Hi,
My name is Anna and I am a 3rd year University Student in New York. For the past 5 years I've been taking a lot of pictures of my friends, coworkers and even got paid a few times to do a couple of weddings and engagement sessions. Let's get this straight, I am an amateur photographer and I have no plans to work in the field. Taking pictures is my hobby and I follow a bunch of fashion, wildlife,landscape, travel and wedding photographers.
In 2012 a friend of mine got married here in New York and she booked Dmitri Markine - one of the most amazing wedding photographers! When she posted the news of having him at her wedding and how happy she was Dmitri was able I had to check out his website and was blown away. He is an accomplished journalist, fashion, wildlife, travel, family and wedding photographer. It is so rare to see such immense talent all in 1 person. I won't even go into his awards.
Long story short, I was inspired! During the wedding which was in 2013 in Manhattan, New York, I watched him like a hungry hawk, yet tried to stay away, to avoid being in his path. At some point during the evening I approached him, as he was having a short break and guests were eating their meal at the reception. As he was doing backups we talked and he was very open about explaining his style and how he got started. There was no ego and he seemed down to earth.
In January of 2016 I read an article on some popular blog how various studios scam their clients and it got me thinking. Perhaps it would be great to write something for my photography class and find out what some of those tricks, scams and other ways some studios are using. I sent Dmitri an email and he was happy to answer my questions and we had a short phone interview.
Some of these answers will blow you away. I believe no such guide or article was ever made public as wedding photographers don't advertise these tactics.
1. I constantly see photographers putting on their websites "editing included", "edited images provided", "full creative editing". I fail to notice that creative editing they advertise and on a lot of blogs it seems like only a few images are edited. Is that normal?
Well, let me start by saying everyone has a different way of seeing this World and what seems creative and beautiful to some may look average to others. It is true that there are inconsistencies in the industry. While I edit every single image and sometime it can take 50-80hours per wedding, I am aware that most just won't do that much work.
2. Why would other photographers not do this much editing?
a). Time. Most wedding photographers these days are part timers, with full time jobs. With life, family, 9-5 jobs, there are only a couple of hours per week left to invest into the business, which includes, editing, meetings, emails, etc. 20-50 images are usually edited and the rest are either left alone or go through automated edited in batches. This way, a whole event is completed within 4-6 hours at the most.
b). Ability to edit and retouch. Professional photo retouching is very complicated and requires years and years of practice. I was a professional photo retoucher for fashion magazines in New York and Toronto long before I shot my first wedding. You certainly can't compare someone with 17 years of experience against a person who just installed a copy of Photoshop a year or two ago.
3. Back up a little bit! On every website, everyone says how they've been a photographer for many years and how they work full time.
It's a great question! There's a lot of ego in this industry along with "fake it until you make it" attitude. I am estimating at least 95% of all wedding photographers to be working in this industry on part time basis. It is not being advertised as every client wants to hire someone with experience, even when they have no budget. Years of experience are also being skewed and rounded up to show more experience. I know a few photographers here in Toronto who attended my workshops in 2010 and barely knew how to hold a camera yet now their websites show 10+ years of experience. It is so common, I stopped judging!
4. How would you know if the studio is lying. Is there a way to check?
It's not easy. Their pictures should be akin with their statements. If someone claims to have 10+ years of experience, certainly you should expect the images to be awesome. You can also check WHOIS database and archive.org to see the history. If their website is only 1-2 years old and their claim to be in the business for 10 years, then it should raise a red flag. That's of course not always works, especially if they re-branded. Their pricing is another good indicator. The cheaper they are the more chances of them just working on weekends to pay off vacations.
5. Re-branded?
Around 2006 or 2007 I switched to my current website which uses my full name. Before that my website was something along these lines: toronto-photography-by-Dmitri.com :) Eventually I understood that change is needed. Some also re-brand when they get a lot of negative reviews or bad publicity. For example, every year I catch dozens of wedding photographers stealing my images and using them on their own sites. Once I post a review about that, they eventually close their shop and open again under a different name.
