First off, let me say that I am truly honored that you are considering me to capture the special moments on one of the momentous days of your lives. I do not take that honor lightly.
Not only with a camera, but I have been involved in weddings my whole life, having worked in almost all facets. I've probably sung in 20 or more. I've worked in catering, wedding planning, etc. I've done pretty much everything you can do at a wedding except get married.
I photograph the wedding with very high quality equipment. I use a Canon 40 D with a series of lenses to capture the right moment with the right look. At least, that is certainly what I aim to achieve. For the candid I almost always shoot in RAW format to accomplish the best quality in pictures. Lighting can be tricky so we need to be able to make color corrections from time to time. Raw offers that opportunity.
I don't currently print and make albums for couples. I don't hold the negatives and charge enormous prices for all of your relatives and guests to have to pay so they can relive the memories with you. Let's face it, we all want the absolute best but we can't all necessarily afford it. If we don't have enough money should our wedding photos suffer? No! I offer an affordable way to keep you from mortgaging your home. I want you to still have a home to go to once the wedding is over.
What I do is this: I shoot in very high resolution and RAW. I convert the RAW files to JPEG and give you the pictures on Archival Gold CD's for you to do with as you will. There is no follow-up cost for prints, no 6-9 month turn-around on getting your pics or book, and no having to find me later when your book of photos came back in weird colors.
I love wedding photographers and their art. It's just very expensive and many simply can't afford their services as they lay them out. There are some really fantastic photographers out there who make weddings look like fine art. In fact, there are lots of them. I like going to their sites just to look at the mastery, seriously. If I see innovative ideas I will certainly add those to my arsenal. I'm just offering a less expensive option to you, while still striving to achieve the same level of photos and artistry that the more expensive folks do.
We can recommend great print houses for you and by cutting out the middle man you can save tons for you and your relatives. It would also be fun for you to be the one to decide which pictures you get to see, and how to put them together your book. For example, if it were up to me I may delete some candid shot or "shoe shot" that you might find to be golden to you. How would I know that same shoe had been worn by your grandmother when she got married, or that the stranger in the candid shot was the 4th grade science teacher who inspired you to become the person you are today? I definitely take loads of candid shots. They are the icing on the cake, to me. But by having all of the usable images, the choice is in your control.
Last summer I attended a wedding out of state. I was strictly a guest. When the Bride and Groom got the pics back from their photographers, there were very few candids. The couple is a very spontaneous, fun-loving couple. "Candid" is their life. Yet, the candid pics weren't chosen by their photographers in the selection given to them. Those are moments that can't be relived, unless you have captured them as they were happening. Perhaps the images came out badly and the photogs didn't want them in their book, perhaps it was just their style to not shoot many candids. Either way the shots weren't there for the couple to choose or not. Also, unfortunately, there were many other pretty standard shots that had either been overlooked or just didn't turn out well enough to show the couple- cool shots with the rings, holding hands, etc. When we make a shot list with you I will do all I can to keep shooting until I get those items... then get the candids also. Of course, anyone can miss some shots for many different reasons.
My pricing varies based on the event and your needs, including whether or not I'd be using a second photographer on your wedding. I'd be glad to discuss all of that with you. I can start at the wedding venue or with the Bride as she prepares. While usually I work on a 4-hour window, sometimes I'll go all the way until the guests are gone and the banquet hall is eerily empty.
Again, I'd love to discuss your needs with you.
