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I would totally use a student vendor... but I'd still ask for a contract. That way, you know she takes it as seriously as you do!
I think that's definitely a way to save some money- we're having my FSIL do our photography. But just as Mr. Bee said it's important to have a contract so you both know what you're getting into.
I don't think you should worry about it. Here's the deal: she may not get the best shots you've ever seen in your entire life, but she is going to capture beautiful memories. Just make sure she has backup equipment and memory cards, and tell your guests you want their pictures too (set up a flickr account so they can add pictures) and you'll get enough that you should be set!
Good luck and I really think you can do it!
THANK YOU for the tip, mrbee!... I never would've have thought about that.
Googling now...... :)
LaborofLove, you make a wonderful point. Thank you!
It looks like she does a lot of experimental portraits... so take advantage of her strengths and get some great semi-posed shots! And for $10/hour, I would be ALL OVER her if I were in your area! I'd say go for it, and good luck!
Miss Banana... That is definitely what I love and appreciate when it comes to photography, so that's why I'm feeling so good about this... AND... you kind of are, she's in the Chicago area. It's still a bit of a drive :(
She's got some good stuff, you might have found yourself a gem. That being said, realize most of her stuff is VERY staged, planned, thought out. Weddings are very quick, spontaneous, and one of the advantages of hiring a pro - is that they know how to anticipate moments and be there before they happen. They've been to enough to know the flow, where and what works best regardless of if someone turns the lights off in the middle.
I would make sure she has back up gear - if not, make sure you'll get a full refund in case of failure and know you risk not having the iamges. Also, IF she delivers and you are more than happy... please tip her. If she's editing your pictures, every hour of photos will take a pro 3+ hrs of work. So, in reality, she won't be making $10 / hr. Her work doesn't end after your wedding ends. It's basically just starting. SO, if you like it, show your appreciation by giving her closer to what she's worth, I'd say a min. tip of $500 when she gives you your images if you are happy.
Here's something to think about...a lot of what is in her portfolio are set-up shoots where she can control the lighting i.e. knows the lighting...
LIGHTING is uber important and most "newbie" photographers have the hardset time adapting. Does she know her camera inside out? Can she figure it out on the fly if say you as the couple are on the alter and you are backlit (meaning the background is brighter than your subject)? Does she know how to get you properly lit
What if at your reception venue it's dark as heck and there is no available light? Can she figure out how to capture that?
- Does she have backup equipment (meaning more than one camera body and more than one lens?) What happens if something happens during the wedding or her lens breaks? (and yes, it HAS happened to me at a wedding, someone knocked into me and my 5k camera + 2k lens was violently ejected out of my hands..(it cost about 3k to repair...)
- Does she have a flash? More importanly, does she know HOW to use her flash? (and I'm not talking about the little pop up flash that comes with the camera)
Are you comfortable with the what-if's on your wedding day if she can't perform? What if you get back horribly, dark out of focus pictures? What if her harddrive fails?(I'm assuming she's digital?) Do you know her back up procdeures???
I'm a photographer myself and always cringe when I see these types of post. While I realize that people are on a budget, please be prepared for the worst. I understand that we all got our start somewhere, but I apprentinced with at least 5 different photogs and 2nd shot over 50 wedding before I undertook one on my own...Not saying that she will do horrible, but just things to keep in mind! I hope things work out wonderfully for you!! :)
@KLP2010, you make very good points. I suppose that is the risk we take!
At a budget under $5K, I don't think that big of a tip will be possible. However, we will try our best.
I have done a couple of amateur photo shoots myself, do image editing on a daily basis, and I definitely realize how much time is involved. I hope we are able to let her know that.
I will definitely mention to her that I can do much of the post editing if she does not want to.
I hope to be able to be a source of "the beginning" for her, I think she can be very successful and since she's near a major city, I'm hoping my word of mouth will do her good if I am happy with the results!
i think it can work out well, her post-op is very artistic! but if you're having a lot of people in your pictures, make sure she's comfortable "working the crowd" and commanding uncle so-and-so where to stand, etc. if you're doing portraits!
If you're on an extremely tight budget, I wouldn't pay for her to photoshop the images - that can really add up! You can just get some Photoshop filters and apply them on your own...
When you use a cheap/free photographer, you're not really getting an experienced photographer - as several people pointed out. But they're better than nothing! I like to think of them more like a friend who is very good with a camera.
