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1. What
are the advantages of hiring a professional?
A professional photographer will capture your most precious
moments in both an artful and technically perfect way.
He will deliver crisp, clean, beautiful images, which
you will be able to cherish for a lifetime.
A professional photographer will also be timely - arriving
at your wedding promptly and appropriately attired, and
will get your wedding photographs to you on time.
He will use only state-of-the-art professional equipment.
Matt Flynn Photography has the right equipment for photographing
your wedding. My cameras and back-up equipment are all
Nikon professional cameras with the finest Nikon lenses.
Having attended many weddings, an experienced wedding
photographer will be at ease at your wedding. A professional
uses only a professional color laboratory that is in the
business of meeting high professional standards of print
quality. And, a professional is used to working with individuals,
couples, and groups to make the formal photography go
smoothly. When you think about the cost of photography,
remember that the photographer's fee is only part of your
investment: You, your parents, your extended family and
your friends will be investing time with the photographer
during your wedding. Don't waste time on your wedding
day with a photographer who won't produce results you’ll
love!
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2. What
is the first question I should ask the photographer?
Once you have established that the photographer is available
for your date and location, you will want to ask, "If
we select your company, who will be the photographer covering
our wedding?" Some photography studios hire contract
or part-time help, weekend warriors, or even amateur photographers.
Matt Flynn is the master photographer, he will personally
capturing your images.
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3. Shouldn't
I be asking "What do I get and how much does it cost?"
Even shopping for shoes or furniture you wouldn't ask
that question until you find the style and quality you
like. After you have looked through a photographer's portfolio
- seeing candids, formals and illustrative pictures, you
will know if this photographer has the technique, style
and spirit to be the eyes through which will see your
wedding day. Of course, you should determine if the photographer
is within your budget, give or take a little, but what
you really want from photography is memories and feeling.
Look for an established and reliable photographer whose
work moves you, whose technical quality is tops. If you
find a photographer who makes you happy, you will never
regret your investment, whatever the dollar cost. When
we have invested in items that will be with us for the
rest of our lives, our satisfaction has been highest when
we have paid that extra bit for the best quality.
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4. So,
how much does wedding photography cost?
Professional photography prices range from $950 to $10,000,
and even more! Photographs (and maybe video) will be your
only permanent record of the day. You want good photographs
(or you would not have read so far), so be prepared to
spend a minimum of $1,500 for a small wedding on a weekday
or Sunday, and $2,000 and up for Saturdays. Also, for
custom enlargements, an 8x10 reprint will cost $18 to
$35 each. Expect better photographers to charge the higher
rates. If you are looking for a bargain and shop via phone
for pricing, you are following a recipe for poor to mediocre
photography. My research indicates that photography runs
between nine and fifteen percent of the total wedding
budget. When couples value photography highly and are
on a limited budget, they will spend up to 30% of their
wedding budget on photography.
Most brides initially underestimate the cost of photography
by 50% - in other words, you will probably spend at least
twice as much as you budgeted, unless you have advice
from a wedding coordinator who is familiar with prices
in your area.
Keep in mind that there are only so many weekends for
weddings in a year, so a true wedding professional can
only work a limited number of days. If your budget is
too small, you will be choosing from the second and third
tiers of wedding photographers.
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5. How
much time will the photographer spend at my wedding?
That is really up to you. You can have the photographer
meet you where you are getting dressed, and keep taking
pictures until you leave the reception. Or you may just
want a few hours of photography, with a few formal photographs
and some pictures of the ceremony. My typical coverage
starts two hours before the ceremony and ends after the
bouquet, garter and cake.
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6. Digital
or Film?
This used to be a cut and dry answer….film. Early
digital photographers would buy a $1,000 digital camera
and shoot away, not using any film for backup. The image
quality was mediocre at best. …until around 2002.
With new advancements in technology, digital cameras now
actually capture images more crisply and clearly, and
have more detail in them than film. I would put any high-end
professional digital capture up against a medium format
negative any day. A high-end digital capture will always
win. It is expensive for a photographer to take the leap
into a high-end digital shooting setup. The cost of a
high-end digital camera set up necessary for high-quality
pictures is over $20,000. The benefits of a digital photographer
now outweigh the benefits of a traditional film photographer.
Digital quality exceeds film-capturing quality, digital
proofs can be viewed online and/or on CD, and there is
virtually no difference in a digital file captured in
color, then printed in black and white. This is not true
with color film.
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7. What
are proofs?
