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How do you know if a photographer is good? =)

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I think it''s most important to pick a style that you love first, so you know what your expectations are for your photos. We wanted photojourn style. We did not want someone to tell us to pose at any point in our wedding day. I didn''t want our photos doctored up; I wanted the colors I saw on my wedding day to be the colors of my photos. My photos are on their way (YAY! Our photography contract gave us copyright 2 years after the wedding, so I''m VERY excited to get the DVD of all of them), and I plan to make a wedding thread when they''re here - and I love them as they are really classic examples of what a photojournalist does.

That said, my photos are NOT the really type that has the colors bumped up, photoshopped, touched up, some things in b/w while other bits are in color, artistically blurred, etc. I think if I went in expecting photos like that I''d be really disappointed with my photos because they''d feel very spare to me.

My first piece of advice is kindof weird - and that''s find photos that your photographer has done where you look at the couple and they don''t look like supermodels. Do you like the photo if you don''t find the people/place/dress/scenery attractive?

My second is like Neatfreak said, ask to look at an entire album of proofs. My photog has a sample wedding on her website where you can see all 600 photos from a wedding. This gives you a realistic feel for what the best photos in your album would look like and also what the worst would look like. I decided on my photog not based on her website with the ones she likes the best, but rather based on the ones I liked the best out of a complete range of her work.
 
Date: 6/6/2009 2:52:17 PM
Author: Amanda.Rx
I chose mine based off of recommendations- I knew of 4 other couples that used my photographers and they all had great things to say about him.

I guess that might be a bit harder if you''re new to an area, though.

Make sure you meet with them in person to get a feel for their personality too. Make sure that you get a contract too, that states what you paid and when. That way, if your photographer ''runs off'', you at least have a legally binding document that you can take with you to court, if necessary, but hopefully not!
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Hmm, I''m kinda the first in my bunch of friends to get married, so I don''t have too many people I could get recommendations from! I will make sure to get a contract, thank you for your advice!
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:01:53 PM
Author: strmrdr
Found an interesting one for you.
www.rkkphotography.com
He is normally out of your price range but he is looking for a job in Seattle to help pay for his vacation visiting relatives there.
Mention strmrdr if you contact him.
Click to expand...

ooh- I need a photographer for next year may 2010? would he still be visiting his relatives then?
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:18:04 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 6/8/2009 11:43:37 PM
Author: rosebud10


http://www.sarahbrookeportraits.com/


3 or 4 of the image left me thinking, what is she thinking, but she does have the strongest portfolio of these 3 in my opinion

http://brandonpatoc.com/ this one is just strange. if you like it out there then maybe

http://www.daletuphoto.com/
some technical issues but shows promise



I''m so glad I have your expert opinion! I am photography clueless! =D
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Click to expand...

Would you prefer sarahbrooke or rubinphotography? Do you think www.rkkphotography.com is better than both? (and is he going to be in seattle may 2010?)
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:20:25 PM
Author: Elmorton
I think it''s most important to pick a style that you love first, so you know what your expectations are for your photos. We wanted photojourn style. We did not want someone to tell us to pose at any point in our wedding day. I didn''t want our photos doctored up; I wanted the colors I saw on my wedding day to be the colors of my photos. My photos are on their way (YAY! Our photography contract gave us copyright 2 years after the wedding, so I''m VERY excited to get the DVD of all of them), and I plan to make a wedding thread when they''re here - and I love them as they are really classic examples of what a photojournalist does.

That said, my photos are NOT the really type that has the colors bumped up, photoshopped, touched up, some things in b/w while other bits are in color, artistically blurred, etc. I think if I went in expecting photos like that I''d be really disappointed with my photos because they''d feel very spare to me.

My first piece of advice is kindof weird - and that''s find photos that your photographer has done where you look at the couple and they don''t look like supermodels. Do you like the photo if you don''t find the people/place/dress/scenery attractive?

My second is like Neatfreak said, ask to look at an entire album of proofs. My photog has a sample wedding on her website where you can see all 600 photos from a wedding. This gives you a realistic feel for what the best photos in your album would look like and also what the worst would look like. I decided on my photog not based on her website with the ones she likes the best, but rather based on the ones I liked the best out of a complete range of her work.
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Wow, I''m the opposite of you!! I like the colors bumped up, photoshopped, touched up pictures... etc, all the stuff you don''t like, haha! The reason is i feel like I''ll have family and friends to take "normal" pictures for me.

