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10-15-2016, 01:18 PM   #1
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How do I find a 'Traditional' Wedding Photographer?

My daughter will be wed July1 and is home for a few days making arrangements. One real issue is selecting a photographer. She interviewed two today who actually told her what she asked for is not what she will want - that having shot hundreds of weddings (they) knew better than she what to shoot, how to set and what to deliver. The second one handed her a sheet of 62 Set Shots that would 'make her storybook day a real 'Story Book'.

She wants an old-school shoot. The wedding is at a mid-19th C. Estate/Farm on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. It will be outdoors with the river as the backdrop. Dressing will be in the house proper: dinner and dancing under a tent.

She just wants the line-ups, a few of the traditional set shots and the candids. No 'Price includes digital upload to Facebook'; no 'First Look'; nothing cute. It's as much about the historic house and setting as about the event.

What are the words she would use to filter out the 'Princess' salesmen and find the pros and who understand what she's looking for? How can she express what she wants without being rude and insulting?

Or do all the shooters take crap photos now, shop them with presets and have a Macro that builds a book?

Do I need a landscape shooter?


Last edited by monochrome; 10-15-2016 at 01:38 PM.
10-15-2016, 01:32 PM   #2
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Ouch. I wish I knew the answer to your problem. When we were married we staged the entire thing ourselves. Our house was our venue, a friend did our music, another friend was hired to do flowers, we catered it ourselves, and another friend (hired) did photos (medium format film). We asked for and got the basics - he certainly could have made more money had we gone nuts but it was a side business that he enjoyed and not one that supported him.

I'm afraid a lot of "this is how to make money on weddings" type workshops have made these people into the photo machines that they are. They sound as though they are simply upselling her to try to make more money. I have a friend in town and her daughter has a great reputation for wedding photography but I have no idea what her work is like - nor are we close enough in NC to make that work. I wish I had the answers. If you want I will find out more about her and perhaps we can PM each other and you can at least talk to someone in the business who IS NOT in a position to make money on it for an opinion about this. I know her well enough to know that she would be honest and she's a sweet person who would not steer you wrong.
10-15-2016, 01:33 PM   #3
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I know what you mean. I only did one wedding because the Bride just wanted a nice registration and not some fancy Disney fairytail.
10-15-2016, 02:03 PM - 1 Like   #4
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My wedding photographer was probably what type she is looking for. Honestly I picked him because he had a MFA in photography and I interviewed a lot of photographers, which took up a lot of time, but soooo many were just awful. I have a degree myself, so if they were condescending when I questioned them, they were out. But I did look at degrees and educational background. I didn't want the "fluff" stories. Maybe that was snobby of me, but I felt he was into photography and not trend. Normally I wouldn't be like that, but found the more formal education the photographer had, the more they were really about the business of photography and not "storytelling" or being all cute and more into trying to get what I wanted.

But I think I found him through a professional association. Maybe try here Find-a-Photographer | See The Difference | Find a Photographer
I honestly can't remember how I found him but I do know it probably interviewed 8 or 10 photographers

10-15-2016, 02:25 PM   #5
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While you would imagine a wedding photographer should just do as they're asked, more often they want to develop and be known for their own style and so would rather not.

In the UK I would look one up on the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers) website. All members are thoroughly vetted, qualified, insured, and have portfolios to view. It's tough to join, I know because I've investigated how to do it, and prices are commensurate, but you can be sure to get what you want.

Is there an equivalent trade association in the US?
10-15-2016, 03:07 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote

What are the words she would use to filter out the 'Princess' salesmen and find the pros and who understand what she's looking for? How can she express what she wants without being rude and insulting?
She can always demand a MF only photographer, that would eliminate the fancy aspect of it right away

Well, jokes aside, for me, asking married friends of their experiences worked quite well. Even if they did not really hire the team I did, they did the research for me
10-15-2016, 03:52 PM   #7
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Look at the online galleries/portfolios, choose three she likes, then get pricings from them or meet them. :-)



10-15-2016, 03:57 PM   #8
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I get that professionals have their own style; I really do. But sometimes they need to recognise that there are people who honestly, seriously know exactly what they want and just shut up and take orders and give the customer the shots they want with the best possible quality.
10-15-2016, 04:19 PM   #9
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You need to find someone that shoots Pentax with the 31 and 77....... they're sure to not be following a formulae...

