Finding the Perfect Photog Part II: 3 Great Tips

Today I didn't end up cleaning my room like I had planned to do, or making skin moisturizer either. Instead, I spent the last seven hours combing the net for photographers.  I freaked out yesterday when I realized just how important photography is to me, and how I am will to spend a whole lot more than a measly $600 if I have to if it means getting really nice photos.

Really nice photos don't come cheap though. Many packages have a base price of $2,500 to $3,000 and sometimes that price doesn't even include digital negatives. Are they living in the same economy I am? I am thinking though of upping my budget to $1,000 to $2,000. I will try to get our parents to contribute 25% to 50% of the amount, which would be a HUGE help (we will see if this happens). Even if they don't I think I am willing to forgo taking all but one summer class, just so I use the extra money toward the photography amount. There are some places that do financing though, so I may not have to worry about that.


While searching, I made quite a few mistakes during my initial research (especially since it was so hard to find articles on the web in researching). So here is a list of tips on researching photogs (whether you are on a budget or not):

1. Devote Plenty of time to your research
Devote plenty of (frustrating) hours of finding photographers in your area. This may be easier for some areas than others. Also, the upload times on many of these sites take a long time unless you have super duper internet speed (but even then, if your service provider caps you on a certain amount you can upload each month, you may want to opt seeking out someone who have unlimited). Some great sites to start out with:

• Facebook pages & groups: while I only landed a couple of hits on here, the great part is that you can often message the photographer on the spot and see some of their work uploaded in albums, which you will be able to upload a lot faster since Facebook caps the size of their photos
  
• Flickr groups, pro & individuals: many professionals and novices have photos listed on Flickr and a contact e-mail and in some cases an actual web address that will lead you to more of their work. Just watch out for the dates when they last posted. One person I found hadn't posted for two years and likely moved, or may have not been taking pictures at all.
  
• Local photography associations:  One website I visited was specifically for photojournalists (which tends to run a bit more sometimes). The great part is that the prices were listed and there were links provided to their websites. Click here to view.
• Friends, family, co-workers, associates, peers who have had recent photography: Whether you inquire on Facebook, via e-mail, or face-to-face, find out who provided their photography. Most people are willing to share that info. Don't forget to mention who referred you and make sure you find out if they have ever done weddings. If they have not, don't risk it.
  
• Photography or photojournalism students: Look around at the local colleges, post some listings––you may find great aspiring photographers. If they have a decent portfolio and references, it could be a good steal. Just make sure, as with anyone else, get a contract in writing.
  
• Decidio: I discovered this website during a Google search: affordable photography Philadelphia and this site provided me with an entire page of results that I couldn't even get through tonight.
  
• Google: play with different search terms to see what you come up with. When you get frustrated, keep trying. I was about to give up when I discovered Decidio through a search.
• Reception & Ceremony site preferred/recommended photogs:  It is worth the inquiry to see what these photogs have to offer, especially since they have actually covered an event at your venue.
  
• Knot.com, Brides.com etc (as a last resort): While these sites offer (over-priced) options, it is a great place to start to view different photography styles just to see what you would like for your own wedding. That way it makes it much easier to sift through the pile

Don't forget to expand your search to statewide or if you have close neighboring states. If you are in a optimum location like Philadelphia, you can seek photographers in PA, NJ, and DE as prospects. Some of them have small fees to travel outside of a certain radius, which may be minimal and not offensive to your budget if they have excellent photography and packages. The only down side is that the photog may or may not be familiar with the area in getting around or with your reception/ceremony/photo shoot site.

2.  Research dates of availability and prices first before falling in love with a photographer.
I know it sounds obvious but I learned this the hard way after falling in love with a photographer's photos, e-mailing, and finding out that she was already booked. Then in other cases I would practically have drool all over the screen before I realized that the average package was $2,500 or higher. Don't let the price completely deter you though. Some are willing to sell their services a la carte, particularly if you know you just want a couple of hours of coverage and only a CD––that can cut your budget dramatically. I find that the easier way to approach the site is by skimming their photos just to make sure their style is consistent and plentiful, then looking for their availability (if they have it listed) and finally looking at their prices.



3. Have all of your info ready e-mail so you don't have to send e-mails back and forth.
So it is probably a good idea to make sure your date is set in stone as far as your venue and ceremony site (unless for some reason you want to plan everything around the photog's schedule). Include the:

• date of your event (this should be the first thing you mention, that way if they aren't available, they can stop reading)
  
• the place and address of the ceremony and/or reception (include city, state, and zip)
• what type of services and/or packages you are looking for (number of hours, 1 or 2 photogs, video, copyright, digital negatives, albums etc)
• your budget (within reason! make sure if you want something significantly less, mention that you want less coverage hours––like 2-3 hours instead of 5 etc; don't insult them!)
• questions you may have
• who/what referred you
  
• your contact info (if you want to be contacted via phone)
  

Don't write a novel but don't be too short or frank either. Be gentle and courteous. Mention a line about how you admire their work––and don't be generic, be specific.

You can also call of course, but if you want to keep a electronic paper trail of all of your research and communications, it it far easier to look for a sent e-mail and/or response than it is to sort through all of your billions of collages, outlines, notes, magazines etc.


I am so glad that I am making progress in this area sooner than later!