Help help help! - Wedding photography.

[BrentGambrell]

I was hired by a wedding chapel as their main photographer.

Here is how I'm getting paid.

The chapel gives me $100.00 for each wedding I shoot there. The couple gets 25 free 4x6s and I send them a proofing book in the mail.

Does anyone know where any cheap proofing books are? I'm going to be out around $40.00 I'd say.

I think I should also offer a CD. I think I might offer two cd's. 1. Half of the images taken at the wedding for $250.00 or all of the images taken at the wedding for $500.00. Is this reasonable? I will probably take around 200 inside and then when I pose them, around 250 all together.

[kuvahmagh]

The chapel gives me $100.00 for each wedding I shoot there. The couple gets 25 free 4x6s and I send them a proofing book in the mail.

Wow, I don't do weddings, never have, probably never will, but I'd say your definitely getting the short end of the stick. The only way you can make money is if they want more than the 25 FREE 4x6s which they are likely to just scan and have reprinted at Wal-Mart.

As for cheap Proof Books Mpix offers them,

Mpix.com - Proof Portfolios

I've never used any of their services though I will be shortly and I know a lot of other users here print with them. They also have decent prices for prints so you might want to look at them for your free prints as well, though others can help you more with this, I think you need to color sync your monitor for the best quality.

Good luck though, I hope it works out for you.

[naeno]

Mpix is great.

Originally Posted by BrentGambrell

The chapel gives me $100.00 for each wedding I shoot there. The couple gets 25 free 4x6s and I send them a proofing book in the mail.

There's no way I'd agree to this! You're going to be spending at least 4 hours doing the ceremony, and then post processing afterward. You're going to be lucky to be making $10/hr at that rate.

[Cam Monroe]

In a wedding chapel ceromomy, you'll be lucky to get 50 shots off....It's what....7 minutes long??
In and out in 15 minutes...paperwork and all.
If the couple were interested in high quality perfection, they would have actually planed a wedding.

Do the couple get the 4x6's on the spot....then the proofing book in the mail?
or do they only get 25 4x6's in a proofing book in the mail?
Big difference here.

If it's just 25 4x6 prints....send the prints to walmart...put them in a cheap binder.
If it has to be a book.....upload to shutterfly...12 bucks a book.

DO NOT give them your digital files on a disk....you will never see a cent over the chump change you were paid to take the pics.

[Lindsie Nicole]

Originally Posted by BrentGambrell

I will probably take around 200 inside and then when I pose them, around 250 all together.

Woah... ok. I have never done a wedding, I'm 15 so I shouldn't be saying anything but are you serious?? "250 all together"?? Ok when I'm just taking pictures outside with my sister or my friends I take about 400-500+ photos. And you're doing a WEDDING!

Sorry... i'm not trying to sound mean or anything.You're a really good photographer, I just don't think you will actually take 250 pictures at a wedding!

Lindsie

[BrentGambrell]

Originally Posted by Lindsie Nicole

Woah... ok. I have never done a wedding, I'm 15 so I shouldn't be saying anything but are you serious?? "250 all together"?? Ok when I'm just taking pictures outside with my sister or my friends I take about 400-500+ photos. And you're doing a WEDDING!

Sorry... i'm not trying to sound mean or anything.You're a really good photographer, I just don't think you will actually take 250 pictures at a wedding!

Lindsie

When a usual ceremony for a chapel is 15-25 minutes long, you won't get 400-500. Plus, it doesn't require me to take 400-500 shots.

Wow, and can everyone stop dissing on the chapel I work for, that's very rude. I asked your opinion of photos and prices, not the quality of the wedding or chapel.

Do the couple get the 4x6's on the spot....then the proofing book in the mail?
or do they only get 25 4x6's in a proofing book in the mail?
Big difference here.

They get 25 4x6s in prints. ONLY ceremony shots. No posed shots.

DO NOT give them your digital files on a disk....you will never see a cent over the chump change you were paid to take the pics.

I do disks. Always have, always will. My CD prices are below and I think they're very reasonable. I'm not stingy with my photos, as long as the appropriate price for me has been set.

There's no way I'd agree to this! You're going to be spending at least 4 hours doing the ceremony, and then post processing afterward. You're going to be lucky to be making $10/hr at that rate.

These ceremonies are only 15-25 minutes long, nothing near four hours. I was there for two hours. One hour because it was my first wedding and I showed up early to consult with the director and get my feel of the place. Plus, I needed to boost my confidence.

There's no way I'd agree to this!

Well, I need the money.

[BrentGambrell]

Really? Doesn't sound like that in your OP..........

Really? How do you figure?

I think you are being overly defensive of a crappy job with terrible pay.

Usually when people insult, a natural reaction is being defensive.

It's not a crappy job but it's terrible pay. It's a crappy job when my photos are crappy and that's certainly not the case.

Thanks.

[Lindsie Nicole]

Originally Posted by BrentGambrell

When a usual ceremony for a chapel is 15-25 minutes long, you won't get 400-500. Plus, it doesn't require me to take 400-500 shots.

I can see that but still if you are trying to get a good shot you are going to just keep snapping... even in 15-25 minutes you could get ALOT of photos. All those 400-500 shots I take at school happen between 12 and 12:30 at lunch. After eating my lunch and then getting everyone together to take shots and whatnot its probably 12:15... so in about 15 minutes I can take 400-500 shots. granted, more then half don't turn out... But i still took 400-500 shots. I'm sure you will be taking alot more then 250...

[LeeR]

Sometimes we get paid in things other than cash. While I don't think this is a gig I would be interested in, I can see where this would be a great opportunity to get started. You get loads of opportunities to learn the craft, build a portfolio and establish you name in the industry. That's not a bad deal.

I would be careful about giving away a CD. When you do that you are inferring that you are giving with it the rights to the images and permission to make their own prints. That's a big source of revenue you are giving away. I would rather see you offer wedding albums, one with 12 8x10's and one with 24, priced accordingly. They can, of course, choose the images they would like in the album. Another great source of revenue is to put together a slide presentation set to music. I use a program that allows me to produce a very sophisticated product then either burn it to DVD, upload it to YouTube or produce a version they can send to their friend's phones. I suspect the day is coming when brides will prefer this kind of thing to either proof book or album. It may already be here.

[candidrachel]

Here's my take on things. While it's not much money "initially" use it as a Get Out of Jail Free card. If the wedding couple complain just say "Heck you get what you pay for" and if you do a wonderful job like I bet you will because you are a talented photographer it won't be 100 bucks for long!

You have to start somewhere and I think its a wonderful opportunity and without sounding patronizing you are 20 right? I wish I'd been given that chance! I would embrace these weddings as opportunities to learn, grow and expand your knowledge.

On the subject on the cd's could you live them low res images instead of high res or high res images of "out-takes". Just an idea!

Good luck!

ps I noticed you are from Kentucky. Google Colonel Sanders for an inspiring story about how he was turned down 1009 times before someone took on his chicken recipe!