- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
I think his pictures are really good! I am always skeptical about craigs list ads though so I would make sure that you talk with him on the phone and maybe even get him to sign something through fax or whatever to ensure that it's not a scam!
Wow, take it and run! That's an incredible deal and if you're found good reviews I say do it!
@theredhead: Oh yeah, I forgot to add that I asked him if we can meet him next weekend. I'm waiting for his response to confirm the day and time.
@misssydneyj:Wonderful! I hope he agrees and that it all works out because that sounds like an incredible deal!!
Make sure you have a contract drawn up and read all the details!!!
The pictures look good! I would see if I could see a portfolio of a "day" just to make sure they aren't the 5-10 good shots of the ENTIRE day. If it is a great deal, get a contract and go for it!
Not bad looking for a Craigslist find. Most likely he is just starting out in weddings.
Make sure you get a solid contract that states everything you are getting and at what price. Make sure it also includes turn around time on the images after the wedding and what his policy is in the event he can not make it last minute (does he refund or does he have a back up photographer, etc).
Also ask to see a full wedding from beginning to end. Not just the "Best of" Images he is showing online. If your wedding is indoors, make sure he has the proper equipment to handle the low light situations (hot shoe flashes and fast lenses -f2.8 or lower).
Good luck to you!
@misssydneyj no problem! feel free to message me if you have any other photo questions after you talk with him further!
Edit: kind of odd that my response ended up before your "thanks" comment :)
@atomic: Lol that was weird. Thanks! I appreciate your help and advice :-)
I agree with asking him to see an entire album, not just handpicked ones, and ask for references as well as vendors he has worked with and try to contact them to see if they have an opinion of him. And I'd ask for more than one. I used a painter on Craigslist once and he gave us 3 glowing references and then texted, yes, texted, us 5 minutes before he was supposed to show up and said he was running 3 days behind on his last job and wouldn't be able to make it, so I'm skeptical over things I find on Craigslist unless they really can prove to me they're trustworthy and good. I would be hesitant considering there aren't any reviews nor any comments on his facebook page from satisfied customers.
Also, I looked on his website, and there are only 3 brides total on it. So I'd ask how many weddings he's done.
@ananeele: Yeah, I was wondering that too. I think he just started his Facebook page before Christmas. I saw his profile on a social site called Model Mayhem and he had good feedback. When we meet up with him, I'll definitely ask to see all the pictures of weddings he has done.
As a pro wedding photographer, the images shown vary in quality so if it were me, I would DEFINITELY meet him in person and ask to see albums of actual weddings he has photographed. I would also ask for at least 3 brides for whom he worked in the past year. Yes, it's a great deal but it is YOUR wedding day and anything can happen. Weddings are fast paced, unpredictable in terms of weather and all the various lighting situations we encounter. Our job is to make you look great and make the photography look effortless. He may want to build his portfolio and that is great but do you want him to "practice" on your wedding? He may be great but proceed with caution.
PS - his example photos are of one wedding and another bride so how many has he shot as a SOLO photographer, not as a 2nd/3rd shooter? Does he have insurance (e&o and liability) to protect you and your investment? What is his contingency plan if he gets hurt before your wedding or delayed in traffic, etc. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
@AzWeddingPhotog: I second this. Ask to see full albums of DIFFERENT weddings. The example shots are ok but not enough to book him/her on. Get references, do your research. It may be a good price, but if your shots don't turn out how you want, you'll wish you paid more.
@misssydneyj: I'd be wary of reviews from Model Mayhem. I know a lot of girls who are on those sites because they are 'wannabee' models/actresses/former beauty queens and they go onto photographers pages and comment trying to get their attention to get gigs. ModelMayhem has been linked to a lot of scams and pornography, was formerly used by the owner to recruit girls for porn and was loaded with spyware. It got busted so it's been forced to clean up its act, but they call it the Myspace for models.
***UPDATE:
I talked to him last night and I spoke with one of his references. The photographer explained that he is not new to weddings - he shot 50 weddings in 2010 and a few last year. He did more portrait sessions last year so that's why he's offering half off his wedding packages now. I asked him why isn't he charging a travel fee and he explained that since he primarily works in Northern California and Lake Tahoe, NV, he doesn't get a chance to shoot many beach weddings. There aren't many coastal beaches in our area, so this makes sense. He said he doesn't mind giving us the huge discount since he can use our wedding in his portfolio. He sent me pictures of beach weddings he has done before and they look good.
His reference spoke highly of him also. He said he loved that he received a disc with all of the pictures from the 2 hour session (he said about 130 pictures), and the photog edited many of them for free. He explained how the photog used his ideas and added his own creativity to the session. He said he wanted an edgy and urban shoot and that's what he got. We want a similar feel to our pictures, so I loved hearing that.
We scheduled a meeting with him for next Sunday and we will do an engagement session with him the next Monday.
@ananeele: Oooh I didn't know that..thanks!
@misssydneyj: My biggest fear would be that he won't be around come June. With prices like that, I don't know how he can afford to run a business and make a living. Is this a part time thing?
@ananeele: There are many well established, successful photographers and models on modelmayhem. To stereotype it like you did is a very ignorant statement. Since the service is open to the public, yes all walks of life are welcome to join, but it certainly isn't anything close to what you described it as.
@USER876: Our "destination" wedding is in April and our at-home reception is in June. I'll definitely use him for our at-home reception in June because it's a casual BBQ and I just want a photographer so I don't have to worry about snapping pictures. I asked him about the BBQ and then he offered to do our wedding for the same price. I guess the $329 deal is half off his original packages and the price won't be for long. I didn't get a chance to ask if it's only a part-time gig, but I will ask. He gets a lot of portrait work (like families, senior portraits, couples, etc.) though.
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Rivendeler | 9 |
| Future Mrs K | 8 |
| Suikerbossie | 8 |
| janetsnakehole | 6 |
| ellisrobertson | 6 |
| MrsOliveBird | 5 |
| ladyartichoke | 5 |
| ndreighton | 5 |
 turtles73 |
4 |
| deniselobo | 4 |
Sorry, there are no users yet.
I found a photographer on Craigslist who is running a special on wedding photography - 4 hours for $329!! I'll probably book him for our June reception, but he also offered to do our wedding at the same price and $80 an hour after, with no travel fees (it's a 6 hour drive from our hometown to our wedding).
I checked out his Facebook and he has credibility, but there's no reviews of him on any wedding sites. He has shot weddings but he started his career doing fashion/model and family portraits. I just asked him for references so I'll see what he says.
(These photos are from his website - courtesy of Garrett Reid Photography.)
What do you think about this?
Here's his Craigslist ad..the package is usally priced at $699
Call/email today for details! Wedding photography at $329 for 4 hours! No hidden fees. $329 with all digital photos included(350-500 photos)! Add on an engagement session for only $99! Never had a package priced this low before... it won't last long! OVER 50% off!!!
There was a picture on the ad that said the wedding packages usually start at $699.