+1 for professionals

[geoffsta]

Let me start by saying I do not do weddings. I did one a year ago with 2 other photography friends, and even then found it too hard and stressful.

But let me ask.....
How many images do you take on the day at a wedding?
And how many images to you pass on to your clients?
And how long does it take you to pass the images on to the clients?

I will explain the reason why later in the thread.

I also ask because I have just done a weekend music festival. I took roughly 780 photos. Out of which I have compiled a bit over 200 images that I deem as being good enough for the festival committee to use for promotional material.

The images included 14 artists, a duck race and a few crowd shots.

Not saying that the other 500 or so images were crap either. It's just they didn't quite appeal to me because of small things in them that go against all that I have learnt in the neally 3 years I have been involved with this site.
I'll post some images of the festival later, as there are one or two that I want to add into the comps.

[geoffsta]

Just to add.. I have no intentions of going professional. Too much work involved.....
The reason I started this thread is to give an example why one should use a pro for a wedding.... An explaination later in the thread... It made some cry. It may make some laugh.

[Tony B]

To help select a striking image. Photo quality:
1) Impact-grabs the attention
2)Technical excellence-
3)Centre of interest
4)Subject matter-appropriate to the story being told
5)Storytelling-the ability of the image toevoke imagination.
6)Colour balance-Not always harmonious & could be used to emphasise the subject.

[Mark L]

Not saying that the other 500 or so images were crap either. It's just they didn't quite appeal to me because of small things in them that go against all that I have learnt in the neally 3 years I have been involved with this site.


It matters if it appeals to them, not you.
So maybe that's part of the pro stuff. Leave behind what you like and try and judge what they might like.
(passing late night thought):confused013

[Redgum]

Geoffsta, if you're working on any kind of corporate gig, whatever it may be, the questions you ask are really irrelevant. How many? style? coverage, presentation are all part of the pre-shoot. The client tells you what they want and you go get it. If it's a specie, the same rules apply but you find out first what the potential client likes or needs. If it's for a magazine, read the magazine before you shoot. If it's for promotion, have a look at the work they've done beforehand and then talk to the potential client. Same with weddings - pre-shoot is where it's at.
By the time the shutters pushed it's just about too late to find out what your supposed to be doing.
And we all know that trying to make sales from a unplanned specie shoot is doomed to failure.

[geoffsta]

Ok... Ok ... Forget about the festival gig...... I only used that as an example....
The reason that I asked the question in the first place was that my nephew had a wedding 4 months ago. At a cost of $2,000.(Originally $1,500) And the woman was NOT a professional
Now the photographer took (So she says) over 1,000 images, and today I was told they got to view their first proofs. And by the sounds of it not really impressed.

More fool them, I hear you say.... But you must remember a thread a few months back about why people in the bush can't afford the luxury of a pro. And this family went over their limited budget to get this woman. Who came recommended by a friend.

My first impression of this photographer wasn't all that great. A lot of her shots were either into the sun, or with crappy backgrounds. She was extremely bossy. She had 1 camera, 1 speedlight, bought 1 spare battery for the camera, but none for the speedlight, then she complained that how expensive batteries are in the town were the wedding was. I believe she used a D80. I recently seen on her facebook she was getting excited about a camera upgrade to a D600. (One would think she may have thought full frame)

She did tell my nephew and niece inlaw that it could take up to 6 months to get their images....

NOW.... +1 for professionals. My advice to those thinking about a wedding is.... Get a professional...
Again I ask....
How many images do you take on the day at a wedding?
And how many images to you pass on to your clients?
And how long does it take you to pass the images on to the clients?

[Redgum]

No offence, Geoff but if your nephew negotiated the deal as clearly as you have enunciated this thread then the answer is obvious. :)
Professional photographer or not it's pretty easy to arrange a deal at the outset. For instance, I want 200 photos of really good quality delivered to me within two weeks of our return from the honeymoon and I'll pay you $1500.00.
If those conditions aren't met you may not have any photographs but you will have your money. What's the backup? Get Uncle Fred to shoot as well. Pretty simple and generally what most people will do one way or another. If the photographer doesn't like it well I guess you've already found your bad egg. Look further, most professionals will jump at the chance and if the money is short will negotiate with you. As the Yanks would say, wedding photographers are a dime a dozen almost anywhere.
And this sort of makes your last three questions redundant, no?

[Warbler]

I've carried the bags for a wedding photographer and helped him with editing and stuff from time to time, even taken a few shots as the second. The number of images taken varies quite a bit. Some folks have no idea how to pose (mostly blokes) and therefore it becomes a long drawn-out, painful process. Others are a breeze, and therefore more clicks are taken. The photog I help out provides all useable images taken on the day, but does not edit all of them beyond a basic touch-up and crop. He (sometimes I ;)) edit a few hundred and these are given much greater artistic editing. Time taken to deliver is dependent on workload. High season might take a month. Low season, maybe two weeks. For a 12 hour wedding, he'd shoot 2,000 images, and if I help out, that might go to 2,700.

I don't think you're going to find any direct comparisons to come up with a rule of thumb. It's a bit late now to be bothering. Look at it this way, with no backup gear, your friend should be thanking their lucky stars they got any photos. Having said that, 6 months is a long time, but there is one wedding photographer here who is doing very nicely thank you very much. and he takes months to provide all of his images.

[AVALANCHE]

NOW.... +1 for professionals. My advice to those thinking about a wedding is.... Get a professional...
Again I ask....
How many images do you take on the day at a wedding?
And how many images to you pass on to your clients?
And how long does it take you to pass the images on to the clients?

I am not a professional but, for a full day shoot;

I take around 2000 photos. I cull ones that are out of focus, bad lighting, and so on...usually this brings it to the 1000-1500 mark.
I pass on all the remaining photos onto disk/usb...however they want it. Most people are happy to print themselves.
No less than a day or so to give to them and I usually drive to them if in Sydney. If in Melbourne, I post.