo that was taken.

The truth behind this is that you probably don’t want to see each and every photograph. The job of a wedding photographer is to filter all of your photographs and select only the best ones. These photos will then go through the arduous task of editing them accurately. Editing over 1,000 (if not many more) photos will not happen.

The importance of being flexible.

Your wedding photographer understands that you most likely don’t want to spend the entire day taking a multitude of different photos. But if there is a unique moment that presents itself, it is highly recommended that you accompany it.

Make sure you make me look good in my wedding photos.

The truth of the matter is that couples sometimes find that they absolutely despise their wedding photos, either because of the position they are in or because of the strange grin they had. However, your photographer should always make you feel comfortable and relaxed and suggest positions and poses that look and, more importantly, feel natural to you and your partner. If you are in a pose that feels unnatural, contact your photographer (although you may have chosen the wrong photographer), everyone should feel comfortable, otherwise it will show in photos. Remember to always relax and make sure to allow extra time between the photo shoot and the next thing on your list so you don’t feel rushed.

You may be getting married (congratulations, by the way) and trying to decide whether or not to hire a wedding photographer. You may be trying to decide now which professional photographer to choose for your wedding day. You may be a wedding photographer and try to understand the delicate and confusing psyche of those involved in wedding planning.

Whoever it is, for your reading pleasure, check out Top 10 Wedding Photography Myths handed down by a photographer who still loves taking pictures. These are divided into three categories: a. Myths about not hiring a professional at all; second. Myths about the selection process; and C. Myths about how photography should be done.

CATEGORY A: I don’t need / want a wedding photographer because:

1. My cousin’s roommate from college just got the new Canon 999D and a host of professional ‘L’ series lenses; it will be great (and, did I mention, FREE!).

Is it impossible to find a good free photographer? No. Is it likely? It’s not a good idea? Hardly ever. But hey, it’s your wedding day. You can take a chance on the stranger who might well be too intrigued by the bridesmaid who has had too much to drink at the reception and starts dancing provocatively. That way, most of your photos could be hers. Perfect, right? And free. In this situation, you can point out to your children, twenty years later, that the photographer took these photos with really cutting edge technology, so you can see so many details of the lewd woman at her vizcaya wedding photographer with, how shall we say … ‘perky breasts ‘. No, she’s not the girlfriend, but doesn’t she look like she’s having fun?

2. Why should you hire a photographer? Everyone and their dog have a camera (even cell phone photos are increasing in the ‘megapixel’ race). Snapshots of the guests will suffice.

Yes, it is true to say that most of us now carry a camera on our body at all times (on our phone at least). Also, at a wedding, many, if not most, of the guests bring some kind of extra camera to commemorate the event (particularly things that go wrong if they don’t like you; the groom’s tears if they do). However, rigorous double-blind studies have been conducted on the data stream we are referring to, and they all show one thing. These images have a 99.9982% chance of sucking. Very bad. There may be a great group photo of a dog down the hall that meant a lot to Great-Aunt Esther. It will be perfectly exposed, in focus, and show Sparky in a beautiful pose using great composition.

3. Wedding photography is too expensive, why would you support an industry of so-called “professionals” who actually only work a few hours a week? I don’t know whether to be angry or jealous.

You can get mad if you want. You may even be jealous, as we have a job that we (hopefully) love and take pride in. If you think we work a few hours for a single wedding, you are delusional. Those are the hours you see us at the wedding; Suffice it to say, it took many hours of preparation for that particular wedding, countless hours after the end of the wedding day in post-production. When done correctly, the work is extensive, fun, and profitable.

CATEGORY B: I need / want a wedding photographer, but the selection process should be limited:

4. I will hire my photographer after all the planning is done. I will select the flowers, venue, dj or band, bridesmaid dresses, honeymoon hotel and more. Then I will think about photography.

Of course, you will wait until the last few months to hire a photographer. Why would you want a wedding professional like a great photographer to help you with smart references for all the other services you will be looking for? While a good photographer will have worked with a spectacular cake business at previous weddings and will gladly suggest you check them out, you can spend forty-seven hours perusing brochures featuring Batman-shaped carrot cakes (a theme that will certainly take off when new). brides really stop and think about it). Consider this though: waiting will only limit your options. The photographers hire by specific dates. When your arch nemesis plans your wedding on the same day as you (out of spite), he will also try to conclude the services of the best photographer in town. He beat that photographer for years of bragging.