6. Seriously? Local wedding photographers actually go as far as stealing images??
Oh, yes! It is a big issue these days when everyone want to make a few quick bucks from photography. I catch a lot of photographers in India, Asia, Europe and across USA using my pictures. Almost nobody apologizes! There was one local wedding photographer in Toronto recently who had his complete portfolio made of my photographs along with my bio!
7. I noticed you generally work alone while most offer multiple photographers.
Offering multiple photographers is a relatively new trend which really became popular around 2008-2009 when a lot of folks lost their jobs and went into photography to make money. As they had no experience, multiple assistants had to be used in order to capture all the moments and not miss anything. This trend was picked up by others as it was really helping with marketing. Brides unaware of all that were more keen on choosing a photo studio with 2-3 photographers instead of 1 photographer. Some of the Top wedding photographers in the World don't use assistants.
Providing 1500-5000 wedding pictures to clients also became normal, as a way to market their packages. A lot of brides are happy to book a studio that provides 5000 pictures instead of the other one (such as myself) who can deliver "only" 600-700. Sure, they would regret their decision after, but by that time, it's too late and stuck with what they received. I read somewhere about a study that was conducted around 2014. It talked how 85% of newlyweds were not 100% happy with their wedding pictures and wished they paid more money for a studio of their choice. Low photography budgets, lack of wedding planning knowledge and even greed, that takes over some couples when they try to save a few hundred dollars to fit everything in their unrealistic wedding budgets - all lead to poor decisions. Can't say I disagree.
8. I see a lot of husband and wife teams. Is that a trend as well?
Not sure if it's a trend, but most get into it to save money and avoid hiring assistants. A typical 2nd photographer who knows how to operate a camera(not talking about assistants who've been shooting for many years) costs around $300-500 and most prefer to keep all the money in the family :)
Generally, only 1 is a good photographer and other just there so that the business can sell 2 photographers. A lot of brides also find the whole " husband and wife" team to be cute. It's just simple marketing and business strategy.
9. Do you think there's a correlation between price and quality?
Definitely! First of all, no full time photographers in large metropolitan cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, New York or Los Angeles are shooting weddings for less than $2500(no albums or prints, just coverage and images included). Anything lower than that and it's a clear indication of inexperience or shooting part time. By my calculations, once you subtract, business expenses, taxes, training, expensive equipment and all that, you are left with about 40% of the sum. Considering our high costs of living, the lowest fee a full time wedding photographers in New York or Toronto should charge is around $3500. And as with everything in life, the more you pay, the more you will get. There IS a reason why some charge $2000 and others charge $8,000
10. What about albums? I went on Craigslist yesterday and there was someone offering 2 photographers, 500 4x6 prints and 3 albums, all for $800.
Well, I would certainly stay away from this person! Just lab quality prints will run as high as $300. This person is clearly has no experience and just trying to make a few extra $.
I offer different albums from labs in Italy, USA and Australia. My cost for many of these hand-crafted albums is well above $800 and I've done a number of gorgeous luxury albums with the cost running upward $5,000.
There are a ton of blurb-style online stores these days, yet none of them will last you even a couple of years. I certainly get a number of past clients who used these companies and eventually come back to me to get something worth keeping.
11. A couple of years ago a co-worker of mine hired a somewhat decent female photographer. On the wedding day however, a completely different person was taking all the pictures. Later that bride told me how they hate their wedding pictures because of it, yet there was nothing they could do as their agreement allowed their photographer to switch to anyone else!
You hit the nerve right there! It is actually pretty common for a lot of studios to do this kind of bait and switch. Whoever pays the most gets the main photographer and the 2nd wedding will receive an assistant. Craigslist is being used a lot by the studios to find someone with barely any experience. Read the agreement carefully. If you don't agree with something, let them know. Be cautious when it says "we have the right to switch/exchange your photographer for any reason". Though, I've heard plenty of cases when being sick is used to switch up.
12. Another question about editing. I see you are able to deliver your edited photos to clients within 1-3 weeks. And they are all beautifully edited. Why do some wait 4-8 months?
Another great question! It's a good indicator if they are a part timer. Even if photographer tries to edit the images, it may take many many hours. When you have a family and a full time 9-5 job, there's almost no spare time left. This is why it takes so many months.
