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At the end of your wedding day, after you’ve
eaten the cake, after the flowers are gone and you’ve
dry- cleaned and stored your wedding gown thinking
to yourself when would be the next time you’re
going to look at it, your pictures and your video
are the only thing that will define your memories
of the big day for the rest of your life. So it's
very important to choose the right photographer and
videographer. To help you make the best choice, we've
compiled a list you should be checking.
PHOTOGRAPHY
1. Research some photos by looking at magazines
and/or on the web and define your favorite style
of photography -- traditional, candid, or posed?
(Seek out photographers whose forte matches your
favorite style.)
2. What is the photographer’s approach to
shooting weddings? Has the photographer shot many/few
weddings? This question will give you an idea of
the expertise and passion for his/her work. You want
to hire a professional that is familiar with all
the in’s and out’s of weddings so he/
she won’t miss any key special moments of your
day.
3. Does the photographer shoot in color, black and
white, or both? Does he shoot 35 mm or medium format
or both?
4. Make sure you know who is going to shot your
wedding and that you’re looking at his work.
If dealing with a one-person operation, find out
who would cover your wedding in case of an emergency.
5. Do not make a list of every possible photo combination,
you’re dealing with a professional and he or
she shoots weddings for a living. Most likely he
or she would get the obvious family combinations.
Rather, give your photographer a list of must-take
photos of unusual combinations: college roommates,
co-workers and other pictures you definitely want
shot along with your wish-list photographs. Make
sure you leave free range for the photographer’s
creativity to capture the festivities. This usually
will get you the best results. Enlist a relative
or a close friend to point out specific people for
the photographer. Your wedding coordinator can do
that, if you have one.
6. How does the photographer determine price? By
the number and kinds of prints you think you'll want,
the amount of rolls of film, the hours the photographer
spends on your wedding, the developing time, or a
combination of the above factors? How many rolls
of film will be shot, and how many proofs and final
prints will result? Are packages available? Can you
get a price list?
7. Does the photographer develop his own film? How
long does he keep the negatives? Can you buy your
negatives from the photographer? Do you get to see
paper proofs or does he show you the proofs on video,
CD-ROM, e-mail?
8. Look at each photographer's work. Be sure to
carefully examine the technical aspects of his work.
Some things to look for:
- photos are framed and centered well
- photos are
over- or underexposed
- details are visible
- people look comfortable and
relaxed
But more importantly look on the personal level
and ask yourself: do I like his/her style? Does this
seem like a person you could tolerate throughout
your wedding day? You'll want to feel very comfortable
around your photographer. If you’re not comfortable
with him/her you can rest assure it will show in
your photographs. Rapport is important with all wedding
professionals, but it's crucial here!
9. Some of the most special wedding moments happen
backstage while the bride is dressing, while the
family is waiting, or right after the end of your
ceremony when you sneak to a private room. Choosing
a pro photographer with whom you feel extremely comfortable
and don't mind inviting backstage will allow you
to capture these moments. Keep your photographer
aware of your whereabouts at (almost) all times.
10. Do not ask the photographer for references.
After all, he/she would not give you the name of
someone that he/she had a bad experience with. Ask
to see thank you letters. If your photographer is
a professional photographer, and has lots of experience
than his/her past clients should have been satisfied
with his/her services and would have sent some thank
you letters. You can also ask other wedding professionals
about your preferred photographer, as a good photographer
would be well recognized by other wedding professionals
in your area.
11. Once you've found a photographer with the skill
set, style, vision, and personality you're looking
for, you'll need to agree on a contract. Be sure
to schedule a follow-up meeting to talk about specifics.
Together, you'll decide how many hours your photographer
will spend at your wedding, and you'll discuss your
Must-Take List and any photos you don't want (the
cake shot or the schmaltzy posed kiss).
12. A mixture of some posed and candid shots will
round out and make your wedding album more interesting.
