ar_fonseca

<p>I advertised on wedalert for a couple of years, maybe more... and their hit counter always said I was getting some outrageous number of hits through them(20-30 a day)... meanwhile my google analytics page always reported their results in the single digits for any given month, and don't even get me started on the phony leads... same name, same town, different address?? c'mon... and the same girl that kept bumping up her wedding date?? really?? and the number of addresses that just didn't appear on google maps?? yeah... something smelled fishy...<br>

2+ years of no calls & no bookings and misleading hit counter results = not worth it.</p>

<p>adoramapix<br>

their 12x12 is just beautiful, not the cheapest game in town though</p>

<p>Fuji GA645, just a couple of cautions tho.... be certain to keep tension on the roll with one finger when you load it, and keep an eye on the focus distance indicator in the viewfinder when shooting portraints to make sure it's in the correct range, ymmv</p>

<p>this questions has been asked in professional photographer forums for "God only knows" how many years now.... and the majority of answers is almost always yes.<br>

Personally I always charged more for NYE, if they really want me they'll thru the nose for it, otherwise I"m thrilled to bits to go dancing and kiss the wife at midnight. ymmv</p>

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<p>From there I am going to tell her that I would like to resolve this issue and that I talked to my lab and that they would give me 25% off a reorder. I will offer her the new album at cost + the 25% discount.</p>

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<p>I would not pass along the lab discount, nor would I tell the customer what the book costs, why would you want the customer to know what your profit is???, what to do?? make the corrections.. reprint the book at a flat fee you determine... and then take her old one and use it as a sample.<br>

done</p>

<p>absolutely, I keep a couple of N90S's in my bag as extra backups</p>

<p>my initial reaction would be to give everything to the mom and let the chips fall where they may..... but really this is definitely a case where you should pay an attorney to advise you on the best course of action... and then learn from it. Personally I keep a line in my contract that states regardless of who signs... the contract is between the company and the bride & groom, and no one else.</p>

<p>I get asked about this at least monthly, and I tell brides to buy the CD package and do whatever it is you want with the images, (I can't control what they do with files in the privacy of their own home anyways) and the rest of details are in the contract.<br>

I still sell them something that makes me a profit without giving away the business, since they don't get the disc until 90 days after the wedding.</p>

<p>I had a similar incident happen when my son was 2, grandma wasn't fast enough to catch him as he bounced off the bed and onto the floor (uncooperative diaper changing)..... with me an hour away at a wedding on a friday night... when I got he call from mom saying he's ok...did I leave?? no.. why? .....by the time I got the call..... they were already home from the hospital.<br>

but on to your question.</p>

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<p>Question..at what stage does a professional put the camera down?</p>

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<p>by the time my son was 3 he got around to realizing when I put on my suit or tux, it meant I was going to work, so one afternoon he looked up at me and said "daddy go work??"<br>

I broke my heart to look into his little eyes and say "yes, daddy go work", but that WAS the point at which I put the camera down, a few months later I stuck with shooting every other weekend. I have no idea how much money I lost, but I've never regretted it.</p>

<p>After following the uber-excellent advice that's been extolled by Marius, it really is superb info... you should remind them that </p>

 

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<p>Im really an amature with a good eye, but no clue what Im doing-</p>

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<p>so that way they know exactly what they're getting, and have no unreal expectations, and remember to have some fun while your in Jamaica :-)</p>

<p>my usual formula for an eng. book is to alternate one blank page with a photo that takes up 1/2 of the opposite page, and use variations of that formula throughout the book... makes layout quick and easy, and it always leaves lots of space for signatures, and well-wishes</p>

<p>I was wrong... Jean you're right... there's a very similar one in KK's action pack...<br>

but I still recall having used an effect like that one in the past primarily for weddings, and at one point using VP for most of the effects cuz it was easy,... <em>as far the vintage look being trendy</em>... I dunno about that one. But it is really pretty.....</p>

 

<p>from here it looks a lot like a preset in Virtual Photographer, I seem to recall using an effect like that some time ago (07 ?? maybe 08??)..... but not recently.</p>

<p>Instaproofs.<br>

I spent over a month comparing and contrasting different online gallery solutions, and in the end the one that works best for what i want, for what I need is ....Instaproofs<br>

What works best for you may be different, but whatever you choose DO NOT rush into the decision. In other words "do your homework" :-) </p>

