Snapshots

You’ve heard them, we’ve seen them, and someone lived them…  The dreaded story that everyone remembers from a wedding.  Here’s a sampling of things we’ve encountered first-hand:

• the reception site’s air conditioning broke down and it was hot and muggy
• the ceremony site’s air conditioning broke down on the hottest day of the year
• the groom was totally trashed PRIOR to the ceremony
• the cake looked a lot like the leaning tower of Pisa and was continuing to tilt
• bad DJs who forgot first dance song tracks, had faulty equipment, or basically didn’t have the skill to do the job
• videographers who showed up late
• mixed up table placements at the reception
• flowers forgotten
• bridesmaids’ dresses where the zipper ripped out when getting dressed
• a trail of red wine dribbled down the front of the wedding dress before the ceremony

The above list is free of any bad photography stories simply because Paul and I were the photographers at all of the above weddings and we do our best to avoid photo disasters!  But I can guarantee you that at every wedding we photograph we hear at least two bad photographer stories from other couples who’s weddings have already occurred.  They normally go like this:

• I had a friend photograph my wedding and it was terrible!  We’re no longer speaking because the pictures were horrible!  (lack of skill)
• The photographer showed up in Gibsonia 30 minutes before the ceremony start and asked where the nearest camera store was located because he needed to buy film. (lack of preparation)
• The photographer was so rude that we were on edge the entire day. (lack of personality)
• I booked a guy and then someone different showed up at the wedding to do the photos!  He didn’t do a good job with posing and all my photos were green when I got them.  (don’t even get me started)
• You could tell they were only there for the paycheck.  (lack of passion)
• He yelled at my relatives for taking pictures. (oh, personality again!)
• The photographer and videographer got into a fight.  (lack of cooperation)
• It took over 9 months to get my wedding photos.  (lack of customer service)
• I had to beg her to take pictures that I wanted. (lack of customer service)

It bums me out to hear about these terrible experiences because one lousy photographer gives the rest of the industry a bad reputation.  The good ones stand out and can talk to you about storytelling, lighting properties, exposure, posing and composition.  They will have a vision after hearing about your wedding plans, your site, your likes and dislikes.  They will take the time to ask questions and get a feel for who YOU are.
Paul recently stumbled upon this quote by John Ruskin, a 19th century author and social reformer:

It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little.
When you pay too much you lose a little money.  That is all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing that you bought was
Incapable of doing the thing that you bought it to do!
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot.
It cannot be done….
And if you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk that you run.
And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.
There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper.
And the people, who consider price alone, are this man’s lawful prey.

True words that can apply to all of life.  And this was written over 100 years ago.
Please choose your photographer wisely.  Your photo memories are meant to last a lifetime and you’ll want to love looking at them 50 years from now.

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