Also, a lot of photographers with low prices are focusing at quantity instead of quality to make ends meet. They may book up to 4 weddings per weekend. If, for example, 1 wedding takes 2 weeks to edit and they have 4 that weekend and perhaps had a bunch in the previous weeks then obviously it will take them many months to finish the job.
13. Do you consider yourself a high-end photographer?
My prices are based strictly on the cost of running the business. I wish I could charge less, but then I would have to move out and perhaps get a different job. I don't own a sports car or live in a posh neighborhood in a mansion. I live a very modest life. I didn't get into this business for money and while I do consider myself blessed to be able to work in this business full time, I am not "rolling in cash", as some wedding guests assume when they find what I charge per event. Last time I calculated my truly hourly rate, it was only $29/h. I used to make more hourly as a waiter back in the days when I worked at a fine dining restaurant and then in a hotel. For some reason some people divide $6000 by 12 hours and think my $500/h rate is insane. I've had a few share of lawyers tell me how I have no right to charge as much money as they do, completely oblivious that there's more to a wedding than the hours spent on the day of! Even if my true hourly rate was $500/h and not $29/h, I'd still feel it's justified. I've spent 15+ years studying and perfecting my craft with just as much money(if not more) invested in my business and schooling. Every professional full-time photographers know they are underpaid!
14. I have to ask...Is there a reason most photographers say how they prefer to shoot in candid style and don't like to pose?
Posing is extremely hard and it takes a lot of practice, patience and knowledge. You have to be able to explain and show your couple how to pose and find the best possible posture to suit their physique. Candid photography is easier as you just snap pictures left and right. Certainly, quality journalistic wedding photography is not easy and requires a lot of knowledge and talent. To be able to anticipate a moment is an amazing skill. Since most photographers got into weddings strictly for money, learning the craft is not something they are willing to do. I feel like framing each shot and taking a proper picture is a dying trend. More and more I hear popular photographers bragging how they are shooting up to 8,000 frames per 8-hour wedding event, yet delivering as little as 200 images. It's hard not to question their style and ask, "why did you even take the 7800 images in the first place?!"
15. You mentioned on your website how styled shoots and workshop portfolios are popular. What does it mean? How would a bride know if it's a fake portfolio, full of stylized shoots?
Stylized shoot is a fashion shoot where models are used along with props. It's popular with wedding planners and decorators. Most magazine covers are created from a stylized shoot and not actual weddings. Along with workshops, it's a great way to build a portfolio in a control environment with studio lights and perfect models who know how to pose. It's not as big of an issue in North America as in, say, Russia or Ukraine where some very popular wedding photographers have 90% of their portfolio made up of those shots.
Try to view their blogs, ask to see full weddings, visit their studio and view some album samples, talk to their past clients. All of this can help you to see whether the work is consistent. When there are only a few dozen good pictures in a portfolio along with 100s of bellow average photos, it may be a valid indicator and should raise the red flag. Personally, I wouldn't trust a studio that has stylized shoots in their portfolio, since those have nothing to do with weddings and they can't do the same thing at a wedding!
16. I tend to see the same wedding photographers with the same colorless pictures being posted in magazines and wedding blogs. Are those paid?
It certainly depends on the magazine and blog. However, most magazines will be using work of photographers who advertise with them and that is the reason why you are seeing the same studios being featured. A lot of popular magazines and wedding blogs also have some kind of "platinum lists" or "our best wedding photographer lists". They are all paid. Anyone can get into any of those "premium directories" as along as they are willing to pay monthly or yearly fees. Popular blogs also tend to follow every popular trend. It is why you are seeing those colorless images. The plugin being used to mass edit those images is trending now. :)
17. Do you submit to any of those magazines?
Not really. They tend to only want to publish detail shots(rings, flowers, table setups,etc) and this is not what I want to feature. A wedding is so much more than a bunch of useless objects. I do take pictures of all that, just not in same quantities as other photographers. I learned that lesson many years ago. I don't think I ever made an album which had more than 10 detail shots. My clients tend to prefer candid moments along with creative shots. Nobody really cares about table napkins or 20 images of rented candles and tableware from 10 different angles. Once these popular wedding magazines will start posting emotional and creative photos, I will gladly start submitting.