I must admit.... I love to do the "unique" stuff.... but aren't good enough to do it unless for free for friends.

---------- Post added 16-10-16 at 09:51 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by pathdoc Quote
I get that professionals have their own style; I really do. But sometimes they need to recognise that there are people who honestly, seriously know exactly what they want and just shut up and take orders and give the customer the shots they want with the best possible quality.
Or.... interpret the customers wishes and vision ...... then take it to the next level.....that would always be my starting point.... assuming I had the capability.
10-15-2016, 04:39 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by noelpolar Quote
You need to find someone that shoots Pentax with the 31 and 77....... they're sure to not be following a formulae...

I must admit.... I love to do the "unique" stuff.... but aren't good enough to do it unless for free for friends.

---------- Post added 16-10-16 at 09:51 AM ----------



Or.... interpret the customers wishes and vision ...... then take it to the next level.....that would always be my starting point.... assuming I had the capability.
Yes, that's the sort of thing I was getting at.
10-15-2016, 04:42 PM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Look at the online galleries/portfolios, choose three she likes, then get pricings from them or meet them. :-)
That's what led to this morning's frustration.
10-15-2016, 04:53 PM   #12
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I think what she wants is a simple understanding that the house and the setting are as important as the Bride and Groom. It is her Godfather's farm. She wants to honor his generosity.

Maybe set the lineups in the Victorian surroundings in period poses. Use the environmental backgrounds intentionally. Accept her offer to pay an hourly rate to travel (45 minutes) to the site, preview, and plan it. The Caterer did that with her and my wife this afternoon, and immediately arranged the chairs, tables, tent and dance floor as soon as they saw the location (check those steps off, TYVM).

Neither wing it nor make it about the photographer's vision. She believes her vision is what matters.

She really isn't a Bridezilla either, but she'll be damned if someone who has never even seen the site will patronize her.

Certainly she needs someone who knows positioning for certain necessary shots. I'm thinking two old men Nikon shooters in dark suits and ties kind of pros.

Last edited by monochrome; 10-15-2016 at 05:01 PM.
10-15-2016, 04:53 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by monochrome Quote
That's what led to this morning's frustration.
Sure. But there is no other way than meeting several, talking, and deciding if for one of them the match is right enough to go ahead with.

It's how she ended up with her fiance! :-D

Sounds like she can rule out both documentary and hipster style photographers, she wants timeless/elegant, like Jerry Ghionis does.
10-15-2016, 05:01 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Sure. But there is no other way than meeting several, talking, and deciding if for one of them the match is right enough to go ahead with.

It's how she ended up with her fiance! :-D

Sounds like she can rule out both documentary and hipster style photographers, she wants timeless/elegant, like Jerry Ghionis does.
Timeless and elegant - those are two of the words! Thank you!


Thanks for the responses! Just spent 45 minutes reviewing where she is in this rite of passage (my b-I-l says a wedding is intentionally designed to put a bunch of antagonistic people under a lot of stress just to see how they act). I had a couple PM's that helped. She needs to describe what she is looking for and ask to see samples that the photographer thinks illustrate understanding her question. For instance - "I would rather have art prints that an arty album. Can you show me some artistic samples?"

I told her she will know when she has met the right photographer, and not before she does.

Last edited by monochrome; 10-15-2016 at 06:36 PM.
10-15-2016, 07:37 PM   #15
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The way I tackle a big purchase or other decision is to look for a fatal flaw. If something is wrong about it - say buying a house with a basement staircase that has less clearance than my height - I just reject it right away and move on. Some things can be fixed down the road and some are just going to bug you forever. With photographers, she might be able to rule out a lot of them just by looking at their online portfolios. Those that are doing the fairy princess routine aren't going to work, and probably don't really want her job, so to me that is a fatal flaw. Sure you could make it work but nobody is going to be happy about it.

The other best starting point is word of mouth. It may be easier to talk to friends who have had photo shoots (not just weddings done, since much of what she wants done sounds more like standard outdoor photography) and see what names pop up.
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