Weddingbee boards

Hi guys I met with a photographer a few days ago; and had a quick question:

An engagement session is included in all of their wedding packages; however all products (prints, etc) are not included; they charge 1,000 for a DVD of 20 images from the engagement session.

I'm not questioning this practice or criticizing photographers!!

But I wanted to know if this is what other bees paid if they got a DVD of their e-pics; Also did any of you get more images than 20 from your session?

I really want the images but I dont know if our budget can handle paying an extra 1k on top of the 5k+ we will be paying.

I really like these people but not sure if I should try and see if other photographers will include a DVD of the epics or if this is standard practice.

Thanks!!

@missapis:Gracias for the info; do you mind messaging me the names of the photogs you are looking at.  Im sure I get usage rights (at least on the wedding images) but that is definitely a good question to ask.

@PizzutiStudios: thank you; they also charge $50 per JPG.  I wanted to use the file to make a cheap-o engagement album for guests to sign at the reception and to have them in general to show and possibly print small ones for family and friends.  Thanks for the advice.

@elliestan: thanks!! I wasn't sure if this was excessive.  My SO suggested it might be too much but we neither of us know anything about the photography business.

@chasesgirl:  thanks!! this is definitely food for thought.  I would really like to have some really nice non-wedding pics of SO and I, that's why I def wanted to ask.

@elliestan: HAHAHAHA, you are SO my girl.  I wasn't sure if this was a triflin ho moment so I had to ask you guys!

@abbyful: thank you.

@PizzutiStudios:  Hi PS, thanks for your comments, I really do apprciate your perspective and understand that a lot of the time, brides just do not understand these things.  That's why I wanted to just ask.  Ellie was just using the triflin ho comment as an inside joke as her and I always do that jokingly.  Im sure she did not, and neither do I, mean to imply that you should not be able to make a living.  That is simply why I ASKED.  I did not want to assume anything I dont know about nor do I want to criticize photographers.  I made that disclaimer b/c I really didn't not want anyone to come in here feeling as if they have to vigilently defend their busness practices.  I understand your frustration but I really didn't want this thread to turn into that.  If it turns out that most Bees did not have dissimilar experiences, I will pay b/c the photos mean that much to me.  Im am sure Ellie did not mean that to be attacking photographers, her and I are just buds.  Again, thanks for your advice and if you know any photogs in the DC area, let me know.  HUGS?!!!!

Alrighty guys, lets keep it triflin ho free up in here, POR FAVOR.  I beg of you.  I love you all.  LOVE AND KITTENS!!!!

EEK! we're paying 1200 for both engagement session & all images on disk, 10 hours wedding day & all images on disk. we also get a complimentary photo session each year (used for anniversary, baby, etc) and those images on disk. 

@TinyTina: thanks! I will have to shop around a bit more and see.

@sorrycharlie: gracias

It really depends on your photographer's business model.  Sometimes things are included if you book a wedding, but let's just talk about a stand alone session.

Some photographers pride themselves on prints, albums, beautiful things for your home.  My HS senior business like that.  I have never sold a full res digital file because I charge $300 each for them.  The parents and students want nice stuff to show their friends and display in their home and I can do a much better job than they can do designing items and working with pro labs rather than them printing out digital files at CVS and making corny snapfish calanders.  I do offer websize files of any prints they purchase and that's all the senior cares about.  My business model offers a low upfront session fee so I depend on print and item sales in order to make a profit on the session.  If I gave away a disk for the low session fee I charge I would be in the red, with every single client.  Once the disk is out, you can assume they will fullfil all these products themself, so many photographers charge for the disk what they would of liked to make selling prints and other items for that session.

Sadly, most newbie photographers are whoring themselves out and not making any profit.  Kudo's to you if you can find a great deal like this, but what comes with a low cost is also risk.  A lot of these photographers go out of business within the first yr, you see it here all the time.  Or they get so overwhelmed with work that working for under minimum wage (per hour) no longer becomes attractive to them and they just give up and you never get your images, or you get crappy images. Also, many of these photgraphers and charging so little they don't even want to deal with the print fullfilling process, they just want to collect their check, give the CD, and move onto the next shoot.

On to engagements......

I know that couples like to make save the dates, post on facebook, and make wedding websites.  I charge a higher session fee, but give them ALL the retouched images on CD in websize for these purposes.  I offer 1 high res image for their save the date that they can use, and then they can order any prints they want through me.  Since I charge a higher session fee, I offer high res digital files at a reasonable cost if they would rather do that.

Like I said, there is no standard anymore, I hear of photogrpahers giving 200-300 even 500 images to a couple for an engagement session.  I never display more than 50, but each image is retouched carefully.  I spend anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes on an image making it perfect, an no photographer offering 200-500 images is going to be able to spend that much time....these are shoot and burn photographers, period.  This isn't a bad thing, for there is a market for everything and I would say many people just want decent images that look better than what they can do themselves at the best price they can find.  Most people don't have a good photography eye, and can't appreciate the time and effort that goes into a quality image vs a shoot and burned image.  Again, nothing wrong with that, but for the people that can appreciate quality photography and retouching, they are willing to pay for it.  Just like people enjoy eating steaks at Sizzler, some people only like Ruth Chris.  With a higher quality product, comes a higher price tag.  As professional photographers we select the market we want to work with by selecting the products we offer and the prices we charge.  If you don't feel the quality is worth it to you for what someone is charging, or you can't appreciate the quality vs a shoot and burn, then by all means go for the $150 dollar special, of a 3 hr shoot with 300+ images on CD print ready.  All that matters if that the images bring your happiness and you feel you got your money's worth.  Photography is a luxury IMO, and many people are forgetting that.

@USER876:  thanks for that insight; helpful

 
General comment (not pertaining to any single poster but just a GENERAL sense I am getting: I dont understand why there might be the assumption that b/c I am asking this questions that I dont appreciate quality and I just want a cheap, crappy photographer?  We will already be  paying almost 6k for photos b/c that is important to us; we will likely pay that no matter want b/c that price range encompasses the caliber of photographer we want and the products we want.  I just wanted to know if based on other bees experiences, they came across the same thing, so I can know whether or not i might want to shop around a little more.  I dont understand............

Um my photog didn't include engagement pictures in our package, but she did do them discounted for $150. That includes the rights and the CD. And shes a great photog! That seems wayyyyyy too high to me.

@PizzutiStudios: Congrats on the baby!!! I really appreciate your insight :)  I poked around your site; beautiful pics!

@bRooklynRocks:  I missed you!!!  you are right I should have pm-ed you (I am a bad little African sister); forgive me.  I didn't want to make a big fuss about it.  Your wedding is so close, EEEEEEEE!!!!

My comment were based upon stand alone sessions.  If you are booking a wedding with a photographer at a high price point, the session should be included or discounted.  If not, negotiate that!

@ItsPronounced_ABear:  HAHAHA, I was thinking, oh man all the photographers are gonna pounce on her! lol    Not everyone can spend so much on photos and if someone begrudges you that, they can really go somewhere.