If I Want a Photojournalist Photographer What Should I Look For?

The word photojournalist used to differentiate these types of photographers from the old-fashioned shots from the ‘80s and ‘90s, but today I feel that almost everyone uses the term because it became a popular one brides use.

A photojournalist in theory, and photographers please chime in if I’m wrong, will capture the moments of the day and not have people pose for them. You won’t be recreating your cake cutting or bouquet toss, the photographer will have captured it as it was happening.

Today, you’ll find that most photographers will show albums of these types of images -- where they’ve captures the natural flow of the day -- and when you talk to brides and grooms who’ve worked with them you want to hear that they didn’t even realize the photographer was there.

Whatever type of photographer you want to hire, it’s important that:

1 - You like him and feel comfortable around him
2 - You like their work and have seen a COMPLETE wedding album, not just their greatest hits
3 - You can afford them -- both the cost for the day of the wedding and the album and prints

How Do We Know Which Wedding Photographer To Hire?

It’s very important that you look at complete albums shot by the photographer you are interviewing. You don’t want to see a highlight or “greatest hits” album with the best shots they’ve ever taken. You need to know that he or she can capture every moment from getting ready through the ceremony and reception and take great formal shots too. If a potential photographer is not able to show you a complete album you may want to meet with someone else. That’s a red flag.

Also, if you’re hiring a photographer from a group or studio who reps multiple people you should ask to see the album of the person they are trying to book for your wedding. You don’t want to look at various albums and not see the work of your photographer. You should also meet with this person before your wedding to make sure you like his or her personality.

And speaking of personalities, you and your groom should both feel comfortable with the person you’re interviewing. Your wedding photographer will be in your face all day and should be someone you like and want to be around.

You also want to make sure you can afford the photographer you hire. Do not hire someone that you cannot afford -- I’m talking about shooting the day of the wedding + the album and prints. It’s okay to splurge on a great photographer by taking some money from another wedding area, but do not hire a $10,000 photographer if you can’t really spend more than $5,000.

Our Wedding Photographer Didn’t Capture Some Key Moments at Our Reception, What’s Our Recourse?

Check your contract before you do anything. Did the time on your contract end at a certain point and therefore the photographer left when he was told to/said he would? Or did he not fulfill his contractual obligations by leaving early?

If you feel the contract was broken you can ask for a refund or take him to small claims court to recover some money, but that’s the most you can do. (Though a bad review on Yelp is another option.)

Of course the bigger issue is that you don’t have those once in a lifetime moments for your albums. If you hired a videographer ask him if you can make some still photos from parts of the footage he shot. You can also ask your wedding guests to send you their photos to see if there’s a great photo one of them took you can frame or add to your album.

My Mom Wants a Parent Album of Our Wedding Pictures But the Cost Puts Us Over Our Budget. Can I Tell Her She Has to Buy It?

If your parents are paying for part of your wedding then it’s a moot point. Get them the album. If you are covering all costs don’t be afraid to tell mom that you need help paying for it.

It is probably less expensive to put the cost of a parent album in your photography package then to order it after the wedding, but ask the photographer to be sure. You could also limit the number of photos in the parents album to help cut the final cost.

And remember, it's customary to give your parents (and his) a thank-you gift at the wedding.  You could make the parent album the gift.  Or gift it to them for their anniversary or for the holidays.

I Want an Edgy Photographer to Capture Street-Style Shots of Our Wedding, Do We Still Need a Traditional Wedding Photographer?

You need to hire a photographer who has experience in shooting weddings and whose work you like. A street-style photographer may be able to capture some great shots but if he hasn’t shot a wedding before, you risk the chance of him missing some key moments since he doesn’t have the experience to know what to look for and when. And a photo shot list will only help so much.

Why not look for a photographer who can do both, and not someone who just says they can do both but who has shot weddings and you can see a complete wedding album to know for sure that you’re getting what you’re paying for.

You don’t get a do over on your wedding day so don’t risk missing the moments you want photographed.

Do I Have to Hire a Second Photographer for Engagement Portraits?

Most wedding photographers will list an engagement portrait session under their services. Some photographers will throw in a “free” engagement portrait session when you book them for your wedding.  I put free in quotes because while the shoot itself may not cost anything you’ll have to pay for any prints you order.

An engagement session can be shot any time before your wedding and many couples will use these photos on their save-the-date cards or wedding website. If that’s what you’re thinking of doing you should book the shoot at least six to nine months before the wedding so that you have time to order save-the-date cards with the photos on them.

An engagement shoot is also a great way to get to know, and get comfortable with, your photographer. Remember that he or she will be with you -- literally in your face -- all day on your wedding day so it’s important that you hire someone who doesn’t annoy you.

