mtrejo6

<p>Greetings, I am doing a favor for a friend who asked if I could help her find a photographer for her upcoming wedding in Winston-Salem, NC in October. Unfortunately I was not available to do it myself so I offered to help find one. Please email me your website link and I'll pass on the info to the soon-to-be bride. Thanks.</p>

<p>Steve, having a preference for on style over the other does not really say anything about a photog's ability and communication skills. Just because one prefers the PJ approach does not mean that one fears posing or dreads dealing with people. A candid shot can say a lot more than a pretty posed picture. You are still in search of the right angle, composition, lighting and mood but you are in the backroound. The anticipation, reading the subject, and finding the right moment is what brings an image to life. Posed shots can be creative but more time is spent being a director or a creator of an emotion than being able to capture the moment as it occurs naturally. It's like comparing Yervant with Joe Buissink. They each have very different styles but they are both extremely talented. Yervant likes to pose and prompt while Joe prefers to be in the shadows looking for the right image. Joe is not any less creative than Yervant. Don't confuse our statements by inferring that we don't like posing, but at times one just wants to watch things as they unfold naturally. It's all just a matter of preference and style.</p>

<p>This is my dream wedding!</p>

<p>I just purchased my D700 last week. I paid $2450 for the body only (USA model). Both B&H and Adorama are offering this price. Anything below $2K is a scam from those shifty dealers. They'll take your order but they'll call you to confirm the order and try to sell you all the accessories that come with the camera seperately or try to sell you more stuff at inflated prices. If you say no then by som miracle they will no longer have the camera in stock. Stay away from these vendors, nothing but headaches. I do all my camera purchases from beachcamera.com, adorama.com and B&H. they are safe to deal with.</p>

<p>The only thing that bothers me about the D300 is that the battery grip costs ~$270.00.</p>

<p>Congrats to all the winners! Great work!</p>

<p>same here. Overnightprints.com has been awesone to deal with. The quality of their products is outstanding. They are the only company I use.</p>

<p>The garden kiss<br>

Immediately after the ceremony, the B&G walked away and I followed them through a garden path which was a private spot away from the guests. As I came around a turn, they stopped and gave each other a huge kiss and I immediately captured this very intimate moment. After sorting the my images, I chose this one since it said it all. The emotion in the bride's face was priceless. I shot this with a Nikon D300 and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8. The camera settings were f3.2, ISO640, 1/500.<br>

This is my second year of doing weddings. I was fortunate enough to do 26 weddings this year. </p><div></div>

<p>To me, it's not really worth it. It all depends on your market. My market is oversaturated with wedding photographers. One of the biggest bridal shows here in Dayton, OH had about 120 vendors with more than 30 photographers present. There was one every 3 or 4 booths. I spoke with a client who attended a show recently and she admitted that there are so many photogs that they quickly lose interest and just take literature and not even stop to ask questions. The investment also include literature, sample albums, decorations, etc. In the end, you can easily spend a couple thousand to be at a show. </p>

 

<p>That's why I leave my camera at home when I go to any event as a guest. If you weren't planning on attending the wedding, just tell her you are already booked. </p>

<p>Anne,<br>

I have my listing in the Cincinnati/Dayton OH area. There are great opportunities especially in the Cincy area. I've booked many weddings but all came from Google ad words and referrals. The Knot just turned out to be a flop. I definitely could have used the $2K elsewhere. As mentioned above, networking and getting in good with venues are great for business. Best of luck!</p>

<p>I's stay away from The Knot. Six months and $2000 later, I have yet to get any booked weddings from them. Invest your money elsewhere! I've been trying to cancel but the sales reps have been pushy asking me to reconsider. </p>

It may not be smart to discuss exact pricing and markup here in this forum since it is not a private forum. Let's not give away our secrets here.

 

I recommend Tuscany albums.

I use Yerants Page Gallery software for album design. It cut down my design times from 5 days to one. Many album companies offer their own software but may be limited with regards to templates. Page gallery is not cheap but it's defintely worth the investment once you realize the time you save.

SMUGMUG pro account. Costs about $150/year and you can do your own customization.

For your purpose, I would recommend the 17-35mm. I have the 14-24 and love it but I use my for wedding photography. It's great in tight spaces and panoramic interior shots. The only advantage of the 17-24mm is as stated earlier, you have the option of using filters.

When the DJ announces the last song :)

No payment=no photography!!!! She signed the contract and agreed to the terms. Yes, you may have a disgruntled bride afterwards who may not provide the best referrals but it's your business and you should not let the bride dictate the terms. Call her and let her know where you stand. If sh continues to resist, remind her that she agreed to full payment or no photography will take place. With only a couple of weeks ubtil the wedding, she will be hard pressed to find another photographer so this may be to your advantage. If she threatens legal action, you have a signed contract that she has to battle with. Best of luck!!

If your contract says thatthey get JPEGs then that's what they get. However, if it doesn't matter to you either way, then give up the RAWs. I would charge extra since they weren't in the initial agreement.

A video grab won't give you the same quality even if if it is in DV format. You may be able to get a half-decent 4x6 print but tha's about it. That's why I put in my contract that I am not resposible for any missed shots due to intereference from the videographer.

First, I would like to say that I am providing input with much caution since last time another photographer near her due date asked for advice, most replies came from men and we almost got our heads bit off by some of the ladies in this forum because we dared put ourselves in their shoes.

 

Anyways, back to your situation. Just be up front and tell the B&G your situation. If they decide to look elsewhere, then that's something you will have to accept. If they allow you to subcontract and let somone else do the photography while you do the editing, that may lessen the burden of being at a total loss. You already know that your health comes first so now you have to decide what's best for business. William made a great point. Don't commit to something you may not be able to carry out. Bottom line, tell the couples your situation and let them decide.

Just like you can't get good still images from video, you can't get good video from a still camera. The D90 is a nice novelty item but why would a true photographer want to shoot video as well. That's what pro video cameras are for. There is no comparison.

I had my albums done with LC prints. They came out great. Can't even tell the difference. They'll send you two sample prints..one with your color settings and one with the auto settings and you choose which you like the best. I was very please with what I got back from LC.

Start you hi-res upload before you go to bed and let it go overnight. By the morning, it should be done.

Just tell them that you consulted a laywer as well and thinks that you should also go to court and sue them for unpaid services. You can bluff as well. One thing is to learn from mistakes and another is to let people think that they can take advantage of you. Good luck!