Post # 1
Member
1000 posts
Bumble bee
Has anyone else done this? Maybe I’m in the minority where my hubby and I didnt have kids in the first year (just a dog and some cats), so we dont have the excuse to do “family photos.” I also don’t really like family portraits.
I’m a photographer and my one regret from the wedding was not having any engagement photos done. We couldnt afford it at the time. We LOVED our wedding photos, but our photographers style was very wide/scene capturing, and we were pretty darn small in 90% of the photos. Not a single closeup of us. I would really just like to have some photos where you can see our faces, and my husbands gorgeous blue eyes :/ It’s hard being a photographer, because you are always the one taking the pictures and so you are never IN them!
Is this weird? Anyone else done this? If so, I’d love to hear about it, see pictures!
Post # 3
Member
7296 posts
Busy Beekeeper
i have thought about doing e-pics either after or right before the wedding. because we are getting married in Jamaica and will only be meeting our photographer 2 days before the wedding. so know i can ask her to do them. my only issue is what is the point, because we will then be at the same resort then for our e-pics AND our wedding pics! there would be no change in scenery, just clothing.
but i think if you want pro-pics (non-wedding and close up) of you and your hubby, then go for it! i guess *technically* they won’t be e-pics because u are not engaged anymore. but who cares about being technical! and by the way, you and your hubby and pets ARE a family. so you can call them family shots!
Post # 4
Member
2239 posts
Buzzing bee
Yeah I’ve seen a few people who have done couple’s shoots. I think they are a great idea:) One girl I know did one and called it a “newlywed shoot”. I guess they weren’t that happy with their engagement photos.
Post # 5
Member
7522 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I think if you want a photo shoot with your Darling Husband, you should have it & not be at all concerned about naming it!
Btw, I love it when people include their pets in their photos!
Post # 6
Member
3364 posts
Sugar bee
We really were thinking of doing a Day After…like just the two of us…still glowing and happily excited! Since our new venue is only for 4 hours, its going to be pretty quick so between First Look Pics and Ceremony/Reception, we are still going to have some hours left over/unused, so I was trying to think of suggestions/possibilities if she didnt offer me a lesser cost!
Post # 7
Member
1986 posts
Buzzing bee
Why don’t you start a new trend, Newlywed shots!
Post # 8
Member
1405 posts
Bumble bee
Go for it. It would just be a general portrait session. You can probably find someone to do it for around 200 if you shop around.
Post # 9
Member
11325 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I’d love to do anniversary shoots with my Fiance after we’re married if we don’t have kids for a while. I say go for it!
Post # 10
Member
7695 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I would DEFINITELY do this! In fact I think this would be such a fun thing to do for a one year anniversary or something similar. It’s great to have professional pictures because they are just so much nicer than point and shoot cameras!
Post # 11
Member
1000 posts
Bumble bee
Thanks everyone! It’s a hard sell with my hubby, because he’s pretty shy in front of the camera. However, having a photographer for a wife has really made him value professional photography, so I think I’ve finally got him seriously considering it! That, and he loves me, so he wants to make me happy 🙂
I guess it shouldn’t matter what we call it, I just didn’t want to call it “family portraits” to the photographer, because for me when someone says “family portraits” I get a whole different idea in my head of what they want. I’ve got it narrowed down to two photographers I really like, and they are similar in price. I don’t want to post their web sites because I don’t want to run the risk of anyone saying anything bad about either of them specifically with their company name attached. I just wouldn’t feel right. But here is the situation, who would you go with?
Photographer A.) A newer photographer who I think is very talented and plan to use as my second shooter in the future. I really like his stuff, but only his newest stuff because obviously he has improved a lot. Therefore, I only have two recent engagement shoots to go by to base my decision off of. Both shoots were very good, except his prices are really wonky. He charges starting price $700 for weddings, yet charges $200 for an engagement session with only a LOW-RES DVD of images. Just to give you some perspective, I charge starting price $2500 for weddings and my not-included-with-wedding-package engagement shoots are the same price!, minus the low-res dvd, which I think is pretty worthless anyway since people can jsut right click photos off the blog for those anyhow. I have asked him if he will consider $300 for the session+ DVD and I’m debating whether I should tell him his e-pic prices aren’t in proportion to his wedding prices… or is that rude? I don’t want to offend the guy.
Photographer B.) Much more experienced, but he still has the same young/fun/fresh style. He seems really friendly and is charging $325 for the session including the hi-res DVD of images!
The thing is, because my hubby is only half into this, I was hoping to get a deal from photographer A. who I think is borderline just as good as Photographer B with his newer work, but it really is a craps shoot with him. I’m just not sure if I should try negotiate with A or just go with B? Decisions decisions.
@sassy411: We do plan to include the dog for some shots! He’s a $165lb American Mastiff puppy. I don’t think four cats will cooperate though, haha, and I can take pics of them myself.
Post # 12
Member
1986 posts
Buzzing bee
I like the sound of B better, to be honest. But A just might not know how to set up his pricing?
Post # 13
Member
489 posts
Helper bee
I think you should negotiate with A to get hi-res dvd with his pricing. Esp if you were going to be hiring him and giving him work in the future.
I think this is an awesome idea, and whoever you go with you won’t regret doing it.
Post # 14
Member
1405 posts
Bumble bee
I’d go with B. The newer guy’s work may be improving, but that is a samle of the BEST of his newer work. Can he deliver in all lighting conditions? Photographer B may be more consistant, while photographer A may get good results only when conditions are ideal. With photography, I am a believer that most of what you are paying for is piece of mind that you will get the results you are after.
I wouldn’t comment on Photographer’s A pricing, it’s rude, and a turnoff, and you would feel the same if someone else criticized your pricing structure. He is charging most likely what the market bears for his quality of work accounting for his overhead expenses and margins he desires.
I would say most photographers are not willing to take on gigs under 200 dollars, you know the drill, the time involved in the end, even doign a 30 min session.
Perhaps you can ask him to throw in a disk of high resolution edited files for the same price and take it from there.
Also, his starting price obviously cators to a lower end market, but may be very very basic coverage. The better comparison would be to look at what he offers for 700 vs what you offer for 2500.
What are you saying, is that, it’s not worth it to you shoot a wedding for under 2500, where as he is willing to take on lower priced gigs (with probably less deliverables and time commitment).
Post # 15
Member
2373 posts
Buzzing bee
We’re doing it! We’ve been married for two years and never did an engagement session. We’d like some up to date photos of us before we start having kids (which could be awhile). Hopefully looking to have them done in August.
