I received a call from a MoB yesterday.  She was concerned about the person that she had hired to photograph her daughter’s wedding and had some questions.  Apparently she had hired a photographer on the cheap and was now having issues after the wedding.  This is not the first such phone call that I’ve had about this and it seems to be increasing in frequency lately.

She wanted to know why it was taking so long to receive the photos from her photographer and what the ’standard’ delivery time was.  I explained to her that there really is no standard, it’s different for each photographer depending on their methods of post-production and work flow.  It could be any number of reasons, there may be many images to cull through to narrow it down to the very best, some photographers then like to enhance every photograph while others show un-retouched images.  Some may have their proofs produced by a professional lab and some may take them to the corner drugstore.  The combination of reasons are infinite.  She said that her fear was that something had happened to the photos or that they didn’t turn out.  I suggested that she contact the person who took the photos and take it up with them.

She also stated that they had received the photos taken for the engagement session a few weeks before the wedding and were not too happy with those, but decided to go ahead with the photographer for the wedding because “the price was right”.  What can I say?  Or rather what can I say that will get people to actually think about this before leaping into a good price and the rest be damned?  All of my photographer friends have had similar conversations with distraught brides and grooms and their parents, it is not a unique thing these days.  Unfortunately, in those extreme situations where something did go wrong, not much can be done after the fact.

The only advice that I can offer is that experience and consistency are the two most vital things to consider before hiring a photographer.  Photography is a visual product, you should do most of your research about that when looking at photographers and make price the last consideration.  An art collector does not fall in love with a certain Picasso painting and instead buy another Picasso painting that he doesn’t care for just because it’s cheaper.  I do not mean to just pay whatever anyone asks right off the bat, or that the highest price is always the best, but look at a few photographers and narrow it down by style and quality of work first, then, if you must, begin narrowing within those final selections based on price.  My photographer friends and I get tons of emails each week that state simply, “send prices”.  Those people are not seriously interested in what type of photos they will end up with.

The cheapest price is not always the best either, especially in photography.  Red flags work both ways.  Unfortunately, many people’s realization of what professional photography actually may cost has been clouded what with the cost of a photo print being 26¢ at Wal-Mart and the availability of $500 digital cameras.  These cheap consumer prices give the false perception that excellent quality wedding photography is cheap as well, but that’s a misnomer that I could write an entirely separate article on.

Sadly, most people do not highly value photography any longer in this age of everyone and their cousin has a digital camera, even built into their cell phones.  Unfortunately, many people these days consider themselves to be photographers and today’s perception is that anyone can take a good photo.  While many people are able to get a handful of really good photos out of hundreds or even thousands taken, only an experienced professional will be able to consistently create quality images throughout the day and night, and under pressures and time constraints that you have no idea even exist unless you have photographed a wedding before.

A friend told me at lunch today about a conversation he had with a lady who said that she didn’t want to “pay too much”.  He asked her what she meant and she didn’t really know, she just wanted a good deal.  There is also the situation of paying not enough, such as the upset lady who had called me.

There is much more that I could say about this subject, and many stories that you just would not believe, but let me simply leave you with this thought -

It is better to have paid a little more than you would have liked, than to have paid a little less than you wish you had.

Repeat that to yourself several times and I think you will change the way you look at searching for a photographer to capture your one-chance-to-get-it-right, once in a lifetime wedding.

The Apple iPod Touch loaded with photos from your wedding is one of our most popular offerings.  We delivered a record number of these for Christmas this December (34!), in addition to all of the ones delivered throughout the year after weddings.

Several of our Premium Level package bundles include the iPod Touch loaded with the photos from your wedding.  We load it up and deliver it about two weeks after the wedding when you return from your honeymoon.  After you have made your photo selections for the album(s) we can even load the finished album design(s) onto your iPod Touch so that you have not only all of the images from your wedding with you wherever you go, but also your wedding album.

Merry Christmas!

iPod Touch™ Wedding Photography Package – 6 hours – $1495

Take, View and Show – ANYWHERE You Go!^sm

Includes:

• 6 Hours of Wedding Day Coverage
• An Apple iPod Touch™ loaded with all of your wedding photos that we take
• All photos on a CD for printing or to do with as you like
  

-or- a 30-page Storybook Album in place of the iPod Touch™

A large 3.5-inch widescreen will allow you to see all of your photos in an impressive way and show to your friends no matter where you go!

Free engraving of your names and wedding date included on the back side.

*NOT Valid With ANY Other Offer (including FREE iPod Touch™ offer)

See more iPod Touch™ images here.

A few of my favorite pages from the album -

The Le Magnifique package is our most inclusive package in our Premium Collections level.  It contains all of the services and products that we currently offer.  All other packages are a reduction of what is contained in the Le Magnifique, including those in the Classic Collections level.  I present it here so that you may quickly see in a single package description what is available without having to read through every package that we offer.  Descriptions of each included item are briefly listed here, there is much more to each one that is expounded upon during a private consultation.