<p>Stroboframe Camera-flip, allows me to be as consistent as possible.<br>

But .... a few PJ shooters I know insist on using a monopod, personally I've never been able to get hang of one</p>

<p>I'm gonna put in one more vote for the Adoramapix photo book, I sell it as a "coffee table book" not a bridal album, they're by no means an ultra-high end book, but I think they're pretty damn good for the price they're asking.<br>

Adorama PhotoBook: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.adoramapix.com/PhotoBooks.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.adoramapix.com/PhotoBooks.aspx</a><br>

For the customer who's feeling the economic pinch, these are an easy sell, even with a hefty markup for my design work.</p>

<p>I ALWAYS do the ring shot(s) beforehand (before the ceremony), I've had some brides in the past that weren't very receptive to the idea of taking their ring off shortly after they've put it on, doing it all beforehand avoids any risk of having the bride saying "no, skip it".... just easier IMO</p>

<p>After I finished Tech School ('92) I got a call from school and they said they had a job for me.. fixing some video equipment for a guy who did wedding videos... his dad did the photos, (so I took the job) one friday the old man says,(in a very thick Italian accent) hey you wanna make 50 bucks??, sure, you come tomorrow and carry my bags.... several weeks later I was co-shooting with his Bronica... same thing happened with the guys son and his video gear... "carry my bags" had turned into "shoot this wedding". Fast-forward 15 years, 2 studios and 600+ jobs later, I got tired of working for someone else. But in the last couple of years I've realized that there's an awful lot to be said for having someone else do the selling, having realized that I"m a terrible salesman...<br>

It's not enough to be great shooter, you must first close the sale.</p>

<p>free... but I get photo credit, AND make sure you follow up, to find out where they used it, and make sure you got the photo credit, or if they already have a specific size print in mind, just create it in PS and watermark it w/ your logo.</p>

<p>no, not worth it... you can get a new one for only a few dollars more....</p>

<p>shooting a job for friends or family was always tricky (from my experience) so my policy for quite some time now has been ... free, they pay for travel, and they get a disc, that's it. no punches pulled, no surprises, and I get no complaints.</p>

<p>it really all does depend what the officiant will allow, and it will vary depending on your location, around my area catholic churches say move as you need to but not in front of the crowd, and no crossing the aisle period, usually a greek orthodox church the preist will you assign you to one place, and that's it ..no moving period, so it's best to have 2 shooters(w/ one in the back). Once in a great while you will encounter (as some long-time shooters have)the officiant who will incorporate you (the photographer) into the proceedings, instructing you to stay in one spot(after the bride has entered), and at the moment when he needs you, will motion to you, you stand up, step forward, take several frames, then return your assigned spot, no moving period. this ones my personal fav, since the couple knows in advance pretty much what to expect in terms of photos you'll be delivering, there's never any second guessing, and it gives the officiant complete control over what going on.</p>

<p>if it's a double (2 on saturday) or back-to-back (friday & saturday), I"ll prep 2 bags with cards and batteries, at least a couple days beforehand, (I don't get much call for more than that these days) I still get that "gurgling in my stomach" feeling right before a job, I used to think it would stop, but after 18 years I still get it. I still use a checklist, (old habits die hard).<br>

As far as looking at other pictures goes I have a book of idea photos that I keep with me, just in case, but rarely have to open, and a game plan... after a couple of hundred "games", I know pretty much what the next move is gonna be... almost every time... and trying to decide which poses will work best has to be done when your posing them, not ahead of time, there's no way to tell how stiff the brides dress will be beforehand, or to know how nervous/trembly the groom will be until you start posing them.</p>

 

<p>a 35mm should be plenty wide, for full-length shots.... provided you have room behind you</p>

<p>Even though my Nikon is my main camera, I still love my Fuji GA645, I"ll shoot at least a roll at every job these days. Back around '91 when I started, the guy I learned from used his RB to do almost everything, except when he used the C220, so yes, you can do an entire job w/ an RB... but these days.... but why would you want to??<br>

If you're simply missing the feel of loading film rolls, the look of film, and of course... the taste of glue... lol Nadine has the right idea... perhaps you should try a tlr, it may prove to be a better intro to using MF in working setting, as you may find yourself overwhelmed a bit by the RB's size & weight.</p>