If you are expecting your wedding photographer to shoot your engagement session make sure those details are in the contract, including if the shoot is in a studio or on location, how much it will cost to do the shoot and how much print orders will cost.

Why a Wedding Video is Important

We went to a Bar Mitzvah over the weekend and my daughter danced the whole night long.  From the moment we entered the room until 4 hours later when the DJ stopped playing and the lights in the ballroom went on she was having the time of her life, which turns out to be the new last dance song (Time of My Life).

My sister-in-law hired a photographer but not a videographer and because of the dim lighting our blackberry video cameras couldn't catch her in action.  I left wishing that they had hired a videographer so we would have a few minutes of her rockin' out to Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer in a bandana and party dress.  At least we got some stills.

It's these moments that make me recommend videography to brides.  At my wedding it is having my grandparents on film that I'm grateful for, and I'm sure my kids and grandkids will be glad that Dave and I hired a videographer, Robert Allen, for our wedding.

Wedding Planning Tip: When you're looking for a wedding videographer, just like when meeting a wedding photographer, ask to see an entire wedding video. You don't want to see a highlights or "greatest hits" reel. You want to see an entire wedding from getting ready to the ceremony and through the reception to get an idea of how each part of the day is caught on film.

Hiring a Professional Photographer for Honeymoon Shots

We honeymooned in Paris and since it was just the two of us most photographs are of me or Dave or one of the two of us that one of us took with an outstretched arm and heads very close together.  You know the type.  I came across what would have been a very nice shot of us at the Eiffel Tower if only we had asked someone to take the photo of us together instead of trying to do it ourselves.

Nice shots of what should be your most romantic vacation can be great additions to your wedding album as well as photos to frame around your home or you can use them for a holiday card.

So why not hire a professional photographer for your honeymoon?

I recently learned of Photo Trek Tours, a New York City based company that will take your around the city, to all the sights, and take great photos of you and it only costs a few hundred dollars.

This got me thinking...a local photographer will know the best places to get great shots of the two of you and the whole shoot would only take a few hours. This way you’re guaranteed great honeymoon photos.

Looking back I wish we would have asked someone to take photos of the two of us but since neither of us speak French that really wasn't an option.

I think I'm starting a new trend.  What do you think?

Trash the Dress -- A Post-Wedding Event

I spoke to a recently married colleague who said that after they got back from their honeymoon they had their wedding photographer shoot a “trash the dress” session. “Trash the Dress” is where the bride wears her wedding dress and the groom wears his own wedding day attire and they take photos together in any setting -- a field, the beach, in water, anywhere -- and don’t care what happens to their clothes.

The bride told me it was the most fun she ever had and so glad she did it.

I saw some of the photos and they were really great. The couple looked relaxed, comfortable and really happy.

If you want to take “trash the dress” photos make sure you talk to your wedding photographer about including the session in your wedding package and contract. It’s important to know if there are any additional costs regarding both the shoot and prints or albums you may want to order.

You also want to make sure that a friend or relative takes your wedding dress either home after the wedding or to a cleaner if you need/want to have it cleaned before the shoot.  You probably won't want to lug it with you on your honeymoon.

After the shoot take the dress to a professional wedding gown cleaner/preservationist to fix any damages or clean any stains that get on the dress during the shoot.

If your groom is wearing rented attire you may want to be more careful with damages and stains.  Check the rental policy on what you will need to pay for re: damages to the suit/tux, specifically stains that won't come out or tears to the fabric.

How to Save Money on Wedding Photography & Videography

One of the most important vendors you will hire for your wedding is your wedding photographer. He or she will capture all the special moments from getting ready with your bridesmaids to your ceremony formal portraits of your and your groom and your reception. While you don't want to skimp on your wedding photographer there are ways to save money on wedding photography. Here are a few cost-cutting ideas:

1. Instead of ordering a traditional wedding album, frame your favorite pictures and display them in your new home.

2. Don't spend money on disposable cameras for guests to use. Many of your guests will bring their own digital cameras and e-mail the images to you.

3. If you are thinking of hiring a videographer, limit the time they are at the wedding – maybe just the ceremony and beginning of the reception – 2 hours of coverage instead of 8.

Post-Wedding Photo Tip

After you look through your wedding photos - whether printed proofs or online, you may want to order a few copies of pictures to gift to your parents and his.  They're sure to appreciate the kind gesture.  You can also make these prints holiday or special occasion gifts.

And when deciding to frame photos for your home, make sure you have photos from both sides of the family - your and his - so that one family doesn't feel slighted because there are a dozen photos of the other side all over your walls and shelves.

