And now, for something completely...

[Sime]

Different? Well, I guess not... Who has cash any more?

So, as a few of you know, I manage support for dPS... You click the 'contact us' button, that sends me an email... so I get some good questions (and LOTS of bad ones!) in via our support desk... One of them that came in a few days back goes a little something like this...

*insert Tone Loc here*

*******

I am sending this e-mail to inquire if you might have one or two students that you could recommend. I am a soon to be bride and have yet to find a photographer for the wedding. My budget is the main reason for this. Unfortunately, my budget range is around $200-$250, which is not really realistic. If you are so kind as to also send me an approximate figure for what an appropriate amount would be, I would greatly appreciate it. I did

It is probably a very unusual request from a website user, but all I am really trying to do is have a dream come true, unfortunately, I'm trapped in a budget. When putting the budget together I didn't have a real feel on what the costs are, so I ended up allocating more to the reception, instead of having more money for photography.

*****

So, what we have is someone that knows she has made a mistake, and is trying to figure it out... So yes, not interested in replies like "she's dreaming" etc... she knows...

What I suggested was something a little 'outside the box' in that she perhaps allow people to 'practice' on her wedding... It's a bit of an unknown quantity... she could get some amazing images, she might not... it's a risk she may have to face...

She is based in Hallandale, FL. The zip is 33009...

What would you do?

[candleman]

I'd offer her a bridal party/couple portraits session for 1 hour.
So i meet them after the Ceremony, and we do some portraits for memory sake.. then they head off to the reception.

No ceremony, no reception, no geting ready... at least they get the most creative shots of the day.

[faeriegodess612]

I'd say for someone wanting to get their feet wet in the Wedding Photography pool,...that it'd be a good idea.

If it were me personally,.. That's not my forte, but if I knew someone who would take it on,..I'd pass word along.

[Izzy]

This was my typical wedding customer. That is in a good way. Many of my customers were on a very tight budget. Most of them hard working people without the type job that college ed gets you (or is supposed to get you). So I would find something that would work well for them within their budget. What the package would be I can not get into because I don't want anyone in that area to have to deal with my ideas or offers.

I think a base wedding can be shot for this money and make up the rest in future print sales. It is just a matter of willingness and balancing time schedule. It may be 2 months before they print again or it may be 6 months, but they will print again with you.

I would not do anything like this part they are offering is 1/2 and the other 1/2 in on payments as those arrangements never work out and when they don't they tell everyone they know and it goes on and on.

I think this wedding can be shot in 3 hours and edited in 1-1/2 hours, so figure your time.

[andyw]

Spend half on a few disposable cameras to give to "trusted" guests who use them to take photos during the day and hand over the cameras at the end of the day.
Then the rest of the money on developing the pictures.

[windrider86]

Tell her to spend the $200 on a ton of disposable cameras and distribute them to her audience and have htem return them at the end of the day. Not all of them, half of them should go to folks at her reception.
She gets unique perspectives of what her audience sees

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by windrider86

Tell her to spend the $200 on a ton of disposable cameras and distribute them to her audience and have htem return them at the end of the day. Not all of them, half of them should go to folks at her reception.
She gets unique perspectives of what her audience sees

My cousin did this, in addition to a photographer for their own setup posed photos. Worked well, and they got some great shots. The giant album they made is a testament to it.

[mosgood]

Just my 2 cents but I hate disposable cameras, & in the hands of people who don't know anything about photography/composition, you usually get horrendous shots. I shot my cousin's daughter's wedding at a wedding gift to her (never met her before). My shots came out fine btw (shot with film since digital hadn't quite caught on & all I had was a film camera). But the majority of the ones out of the disposable cameras were unusable. Horribly blurred, heads cut off, shots of unrecognizable images (just really bad stuff). I'd be really upset if it were my big day & all I had to show of it was stuff not even good enough for a trash bin.

I think it would be far better to have a couple of inexpensive digital P&S roaming around for guests to use with extra cards available. Maybe put a note attached to the straps to take them to the B&G when the cards are full. Of course, the B&G should have someone else in charge (best man/parent) of the cameras put in new cards & keep track of the cameras floating around the room since the B&G already have their hands full with the wedding/reception stuff. Whoever is in charge would also need to keep track of the used cards too.

I still think that the bride is going to want some formal shots of the wedding though. Whether it's someone who gets paid or not, as long as they have the necessary experience to get good shots.