I would say this is a reasonable price if they are very well known and great!
That being said, I would add the rights to your photos on a cd so you can print them how you choose.
I'm a bit confused by "Minimum 6 hours continuous coverage".
Does this mean they will stay as long as you need them to?
I would try to clarify how many hours are included.
Also +1 getting a copy of the digital files
@Cyri: From what I can tell, the package begins at $4,000 and that is what is included. So if more was desired, the price would go up.
I too would add printing rights. THOUGH I should note that at least in my area, printing rights are NOT standard. I found few photographers who offered them - fortunately our favorite did!
That's about what we're paying for a relatively similar package.
@LostInWonderland: Ooohh, well in that case it depends exactly how high it goes up, and how much you love their work relative to others.
If you value photos a lot then I think the high prices are worth it.
But there will always be good photographers around that charge much much less
@Cyri: I think we'd be relatively happy with the standard package. $4,000 is certainly a lot of money, and we hadn't wanted to spend that much. The only reason we are considering it now is because the ones we have looked at so far are in that ballpark, but with some package differences. We're not sure if this rate is reasonable/average or if what we've seen so far is pretty inflated.
For that price with those things included, does that seem decent to you?
@LostInWonderland: It's a little hard to know whether that is a good rate without knowing your geographic location. My photographer is around the same price and includes:
engagement photo shoot (he took over 900 pictures in 45 min. And they were amazing)
disc of engagement pics
unlimited hours day of wedding
2 camera people
1 8x10 photo book
2 parent albums
1 16x24 (i think) gallery wrap canvas print
a bunch of 8x10, & 5x7 prints
a disc of all photos
online viewing gallery
and copyrights to all photos
I think its interesting that they include "unlimited phone and email consultations" and "minimum 6 hours coverage" within the package price. I would expect any professional I hire to respond to my calls and emails Within reason.
@ArtDecoLisa: Oh, wow! That is a lot more included for about the same price! And in New York, too! (As I am assuming based on the location you have set.)
That disheartens me quite a bit. For a second I was going to attribute it to the city (Toronto) where everything is more expensive than other places, but if you get all that from a photographer in New York, perhaps I need to get over the love and keep looking.
Do they have big credentials/qualifications? Have they won many awards?
One thing I just noticed was that an album isn't included in the price, only prints.
For about 6 hrs, no album and no digital files, I would have to say that $4k sounds very pricey, but would be reasonable if they were VERY highly sought-after photographers.
@Cyri: I don't know about qualifications. The photographer has almost 20 years experience, and won a number of awards, though.
Hmmm, I guess I skimmed over the package inclusions. I merely copied and pasted the package info. I had misread 'box' for 'book.' Silly me...
Well, the cost is beginning to seem rather steep. Yeah... I'll probably still contact them to discuss more, but I'll likely end up going elsewhere, I think.
@LostInWonderland: It really depends on your location. I live in Rochester, MN and there are some photographers here that cost that much, however they're on the high end for our location. Our wedding package includes:
Engagement Session with rights
8 hours service
2 Photographers
Edited Photos
Online Gallery
CD w/ Copyright
For $2,000
I'm working towards a Photography Degree so high quality photos are a MUST for me. The only reason $4,000 seems like a lot to me is becuase you're not getting the right to the photos. I personally would never sign a photography contract, no matter how good, without rights to photos.
I am a wedding photographer myself, but I hold a unique policy that many photographers don't touch, and that is all day coverage, no matter what the price. I hate when photographers put a time frame on such a special day, as if some parts are more important to capture than others. Nope, every moment is important and you can't put a time limit on that. But, again, not all photographers do that.
Personally, I think $4000 is a decent price if the photographer has high quality images,especially with some of the added bonus. But 6 hours goes by super fast, trust me. I've shot weddings that lasted over 13 hours, even that seemed fast paced.
Obviously, as a photographer, the photos hold extreme value in my eyes and it's hard to place a price tag on that, but $4000 is a very standard price. However, I have come across great photographers who offer almost an identical package for $2400.
Is this the base package?
Also, do you have a link to this photographer's website? Maybe I can offer some insite as to if the quality is worth the money.
And the above commentor is correct, location definitely plays a huge role in pricing. $4000 might be on the low end for where you live.
@Kaedyn: Okay, your perspective would be really interesting to hear!
The $4,000 is not the base package. There seems to be a cheaper option called "A La Carte coverage" which is almost half the price, but at this point, I have no idea what that even means. This photography thing seems more complicated than I thought it would be. -sigh-
Anyways, here is the link to the website. Honestly, we're not sure what it is that we like so much about the photographer... We just love the images that are posted.