Fifty years ago, photographers presented clients with
proof pictures printed on special paper; images would
last for a few weeks and then fade. Now, color proofs
are made with the identical paper and chemistry as final
pictures. However, only on final pictures can you have
retouching and cropping. Some photographers use the term
"images" or "originals" in order to
avoid the confusing word "proofs." Many photographers
are now using video "proofs." That means that
you initially view the images on a computer or television
screen. You then order from the screen (or from a videotape
of the images) and have true prints in your hand a few
weeks later. As digital printers improve, you might have
your images the same day you order. Caution - Currently,
the color and longevity of desktop prints does not match
professional prints from a pro-photo wedding lab.
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8. Do
I get to keep the proofs?
Some photographers include the proofs in the price of
their photography, others sell them separately. Some keep
the proofs, putting them in the final album or simply
not selling them. When you first see your proofs, you
take them home and keep them for a few weeks. I recommend
you order your album and reprints quickly - your photographer
will have ways of helping you to avoid procrastinating.
The price list should state explicitly the price of the
proofs, which may be sold either individually or only
as a complete set. Matt Flynn Photography provides packages
including proof albums that are yours to keep.
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9. What
about getting an album?
Some photographers offer "Packages," each package
having a set number of hours, images, and certain number
of final pictures in an album. It might be better to get
a package that includes an album that the photographer
will assemble completely, because most of us never get
around to putting our pictures in albums if we have to
do it ourselves. Consider ordering parents' albums too.
If your parent’s vision is less than perfect, they
would really appreciate getting an album with large photographs
so that the faces are easy to see!
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10. Who
chooses the pictures that go in the album?
After looking at all the proofs, the bride and groom usually
decide what goes in the album. The photographer may let
you specify the sequence and size of the pictures, so
that the album really shows the wedding the way you want
to see it, with important images enlarged, and related
candids grouped together. Some photographers will suggest
a layout for your album or design the album with you,
using proofs or computer images to show you what the final
album will look like. You will benefit from the photographer's
eye and feel for the wedding. You will probably let your
parents decide what pictures go in their album.
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11. Should
we get plastic covered pages to protect the pictures?
Plastic gets in the way of the image. It creates reflections
and lessens the clarity. A professional lacquer coating
on the prints provides protection, but does not get in
the way. Lacquer coating (spray) costs more, so when comparing
photographers' prices, be sure to note if lacquer spray
is included.
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12. What
about black and white photography?
Some couples want black and white pictures because they
like the classic quality. Also, there has been a stylistic
return to black and white (in advertising and weddings)
with a contemporary or fashion look to it.
For you, this is purely a matter of preference. In my
opinion, there is a magical quality in black and white
images that cannot be matched with color images. Matt
Flynn Photography can provide whatever mixture of color,
black and white or sepia toned images you prefer.
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13. What
technical details in sample photographs should I watch
out for?
Lighting quality is an important ingredient in superior
photographs. The light in photographs should be natural
and flattering, so that the pictures look three-dimensional.
Watch out for flattened faces, harsh reflections off of
cheeks and foreheads, and dark shadows directly behind
or next to the subjects.
Also, look for a variety in subject size - a mix of distant,
medium and close-up pictures. Even with groups, lighting
and posing should be interesting. Note the photographer’s
skill with different styles – from formal and traditional
shots to candid or photojournalistic shots. Probably most
of your album and your parents' albums will consist of
traditional and candid images, which capture the bride
and groom’s personality.
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14. My
mom likes soft focus pictures, but I want sharp photos?
Except for mood shots and some portraits, pictures should
be sharp. You should be able to count the threads in the
veil. But a soft filter can be flattering in a close-up
photo. A soft filter can soften other unwanted details
that are not important to the photo. You might tell your
photographer that you want a few pictures done soft-focus
and the rest sharp. Then, when you get the proofs, you
have your choice for each pose.
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15. Everybody
says to go with photojournalism. Is it the best?
There are many stories and vignettes at a wedding: Bride
getting ready, ring bearer being coaxed to walk up the
aisle, the bride's mother watching the father-daughter
dance. Moments like these, when photographed, are Wedding
Photojournalism.
But capturing moments does not tell the bigger stories:
Relationships and Fantasy. A posed loving photograph of
the bride and her grandmother captures the relationship,
and this is a photo that will have meaning for generations.
The bride and groom in an idyllic setting has that fantasy
quality that we all seek.
