Originally posted by lawsonstone What makes a pro isn't the gear, but the eye. A pro can shoot better weddings with a P&S than most amateurs can with FF. You hire the brains and the aesthetic sense, as well as the personal skills and experience; not just the camera.
My son was recently married so of course my wife and I were photographed in the church. The bride's family used the "hot" (in the local money-to-burn-in-their-50's set) wedding photography combine in our market. The young lady (by my standards of age - she was probably in her 30's) used a 5DMkII, 24~70, Canon flash on a frame, tripod - and was bored silly.
We got 2 DVD's; 1550 images. Not ONE of the interior images was exposed the same as the next, most were mis-framed, fully 15% of them were delivered with Red-Eye, for heaven's sake. The dress was completely blown highlights. They couldn't possibly have PP'ed anything in the interiors. The exteriors were exposed OK but there wasn't a thought given to facial shadows and highlights from the sun on half the images. I swear, there were maybe 15 decent images in the whole lot!!
I know for a fact they charged $15,000 for the Engagement / Rehearsal Dinner / Wedding / Reception and never brought a second shooter.
Allison, they can take their 5DMkII's, which they advertise, and shove them.
I just paid for a proper, formal studio shoot by a real portrait artist. The bride's mother and father were pretty offended but I convinced them it was a post-wedding gift and I'd buy the prints.
I didn't order a single print from her photographer and I refuse to buy a copy of the "book." I'll be damned if I'm opening jpeg's and correcting Red-Eye myself.
Last edited by monochrome; 09-16-2012 at 04:17 PM.