That is awesome advice on photos with ugly people... I never thought about it- but it''s AWESOME ADVICE! Will be sure to ask to look at proofs!
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:30:37 PM
Author: rosebud10
Date: 6/9/2009 4:01:53 PM

Author: strmrdr

Found an interesting one for you.

www.rkkphotography.com

He is normally out of your price range but he is looking for a job in Seattle to help pay for his vacation visiting relatives there.

Mention strmrdr if you contact him.
Click to expand...


ooh- I need a photographer for next year may 2010? would he still be visiting his relatives then?
Click to expand...
yes he will plan his vacation around it as long as he isn't already booked.
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:36:13 PM
Author: rosebud10



Would you prefer sarahbrooke or rubinphotography? Do you think www.rkkphotography.com is better than both? (and is he going to be in seattle may 2010?)
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I am biased because I know the guy(www.rkkphotography.com) from another forum and have seen a lot of his work.
If it was me and I could get him for your budget I would go for it.
Check out his images and see if they speak to you.
As far as the technical side he blows everyone linked in this thread out of the water in my opinion.

sarahbrooke would be the runner up if you like her photos.

rubinphotography, if you don't like his style you shouldn't hire him.
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:41:02 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 6/9/2009 4:30:37 PM
Author: rosebud10

Date: 6/9/2009 4:01:53 PM

Author: strmrdr

Found an interesting one for you.

www.rkkphotography.com

He is normally out of your price range but he is looking for a job in Seattle to help pay for his vacation visiting relatives there.

Mention strmrdr if you contact him.
Click to expand...


ooh- I need a photographer for next year may 2010? would he still be visiting his relatives then?
Click to expand...
yes he will plan his vacation around it.
Click to expand...


Would he charge me extra money for travelling? What is his normal pricing?


2 photographers, 6-7 hours of coverage, proofs, and a wedding album -$2000? can he do it? I do like his pictures!
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:49:59 PM
Author: rosebud10



Would he charge me extra money for travelling? What is his normal pricing?




2 photographers, 6-7 hours of coverage, proofs, and a wedding album -$2000? can he do it? I do like his pictures!
Click to expand...
Contact him I would have to ask him and it is better if you 2 talk direct.
No there would not be a travel charge because he will combine it with his vacation.
 
Date: 6/9/2009 4:51:36 PM
Author: strmrdr


Date: 6/9/2009 4:49:59 PM
Author: rosebud10



Would he charge me extra money for travelling? What is his normal pricing?




2 photographers, 6-7 hours of coverage, proofs, and a wedding album -$2000? can he do it? I do like his pictures!

Click to expand...
Contact him I would have to ask him and it is better if you 2 talk direct.
No there would not be a travel charge because he will combine it with his vacation.
Click to expand...

Okay! I sent him a message! will let you know what happens! keep your eyes out for me please =D and thanks for the suggestion!
 
Found a couple more to check out.
I don't know these but they were recommended by people who do.
www.ventureoutphoto.com

http://www.victorzerga.com/

My guess is that they might be out of your price range but check with them if you like the photos.
By the look of the portfolios both are good.
 
Date: 6/9/2009 11:35:52 PM
Author: strmrdr
Found a couple more to check out.
I don't know these but they were recommended by people who do.
www.ventureoutphoto.com

http://www.victorzerga.com/

My guess is that they might be out of your price range but check with them if you like the photos.
By the look of the portfolios both are good.
Click to expand...



http://yams.smugmug.com/ How about this one? this friend messaged me after I got engaged and offered his services. He's just starting his picture taking business and he says he'd do it for cheap for me?



Will definitely look through the options! The guy from rkkphotography emailed me back too! I just got engaged today so I will look through it tomorrow morning when I'm not crazy! =D
 
Date: 6/10/2009 4:35:23 AM
Author: rosebud10
Date: 6/9/2009 11:35:52 PM

Author: strmrdr

Found a couple more to check out.

I don''t know these but they were recommended by people who do.

www.ventureoutphoto.com


http://www.victorzerga.com/


My guess is that they might be out of your price range but check with them if you like the photos.

By the look of the portfolios both are good.
Click to expand...




http://yams.smugmug.com/ How about this one? this friend messaged me after I got engaged and offered his services. He''s just starting his picture taking business and he says he''d do it for cheap for me?




Will definitely look through the options! The guy from rkkphotography emailed me back too! I just got engaged today so I will look through it tomorrow morning when I''m not crazy! =D
Click to expand...
Congrates!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cant view any of the wedding pictures for the guy you linked.
They are password protected.
Judging by the rest of the photos on the site he isn''t up to the standards of some others under consideration unless his wedding pictures are much better than the rest of them, but you have to balance that against price also.
 