Anybody with a camera can take a formal photograph or
a photojournalistic photograph. A good formal photographer
evokes and photographs the genuine expressions of relationships,
and makes everyone look their best. A good pictorial photographer
creates your fantasy images, believable fantasy images.
A good photojournalist captures decisive moments to tell
a story. Don't you want all three at your wedding? Find
the photographer who can do all three, exceptionally well.
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16. I
just hate posed pictures - I always look so stiff and
unnatural in them.
I know what you mean. I had posed pictures of me taken
for my high-school yearbook. I still cringe when I think
about how awful they were. However, the person behind
the camera was probably given minimal training and had
no real interest in photography. If you have gotten this
far in these FAQ, you are probably going to be looking
at professional photographers, who will be far more skilled.
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17. What
sort of balance between posed shots and candids should
I get? What about the trend of photojournalism?
This is also a matter of taste, combined with necessity.
Great wedding photography can be done with no formal posed
pictures at all (wedding photojournalism). But, there
may be many people and combinations of guests that will
never be captured unless the photographer deliberately
gathers them in one spot for a picture. (Whether the picture
looks posed or natural depends on the photographer.) When
planning your wedding coverage with your photographer,
draw up a list of "must get" photos, such as
college roommates, kids from your old neighborhood, a
four generation picture, and so on. If you want a large
catalog of specified pictures, then expect your photographer
to spend more time doing those, and less time doing candids
and wedding photojournalism.
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18. Should
we do the formals before or after the ceremony?
Some couples think it is bad luck to see each other before
the ceremony. If following this tradition is important
to you, all of the photos of the bride and groom together
will be done afterwards, but solo shots can be done before.
However, getting all the formals done at the beginning
has several advantages: make-up, clothing and flowers
are fresh, and you can carefully budget time for formals.
(And, if your ceremony ends after dark, the only time
for natural light pictures of the two of you will be before
the ceremony!) Couples who feel formal photos are important
will set aside one or two, or even three hours for formals,
which finish up about half an hour before the ceremony
begins. If you do formals immediately after the ceremony,
guests have to wait before they can greet you, and members
of the bridal party will have to pose for pictures rather
than mingle.
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19. Suppose
I want more copies in two years?
Your photographer should keep images on file for a specified
number of years so that you can call or write any time
and order more prints. Or, he/she may offer to sell or
give them to you after a certain period.
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20. Shouldn't
my photographer have a back up in case he/she is sick
on my wedding day?
That would be ideal, but consider the plight of the backup
photographer who has to turn down weddings just in case
she/he is needed for yours? Professionals are part of
a network of photographers, and do have many people they
can call in the event of an emergency. No doubt as your
wedding approaches, you will have many far more significant
worries. Let your photographer manage this problem.
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21. Some
photographers ask that no one else take pictures during
the formal photography. Is that reasonable?
Yes. If the photographer is trying to work quickly through
a series of formal pictures, a snap-shooter might slow
the process. A problem arises when there are several cameras
aimed at a formal group - the subjects will be looking
at different lenses. The diverted attention will ruin
the professional's picture. Or, if the professional is
using a light-sensing trigger device ("slave")
on a second flash, other flashes will trigger this flash,
ruining the pictures [that you are paying for] and wasting
battery power. There are many other reasons why a professional
might ask others to refrain from picture taking during
formals. On the other hand, many guests find snapping
a few pictures a pleasant part of attending weddings,
so it should not be a big deal for your professional to
be relaxed and let people snap away when formals are over.
Ideally, guests should show respect for the bridal party
and photographer and put down their cameras during the
formal photos.
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22. I
want to make copies of my photos. Does my photographer
really own the copyright of his/her pictures? Do I still
have to pay the photographer if I make the copies myself
at a copy shop?
Yes and yes. According to federal law, images produced
by a professional photographer are copyrighted the moment
they are created. Federal law prohibits copying or reproducing
copyrighted material without permission from the owner
of the copyright, i.e., the photographer. If you copy
or scan your photos, the photographer should be paid just
as if you were buying reprints. If you or your videographer
transfer the proofs to videotape, the photographer should
be paid just as if you were buying reprints. If you don't
feel comfortable paying for these copies, find a photographer
whose work is so good that you are glad to pay. When I
really appreciate something I purchase, like a fabulous
meal, an antique, a good pair of shoes, or even medical
care, I do not mind paying a premium for getting the highest
quality. Look for the photographer who will provide you
the satisfaction of paying for job well done. You can
also purchase the rights to make your own copies or re-prints.
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