18. Is there a difference between someone who've documented say 100 weddings and another person with 400?
Huge difference! You can't really check if what photographer is saying is true and they really documented 100 or 400 weddings. Zeroes are added all the time so I wouldn't concentrate to much on that :) As creative individuals, we improve every season and with every event. Some are faster than others, but it still happens. I think my 100th wedding was around 8-9 years ago and the difference between then and what I provide now is night and day. I even see big difference in the weddings I photographed 3 years ago when I was already over 300 mark.
19. Is there a reason not to trust wedding photographers who are just starting out and documented say 20-40 weddings?
I can bet money they don't know much about posing, journalism or even how to use their cameras. Your photographer may be shooting in full auto mode because he or she just doesn't know how to control all the settings. I hear stories about photographers forgetting to put memory cards and shooting for hours without one! Some are shooting with cheap and outdated dslrs because they don't have money to buy professional equipment( they may still tell you they are using professional equipment because in their eyes anything they use turns into "professional equipment"). :)
20. At the wedding you were wearing a black suit. Is that normal or it's something bride and groom should ask their wedding photographer?
I wear a suit because I want to blend it. If it's hot, it's a plain shirt and black pants. It may not be always comfortable, but I like to blend in and that allows me to get better candid images of guests.
I know plenty of photographers who arrive to shoot weddings in tank-tops, runners, Hawaii shirts and colored shorts. I know at least 4 brides who weren't happy about it, especially because those photographers wore suits during their in-person initial consultations! It is something you want to ask your chosen wedding photographer.
My name is Anna and I am a 3rd year University Student in New York. For the past 5 years I've been taking a lot of pictures of my friends, coworkers and even got paid a few times to do a couple of weddings and engagement sessions. Let's get this straight, I am an amateur photographer and I have no plans to work in the field. Taking pictures is my hobby and I follow a bunch of fashion, wildlife,landscape, travel and wedding photographers.
In 2012 a friend of mine got married here in New York and she booked Dmitri Markine - one of the most amazing wedding photographers! When she posted the news of having him at her wedding and how happy she was Dmitri was able I had to check out his website and was blown away. He is an accomplished journalist, fashion, wildlife, travel, family and wedding photographer. It is so rare to see such immense talent all in 1 person. I won't even go into his awards.
Long story short, I was inspired! During the wedding which was in 2013 in Manhattan, New York, I watched him like a hungry hawk, yet tried to stay away, to avoid being in his path. At some point during the evening I approached him, as he was having a short break and guests were eating their meal at the reception. As he was doing backups we talked and he was very open about explaining his style and how he got started. There was no ego and he seemed down to earth.
In January of 2016 I read an article on some popular blog how various studios scam their clients and it got me thinking. Perhaps it would be great to write something for my photography class and find out what some of those tricks, scams and other ways some studios are using. I sent Dmitri an email and he was happy to answer my questions and we had a short phone interview.
Some of these answers will blow you away. I believe no such guide or article was ever made public as wedding photographers don't advertise these tactics.
20 Questions Wedding Photographers Don't Want To Answer
1. I constantly see photographers putting on their websites "editing included", "edited images provided", "full creative editing". I fail to notice that creative editing they advertise and on a lot of blogs it seems like only a few images are edited. Is that normal?
Well, let me start by saying everyone has a different way of seeing this World and what seems creative and beautiful to some may look average to others. It is true that there are inconsistencies in the industry. While I edit every single image and sometime it can take 50-80hours per wedding, I am aware that most just won't do that much work.
2. Why would other photographers not do this much editing?
a). Time. Most wedding photographers these days are part timers, with full time jobs. With life, family, 9-5 jobs, there are only a couple of hours per week left to invest into the business, which includes, editing, meetings, emails, etc. 20-50 images are usually edited and the rest are either left alone or go through automated edited in batches. This way, a whole event is completed within 4-6 hours at the most.
b). Ability to edit and retouch. Professional photo retouching is very complicated and requires years and years of practice. I was a professional photo retoucher for fashion magazines in New York and Toronto long before I shot my first wedding. You certainly can't compare someone with 17 years of experience against a person who just installed a copy of Photoshop a year or two ago.
