To think I may be able to get a uni photography student to take my wedding photos for free?

[MaryBoBary]

We are getting married at the end of the year back in our Uni city where we met. It will be just the 2 of us and our 3 year old (will potentially be calling on some mumsnet witnesses nearer the time!) and the wedding will be pre 12pm.

AIBU to think that a photography student would want the chance to take some wedding photos for an hour or two for their portfolio, and not expect to be paid? Obviously we won't be expecting world class photography, just some nice pics as we won't have any family or friends there to take them. Would it be cheeky to email the uni asking or have other people done this before?

I did this. I put an advert on Gumtree and offered Eur200 for two hours. A guy who wanted to be a professional photographer applied and we agreed for his to take the photos. Thee photos were no better than a random person, but I was broke and didn't really mind at the time. I care now though, I would make sure you see an extensive portfolio before signing.

I’m a lecturer, not in photography, but in a creative area - the number of cheeky fuckers who seem to think they will jump at the chance to work for free is astonishing. People/businesses who try and sell it in as being good on their CV make me laugh.

Wonder if any if these MN's will be your witness 🤣🤣

It will be just the 2 of us and our 3 year old (will potentially be calling on some mumsnet witnesses nearer the time!

How you feeling about that plan now?

Well thanks for the unanimous feedback on that one .

Will definitely not be asking the uni in that case! Wasn't sure how these things worked in terms of what students would want exposure too and I certainly wouldnt want to offend anyone. We will think again on the photography!

@butchy we will be finding some randomers off the street I think!

I'd just take my own photos of flowers, shoes, dress, bridesmaid, DP as you can snap as many as you like. Ask the registrar to take a couple of you signing the book, and the witnesses to snap a few on the disposable - failing that I'd save up for a professional to do 1 hour and meet you at the registry. If you can't afford it then a selfie stick and taking umpteen shots on your phone is another option.

No decent uni level photography lecturer would advise a student to work for free. If you contact them for a freebie, be prepared to get a blunt reply.

Wedding photographs are not the sort of thing someone doing a degree in photography would ever put in their portfolio. As a previous poster said, wedding photography is seen as pretty naff and you won’t find many (any?) students studying for a photography degree aspiring for a career as a wedding tog.

However, offer £100 for an hours worth of pictures and you’ll probably get a plenty of offers from competent students that would help you out.

Dear @MaryBoBary, I saw this and thought of you.
https://theoatmeal.com/comics/exposure

I actually think that the relaxed nature of the day lends itself really nicely to just handing over your phone to one of your witnesses and getting some pictures taken by them. Or maybe the registrar would take a couple?

Just take some nice pics of the three of you on your iphone and ask the registrar and witnesses to take some for you.

Just cheeky expecting someone to come along and take pictures for you for free. You could get someone cheaper who is starting out with their business, you’ll still pay £500 upwards though.

Photos aren’t something to scrimp on in my opinion, it’s the thing you keep to remember the day.

the number of cheeky fuckers who seem to think they will jump at the chance to work for free is astonishing.

I used to run community gardens. The number of people who would try and get me to bring all my tools, time and experience, into random people's gardens to 'do them up' was indeed astonishing. Almost as if they thought it was easy work. I would suggest to them that if it was that easy, they could surely do it themselves?

I actually think that the relaxed nature of the day lends itself really nicely to just handing over your phone to one of your witnesses and getting some pictures taken by them. Or maybe the registrar would take a couple?

The registrar is there to work, not to take photos for people who can't afford photographers.

You might find one who was thinking of going into Wedding photography that was prepared to do it at a price that reflects they're not established yet. But I would expect that to be someone you knew personally or similar.

My experience of similar was at a family event they thought it would be nice to have a photographer in so the family/friends could enjoy themselves and have a nice set of photos to make up in a book. BIL arranged someone he knew that wanted to go into event photography. He was going to charge *£100 plus eat with us (cost I think was around £50 per head) and give us a CD with all the photos at the end. BIL took him in the car and tried to charge the rest of us petrol money for that on the day

*BIL said £150, but I suspect it was actually £100 and he didn't pay anything.