Date: 6/10/2009 12:21:09 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 6/10/2009 4:35:23 AM

Author: rosebud10


Date: 6/9/2009 11:35:52 PM


Author: strmrdr


Found a couple more to check out.


I don't know these but they were recommended by people who do.


www.ventureoutphoto.com



http://www.victorzerga.com/



My guess is that they might be out of your price range but check with them if you like the photos.


By the look of the portfolios both are good.
Click to expand...





http://yams.smugmug.com/ How about this one? this friend messaged me after I got engaged and offered his services. He's just starting his picture taking business and he says he'd do it for cheap for me?





Will definitely look through the options! The guy from rkkphotography emailed me back too! I just got engaged today so I will look through it tomorrow morning when I'm not crazy! =D
Click to expand...

Congrates!!!!!!!!!!!!


I cant view any of the wedding pictures for the guy you linked.

They are password protected.

Judging by the rest of the photos on the site he isn't up to the standards of some others under consideration unless his wedding pictures are much better than the rest of them, but you have to balance that against price also.
Click to expand...


Oh sorry, I think that would've been helpful to give you!!



I will remove this after you look at it though, since I assume they are password protected for a reason, even though he did give me the passwords! =) I didn't really like the style of venture out, but I liked victorgerza, and I sent them a message asking about prices!

I will be calling Ben Sam sometime soon to discuss details as well!
 
Date: 6/10/2009 5:13:05 PM
Author: rosebud10

Oh sorry, I think that would''ve been helpful to give you!!





I will remove this after you look at it though, since I assume they are password protected for a reason, even though he did give me the passwords! =) I didn''t really like the style of venture out, but I liked victorgerza, and I sent them a message asking about prices!


I will be calling Ben Sam sometime soon to discuss details as well!
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yea better have the admin remove them.
The work isn''t as polished as most of the others under consideration.
The indoor formals are bleh
 
Hi strmdr! =D

I now have in consideration-


http://rkkphotography.com
http://www.victorzerga.com/
http://www.sarahbrookeportraits.com/


and I found one more-
http://benjhaisch.com/


Let me know what you think! Can I convince you to eliminate one? =) I will try to meet and talk with the other 3 of which you don''t eliminate! =D
 
Honey, have you called at talked to any of them?

The quickest way to eliminate a vendor is to interview them. You should just talk to them about how they got into photography, if anyone else in their family is into it, why wedding photography? What their favorite moments are during weddings? How they deal with disasters, how they deal with getting expesssions and emotions expressed when a couple is camera shy... get a feel for them (ask them some of my questions above). Talk to them. Then ask them if they are avialable for your date. Set up a time to meet with them. Tell them you want to see 2 weddings in FULL... all raw images, and all final images too.
 
Date: 6/11/2009 2:33:49 PM
Author: rosebud10
Hi strmdr! =D


I now have in consideration-



http://rkkphotography.com

http://www.victorzerga.com/

http://www.sarahbrookeportraits.com/



and I found one more-

http://benjhaisch.com/



Let me know what you think! Can I convince you to eliminate one? =) I will try to meet and talk with the other 3 of which you don't eliminate! =D
Click to expand...

Sorry about the delay, I like the latest one.
I think this is the order I would rank them:

1: http://rkkphotography.com

2: http://benjhaisch.com/

3: http://www.victorzerga.com/

4: http://www.sarahbrookeportraits.com/

Any of the 4 should be able to do a good job.
Talk to them and see who you feel most comfortable with.
 
How is the photog hunt going?
 
Date: 6/22/2009 4:18:07 AM
Author: strmrdr
How is the photog hunt going?
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Hi strmrdr!! =)

Sorry I've been MIA, I'm currently at a music camp in Tennessee- lol! Internet here is on and off, and there's no cell phone reception so photographer hunting has been going slowly! I didn't have time to meet with any of them yet since I left. Do keep your eyes open for me like you have already been doing =D

I've been feeling a little frustrated lately- we haven't been able to find a venue yet--- our wedding will be may 23, 2010... and I have done NOTHING for the wedding thus far. And it's not because i haven't been trying =(

I know I've already said it several times- I am really, really grateful for your help. It really means a lot to me!!!!! I have also added that newest photographer you found to my list of possibilities. I did like the other four better though... I think? I'm pretty photography-stupid =(.
 
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