#weighinwednesday – Page 3 – AdaLilly Photography

Feb

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #4

Today we’re back to talk about Comparing Packages & Asking about Your Rights…

Grab a cup of coffee and lets sit down and review those packages!!!

STEP 7: COMPARE THOSE PACKAGES

Knowing the exact dollar amount? You won’t know what the number will be until you decide what type of coverage you want for your day, how many albums you need and where your photographer is from. Packages can range well between $500 – $15,000 + on the higher more experienced end of the spectrum. When you meet with your photographer(s) ask for a general idea of what the investment will be based on the photographer’s standard rate/shooting feee and package. Additionally ask about the rates for their albums you think you’ll want and the amount of coverage you’re hoping to book them for. Do you require their services for the day? or possibly the entire weekend? Are you getting hitched at a destination location? All these factors can greatly effect your investment. Keep in mind the value you seek. Do you care about experience in the art? Is it important to you to have more than one photographer? If so you need to ask how much it is for the additional coverage. Do you want an engagement session or a newlyweds session? Are these additional to the packages or included? Is a second shooter part of the contract? If not ask about the possibility. While it’s nice to have a second shooter they’re not always available, be prepared for the possibility that they may not be if this decision is made later on in the discussions. Depending on the size of your wedding a third shooter may even be beneficial. Enabling all angles to be captured from your event.

STEP 8: WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS? WHAT ARE THE PHOTOGRAPHERS?

READ THOSE CONTRACTS!!!! Most photographers stipulate in their contracts that they own the rights to all the images taken at the wedding. Yes! That includes the ones of you! What does this mean? This means that the photographer has the right to use all images promotionally where they choose. (website, blog, publication submissions, and ads). Knowing this leads us to the next part…digital proofs. Most photographers have a policy that you can only share watermarked images or images with their credit on them. If you want to print the images yourself or order an album from another source, you’ll likely have to buy the rights to the images.

Thank you for coming back! We’ll be wrapping up this section of WWI next week and then head into some more details of wedding photography and planning!!

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #3

Hello! You’re back!

STEP 5: THE ANALYTICAL EYE

The analytical eye…nows the time to be a bit more critical in choosing your photographer. When assessing a photographer’s album, it is important to remember to note those pivotal moments you want captured. For example, did the photographer capture that first look as the bride enters the room or aisle? Is there a certain clarity in the images you’re looking at for example do they appear crisp and clean or are they sharp with a delicate softness. Is there considerate composition of the images? Were there any emotional images captured that speak to you? Do the subjects in images look relaxed even if posed? You two are the most important piece of the day’s puzzle but you want to see happy images of your friends and family too!

STEP 6: ‘CLICKING’ PERSONALITIES

Probably the most important part of the process. To love a photographers work is one thing, but to love and get along with the photographer is another. The client/photographer bond is absolutely the most important aspect when choosing your photographer. A few things to note as you discuss your vision and day: Does the photographer get overjoyed with your vision as you describe it to him/her? Do they present their recommendations clearly and respectfully? Are they shy? What are their mannerisms and are they uninviting? In order to get the best gallery of images we suggest that you choose a professional that has an unyielding hold of ettiquet but is brave enough to chase those epic images, but more than that, they should help alleviate some stress of the day.

You’re photographer will be your shadow, therefore the more comfortable you are with each other the better your images will turn out. They should ask lots of questions and be a good listener.

Join us again next week for another continuation to finding your perfect photographer!

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #2

First off we’d like to thank you for coming back again this week! We appreciate your dedication to us and something we’re passionate about. So this week we’ll pop in here with two more tips to add on to last week.

STEP 3: SETTING UP THE INTERVIEW

The decision to be made…one of the most important steps in finding your perfect fit! Please believe me when I say MEET IN PERSON!!! If possible that is. There are other ways to virtually meet in person if you’ll be hiring from abroad and this is still important to talk face to face. (Thank God for FaceTime, Skype and many other ways to host ‘in person’ meets.)

