What are the different structures Photographers use for charging out a wedding and which one’s best for me?

There are two main ways that photographers charge for a wedding...and a couple of variations.

In the old traditional model a fee is charged upfront for coverage.  This fee may or may not include a 'credit' to be used towards the purchase of prints and or an album afterwards.  The photographer retains ownership of the negatives and prints are charged according to size....6x4's, 5x7's, 6x8's, 8x12's, etc.

The markup on prints is usually quite steep and this is where most wedding photographers make their money.  They know if you ever want to see you photos you're going to have to pay their rates for printing or not see them at all.

Sometimes a 'proof' album is included in the initial fee.  A typical proof album consists of tiny pictures (2x3's) and will most usually be stamped with the photographers watermark.

After you have paid for all your prints and enlargements and after a certain time period has elapsed the photographer may then offer to sell you your negatives!

A variation on this model is where rather than a coverage fee a photographer will charge by location.  All the rest still applies.

This is a very expensive way of purchasing wedding photographs!

 

The other way is where a photographer will charge by a wedding package.

In this model everything is agreed upfront.  Hours of coverage, number of prints, number of included locations, whether the negatives are included, album if at all, cost or reprints and of course the package fee.

While this is definitely the safer and ultimately usually the less expensive option, it is still wise to check on a few things.

• What size the prints are and whether they're watermarked.
• If the digital negatives are included, are they high-res.
• Is copyright is included.
• Is there an additional charge for extra time.

 

 

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What is AIPP and is it important?

AIPP stands for Australian Institute of Professional Photographers.

AIPP is a membership body for photographers who have paid a fee, been referred by an existing member(s) and submitted a selection of their best photos for peer review.

Membership does not denote an accreditation or a degree, although some photographers like to pretend that it does.  It merely denotes paid-up membership to a club.

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What you need to know when it comes to your prints.

Let's talk about prints baby.

Prints are your actually photographs.  They can come in a variety of sizes, printed on a vast array of different quality papers, with different quality inks and different presentations.

Given that you want you wedding photos to not only look good but last, you need to check the following:

• That they are printed on archival paper.
• That they are printed with archival inks.
• That the paper density is at least 270gsm (lighter paper is cheaper but is more fragile)
• You also need to check what size they are presented and if they are watermarked.  (Double-check the units you are told also.  Some photographers are now quoting paper sizes in cm rather than the traditional measurements and a 15x10cm print may sound large but it's really only a bog-standard 6x4.)

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How do ‘Wedding Photographers’ differ to other photographers?

Shooting a wedding successfully is about so much more than just taking good photos. A wedding photographer knows the structure of weddings intimately and therefore can be prepared for all the little fleeting moments that occur throughout the course of the day.

A wedding photographer is also able to handle stress extremely well (there's only one chance to get it right), relates well with all kinds of people and can deliver outstanding results in any circumstance, often under difficult lighting conditions. (I have a friend, a brilliant studio photographer who won't touch it.  "Too much to go wrong", he says.)

Wedding photography is more than just taking a few nice photos.  It's about taking consistently beautiful photos across a whole day, no matter what, that tell the story and capture the memories of you that you'll be proud of forever.

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Do you really get what you pay for?  What’s the real reason for the huge price-range between wedding photographers?

Sure, sometimes you do when it comes to a matter of expertise, the whole supply and demand equation but more usually it's to do with their marketing expenses. 

Advertising in glossy magazines, stalls at trade shows, boutique studio/showroom, trendy brouchures....these all cost money...in some case (especially some of the magazine ads) a lot of money.  These are costs that then have to get passed on to the client...You.  It won't make your photos look any better.

In some cases though it's just purely about greed.  You may have noticed with many suppliers already that the moment you mention a wedding, the prices go up.  They know you're getting married, it's going to happen, you have your heart set on making it special and they milk you for all they can get out of you. 

Plain and simple. 

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What’s the deal with getting FREE negatives and why won’t most wedding photographers do it?

In the traditional model of wedding photography the negatives represent the photographers most valuable asset.  This is where they make most of their money selling prints and reprints to you at whatever markup they choose.  See here.

We strongly believe that because they're you're wedding photos, they're your negatives and that's why we include them at no extra charge with every wedding photography package.

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Wedding Portfolio vs. Wedding Portfolio!  Is there a difference and what should I look out for?

Showing a selection of you best shots is not showing your portfolio!

Anyone, given enough time and enough photos will take some great ones but showing these off as representative of what you usually achieve is not a true indication of your ability.

A Wedding Portfolio should always include a complete wedding shoot from beginning to end.  This way you can check for consistent work across the day...not just a few good shots.

Of course it's always useful to see a variety of weddings too to get a feel for a photographers overall style!

Make sure also that the portfolio you are viewing is the actual photographer's who is shooting your wedding and not a studio one.

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