If you favor candid, hire someone who specializes
in a photojournalistic style, with real talent for
capturing emotional, spontaneous moments keeping
in mind that many portrait photographers can also
shoot candid and most photojournalistic photographers
hate to shot portraits. Determine your priorities
and choose a professional accordingly. Your photojournalistic
pictures will set the overall feel and look of your
wedding album. Remember your most valuable photos
would be the ones where you can see and recognize
faces, like shots of family and friends. There's
definitely a trend toward photojournalism and black
and white photography at weddings. B&W photos
convey more emotions and accentuate the essence of
the subjects or objects being photographed. Color
photographs capture the overall theme and feel of
your wedding, like the room decoration, the bridal
party colors and your flowers. If you are not sure
whether or not you would like B&W photographs,
have you photographer shoot everything in color and
ask him to print some prints in B&W. With today’s
technology it would be very hard for the untrained
eye to see the difference between what was shot on
B&W film and what was shot in color. You cannot
print a color print from and B&W negative. However
if you know you like B&W, have your photographer
shoot it on B&W film for a better and a more
rich contrast. Your best bet is a combination of
both.
13.Make sure the photographer has backup equipment
with him/her on your wedding date in case of an emergency.
Also, make sure it is the same format and quality
as the primary one. The photographer should have
backup for all his/her equipment, cameras, flash,
lenses, filters, batteries, cables, etc.
14. Always look for a professional photographer
to shoot your wedding day. But if you are on a tight
budget and are thinking on looking for a talented
photography student or you've always admired your
cousin's skill as a shutterbug, consider this option.
Just keep in mind that if the photographer doesn't
have wedding experience, you might not get the great
results you want -- and it might not be worth the
savings. If you hire a relative and you value your
relationship, having him/her photograph your wedding
would exclude him/her from your day. Moreover, if
she misses some important moments she would feel
bad and you would have no recourse. Not to mention
it could actually sour the relationship you so cherished
before.
15. Ask to see an actual album of an entire wedding
and if possible a proofs album to see the photographer’s
raw material. Many photographers have put together
sample albums of their best shots from many weddings.
Look at pictures the photographer shot at a previous
wedding to see if he connected with the couple and
captured the mood of their day.
WHAT IT COSTS
A Photojournalistic photographer will take many
shots just to get the one special moment, and therefore
would normally cost more than a portrait photographer.
A photojournalistic photographer shoots between 1000-
3000 images at a wedding, while a good portrait photographer
shoots on average 300-500 images. A good basic package
could cost $1000-$1500, but you can easily spend
three or four times that amount. You're paying for
the photographer's time at your wedding, hours spent
developing your pictures, the finished product --
the prints and albums you order-- and for the artistic
aspect and creativity of the photographer. If your
photographer is in high demand expect to pay dearly
for his services documenting your wedding. You may
think you do not need that many photos but chances
are that once you get to see the proofs you would
want more than you first ordered. Especially if your
photographer is a great artist!
VIDEOGRAPHY
Videotaping a wedding is an artistic profession
as is photography. Therefore, if you think you could
use a family camcorder to videotape your wedding,
think again. A good wedding cameraman requires more
skill and professionalism than any other moviemaker
in the video business. He/she should be familiar
with the technical specifications of the equipment,
and with all aspects of how weddings unfold. He/she
should be an excellent documenter, and needs to be
constantly ready to videotape, after all there is
only one take and it has to be a good one. A good
videographer will connect with you, capture the atmosphere,
the excitement, feelings, and emotions at your wedding
and preserve it for life on tape. A videotape account
of your wedding captures the uniqueness of your wedding
and you would want it be according to your taste
and style.
* Just like photography take it upon yourself to
find a professional videographer with whom you feel
comfortable, someone you feel you can spend a whole
day with. Meet with several candidates to compare,
shop for prices, styles, and packages offered. If
you're having trouble finding someone, contact WEVA
(Wedding and Event Videographers Association) for
a list of professional Videographers in your area..
Always view a tape from a prospective videographer.
Use
this checklist when reviewing different tapes:
- are the images clear?
- is the lighting right (not
too dim or too harsh)?
- how is the sound quality?
- was the tape edited
well? Is it smooth and well put together? Does
it flow or is it choppy?
- does the tape look professional,
or is it something you could do yourself?
- do
the special effects and transitions look professional?
- is it fun? Is it entertaining to watch?
But the most important element has to be the style
and personality of your prospective videographer.
Go with your gut feeling and taste.
