Hi all,
So sorry to hear this. I'm going to post something I added to a previous thread on the subject of wedding photography. The thread was originally about "Can anyone claim to be a wedding photographer" but it is relevant imo. I have some ideas for the OP too:
As a professional wedding photographer I have a few views on this subject, and a few tips.
Everyone has to start their business somewhere but they need to start with the right approach and skills. We launched in 2015 and did so with full public liability & professional indemnity insurance, a website where people could see our past work, two professional grade camera bodies each, lenses and spares of each type or ones that would cover, lighting equipment etc. and prices to reflect our considerable skills. We both had a full working knowledge of Lightroom and Photoshop.
There are plenty of excellent amateur photographers out there but they won’t be insured and I know for a fact some shooting weddings don’t have spare kit in case something breaks or malfunctions; their cameras are mid-range and can’t get good results in dark churches – even we struggle sometimes and one of my cameras bodies cost £3000. Have they got the right lighting equipment and do they know how to use it? Do they have the software skills to process the RAW files they shoot and do they have the 20 -25 hours necessary to weed (2000 shots looked at for 5 secs each is nearly 3 hours, just to weed out the ones you want to work on) and process the shots they want to work on and deliver?
Between us Paul and I shoot somewhere between 3700 and 4500 images on a full day wedding and we’ll deliver 450 – 600 final shots. We can be on the go from 07:00 and not get into bed once images have been backed up etc. till 01:00 the next morning.
A wedding photographer should also guide you, helping with the timeline so stress is reduced to a minimum. We all (tog, BN& G, guests) dislike the shooting gallery “formal” shots but they are necessary; we all want them over as quickly as possible with the least disruption to the flow of the day as possible. A good wedding photographer will give advice to the right number of formals shots given family size and guest numbers, where they should be taken and when they should be taken, bearing in mind the weather doesn’t always play ball and always taking into account the B & G’s wishes.
If you ask a family member or friend to do it because he has a great camera and “his photos are great” you are risking things for sure. The stress shooting a wedding is considerable. It’s also extremely tiring. He won’t be able to be in two places at once and he’ll not get the breadth of shots that a non-guest would do. Both my nieces are getting married next year and i’ve already said I don’t want to be the photographer on either gig.
Here are some tips and things to consider ask your wedding photographer:
•Do they meet / talk you before taking your booking? If not how can they understand what you want / need and more importantly can they meet your requirements?
•Do you get on with them – I don’t mean is he a nice bloke or woman but do you have a rappor? It’s essential if they are going to get the best from you.
•Will they sit down with you before the wedding and after booking to run through the day and make sure all is clear?
•Do they visit the venues before the wedding to recce? If not how can they know the light and plan shots / prepare?
•Can they travel to a different part of the country or overseas if it’s a destination wedding you have planned and they are not local?
•Has the photographer got public liability and professional indemnity insurance? Will it be you getting sued if a guest falls over a tripod?
•Do they have back up of all equipment of the same quality in case of equipment failure on the big day?
•Can they provide references from previous clients?
•What post-processing do they do to the photos they take (if they do none this may well indicate someone with few skills)?
•Have they a website and are the photos on it their own (some steal other people’s images and pass off as their own…).
•Are they cheap? If they are massive alarm bells should start ringing. Running even a basic a wedding photography business is expensive.
•What is a full day? Is it bridal prep through till drunk-people-on-the-dancefloor, or is it guests arrive at church to first dance…?
•Look at their work to make sure you like there style. Amazingly some people rely just on a recommendation.
•How many togs are there? Just one is fine for a smaller do under 50 people, more than that and you’ll need two if they are to cover the whole day comfortably.
•What is included in the package price? Album (what type, from where and how many spreads), USB stick, online gallery?
•Can they arrange for prints to be delivered to your door are you left to go to some High Street shop (pleeease don’t. Even if you don’t get them through your photographer get them printed by a pro lab like Loxley Colour).
I hope this helps someone. It’s expensive to get great photos but you’ll remember them long after the wedding so it pays to do your research and take no chances. And if anyone needs advice you can contact me on here via our FB page or via our website. We are always happy to talk and have in the past happily guided couples who have not booked us as we see it as protecting our industry.
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So, OP. What can you do? You can first of all ask for the original files. Hopefully the photographer will have shot in RAW and not JPEG. Then you can hand them across to a pro to edit. A pro tog won't give you the RAWS but a friend should have no problem. A pro will edit them as best they can and you might salvage something.
The second thing you can do is organise a reshoot with a pro. Allow around £300.
We shot a wedding the other week and I reckon it was, all in all, 100 man hours. We charged £1295. So that's £13 per hour between us, before expenses. There's a reason pro photographers charge what they do.
Cheers all,
Carl