photographer or videographer, or both, help!!!

I guess that this bit was written by a videographer........

On a serious note though, both offer a very different dynamic of your day. There are good and bad vendors in both crafts. Whoever wrote that comment in the magazine should really not be allowed to publish such inane drivel.

You need to choose carefully, and be aware that there are some vendors that are relatively cheap.(New to the business although have the "right attitude".) Your friend that has not photographed people will not be aware of the pressures that come with the job. We have had many threads on this forum in the past on this subject, even to the extent where friendships have been lost as a result of poor photography. That said, to video a wedding, the person doing so really needs to have the correct microphones and not rely on the "on camera" microphone or vows and speeches will probably sound awful. Be aware that the "forever on DVD" part is also misleading as DVDs do fail(Best to copy and back them up every 3-4 years to avoid this). Although I am a wedding photographer, I deal a lot in high profile videography in my corporate side and issues with longevity has always been a problem as we are yet to find a "forever dvd"

Peter

It's also worth mentioning where you are in the UK so that local vendors/hitchers can supply ideas and experience....

Thanx for the advice, The bit I read in the magazine was from a couple that had recently got married so i guess was their opinion and Im located in Reading

Some people who have both seem to really look forward to the video and accept the photographs as a pleasant formality, or vice-versa.

Both services can provide you with lots of nice memories, providing they are executed properly.

From my videographer perspective, I would say having anyone less than a semi-professional film your wedding will result in disappointment. There are simply far too many technical, instinctive and creative considerations when composing a shot, recording audio and editing together.

And having seen some amature photographs from guests' digital cameras, I've noticed a distinct reluctance to zoom in on the subjects and some focus issues.

About films lasting 'forever', it is true that all burned DVDs will deteriorate over time, but we take steps to fight this by using only high-quality Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden media with superior recording dye-application, burn at slower speeds on a high-end burner, never use stick-on labels and finally create a copy of the film on long-lasting miniDV tape. We also recommend correct handling and storage of media formats.

Hiya ?

We had the same problem when planning our wedding but decided to put the budget towards getting a really good photographer and I've got to say it was worth it ? We had a small video camera that a guest operated for us on the day and he loved it!! I've also got to say that I really enjoyed looking at the clips of the video but it's the photos I've spent the most time pouring over. Also, I think as long as you can get someone you know to video some parts of the day then that's all you really need ?

Happy Planning!!

When I read the opening post....thats exactly what I was going to put....so well said that man!

I work alongside Photographers and videographers all the time......and try to work with them too....such as increasing my colour wash when they are videoing people on the dance floor. I've also seen many different styles of both too. I think before you book either, one of the most important things would be to see their past work. Your taste might be for the for the more traditional, or you might prefer the candid and unusual. I worked with a videographer last night and he was fantastic. He showed me some snippets of footage he'd taken during the day.........I was amazed. Because of the quality of his equipment, even in its pre edited stage, its was amazing. he didn't stand still for one minute, trying to get unusual shots etc looking for creating atmosphere etc. On other occasions videographers have set up a tripod on the dance floor and just left it in one position. It comes down to taste at the end of the....then secondly your budget has to be the determining factor.

Hope that helps.

Both, if you just go for one, no matter how happy you will be you will always have that thought in your head "What if...".

You have seent hat article saying how video was the best thing. You will also hear from people who say that photos are the best thing.

Its important though to find somone who you actually like and want there, not just somone who happend to fit in your budget and is "OK". I mean, whats the point of spending however much you do if you never watch it or look at the pictures?

Photographer......but there again I am biased ?

Seriously though, it depends what your budget is. One idea would be to possibly have the videographer film the service, and the photographer could be there all day, or a combination of them both.

There are both photographers out there and videographers who I am sure will give you whatever coverage you require rather than just a standard package.

All the best,

Dean

www.deancarney.com

What you have to remember is that there is no fact, only opinion!

I wouldn't put too much importance on what somebody has written in a magazine, if it's the bride and groom saying it that is just one couples opinion, I happen to think that 'it 'aint half hot mum' was the best TV program every produced by the BBC, but it doesn't mean I'm right and that is the universal truth.

You also have to watch what the magazines themselves and their 'experts' say. Sometimes they are just clueless, they are not, have not and never will be in a certain trade but are still happy to dole out 'advice' on what to look out for, what is good and what isn't. At other times what they say is purely down to financial incentive, for example if a supplier is taking out a full page advert every month, they are more likely to support that business than their competition. I know a number of wedding venues recommend various suppliers simply because they get kick backs from them.

Photography too can capture the whole day informally, and the 'in motion' bit, while sometimes can be a plus, can also be a minus, videographers are looking for sequences, photographers are looking for the defining moment, so in essence what you get is a super edited recording of the day of the the absolute best bits.

We both have different areas of expertise and different strenghts though. Personaly I think the service is often better on video, but the preparation and after service bits are best on photo. Remember for you first dance you only need to hit a good shape for 1/60th of a second to get a good photo, you need to be able to dance to make it look good on video!

As Brian says, its opinion based so it is truly what you place as a higher importance. Photographer was our highest priority, and we chose one who would capture the day in the way we wanted. So we've chose this one and Andy and Beccy are lovely!

www.burgessphotography.co.uk

Recently we've had a little more money come into the budget so my first thought was videographer. I spent half a day trawling the internet for decent ones and was frustrated by the poor quality of some but when I found our chosen one it made me realise that it was just as important as the photographer to me.

www.fxfilms.co.uk

Take some time looking on the internet for different photographers and videographers and weigh up what is more important to you....good thing is you have time on your side!

Laura x