Slideshows for Your Bridal Shower, Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding

My daughter hit some button on my computer and all of a sudden a slideshow appeared with photos we had taken and there was music playing.  The photos seemed to be in a movie format with closeups and pans.

I'm sure you and your fiance probably knew that such technology existed but in case you're like me (and Dave) and didn't know it's a great find!

Lots of couples make slideshows of their life together to play at the rehearsal dinner or wedding and bridesmaids will put a slideshow together of the bride and groom as children through adulthood as part of the entertainment for the party.

I always thought you had to hire someone to do this but I guess you don't.  You may want to consult your wedding band or DJ for slideshow playlist suggestions.

I do know couples that have played slideshows at their wedding reception but my personal opinion is that it's better to have a slideshow at a pre-wedding party and wherever you do show it keep it brief -- 5-7 minutes max.

Staged Wedding Photos

We just got back in from dinner near the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn and there was a group of people taking formal portraits with the Manhattan skyline behind them.  There was a girl in white, a guy in a tux, some kids all dressed up and a group of girls in matching purple dresses.  From the looks of it you automatically thought wedding but this was actually a sweet 16 group.

This location is very popular with bridal parties and on a Saturday and Sunday you can expect to see one posing for pictures at any time of day.

If you and your groom want to take portraits or some candids at a location other than your wedding ceremony or reception venue make sure that your photographer is aware of this and that you make time in your wedding day timeline to get to and from the shoot location and have time to take all the photos you want there.  Give your photographer a list of what you want and make sure that someone in the bridal party  or your wedding planner's assistant is checking off each one so you don't forget a must-have shot.

It's important to make sure this information is in your vendor contract with your wedding photographer because you don't want to incur overtime charges or at least you want to know if there's an extra fee associated with this off-site shoot.

Tor Picture

We had a housekeeper growing up who was more like a grandmother to us.  Her name was Aggie and that's where I get "I swear on Aggie" from.  We would never lie on swear on Aggie.  Never.

After Aggie retired in 1990 she still lived with us and we took care of her.  Everyday she would sit in the kitchen and watch her shows and before going back up at the end of the day she would make sure she had "money, watch and Tor picture."

The saying kind of stuck with us and when we leave the apartment or house we always check that we have everything, including, "money, watch and Tor picture."

Tor picture was a wallet size photo of my sister as a high school cheerleader.  It was the type of picture you wrote a message on and gave to your friends, and they in return would give you theirs.  Most people probably put them in a scrapbook or shoe box or drawer and forgot about them. Aggie carried it everyday up and down the stairs, to the beauty parlor, to church, wherever she went she had it.  As a grandmother it makes sense that she would carry her grandchild's photo, right?  But no one else would.

So when your wedding photographer offers you a great deal on wallet-sized photos to give your guests as a favor on your thank-you notes, say no thanks.  No one, except maybe your grandmothers, will want or keep the picture.  They'll most likely end up in a shoebox, drawer, or I'd bet money on the third option, the garbage.

Save your money and put it towards framing a beautiful photo from your wedding that you can give grandma and your parents as a gift.  They'll treasure it forever.

*I couldn't find the individual photo of Tor as a cheerleader on Facebook so I grabbed the one of the group of cheerleaders.

An Easy Way to Save Money on Your Wedding

We went to a wedding a few weeks ago and during the ceremony one of the guests pulled out his very fancy digital camera with a telephoto lens.

I've written before about not spending money on disposable cameras for the reception because your guests will bring their own digital cameras and email you the photos.  Well, this is an example of a guest taking wedding photos to share with the couple and friends.

Part of me wondered if the guest was a secondary shooter.  He wasn't, he just loves photography and I'm sure he got some great shots.

So save money by not buying disposable cameras and put it towards another wedding details.

My Eyes! My Eyes!

I think I'm on the computer way too much and the fact that I work on a Web site doesn't help my situation. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job and can't imagine life with out computers, but my eyes are killing me and I think it's the glare from the screen.  And since I like to turn everything into a wedding planing tip, here's one re: glare.

If you're getting married outdoors - whether it's just the ceremony or reception or both - check which way the sun hits the location at the time of your wedding.  And not just when the sun is setting if you're going to be outdoors during the day.

In addition to making sure your photographer knows where the sun will be to ensure that you get great pictures, it's important to arrange the ceremony seating and reception layout in such away so that your guests aren't squinting or holding their hand like a visor over their eyes.

Simply ask the location manager what he or she recommends and if possible (and definitely as a Plan B) have a tent installed to protect everyone and the food from the heat and glare of the sun.  You can leave the tent flaps up if it's a beautiful day, and if it does get a bit windy you can let the flaps down to keep the chill away.