Lets quickly recap, you’ve sought out the style you love, you’ve fallen in love with the photographer’s portfolio, now we have setting up the interview. First call them. Find out if they’re available for your date. If they are, go ahead and connect through their contact page introducing yourself and your soon-to-be-spouse. Most photographers will have a contact form on their website asking a few questions but in the space provided where it may say ‘tell us more’ you can add tidbits in about the day, such as the event itself and the vision you have for your day. If there is room attach 3-5 of your favourite images from their site or your research. This way they’ll have a better idea of what you love. Sadly your photographer may already be booked on your date…what next? Well, ask and see if they have an associate or can recommend another shooter with a similar style.

I’d be lying if I said we always want to be picked by every one we meet with. The truth is we don’t. While you’re setting up the interview, we too are interviewing you. To be honest we may just not jive together after meeting in person. So it’s best to always set up 3-5 potential photographer interviews who are available on your wedding date. Be prepared to talk about the venue, style and your vision for your photos, and remember it’s okay to not ‘click’ (pun fully intended) with everyone.

STEP 4: VIEW A FEW FULL WEDDING ALBUMS

This is so crucial!!! I see so many couples base their decisions on the highlight reel in a photographers portfolio. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!! View an entire gallery. That means ask to see one of their full weddings. Why? As a photographer I will be totally transparent with you. We show all our prospective clients a portfolio of the best of the best, or our favourite images from one or several weddings we’ve photographed. It’s not that we’re trying to hide anything its just those are the ones that get us really excited about the art we’ve created and we want to share it with you. But it still will not give you a well rounded idea of the entire picture. Ask to see two or three galleries from REAL weddings they’ve shot (not someone else at their company) so you can get the full picture of what your complete collection may look like after the wedding. If you fall in love with all the images rather than just the chosen highlight ones then bravo, you’re heading in the right direction! ASK questions! A LOT of them! I believe in honesty no matter how hard the question is to answer, if the person you’re meeting can’t be honest, that’s a red flag! Integrity is everything.

Time to go get the kids so remember to check back with us next Wednesday where we will talk about Critical Eye & Personalities.

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN

As photographers we know and understand completely just how hard this decision is for your big day. Believe me it’s not easy for us either. While there are numerous photographers out there and some may think the market is over saturated, the key to finding the one to fit you and your vision is really very simple. But with all that wedding planning we understand just how hard it can be to try and make these decisions. You’re likely asking yourself where do we start?

ALP WEDDINGS – Wednesday Weigh In is here to help. We’re strictly keeping Wednesdays dedicated to weddings…and not just about wedding photography even though that is our passion!

HOW TO FIND YOUR PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

STEP 1: WHATS YOUR STYLE

While research is important, how do you begin to research someone or something you’re not even sure you know what/who’s style you love?

We recommend choosing the style of photography you fall in love with first. Seek out styles that taylor to how you want to feel overtime as you look back on your day as you flip through your heirloom album specified to fit you and your vision. So while you’re heading on over to Pinterest to start looking, make sure to create your board and fill it full of images that make your heart flutter. Images that inspire you. They may be from a fashion blogger, a real wedding or staged shoot, it could be as simple as a flat lay image. Regardless of inspiration its a great place to start to seek out that perfect match for your photography needs. I’d be lying if I said you won’t go down the worm holes because you will but the fun about creating these boards is you’ll have a pristine idea of what you want your memories to reflect on your big day.

STEP 2: DO THE DIGGING

This is so important. While one couple may not have been completely happy with their wedding photographer, they may not have clicked well enough to have a more than reasonable outcome. Whereas another couple may love and boast about the exact same photographer. We’re all human after all and therefore we won’t always click well with each other. So its very important that you dig into the ones with the styles you favour. This is just a start. Start reading their about me pages and get a small sense of getting to know who you’ll be meeting for coffee in the next step. Personally we offer all inquiring clients our free guide to wedding photography. (We’ll attach the form below to request our guide) It’s a small token of our appreciation for just looking us up!

A photographers portfolio will tell you a lot about how they capture ones wedding day. We all have a different eye. I may see one angle and another may see a complete opposite. But, that doesn’t mean one is more right over the other, it may just mean difference in perspective. However a portfolio will not tell you how you will get along. This brings us to the next step, of which we will touch more on next week. But we did promise you a little freebie!!! Scroll to the bottom and fill out the request form for your ALP WEDDINGS – A COMPLETE GUIDE TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY.

