The couple who paid a wedding photographer $800 are left with “dark, grainy images.
This blog can be great advice for future brides and grooms who are still looking for a wedding photographer and do not want to be disappointed.
A while ago I have read a very interesting article published in Fstoppers. This is the second article about a disappointed wedding couple in the last couple of months. I wrote about “bad photos” earlier this year… Just go back to my wedding photography blog. Let’s start. An American couple has paid $800 for a wedding photographer recommended by their friend and their wedding photos weren’t as they dreamed. In the article, I would like to look deeper into the topic and tell you why it happened? I have to add that $800 in the USA is not much for a wedding photographer. I have to say it is cheap. It is not the same as £800 in the UK. it is important to understand. The average price for a wedding photographer in the West Midlands area is around £1200 for full-day. In the USA, the average price is set at a couple of thousands of US dollars.
Credit to Fstoppers
As we can read in the article. The couple has decided to book a photographer after they reviewed the photographer’s Instagram account. Really?
Why did it happen? Why did they get bad photos?
Maybe… the photographer was really bad. Maybe the photographer had a bad day, maybe… all the time MAYBE. Let’s find some facts.
Definitely, I won’t try to defend the photographer but I will say nothing good about the wedding couple and their preparation for the wedding day.
Recommendations /expectations . Firstly. The photographer was recommended by a friend of the wedding couple. I have to add that approx. 3 of 10 weddings I photograph across West Midlands and Coventry come from recommendation. I always ask my couples who have been referred to me if they saw my full photo story I have created for someone else. Those couples are aware of the standard of my photos, the standard of my service. If you know what I mean… If someone is interested in my service, I can guarantee that the full explanation will be given, especially what we can do during the day. Portfolio / Instagram / photos Why are you looking for a wedding photographer? Because you want some nice photos of your wedding day? Your local wedding photographer wishes to advise you to carefully look at the photographer’s portfolio and not only in one place, not only from one wedding day. (e.g Instagram). The couple described in the article has looked on Instagram only and then has decided to book a photographer follow a recommendation from a friend. I wouldn’t even try to think that way. How people can do that? As a wedding photographer from Coventry, I use marketing tricks to attract more attention to my photography service. Like all photographers, I am on Instagram also. I use Instagram as a free space to present my work, single photos, not photo stories, which I create during weddings. This is a big difference. You can’t, you shouldn’t, I wouldn’t pick a photographer to photograph my wedding looking at his/her Insta account. Let’s imagine. I see a nice gallery on Insta and Photos are just amazing. I scroll down, and I see even more amazing photos… I can say, wow. I want this photographer. The photographer is local to me, it is even better. I won’t pay for his fuel. So far, is amazing. Would I send him a message and start talking about a deal? Definitely NO. We2 photographers are available on more than one social platform. So, it is good to check what you can find on another one. I personally keep more photos on Facebook rather than on Instagram. For me, Facebook is a more social and more serious platform. For me, Insta is more for killing the time, rather looking for something serious… (you may not agree with me, your choice) OK, You have seen amazing Instagram photos and you go to the photographer’s Facebook page. And you can see the same content. Hmmm. I can think, he is amazing or LET’S CHECK DEEPER and I go to view photographers website. Feel free to visit my ….(here) You will find there a lot of photos, even photo stories. but some photographers keep only a couple of photos on the website. And here I have to add a real story. Photographer doesn’t want to show photos. In this year I had a couple who tried to deal with one from photographers in the area. She or he presents amazing, technically high-end photos. Photographer has Facebook, Instagram and website of course. Prices are just above the average. The photographer has 16 different images on the website. Not too many on Facebook and Insta. My wedding couple told me that it was really difficult to see more. After a series of messages, they got access to some more photos. I had a chance to see them. And they were good but still far away from the portfolio’s photos level. That’s why they came to me. Of course, I won’t give you details who was it. I would recommend or advise to be more careful when you want to pay a lot of money for a wedding supplier. Thanks, I hope it was helpful.