3. Back up a little bit! On every website, everyone says how they've been a photographer for many years and how they work full time.
It's a great question! There's a lot of ego in this industry along with "fake it until you make it" attitude. I am estimating at least 95% of all wedding photographers to be working in this industry on part time basis. It is not being advertised as every client wants to hire someone with experience, even when they have no budget. Years of experience are also being skewed and rounded up to show more experience. I know a few photographers here in Toronto who attended my workshops in 2010 and barely knew how to hold a camera yet now their websites show 10+ years of experience. It is so common, I stopped judging!
4. How would you know if the studio is lying. Is there a way to check?
It's not easy. Their pictures should be akin with their statements. If someone claims to have 10+ years of experience, certainly you should expect the images to be awesome. You can also check WHOIS database and archive.org to see the history. If their website is only 1-2 years old and their claim to be in the business for 10 years, then it should raise a red flag. That's of course not always works, especially if they re-branded. Their pricing is another good indicator. The cheaper they are the more chances of them just working on weekends to pay off vacations.
5. Re-branded?
Around 2006 or 2007 I switched to my current website which uses my full name. Before that my website was something along these lines: toronto-photography-by-Dmitri.com :) Eventually I understood that change is needed. Some also re-brand when they get a lot of negative reviews or bad publicity. For example, every year I catch dozens of wedding photographers stealing my images and using them on their own sites. Once I post a review about that, they eventually close their shop and open again under a different name.
6. Seriously? Local wedding photographers actually go as far as stealing images??
Oh, yes! It is a big issue these days when everyone want to make a few quick bucks from photography. I catch a lot of photographers in India, Asia, Europe and across USA using my pictures. Almost nobody apologizes! There was one local wedding photographer in Toronto recently who had his complete portfolio made of my photographs along with my bio!
7. I noticed you generally work alone while most offer multiple photographers.
Offering multiple photographers is a relatively new trend which really became popular around 2008-2009 when a lot of folks lost their jobs and went into photography to make money. As they had no experience, multiple assistants had to be used in order to capture all the moments and not miss anything. This trend was picked up by others as it was really helping with marketing. Brides unaware of all that were more keen on choosing a photo studio with 2-3 photographers instead of 1 photographer. Some of the Top wedding photographers in the World don't use assistants.
Providing 1500-5000 wedding pictures to clients also became normal, as a way to market their packages. A lot of brides are happy to book a studio that provides 5000 pictures instead of the other one (such as myself) who can deliver "only" 600-700. Sure, they would regret their decision after, but by that time, it's too late and stuck with what they received. I read somewhere about a study that was conducted around 2014. It talked how 85% of newlyweds were not 100% happy with their wedding pictures and wished they paid more money for a studio of their choice. Low photography budgets, lack of wedding planning knowledge and even greed, that takes over some couples when they try to save a few hundred dollars to fit everything in their unrealistic wedding budgets - all lead to poor decisions. Can't say I disagree.
8. I see a lot of husband and wife teams. Is that a trend as well?
Not sure if it's a trend, but most get into it to save money and avoid hiring assistants. A typical 2nd photographer who knows how to operate a camera(not talking about assistants who've been shooting for many years) costs around $300-500 and most prefer to keep all the money in the family :)
Generally, only 1 is a good photographer and other just there so that the business can sell 2 photographers. A lot of brides also find the whole " husband and wife" team to be cute. It's just simple marketing and business strategy.
9. Do you think there's a correlation between price and quality?Definitely! First of all, no full time photographers in large metropolitan cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, New York or Los Angeles are shooting weddings for less than $2500(no albums or prints, just coverage and images included). Anything lower than that and it's a clear indication of inexperience or shooting part time. By my calculations, once you subtract, business expenses, taxes, training, expensive equipment and all that, you are left with about 40% of the sum. Considering our high costs of living, the lowest fee a full time wedding photographers in New York or Toronto should charge is around $3500. And as with everything in life, the more you pay, the more you will get. There IS a reason why some charge $2000 and others charge $8,000
10. What about albums? I went on Craigslist yesterday and there was someone offering 2 photographers, 500 4x6 prints and 3 albums, all for $800.