And by the way, the reason my eyes are so bad today is because I found a great first dance video online and I watched it several times and then showed it to a bunch of people at the office.  This couple arranged for KISS to interrupt their first dance in a very creative and funny way.

Vendor Contract Points: Specifically Wedding Photographers

I received an email from a bride today about an issue she’s having with a photographer she’s thinking of hiring. She likes his work and his package rate is fine, but there are a few issues irking her:

1. After an initial package of prints and an album, he wants to charge $9 for each additional print and if a guest wants to purchase a print it’s $20 each. She was also concerned that this rate will go up over time.

2. He wants to use her photos for promotional use, on his site and pitching the images to blogs and wedding sites and magazines

3. He hasn’t been open to answering a number of her questions, including altering the package she’s interested in buying.

Here are my thoughts, which she thought may be helpful to other brides:

1. It’s common for photographers to charge a per print fee after the initial package of prints and your album. But you should find out the quality of the prints you'll be getting. Is he printing them on his home/office printer or is he sending them to a professional development company.

As for the rate, the rate in the contract should be a set rate and you can add a line that reads “rate not subject to change” if you’re concerned – just make sure both you and the photographer initial that section.

2. It’s common for photographers to use wedding photographs they’ve taken to promote their business either on their own site/blog and in promotional material as well as pitching their work to wedding magazines, sites and blogs. They own the copyright. There should be a line in your contract that informs you of this use and states that you grant them permission to use your images (shots that you and your guests are in) in these promotional ways. If you don’t feel comfortable then edit the contract to reflect what you do or don’t want. If he disagrees he’ll tell you.

3. If the photographer, or any vendor you’re thinking of hiring, isn’t cooperative and not answering your questions then don’t hire him. If you’re gut is telling you something’s wrong then you can walk away and keep looking for the right vendor.

Protect Your Proofs

We were at my uncle’s house over the weekend and we came across a small album filled with wedding proofs from their wedding in 2006. I asked him where the formal wedding album was and he said they never got around to doing it but they had a box filled with proofs.

Wedding proofs are fun to flip through and after you select your wedding pictures for your album and frames to place around the house you should think of what you can do with the remaining proofs.

If you’re creating a scrapbook you can use them for the book. Another idea is to gift proofs of friends or relatives to them – they are perfect for small 5x7 frames.

Make sure to keep the extra proofs in an archival box to protect them over time. Maybe you don’t have a reason to use them today, but you may find one in a few years. When I came across some wedding photos from my grandparents’ wedding last month (57 years later) they were discolored and damaged, but that’s because no one knew how to protect photographs back them. Now we do.

A Reminder for Your Guests

Do you remember the post I wrote last summer about not spending your money on disposable cameras because your guests will take pictures with their own digital cameras and cell phones?

If you’re concerned that your guests won’t remember to email you the pictures they took at your wedding you can have them place a friendly reminder on their cameras so they won’t forget.

SayAnythingDesign.com sells customized stickers—that won’t damage or leave a sticky residue on cameras—and will remind guests to send you an email with pics from your wedding—your email address is on the sticker.


You can place "StikPics" with the seating cards guests take when they enter your wedding site or have them handed out with your wedding program.


PS - In no way can your guests' pictures replace those taken by a professional photgrapher. Pictures taken by guests are just extra for your scrapbook.

Words of Wisdom from Grandma Lenore

I was talking to my grandmother over the weekend about wedding albums and wedding videos. She has never seen my sister’s video – which is an unedited 3-part VHS marathon that Torey refuses to have edited – and she hasn’t seen mine in years. I don’t remember how we got on the subject but I think it might have to do with the fact that my grandfather who passed away in 2004 is on both of our videos and she wants to get together and watch both of our videos on Mother’s Day.

Anyway, she then told me that she hates her wedding album because my grandfather was too cheap to spend money on a real photographer. She told me that in those days (1945) the groom and his family and the bride and her family had different financial responsibilities. Grandpa Phil and his parents were supposed to pay for the bar and music and because photographing all of a wedding was a new concept they were supposed to pay for that too.

So in my grandmother’s words, my grandfather hired a “bum off the street” to shoot their wedding and because he was so cheap she hates her wedding pictures.

For someone who was married over 60 years ago, this is a great tip that still rings true today. You don’t want to skimp on your photo budget. They are the only tangible part of your wedding that you’ll have for years to come and will be able to pass down to your children and grandchildren. There are photographers in all ranges of budgets, but don’t hire someone just because they are the cheapest. You want to know that he or she is experienced and has shot weddings before.

Thanks Grams!