Wedding photography ettiquete... for my own wedding!

[GothamCity]

Hello hello fellow DPS'ers!
I'm in need of your help! My wedding (I'm the bride ) is coming up in October and I don't have a photographer. My wedding date got pushed up due to my fiance's upcoming deployment to Iraq so we didn't have as much time to prepare as we'd like. But anyways! Here's some of the issues I'm having...the biggest thing is (and I mean this in the least snobby, arrogant way!) I can't find a good photographer in my area. I feel like I could take my own pictures better, if it were possible. Every photographer's portfolio I see I keep thinking "well...if they adjusted the curves, maybe threw this this and this on to give it a warmer vintage look, maybe a bokeh layer here or a slight grunge layer there and then it would look SO much better!".

-Is it wrong to photoshop pictures someone else took? I mean, I know I'd personally be mad if someone did that to pictures I took. But I'm so conflicted! I don't want your regular head on group photos and stand-side-by-side and smile pictures. I'm just having a hard time finding someone that I can trust will take candid, good photos on their own, catch little details, use different angles and be up to date with the digital photography world.
-Is it impolite, or even too hectic to take some pictures as well as let the photographer take pictures? Like maybe take pictures of little details?

Thanks tons for any suggestions thrown my way, and for reading all this bride-babbling!
P.S. If anyone knows any photographers in the northeast Ohio area, I'd love to check them out.

[candidrachel]

First of all, congratulation for your up coming wedding! Secondly, I am in no place to talk about editing pics because I am pants at it but.... why not contact a photographer that you do like the look of and have a chat in person about producing photos in the style that you're after. Like the old saying "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got". Perhaps its just never occurred to these photographers to change their style. Some photographers don't like anything a bit "different".

Bring along examples of the sort of look you are after, cut out photos from wedding mags.

I'm sure you'll find a photographer that will be more than happy to provide you with memorable photos. Are you phoning them up or just looking at portfolios on the 'net.

You never know you might be the catylist to get them to upgrade their portfolio!

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[GothamCity]

Thank you!
And I actually haven't thought about asking them to try out new teqniques, but I'm not sure how they would handle that, especially if they aren't familiar with photoshop? It's worth a shot though!

I've only been looking at portfolios online so far and contacting them via e-mail, but I've only found one so far that I've liked (of course it came with a big price tag!) Thanks for the input!! =]

[candidrachel]

A GOOD wedding photographer will be uptodate with all the techniques both camera techniques and photo editing software and lets face it you can't be the first bride to request that vintage/grunge look, right?

Its not impolite to offer suggestions to what YOU as the BRIDE, the paying customer wants.

[blubyyou]

Originally Posted by candidrachel

A GOOD wedding photographer will be uptodate with all the techniques both camera techniques and photo editing software and lets face it you can't be the first bride to request that vintage/grunge look, right?

Its not impolite to offer suggestions to what YOU as the BRIDE, the paying customer wants.

I could not agree more! I know when I got married my wife made a point to tell the photographer certain shots that she wanted (she had a list!) and the photographer was very accommodating with the requests. I would like the same would apply to technique suggestions or post-processing requests. Congrats by the way...

[GothamCity]

Thanks, thats almost exactly what I needed to hear =].
I'm just such a laid back, unconfrontational person that I was also having a hard time even thinking about suggesting things to someone - especially photography styles! I should make a list as well, good idea! I haven't shot too many weddings myself, and none of them used lists or wanted specific shots so I didn't really think about that. Maybe I should use one from DPS and just reverse it to fit my needs! Thanks tons!!!

[Swisstony10]

Originally Posted by GothamCity

Is it wrong to photoshop pictures someone else took? I mean, I know I'd personally be mad if someone did that to pictures I took.

I think you may have answered your own question there...

Like Rachel said - "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always get" - don't be afraid to ask a photographer for specific things. You're paying them to provide yo with a service, you're not giving them some kind of arts grant to create something special to them.

I went to a wedding just a few years ago where the photographer (a traditionalist who still used film for weddings) was asked to get a group shot of the entire wedding party from a position of height. He'd never done it before (a mystery to me!), but he was game, and when he scoped out the location he kept that particular request in mind and spotted a place to get just that shot.

I've spoken to the same photographer since - he now carries a stepladder as part of his wedding kit, and always includes that large-group-shot-taken-from-a-height in his repertoire. He reckons that at least 50% of the "special" shots he does have been gleaned from requests over the years, so by asking a photographer to include some particular things that they've not done up until now, you could well be adding to their arsenal of signature shots.

[BigFuzzy]

The way I'd approach it in your situation is this:
I would simply say that you are a photographer as well and want all the images that you've paid for in RAW format. Be straight up that way there's no issue of the photog being angry because they knew upfront what your plan was. I imaging you'll still find someone willing to take the job under these conditions.

You also need to be clear on what your expecting from the photo he takes in terms of style/composition/technique etc... then you can do what you wish of them later when you get the RAWs.


If I were desperate enough for a job, I'd do it though I imagine many would really not want to do that (me included). But it can't hurt to ask then you have no worries of them finding out.

[Sime]

I say shoot it yourself!

I've always wondered if anyone had ever set up their own shots for the important stuff and fired it with a remote... give the guests kodak disposables and get them to photograph everything else - leave a couple on each table (splash out, get some with the little flash unit!) and then self portrait everything else! -- I know, it'd be tough and it's your day so you don't want to worry... but heck it'd be fun!

...alternatively, pay for someone to shoot and deliver raw and that's what you'll get - then you can develop what you want, how you want, as long as they're aware you're buying raw and what you're going to do.... you will pay a premium for this I'd imagine?

Or just be very definite about what you want like the other guys said. It's your bat and ball and you'll take it and go home if you want to.

Have a great day!

S

[drr0b]

First off, congrats on your big day!

At my sister's wedding, they bought the rights to the photos for a fixed fee, and distributed them freely to all the families.

Maybe you could ask to buy the rights to the RAW files as well?

EDIT oops, I hadn't read sime's post. Still a good idea though :P!