We don’t want to overwhelm you as we know the process of planning a wedding is somewhat stressful and oh so busy. So we’re going to leave this right here and reconvene on the topic next Wednesday where we will discuss the next steps of setting up interviews with photographers and seeing a full album in person of a wedding.

Jan

PASSION FOR PRINT

THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED GENERATION OF ALL TIME COULD WIND UP BEING THE NEXT LOST GENERATION

Printing photographs is something I am extremely passionate about and with good reason.

We are taking photos more than ever, but almost all are digital files. Very few tangible prints are being produced today.

Digital files are not safe with technology always changing and failing. Yet we entrust our most precious memories to clouds, cd’s, & usb drives. Apple computers don’t even include usb or disk drives anymore. If you’ve ever lost the photos on your phone, you know the heartbreak.

An entire generation is growing up without a printed photographic record of their lives to pass on as our grandparents once did. Thus our stories will soon disappear. Our own history will disappear.

There is a great value and importance in printed photographs for our lives and for the generations after us. The history of where we came from, our legacy will continue on for generations all thanks to the power of print.

This is why we print.

THE PUZZLING QUESTIONS

For the last year or more I kept asking myself why is the desire on having only the digital copies of images? Is it because Social media has made it easy to share images with others around the world (at the risk of them being drowned in a pool of digital saturation)? Is it that they just couldn’t afford the prints? Maybe, but what really puzzled me is the ability to invest in a $1000 or more on a vacation and while it is an experience, in the end what is left to show of it… Maybe it’s that I appreciate having Fine Art hanging on the walls of my home. Captures so elegant that when I look at them they take my breath away. They remind of the moment my child made her quirky smile because she was genuinely annoyed at me for saying ‘okay just one more baby’ because I couldn’t handle the chance of missing a moment of her little personality that melts me. So overtime I look back at those moments hanging on my walls and they melt me over and over and over again. The best part, I don’t have to dive into a pool of digital saturation trying to find images on Facebook or IG to remember those moments. Whatever the answer is for others, I want the art that I create for my clients to be enjoyed for a lifetime.

PROFESSIONAL LAB VS. THE OTHER GUYS

The truth is, my art isn’t accurately reflected through ‘The Other Guys’. I was frustrated and inconsolable seeing my images as a complete inaccurate reflection of my work. It wasn’t me, that wasn’t what I had created. It was quite frankly an insult to my vision.

Below you’ll see some examples of comparisons and they’ll be quite shocking.

In use with permission from Amanda Jackson Photography

So…we made a decision to keep all the print rights with AdaLilly Photography. I know this may seem scary for some but its truly in everyones best interest and here’s why:

See example above and below
We’ve partnered with a professional lab right here in Calgary, and another lab in Eastern Canada therefore you’re supporting not only local business but Canadian businesses.
We’ve made sure their printing standards meet ours (nothing but the best for our clients)
Your prints will in fact imitate my art, being an accurate reflection of my final edits
By keeping the rights with the photographer, you’ll have more of a colour gaurantee when receiving your final prints. (see examples above and below)

These are the most commonly heard reasons why clients don’t print through a photographer and their professional lab:

Too Expensive
Retail chains are just as good as pro labs (clearly they’re not; see examples above and below)
I don’t want to wait two or more weeks for my products
We just spent a ton of money on a vacation…

What I can tell you is you won’t be disappointed when printing with our professional labs. Our packages exceed the retail chains cheap inclusive packages but hey we offer payment plans and the guarantee you’ll end up with beautiful timeless archival quality prints that are worthy of hanging in the Louvre!

Our Pro Lab Services include Wall Design

We offer wall design when you print with us. What could be better than that. We take the guess work right out!

In use with permission from Amanda Jackson Photography

So with all that being said, your session fee is just that. But I will elaborate on that in another post this week. For now if you have questions please send us a note.

AdaLilly Photography

1 23

***WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #4***

***WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #3***

***WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #2***

***WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN***

***PASSION FOR PRINT***

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #4

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #3

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #2

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN

PASSION FOR PRINT