Well, I would certainly stay away from this person! Just lab quality prints will run as high as $300. This person is clearly has no experience and just trying to make a few extra $.
I offer different albums from labs in Italy, USA and Australia. My cost for many of these hand-crafted albums is well above $800 and I've done a number of gorgeous luxury albums with the cost running upward $5,000.
There are a ton of blurb-style online stores these days, yet none of them will last you even a couple of years. I certainly get a number of past clients who used these companies and eventually come back to me to get something worth keeping.
11. A couple of years ago a co-worker of mine hired a somewhat decent female photographer. On the wedding day however, a completely different person was taking all the pictures. Later that bride told me how they hate their wedding pictures because of it, yet there was nothing they could do as their agreement allowed their photographer to switch to anyone else!
You hit the nerve right there! It is actually pretty common for a lot of studios to do this kind of bait and switch. Whoever pays the most gets the main photographer and the 2nd wedding will receive an assistant. Craigslist is being used a lot by the studios to find someone with barely any experience. Read the agreement carefully. If you don't agree with something, let them know. Be cautious when it says "we have the right to switch/exchange your photographer for any reason". Though, I've heard plenty of cases when being sick is used to switch up.
12. Another question about editing. I see you are able to deliver your edited photos to clients within 1-3 weeks. And they are all beautifully edited. Why do some wait 4-8 months?
Another great question! It's a good indicator if they are a part timer. Even if photographer tries to edit the images, it may take many many hours. When you have a family and a full time 9-5 job, there's almost no spare time left. This is why it takes so many months.
Also, a lot of photographers with low prices are focusing at quantity instead of quality to make ends meet. They may book up to 4 weddings per weekend. If, for example, 1 wedding takes 2 weeks to edit and they have 4 that weekend and perhaps had a bunch in the previous weeks then obviously it will take them many months to finish the job.
13. Do you consider yourself a high-end photographer?
My prices are based strictly on the cost of running the business. I wish I could charge less, but then I would have to move out and perhaps get a different job. I don't own a sports car or live in a posh neighborhood in a mansion. I live a very modest life. I didn't get into this business for money and while I do consider myself blessed to be able to work in this business full time, I am not "rolling in cash", as some wedding guests assume when they find what I charge per event. Last time I calculated my truly hourly rate, it was only $29/h. I used to make more hourly as a waiter back in the days when I worked at a fine dining restaurant and then in a hotel. For some reason some people divide $6000 by 12 hours and think my $500/h rate is insane. I've had a few share of lawyers tell me how I have no right to charge as much money as they do, completely oblivious that there's more to a wedding than the hours spent on the day of! Even if my true hourly rate was $500/h and not $29/h, I'd still feel it's justified. I've spent 15+ years studying and perfecting my craft with just as much money(if not more) invested in my business and schooling. Every professional full-time photographers know they are underpaid!
14. I have to ask...Is there a reason most photographers say how they prefer to shoot in candid style and don't like to pose?
Posing is extremely hard and it takes a lot of practice, patience and knowledge. You have to be able to explain and show your couple how to pose and find the best possible posture to suit their physique. Candid photography is easier as you just snap pictures left and right. Certainly, quality journalistic wedding photography is not easy and requires a lot of knowledge and talent. To be able to anticipate a moment is an amazing skill. Since most photographers got into weddings strictly for money, learning the craft is not something they are willing to do. I feel like framing each shot and taking a proper picture is a dying trend. More and more I hear popular photographers bragging how they are shooting up to 8,000 frames per 8-hour wedding event, yet delivering as little as 200 images. It's hard not to question their style and ask, "why did you even take the 7800 images in the first place?!"
15. You mentioned on your website how styled shoots and workshop portfolios are popular. What does it mean? How would a bride know if it's a fake portfolio, full of stylized shoots?
Stylized shoot is a fashion shoot where models are used along with props. It's popular with wedding planners and decorators. Most magazine covers are created from a stylized shoot and not actual weddings. Along with workshops, it's a great way to build a portfolio in a control environment with studio lights and perfect models who know how to pose. It's not as big of an issue in North America as in, say, Russia or Ukraine where some very popular wedding photographers have 90% of their portfolio made up of those shots.