To minimize any dependence on your cheap/free photog, it's really important to have your friends take lots and lots of pictures! And to setup a way they can upload and share them with you... that way, you'll have a ton of pics to play with. And most of all, if your cheap/free photog is a no-show or has a glitch, you can still get lots of photos! :-)
Btw, I wouldn't give a large tip to someone who is starting out and agreed to shoot a wedding for $10/hour. If you had the budget for a big tip, then you could probably hire a much more experienced photog! So it's kinda a catch 22... but if you're happy with the pics, you're kinda obligated to go all out in spreading the good word.
I'm sure things will turn out great - good luck!!!
Thank you all for the tips/encouragement/etc!! I love it :)
My step-mom just got a Nikon D90 for Christmas and I've got a D40 (hopefully going to upgrade to a Canon before the wedding).. Anyway, she will be taking pics all day along with someone using my camera (not sure who yet!!)
So, hopefully when it comes down to it, the combination of everyone's photos will be good. Many of the cheap point and click cameras actually take pretty good shots sometimes :)
I haven't yet discussed with her about the post editing. It looks like she 'enjoys' it, so we'll see. I am well versed in Photoshop and can definitely do it on my own if she doesn't.
All in all, I think I will be happy I gave her a chance and if they're not $5,000 looking photos, who cares? They're still capturing our special day regardless.
I think if you are very realistic with your expectations, which it sounds like you are, this could turn out great. You might want to ask her to do a walk through of your venue and talk about a few types of photos she might do. Any kind of prep you can give her would probably be very helpful for a first wedding - a detailed schedule of the day, what key events will be happening where, a guide to all the important participants that you want her to take photos of. I think the benefit of a pro is that they can do all this on the fly - figure out who's who and where to go and what the best shots are. So with a beginner, you should be prepared to give some heavy guidance.
you def need a contract, and I would do an engagement session with her first to make sure you like how she handles things. She needs to be able to round up people and tell them where to stand and such. That is always hard for a newbie, especially if they are a young student and older people might not listen to them. See if she can direct you during an engagement session.
Also, just because you have a contract doesn't mean she will follow it. It's not like shes has a business or anything, so what does she have to lose right now if she cancels on you at the last minute. I would just be very careful and make sure you have some sort of backup in case things do fall through with her right at the end.
Thank you again, Bees!
@GirlWithARing... I am kinda a "in charge" weirdo, which is probably the underlying reason I am pretty much DIYing my entire wedding ;)
I have already used Miss Daffodil's Day Of Packet (can I say, wow?). I think I will do a decent job of rounding up everyone and getting them in place.
@amariem25... She actually asked me about an engagement session last week. We are planning to do this as soon as the weather turns good (although ones in the snow would be super cute too!) And you called out the #1 thing on my mind.. A contract really doesn't mean much to her probably (and unfortunately). We will do one.. I mean, it can't hurt anything. She has done several senior sessions, so I think at this point she could not afford to "not" do it, ya know what I mean?
Nothing to worry.. just make sure to get a contract signed as Mr.Bee have said. She has a nice way in setting her portraits and some really creative ones. Get a test shot or maybe a short session just to get an idea of what you are getting. Good luck. -Ian
I'm not sure if you've already had your wedding or not but another idea is to see if she'll come to your rehearsal so she can take some sample shots to make sure she has a good feel for the lighting ahead of time. I know it'll probably only be the night before, but this way she has a sort of test run just in case.
I'd use someone that at least shot a few weddings and has the proper gear to shoot weddings (including backups). Portrait photography and event photography are very different. A good portfolio in portraits and landscapes means nothing.
CAn you please put me in touch with her ? I am DIYing my wedding as well and she would come in handy...cwilliams8080@yahoo.com
@gocubbies:Can you put me in touch with her ? I am DIY my wedding as well....cwilliams8080@yahoo.com
@gocubbies: I just wanted to ask you how did it go with your student photographer? I am also on a tight buget and looking for some1 we can hire for engagement photos.
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I found this photographer via an online post I made about wanting an experimental student since we are on a TIGHT budget.
She is doing our wedding for $10/hr + travel.
I totally clicked with her when we spoke, we are two birds of a feather. I think her portfolio is stunning, even though it doesn't include wedding shots. She has a natural talent and eye for things. You can't find that just anywhere, esp. for $10/hr!
Lately, I have read SOOOO much on WB about how important it is and also looked at how much $$ people are spending. It scares me.
What do you think? I think she will do great.
Would you take this risk or not?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emmakolb