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What do you offer the Bride?


elaine marie

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On most all Wedding Photographers web sites it seems that they all

offer the bride her pictures on a high res. CD as part of the

package.<P> How are these brides printing their wedding pictures?

Are they taking the disc to Walmart or their nearby 1 hr photo?

Keeping them as files just for internet veiwing and emailing? Do

people really print out good quality pictures anymore or do they

just exsist in digital files? <P>

Also, the photgraphers that are offering the nice wedding albums

does that mean the bride picks the size of prints and what prints

she wants in the album<P>Elaine Vang

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Elaine,

 

I was just married last year and our professional photographer gave us a CD with all of the pictures formatted to JPEG on there, about 500 pics! Then we told him which ones to put in an album and which album to use, and he arranged them how he thought they should be. So in my situation the professional took the initiative and it turned out great!

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I was married 2 1/2 years ago. She gave me high res files.. 1400 of them.

 

I printed out about 30 4x6 prints so I could see/feel/touch them.. but I have not done anything with them. They are still sitting in my drawer. They need some color correction (to my tastes) and softening as the are waaaay to sharp...

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I like to offer photography ;-).

 

 

 

seriously, I always include 4x6 proofs no matter what they 'want'. I don't even negotiate that one. I work very hard to have most of my clients purchase an album (or two) based on the way I shoot. I design an album (as I had the vision for it) then I show it to them before they even get their proofs. That has worked for a while now, and it ensures they do something with these pix. They always love the finished product too, so its a win win.

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David,<P>

 

Okay so they get the proofs, and you design the album meaning you purchase the album ,pay to have the prints printed and than spend the time putting the album together. What if they dont purchase the album? Are you out the album and print cost or is that already figured into the package price?

 

Thanks<P>

Elaine Marie

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My customers buy an album, quality of album and no of prints dictates package price.

 

I proof with a DVD slideshow, which they get to keep.

 

I wouldn't feel comfortable just selling my time, I like to sell a tangible package, it makes the bride think she's bought a quality product, and I can believe that the work I'm charging for is justified, because the customer has something beautiful that'll last forever.

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Phil,

 

So you dont offer the files on disc? They get the album as part of the package price?<P>I see also where film photographers offer all the negs. Which I imagine end up in a box never to be developed.<P>

 

I enjoy the whole process of taking the pictures,editing in PS and printing them on my Epson printer on Velvet Art paper and than holding the finished product. I dont know that I could just hand over a disc with my work that I know may be printed at a 1 hr deal.<P>

 

Elaine Marie

 

For those that do include the disc for prints do you give them names of online pro printers they can use?

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Lex - keep in mind that in any town, the best barber will NOt have the best haircut. no barber does his or her own haircut, hence, someone who is not the best barber must do the haircut.

 

remember - if your barber has teh best hair, it is time to switch barbers...

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Elaine,

 

As a bride, I wanted all of the images from my wedding day and I wanted the archival images so that 30 years down the road if I couldn't track down the photographer, I would still have the entire story of my wedding day.

 

As a photographer, I want my clients to have the best possible representation of my work and I want to know that they are seeing the images in the quality that they were intended to be seen.

 

That being said, I do provide my clients with all of the high resolution images on CD. However, I also allow them to select a certain number of images which will be printed at 4x6 size by my professional lab so that they have a litmus test of quality. I also include a product credit so that they may order enlargements from my professional lab before using their CDs at other labs. If what they print from their CD doesn't match the quality of the images that I have had professionally printed, than they often order more professionally printed images through my online proofing service. Also, I make sure that they see the professional quality images before they try to print from their CD.

 

I have yet to offer albums with my packages, but that is something that I am considering in the near future. My photography is still much less about me imposing my personal product preferences and much more about making sure that brides have the images that tell the complete story of their day. Best of luck to you Elaine!

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"Lex - keep in mind that in any town, the best barber will NOt have the best haircut. no barber does his or her own haircut, hence, someone who is not the best barber must do the haircut.

 

remember - if your barber has teh best hair, it is time to switch barbers..."

 

And photographers often hire "friends" to photograph their weddings with the mindset that "we can fix anything!" or, "I'll put it in an album later" LOL

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Hi Elaine. Right now I usually give a CD(DVD) with hi-res images on it. I have sold one album so far. If they do not purchase an album, I will give them a DVD slideshow with music to showcase their wedding. I have been feeling lately that I need to give prints though. We will see, I have been trying to get feedback from Brides as to what they want, and they really don't know (most of them anyway)
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