Articles
Financing
Believe it or not, a lot of people don’t realize just how important it is to choose the right wedding photographer. Stop for a second and think about a wedding you went to in the last 5 years. Can you remember what flowers they used, the place settings, or what wine was served? If you are like my husband you would barely remember where the wedding took place! One thing everyone will always remember however is how the photographs came out. Because you and everyone you know will be looking at these photographs; the ONLY permanent record of your wedding, for decades to come. That’s how people will remember your wedding. By the photographs. In fact, history itself is remembered by the photos. Think of any famous historical photograph and notice how it conjures up all kind of associations and ideas about that period of time and history.
I believe that everyone’s love story deserves to be immortalized in history just like that. That’s why you need the best wedding photographer that you can afford. I also understand just how expensive it is these days to get married. I got married Aug. 18th, 2007 and my husband is still talking about how much it cost. When I show him the photos however he stops really quickly.
We want to make sure that you aren’t forced to skimp on the most important expenditure of the day because of a temporary shortage of available funds. We don’t think that’s fair to you or your family. You deserve the best!
And that’s why, even though my husband thinks I’m crazy to offer this, we have decided to be the ONLY professional wedding photographers (that we’re aware of at least) to provide financing. And with no credit checks and no applications. Just your word. Because I have been very pleased to learn over the years that when you photograph someone's wedding there is a special connection that is formed between the couple and photographer. So I am offering this financing to you even though you may not need it. Only because I have seen far too many couples skimp on their photos just because they don't have the money at the time. Unfortunately they pay for that temporary cash shortage for the rest of their lives with less than stellar wedding photographs. So I decided to break the mold. I'm offering this to my new clients to make absolutely sure that they get to look as good in their wedding photographs as they deserve. And we know that you will be so happy with your photographs that you'll feel they are worth 10 times what you paid for them.
Photojournalistic vs. Traditional Photography
Who else would like to know the difference between photojournalistic and traditional style wedding photography?
There is a much confusion surrounding the different styles of wedding photography that professionals are shooting today. Most couples want the style and glamour that they see in magazines. They often don’t know exactly what that style is called and how a skilled photographer can make them look as good as the bride and groom in the latest trend-setting celebrity wedding. Other couples are looking for a more traditional style of wedding photography.
These are the two most common types of wedding photography; traditional and photojournalistic. While similar equipment is used in both, there are significant differences in technique and approach.
Traditional photographers concentrate most of their efforts on posed portraits, and rarely capture candid moments. The quality of traditional photography is usually judged by sharpness, lighting, correct skin tones, and the use of the background. Most traditional photos are instantly recognizable, as many poses are standard for all weddings.
The more glamorous, or modern style of photography is called Photojournalistic. It is also called documentary photography. While similarities exist between traditional and photojournalistic approaches, the main expectations of each style are very different. Traditional style is portrait oriented. Photojournalism is candid oriented. The photojournalist's goal is to take pictures while people are not aware they are being photographed. By blending with the crowd, a photojournalist is able to capture the action as it unfolds - the true emotions, the real expressions, the happiness and joy. Instead of the traditional formal portraits and posed photos, this approach produces a more intimate, artistic take on a wedding. Photos will reflect a fleeting, un-posed moment that conveys the emotions of the day.
Photojournalism means to capture the real, true thing. Visual perception of an experienced photojournalist will add a unique charm to your pictures and you will end with up emotional and artistic photos capturing the very essence of your wedding day. The Album will resemble a storybook, rather than just be a series of posed portraits.
If you are a bride that loves wedding photojournalism, it is still a good idea to choose a photographer who recognizes the value of certain aspects of traditional photography and will work aspects of that style into their wide variety of shots. The photographer will gently coax a situation, and with a little guidance and interaction with their subject, get the shot that has the look and feel of a candid, photojournalistic shot, but the compositional beauty of a traditional one. A few familiar wedding poses, mixed in with the glamorous photojournalism, can also satisfy the desire for traditional portrait style poses that many people grew up with without taking away from the overall photojournalist style.
Professional vs. Amateur
Is YOUR home picture-poor?
Shocking Truth! Anyone can press the button on a camera. The millions of wedding guests per year who bring along their shiny, new pocket digital, or trusty disposable cameras have proved it. The question is just how good are those photos? And what exactly are your memories worth?
Keep in mind that you are paying for a professional photographer's training, time, skill, creativity, experience, personality, and brand image. Too many people forget the many thousands of hours that a photographer has spent honing their craft, and the tens of thousands of dollars in state of the art, professional equipment they have invested in. They have worked hard at acquiring the necessary skills to capture your most important day with the artistry it deserves. Their vision for your day will literally be transformed into a physical and tangible thing which will be a part of your lives for ever and ever… your wedding album.
I can tell you from years of experience that people who are truly ecstatic with their wedding photos never feel they paid too much for them. Unfortunately, there are lots of people that spent too much money on centerpieces and too little on their wedding photographer, and they are now forced to live, for the rest of their lives, with a very mediocre representation of a truly magical and once in a lifetime event. In the wedding photography business you truly do get what you pay for.
