Need help choosing a photographer....

Hi Girls -

I am setting up appointments to meet with photographers this weekend and I always hear the same names....Patken, Duet, 12th Night, etc.,

I'm just looking for general feedback, advice, questions to ask, WHATEVER on any of these photographers or any others you may have gotten a great deal from or really loved...strong opinions will be appreciated...

Also any feedback on Park Ave Studios would also be great.....

Thanks!

www.colleenmcniff.com

Love her work.

just go and get a feel of the photographers' work and the way the studio runs the business. everyone has a different opinion on each photography studio. the best thing to do is try them out and see who fits better to the vision of your wedding!

good luck!

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Posted by emcheung

just go and get a feel of the photographers' work and the way the studio runs the business. everyone has a different opinion on each photography studio. the best thing to do is try them out and see who fits better to the vision of your wedding!

good luck!

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very well said

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Posted by Dani731

I loved that 12th night not only gives you all of your proofs on a CD, but they also make 3 DVDs with a slideshow of your best proofs. Each CD is chaptered and comes with music. So it is like seeing a beautiful slideshow of your best pictures with your favorite music in the background. This is so different & I haven't seen any other photographer who does this. After seeing their samples I went back and booked with them 2 days later!

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I used Twelfth Night too! Loved, loved, loved their work. All the photographers there are very talented. I had Dom & Anthony. You can see my e-pics & my pro pics in my albums. Dom did our e-pics. It is true that they do the 3 DVD's but I'm not sure I would say that they put all your best pictures on there. I found a lot more pictures on my full DVD with all 1342 pics. They pic what they think looks good. I loved the photography, but I didn't love how the DVD was put together. But that was my experience. They used 4 cameras and when they make the DVD the whole day isn't in order like you would think. I was disappointed by this. But we LOVED all our pictures so it really didn't matter to us. I will continue to highly recommend Twelfth Night to everyone, so don't misunderstand my comments please. We can not wait to have our album done.

And I believe I heard they are changing there packages around for 2008. I believe you don't have to get the 3 DVD's anymore, but that is just what I heard, they might not have gone through with it. Enjoy picking your photographer!

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Posted by Dani731

I loved that 12th night not only gives you all of your proofs on a CD, but they also make 3 DVDs with a slideshow of your best proofs. Each CD is chaptered and comes with music. So it is like seeing a beautiful slideshow of your best pictures with your favorite music in the background. This is so different & I haven't seen any other photographer who does this. After seeing their samples I went back and booked with them 2 days later!

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Really, I have to def check them out

Creative Compositions, oyster Bay, NY
they are incredible

I would absolutely check out Perceptions in Massapequa! They're amazing. They did an awesome job on my brother's wedding, and I can't wait for them to shoot mine!

I found a list of a ton of questions someone posted....I updated it so it didn't have her hall in there etc. You obv don't need to ask all of these...but it's good to go through some of these things in your head when looking at the websites too since im sure some of the answers to these questions are on there. HTH

Do you shoot digital or film
How many cameras do you use
Do you bring any backup equipment? What will you do if you are sick and unable to shoot the wedding?

Photos/Negatives/Film
How many exposures will you take at my wedding? Is there a limit on the number of exposures or your time?
What is the size of the proofs? Do I get to keep all of them?
Do you get the negatives? When? Is there a fee?
How long will you keep the negatives?
Do I get the hi-res files? Check the size/resolution of the files or ask what's the biggest image size ull be able to print from the files.
Do you shoot in black & white, color or both?
If you shoot with a digital camera will the prints be of archival quality?
If you shoot with black and white fillm, do you do your own developing?
How soon after I place my order will the photos be ready?

Albums
Who exactly will be photographing my wedding?
Make sure the albums u look at match the photographer u will be using
Can I meet with them?
Can I see a complete album from one wedding you/he/she photographed? In particular, look for ones for your hall.
Do you have examples of pictures taken in low-light conditions - i.e. candlelit ceremony
Cas I see the album that comes with my packages?
Ca I see a proof book from a recent wedding you/the photographer did?
How many pages in parent album
Are album pages acid-free/archival quality?
Do we have choice of album, page & border styles?
What is the cost of additional albums or pages?

Philosophy/Experience
Do you bring an assistant or additonal photographer? Who will shoot the actual pictures?
Describe to me your philosophy and approach to wedding photography.
Do you prefer photojournalism, candids, or portraits
What is the balance between posed and candid shots?
Are you familiar with the RH? If not, will you be willing to come an look at it?
Have you worked in multi-room settings before? How do you work in this kind of environment?
Have you worked at weddings with videographers (maybe mention yours)?
How will you dress for the wedding?
Will you work off a prepared shot list? What is your typical shooting schedule?
Do you know good places at our site to shoot?

Fees
Do you charge additional fees for travel time?
What deposits are required, by when and in what form?
What's the cost of additional hours?
Are there any additional charges?
Do you have liability insurance?
Do you guarantee your work - what if we're not satisfied?
What is your cancellation or postponement policy?
Can you please provide me with 3 references to contact?

i dont have any experience with any of them- but def do a search for each of them under brides review. Also, www.wpja.com and www.ppa.com list a lot of photogrpahers.

Goodluck!!