Also check the following:
1. Has the videographer done many weddings at the
location where you’re getting married? Ask
to view a tape shot at the same location.
2. Is he/she a member of any national and local
videography associations such as WEVA (http://www.weva.org)
or AVP? These associations are dedicated to improving
the industry and final products delivered to married
couples.
Has the videographer won any awards?
3. Has the videographer worked with your photographer
before?
4. How many other weddings is the videographer doing
on your wedding day or weekend? Make sure there are
no time constraints.
5. Will the videographer you're speaking to be the
one who will be shooting your wedding? Is it his/her
work you are watching?
6. What types of cameras, tapes and microphones
will the videographer use? Ask to see the equipment
and ask around. Equipment is important, but using
the most expensive camera does not guarantee the
best result.
7. How much light will they use? Much of the ambiance
and atmosphere of your event will be lost if room
lights are on during the whole evening. Although,
today’s cameras require very little light to
get good picture, expect your videographer to use
at least one light on the camera.
8. Will a backup camera be on hand for the event?
How about back ups for the rest of the equipment?
9. How long does he/she keep the footage on file
before recycling it?
10. Cancellation and refund policy.
Make sure to be specific about the following:
- number of cameras to be used. Many videographers
shoot weddings with multiple cameras but most
weddings are shot with one camera. The number of
cameras does
not affect editing capabilities or quality. Skilled
videographers can make a one-camera wedding look
to have been shot with multiple cameras. Let
your videographer know what you want to have covered
with
more than one camera, if you’re having
a multi-camera shoot.
- number of videos you'll
receive, and complete package details.
- overtime
fee, if applicable.
- reorder prices, if you should
decide to order additional videos later.
Once your contract is definite, meet with your videographer
and discuss the important events of your wedding
day that you think may not be common to other weddings:
For example, any special readings, songs during your
ceremony, blessings, or dances during your reception.
Let him/her know if your hair dresser is a good friend.
Have him/her film the limo ride to the chapel. Those
kinds of moments will make your video more unique.
PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE VIDEO
Gather some childhood pictures, and snapshots of
you (bride and groom) together and give it to the
videographer to include in the final edited tape.
Give your videographer a list of favorite songs
to be use in the editing. Most professional videographers
will give a song list from their library of CD’s
to choose from.
SHORT VERSION VIDEO
Ask your videographer to include in the package,
if it is not already included, a short version
of your wedding video. If your final edited video
turns to be longer than an hour long chances are
you’re not going to watch it often with your
friends and family. The short version tape would
serve to entertain your family and friends in all
kinds of casual gatherings and the long version
would be for your family archive and more sporadic
occasions. You would find yourself watching and
enjoying more your wedding video with a short account
tape and you’ll appreciate your video investment
more. Believe me, no matter how good The Green
Mile was, after the fifth time watching it you
can feel that it is three hours long.
PHOTOMONTAGE
Present a video montage at your rehearsal dinner
or at your reception. Give your videographer childhood
photos, slides, family films and videos, and ask
your friends to give you some photographs they
took of the two of you and give it all to your
videographer to edit together along with a list
of your favorite songs. You can make the video
to be sentimental or comic and present it on a
large screen or monitor. You can also loop in a
corner throughout the cocktail hour and/or reception;
your guests will get to know you even better, and
it's a great conversation piece! It’s guaranteed
to make your family and friends laugh and cry,
all in the course of a few minutes.
FILM THE MAKING OF THE CELEBRATION
Have your videographer, or one of your friends videotape
the making of your wedding. Have him/her document
the preparations, planning, dress fitting, hairdresser
meeting, meeting with the caterer, making of the
cake and all the madness the morning of. Create
a short documentary of the making of your wedding.
It'll definitely make everyone laugh -- especially
you!
YOUR WEDDING ONLINE
Find out if your videographer and photographer have
the capability to upload a short version of your
wedding video on the web, and/or post your photos.
If they can stream it even better! Make sure to
inquire about that option. If that is a possibility
they will most likely be able to do the same with
some of your pictures too. This is a great option
to consider. You’ll be emailing your wedding
images to everybody regardless if they were there
or not.
By David Basher
A Magic Moment
www.amagicmoment.com
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