When we arrived the chap was sitting eating and talking. Two hours later he was still sitting, eating and chatting and I hadn't seen any evidence of a camera.
People started wanting to go so he was dragged out to take a group photo. He basically said "stand over there" point and click a few times. Then another family member asked if he could take one. Got into the same position and pointed out a lot of people couldn't be seen. Rearranged people. Photographer had given up and gone back inside.
When he sent us the CD it had around 40 pictures on it. About 8 were the group one, (which was not used as we had better ones from the family member) about 20 of BIL and his family at their house before they left. All sitting on the sofa with dc in various states of sulk/wriggle/running off. The remaining 12 were snapshots that anyone could have taken and he'd clearly snapped from where he was sitting.
I think when we came to make the photo book up we used one of his pictures-of BIL and family before they went. The rest were snaps taken by other attendees-as I'd suggested we used before BIL had told us of the "marvellous" photographer.

That's potentially the reality of booking someone for cheap.

Yes that would make you an unreasonable CF. People ought to be paid for work regardless of their student status - your wedding photos really aren't going to be the making of a brilliant photography career for them! You don't have to pay a huge amount but £150 would be reasonable considering you'd be saving a fortune.

As well as it being a bit mean, my friend is a photography lecturer at a university, her students tend to try and photograph edgy things, or do stuff like break into abandoned derelict buildings...so I doubt they are going to want standard wedding stuff in their portfolio

Very very unreasonable.

Photographer here (which may be outing so I'll need to nc) and i studied it.

Weddings don't make a final portfolio. There's a lot of work that goes into the course and to expect someone to do it for a minimal price, especially as some people that charge ££££ are utterly awful, is insulting.

By all means contact a college/uni but be prepared to pay. No tutor or lecturer in their right mind would offer it to students as unpaid work.

Exposure doesn't pay bills 🙄

Or maybe the registrar would take a couple?
The registrar is there to work, not to take photos for people who can't afford photographers

The registrar at my sisters offered to take photos. Sis wasnt bothered about having a photographer but the registrar took about a dozen pictures. She had my sister and her husband posing as if they had just signed and took a few family shots.

I doubt anyone would do it for free, maybe cheaper than a professional...

It's an insult to even ask!

I have done two weddings like this.

For free... In exchange to use a couple of the pictures in my portfolio.

First couple, i done the wedding (2pm) through to the evening.
They offered me some of the buffet but that was it.

2nd wedding. The bride wanted me there from the morning, bridesmaids getting ready, hair, make up etc, got there at 9am. They wanted me for the whole day, the wedding, reception, speeches, cutting of cake and people dancing etc. I left there at gone 10pm. They offered me some food. Didnt even offer me a soft drink.
I produced 2000 photos in that 12 hours.
I got a thanks but that was it....

I would do it again but at the least i would hope for maybe a taxi home, or a lift to the bus stop or something

@CanYouHelpFindThis Quick question - as a student what would your level of interest have been to snap a couple of sepia photo's of a wedding party outside a historical derelict building? (several broken/boarderd windows)"Miss Havisham type style". Obviously not for free! Would a student be interested in that kind of thing? I would worry standard photographer would think it very odd 😶.

I had a friend who was a student do ours, lovely pictures possibly not the same poses that a professional wedding photographer would do but still excellent. She took £120 and we gave her her dinner (at a table with people she knew). She then gave us all of our pictures on a memory stick to do what we liked with. Worked really well for us. But no I don't think you should expect it for free.

The food they offered was worth about a fiver maybe

Lol no. They can get free model for their portfolio who are actually attractive etc. And people who are studying photography usually aren’t interested in commercial wedding photography (although they may do really artsy wedding photographs as a side job).

Monkeys... That would be amazing! And i imagine alot would be interested