~ Le Magnifique ~

• Engagement Photo Session – on location in home or a park
• “Save-the-Date” cards using an engagement photo
• Engagement Guest Book – a small book with engagement photos.
Guests can sign the different pages.
• Signature Photo Matte w/engage photo for ceremony or reception
• Bridal Portrait Session
• Framed 20×30 Bridal Portrait – can be displayed at the reception
• Rehearsal coverage at Ceremony location
• Rehearsal Dinner coverage
• Wedding Day coverage – entire day – minimum 2 photographers
• Announcement cards to be placed by guest book/gift table
• Sunday Brunch coverage
• Day-After Session – more relaxed with just the bridal couple
• 90-day web gallery of all photos from the event
• 4×6 Proof Prints of all photos created at all covered events
• A collection of various sized prints for framing
• GraphiStudio/Italy Wedding Day Album for Bride & Groom
• GraphiStudio/Italy Album of Engagement session
• GraphiStudio/Italy 8×12 Album of Bridal session
• (Two) GraphiStudio/Italy Parent Albums (each custom designed)
• (100) GraphiStudio/Italy 4×5 Friend/Guest books
• Three twelve-month 12×18 Wedding Photo Calendars
• (200) Wallet Photos of favorite image – for “thank you” cards
• Gallery-Wrapped Canvas print of Bridal Portrait
• Gallery-Wrapped Canvas print of Engagement Portrait
• Gallery-Wrapped Canvas print of favorite Wedding Day photo
• Gallery-Wrapped Canvas print of favorite Day-After photo
• Optimized DigiNegs™
• iPod Touch™ loaded with all wedding photos
• 9” Digital Widescreen docking station for iPod Touch™

• Honeymoon Album Delivery Option

• 8 hours limousine rental
• Day Spa for 10 girls

HD Video Coverage -  (too many details to list all here)

• The Rehearsal
• The Rehearsal Dinner
• Pre-Ceremony Coverage
• Ceremony Coverage
• Complete Coverage of Reception (until Bride & Groom leave)
• Fully Edited and delivered on Blu-Ray™ HD-DVD
• Sony Blu-Ray™ HD-DVD Player

$35,000 USD / £25,110 GBP / €27,100 EUR

Shot Last Wedding on Film!

I shot my last wedding on film – 8 years ago today! (12/16/2000)

I had always been a computer person (I own 18 Macs) and could always see the eventual convergence of photography and computers and ‘digital’, but it could not come fast enough for me.

I had been fooling around with digital since 1994 with personal stuff, but it wasn’t quite good enough to use for paying customers until the end of 2000. My brother was working at Olympus (later to move to Canon) and had been sending me cameras to try out (point & shoots). They were getting to the stage where I would take one on trips and use it for travel photos, but not yet for paying gigs.

Up until then I had been shooting weddings on 6.45 and 35mm. I carried two Fuji 6×45 medium format cameras (auto focus rangefinders), two Canon EOS-3 35mm cameras and a Canon AE-1 Program. (I still have the Fuji cameras and the AE-1). I would shoot 12-16 rolls of 220, 10-15 rolls (36exp) of 35mm. My shooting style has not changed much since then, but the amount of work in post has dramatically increased, however having complete control was the goal.

My brother hooked me up with an Olympus E-10 camera in late 2000. The quality was excellent, although it was a bit slow, but I saw the light that digital would soon be king. I shot a few engagement sessions and some bridals digitally, and a few test shots at weddings through the end of 2000, but not an entire wedding. That would come in January 2001. I knew that I was over using film at that point.

It’s that time again where we offer once each year the opportunity to purchase “Couturier Cash” gift certificates.

50% More FREE – Year End Couturier Cash Sale

Buy $1,000 and get $1,500, buy $2,000 and get $3,000, buy $5,000 and get $7,500!

Buy Now, Use Later, Save BIG!

December 5th through December 31st!

Can be used for products and services from M. Couturier, Photographer, such as wedding day coverage, albums, portraits, canvas prints, baby sessions, etc.

Couturier Cash - 50% More FREE

Couturier Cash is a great gift for family or for that newly engaged couple.

*Couturier Cash can only be used on regularly priced orders. Not valid with any other offers, promotions or discounts. Couturier Cash can not be used for Shipping Costs.

I would highly suggest that anyone in the Tidewater area looking for a great band for any kind of party to hire Hotcakes Band in Virginia Beach.  They rawk!

http://www.hotcakesband.com

Lead Guitar and Vocals

Keyboards

Drums

Vocals

Horns and Vocals

Hotcakes Band

Dancing Bride and Groom

Grooving Uncle

Boogying Guests

Boogying Groomsman

The Splits

Having A Good Time!

Oh Yeah!

Boogy On!

Rockin Guitarist

Partying Guests

Go man go!

Drummer

Feelin Good

Swinging

Oh Yeah!

Lead Guitar

Vocals

Congratulations!  December is engagement month.  Many couples get engaged in December, especially around Christmas and New Years.  We have already seen a tremendous increase in requests for consultations in the past week.  Many of our couples book us 9-18 months in advance, so don’t delay if you’re considering having us photograph your wedding.

BTW, Engagement Sessions are included in most of my packages.  Here are a few engagement pics from a few days ago -

engagement

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engagement

engagement

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engagement

engagement

engagement

engagement

engagement

engagement