My package is:
- 8 hours coverage
- 300-400 proofs posted online
- cd of print quality images
- 10 8x12 prints (1 8x12 can be exchanged for 2 5x7s)
- one shooter plus assistant (I know they say two shooters is best but I am so in awe of this guy's style, and he did our best man's wedding and the pics are so amazing)
for $3350
Then bridals:
- 3 hour portrait session
- 25 proofs posted online
- 2 12x18 prints
for $1000.
He charges a flat rate per hour for extra hours, but I don't think we'll need extra hours. We'll be purchasing more prints (in advance probably a box set of all of them) and maaaaaaybe the wedding album he does, but I'm not 100% sure on that yet. Then some time this summer we'll have a "newlyweds" shoot to take the place of our engagement shoot that I never was able to schedule (I was about to... and then I started a new job and had to work on weekends, which were the only times my fiance could do it).
@LostInWonderland: This photographer looks like they definitely know what their doing! One thing I'd like to mention is that while wedding photographers seem like such a hurge expense, really you're paying for someone's skill set and the skill set of a wedding photographer is one that takes years of hard work, education, and experience (not to mention thousands of dollars spent on quality equipment)! Shooting weddings is not an easy thing to do! Just some food for thought when considering price in relation to quality.
As far as the Al a Carte option, that is an increasingly popular idea that wedding photographers offer their clients where you can customize a package to suit your needs/wants. For example (and I cannot speak for what exactly this photographer offers) lets say there is a base package that offers 6 hours of coverage with edited images and a second photographer. An a la carte option may offer you the choice to add a couple more hours, an album, prints, etc. It depends on how the photographer utilizes the a la carte menu in their own business. It's basically like a salad bar, but for your wedding photography.
@LostInWonderland: Yes, my photographer is from Long Island, NY. His company is called North Island Photography. You can check out his site and see whether it is similar quality. http://www.niphotoinc.com/
@Kaedyn: Yeah, I get what you're saying. And don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate photography. I might not know much about it, but I understand the expenses the photographer has, plus how the price is for their skills rather than just the prints. I still hadn't imagined so much cost, though... What can you do, though, right? The photographs are incredibly important to my FH and I so it looks like, to get what we want, we'll have to splurge. I just wish our budget wasn't so tight, that is why I'm a little cost conscious. I don't mind paying for quality, I just wanted to know whether people here thought that the price tag was reasonable for these particular services, experience, and physical products (the photos). Not to be pessimistic, but there are people out there who can and do take advantage of people who, like me, are utterly unaware of what this sort of service costs.
@ArtDecoLisa: Thanks for the link! I'll definitely have a look to compare.
I think that is way too much for photography.. Get a photographer that give you your rights to your photos!! I would stay under $2,000 but a family friend has a company and is doing my photos and dj for $1100!!! For the whole entire day..
I think that sounds pretty expensive. I got my dream photographer who is absolutely amazing with 8 hours of photography, an album, etc. for $3300.
@LostInWonderland: I looked at Barebone Photo as a possibility for our wedding! Their work is awesome, but in the end, we ended up going with someone else. We are paying about the same for similar package:
6 hours
2 shooters
printing rights to all photos edited on cd
online gallery
fine art album - 12x12. 30 pages
For $4000 + HST
@Treid25: Hmmm, that is similar, but it certainly looks like you're getting more for your money. Yeah, I think I'll be passing them over, too. I'm okay with it now, though. Since I posted this question, we have found another photographer that we are liking quite a bit and he is much more inexpensive.
Thanks for offering a comparison, though! :)
You cannot compare numbers and STUFF between photographers. It makes no sense at all. Every bride can post what she paid and what she got with her photographer, but if you can't see that photographer's work, and don't know if it'd resonate with you personally, what difference does it make? You aren't hiring a specific number of prints, or an album, a canvas print, or a CD with a print release. You're hiring an artist to to visually tell a story of your wedding via their artistic interpretation. So can we say that $4000 is normal for a wedding photographer. It's normal towards the higher end of the spectrum. Whether or not their work is worth it to you, is up to you to decide. And since no on provides links (just numbers and stuff) it's kinda hard to quantify whether or not there is something better out there.
Check your zip code. This gives rough price per area.
http://www.costofwedding.com/
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So, I'm pretty early in the wedding planning process. Mostly just doing a lot of looking right now.
Today I have been checking out photographers rates for the first time and I'm a little shocked. I know that there is cheaper out there, but my FH and I really want high quality, professional images from a reputable photographer.
We have found one we really love. The package costs $4,000 and includes the following:
There may be slightly more included, as I haven't contacted the photographer yet, but the site said their packages are customizable. They listed those things as the 'average package,' though.
Considering that the photographer is relatively known in the area for being quite good, does that package seem reasonable for the price?