newish photographer pricing-is this right?

It is impossible to give an accurate answer without seeing any of the existing work that they have done. FWIW many established photographers charge only a little more than this.

Re qualifications, there are many. Their relevence is often misleading. A degree, A level, O level or similar is no training or experience for what a wedding will throw at you.

Not sure if this helps........

Peter

That was my thoughts exactly!! its such a mind field, out of the people we've spoken to, the prices vary so much its ridiculous!!

That was why we thought maybe we'd take a risk on a new photgrapher (thinking it'd be minimal cost) hoping that we could have more control over what they'd actually do for us rather than sticking to a 'package' But if its only going to cost us a little more to go with an experianced firm then i guess it'll be worthwhile doing that!!

Unless you know the photographer personally and trust them to do a job job, I would be nervous about trying a new wedding photographer. Unless of course they are an expert in a different type of photography and they have a portfolio to show you that may not be weddings but other portrait or occasion photography.

Our photographer was reasonable and is a professional but he hasn't been working in weddings for very long. But I really liked his other portrait work and therfore chose him based on his talent.

Try and make sure you see any wedding portfolios (and other portfolios) they have done in thr past and see the WHOLE portfolio as I have had some photographers only show me selected photos which are probably the only good ones. Try and request the whole portfolio to really see every type of shot and to ensure you have quality photos throughout the day. And always meet them face to face as you need to be sure you'll get on with them and they will be pleasent enough with your guests on the day.

Hope that helps

I would suggest that someone with experience could deliver this easier than someone finding their way in the industry. It is a steep learning curve photographing a wedding and although you may well get someone new who is very good, the danger is that you don't and you end up with a mish mash of images from your special and otherwise expensive day.

Peter

I'm paying £600 for an experienced photographer. I would echo what others have said, it's a bit risky! You only have one chance to get decent photographs.....

I think thats a bit pricey if they've only done 3 weddings. We don't charge more than that for a basic package and you'll find a lot of photographers have an entry level package around this price!

You don't want to cut too many corners on the photography as this is one of the only things that you'll re-use from your wedding IYKWIM? Xx

thanks guys, i think you've all pretty much confirmed what i was thinking.....too risky!!

time to get googling for local togs!!

or does anyone have any reccomendations?? sussex area

To me it does seem a bit pricey.... as a comparison I only charge £350 at the moment (for videography, not photography but prices seem to be similar these days) as I'm still getting established - that said, I do have broadcast experience, and have filmed over 15 weddings in the last year.

I guess all you can do is meet the bloke and make sure you're happy with his work and confident he has the skills and equipment to do a decent job - things which would concern me would be that he has a back-up camera and other equipment but I'm sure some of the other togs will be able to give you more detailed advice about what to look for ?

Hi

I echo what the others have said. We're paying £500 for an experienced photographer who will be with us all day, provides a CD of all the images and an album of (I think) 40 ish prints.

This is a bargain in comparison to a lot of people we looked at but there are clearly packages out there at that level by experienced people and, whilst everyone needs to start somewhere, I wouldn't be willing to take the risk

HTH

x

From the perspective of someone who has set up their own business I can really empathise with anyone else starting out. Without a portfolio of work and feedback given by past clients it's hard to secure the job, but the only way you can build up a portfolio of work is through people choosing you.

Depending on the relationship you have with the friend of a friend photographer I would suggest talking to him to see if he would be prepared to cover all/part of your day for free on the understanding that he can use the photos he takes at your wedding in his portfolio and that he provides you with a copy of the images on a CD.

If I were starting out as a photographer I would personally see this as a great opportunity to take some pictures of a 'real life' wedding which would help me to secure work in the future. Perhaps I wouldn't spend 8 hours there but I'd definately put in a good few hours. It is in effect free for him apart from the time he gives up.

If he agreed to do this you could use your budget to book an experienced photographer to take the 'bulk' of your wedding pictures and perhaps ask the inexperienced photographer to take more candid shots at the reception just mingling with the guests and capturing all the 'natural' moments.

Just a thought!

Susan x.

Beware slightly of this as some photographers will have exclusivity in their contract with you. It also creates an issue if the inexperienced photographer posts images on thier new website. When brides google photographers, seeing the same couple on two sites generally causes distrust. Additionally, if the inexperienced photographer shoots over the shoulder of the pro, they could pass these images off as their own.(and there are plenty examples of this on the web) Some pros will have tag along photographers who want to learn the trade although they usually have the caveat that no images can be used online.

Just a thought, but when Ray and I turned professional 4 years ago we were pretty good (or so we though) experienced amateur photographers who had been working with SLR cameras and serious equipment for many many years. But the experience of moving into professional wedding photography is massive. By shooting weddings again and again and constantly reviewing and perfecting your style you improve leaps and bounds over your old self. The early work was certainly ok and nothing to be ashamed about, but the work that we are producing now is levels of magnitude better.

I suspect that most of the professionals here would say the same thing. Wedding photography is difficult to do well and a basic understanding of photography and owning the right equipment is only a small part of it.

Clwyd - Wedding Photographer for Pixcellence

Hi there Emmy,

Id agree, for all you know they could be amazing photographers and your photo's could be fantastic BUT on the other side they could be horrendous and ruin the photographic memories of your special day, do you really want to take that risk?

I'm pretty sure if you google or even use the trusty old Yellow Pages you will find a professional photographer for a similar price. There are also many great photographers on here who I'm sure would help you out in your situation.

Have you tried http://www.sussexweddingphotographer.com/index.htm

Hope this helps?

It sounds a lot to be honest, and the real truth is at the moment there are so many inexperienced photographers out there its a major minefield as to the quality of the images they'll produce, though from most I've seen they are down the bottom end of the scale.

Having a camera doesn't make you an instant photographer.

Otherwise dependant upon exactly what options you want, and how long you want me therefore on the day, I might actually not work out much more expensive, and then you'd be getting a full time professional with insurance! (which most newcommers never have)

You can see my work here - www.photographybyriddell.co.uk

Absolutely agree with the others ... it's different if you know someone and trust them as a friend but for that price you could get a pretty good package with a pro.

At RawSilk we offer a credit crunch deal for £500 and this includes a disc containing all the images high res for you to print yourself - take a look at our website:

www.rawsilkphotography.com

Thanks,

Stefan