Try to view their blogs, ask to see full weddings, visit their studio and view some album samples, talk to their past clients. All of this can help you to see whether the work is consistent. When there are only a few dozen good pictures in a portfolio along with 100s of bellow average photos, it may be a valid indicator and should raise the red flag. Personally, I wouldn't trust a studio that has stylized shoots in their portfolio, since those have nothing to do with weddings and they can't do the same thing at a wedding!
16. I tend to see the same wedding photographers with the same colorless pictures being posted in magazines and wedding blogs. Are those paid?
It certainly depends on the magazine and blog. However, most magazines will be using work of photographers who advertise with them and that is the reason why you are seeing the same studios being featured. A lot of popular magazines and wedding blogs also have some kind of "platinum lists" or "our best wedding photographer lists". They are all paid. Anyone can get into any of those "premium directories" as along as they are willing to pay monthly or yearly fees. Popular blogs also tend to follow every popular trend. It is why you are seeing those colorless images. The plugin being used to mass edit those images is trending now. :)
17. Do you submit to any of those magazines?
Not really. They tend to only want to publish detail shots(rings, flowers, table setups,etc) and this is not what I want to feature. A wedding is so much more than a bunch of useless objects. I do take pictures of all that, just not in same quantities as other photographers. I learned that lesson many years ago. I don't think I ever made an album which had more than 10 detail shots. My clients tend to prefer candid moments along with creative shots. Nobody really cares about table napkins or 20 images of rented candles and tableware from 10 different angles. Once these popular wedding magazines will start posting emotional and creative photos, I will gladly start submitting.
18. Is there a difference between someone who've documented say 100 weddings and another person with 400?
Huge difference! You can't really check if what photographer is saying is true and they really documented 100 or 400 weddings. Zeroes are added all the time so I wouldn't concentrate to much on that :) As creative individuals, we improve every season and with every event. Some are faster than others, but it still happens. I think my 100th wedding was around 8-9 years ago and the difference between then and what I provide now is night and day. I even see big difference in the weddings I photographed 3 years ago when I was already over 300 mark.
19. Is there a reason not to trust wedding photographers who are just starting out and documented say 20-40 weddings?
I can bet money they don't know much about posing, journalism or even how to use their cameras. Your photographer may be shooting in full auto mode because he or she just doesn't know how to control all the settings. I hear stories about photographers forgetting to put memory cards and shooting for hours without one! Some are shooting with cheap and outdated dslrs because they don't have money to buy professional equipment( they may still tell you they are using professional equipment because in their eyes anything they use turns into "professional equipment"). :)
20. At the wedding you were wearing a black suit. Is that normal or it's something bride and groom should ask their wedding photographer?
I wear a suit because I want to blend it. If it's hot, it's a plain shirt and black pants. It may not be always comfortable, but I like to blend in and that allows me to get better candid images of guests.
I know plenty of photographers who arrive to shoot weddings in tank-tops, runners, Hawaii shirts and colored shorts. I know at least 4 brides who weren't happy about it, especially because those photographers wore suits during their in-person initial consultations! It is something you want to ask your chosen wedding photographer.
Epilogue
I really hope these shocking secrets most wedding photographers don't want you to know will help you and educate you. I tried to ask questions that aren't always being asked. Big thanks to Dmitri for answering all of them. Some of his answers were shortened.While answering a few of these controversial questions he mentioned how sometimes it's not all that black and white. Certainly there's a possibility of a full time wedding photographers living in a small town and working full time by charging $1000-1500 for a wedding; or husband and wife teams being both amazing photographers, etc. It all happens, but let's face it - it's very rare and most of us don't live in tiny towns.
And my hope next time you will sit down with a great photographer of your choice who is charging slightly more, you will make the right decision. Pictures are the only things will be left after your wedding and extra $500-1000 you will pay for good memories is so worth it.
And my hope next time you will sit down with a great photographer of your choice who is charging slightly more, you will make the right decision. Pictures are the only things will be left after your wedding and extra $500-1000 you will pay for good memories is so worth it.
Respectfully yours,
Anna Gutmann
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