PLEASE Compare PATKEN v DUET PHOTOGRAPY

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Posted by serendipity0680

Duet offers all color. digital, black & white and special coloring on their photos. We met with Eric and he was wonderful. Duet also gives you a casual photo session and they will pair you up with the photographer you will be using at your wedding. With our package we are getting:
2 photographers (traditonal & photojournalistic) for 12 hours.
2 videographers
2 albums
2 parent albums
1 20X24 sign in board of our casual session
1 16X20
3 8X10
3 DVDS
The price was $5499+ tax
All proofs minimum guarantee of 700 proofs
That is just a few of the things we are getting, I don't have the contract sitting in front of me.
If you need more information FM me.

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wow.. they must have changed the prices.. when did you book? I think we got last years prices bc we booked on new years eve.

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Posted by OSCARtheGROOM

No Comparison Patken!!! Doug and crew are out of this world. Their work is awesome.

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yup...anit that the truth


we visited both as well..very similar but patken was more personal. i wasn't sold on duet after talking to them even though i knew they were good

We choose Duet, they are VERY reasonable as far as price and will negociate with you. Also, two very dear friends of mine both used them and both albums came out GORGEOUS!! Their work is AMAZING and doesn't compare to anything I have seen (My Opinion). They have a style of their own...most photographers repeat the same style where Duet always uses different ideas in their pictures.

The price is right, you get MORE than what you pay for, two photographers, videography, a picture poster for the day of your wedding, 700 proofs, casual pictures, etc....and if you notice you hardly get any negative feedback about them and they have a natural style. I personally like photojournalism which is mainly their style (I hate when photographers make you pose because it looks so un-natural). They capture every moment naturally which makes every picture.

We got a very good deal with them and are getting more for our money. I can't complain, I'm very happy with our decision and you have to be happy with yours.

Good Luck, I wish you all the best!

I saw both for me it was Duet hands down. Though we met with Doug and I liked his work best, of course he was more expensive than the others. To ME (and the way it was explained to me) the main difference between Patken and Duet is that Duet does real photojournalism while Patken does 'posed' photojournalism to make it *look* like they caught the moment. That's why they promise you less proofs for you money. A photojournalist takes tons of shots in order to actually capture that perfect moment, not recreate it.

Also, Patken uses that same backdrop and the same poses for everyone so everyone's pictures look the same (the ones done with that backdrop).

When I looked at Duet's pictures, I just couldn't believe the emotion they were able to capture in their work. They really were exactly what I wanted and SO much more affordable. Duet was far more bang for your buck.

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Posted by jcndd

I compared both Duet and Patken also....I used Patken. I chose them for many reasons...First and foremost was the originality of their pictures. Everytime I saw an ad for them with pictures it was like reading a story..then I went in and met everyone in their studio and it was like I was meeting all old friends. My DH researched them through BBB and found that they were
in business 20 years without a single complaint. We used Doug, the owner and I know that he does tons of seminars around the country - teaching other photographers his magic.

The day of my wedding was wonderful - I am not a picture taker and both the photographer and the videographer put me at ease right from the beginning. Importantly for me, my whole bridal party enjoyed being with them for pictures because they were fun to be around and knew how to get all our guys and girls smiling.

Our proofs were in before we were home from our honeymoon... they were given to us in an album (I don't think Duet does that.) And our album was finished only 4 weeks later. Every single moment and memory of my wedding was captured through those pictures. I never once doubted my decision to use them, but once I got that album I was so happy! It's beautiful and we get so many compliments on it!

They are not only professionals, but personable people that you'll enjoy having at your wedding... if you have any other questions feel free to FM me!! Good luck!

ETA - they'll work with you on the packages...pictures were the most important part of my wedding to me - how else do you remember all those moments - they're packages are all inclusive and when you speak with them, let them know what's most important to you - they'll work with you!

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We are using Doug from Patken too , , , I can't wait- the entire Patken team is just so talented and such great people. I know that anytime I want pictures taken professionally for a special occassion, I will be using Patken

I don't know too much about Duet, but I used Patken and loved everything about them, my pictures came out amazing, and I thought they were very reasonable and easy to work with. My photographer was Nick and some of my proofs are posted on here if you want to take a look.
Go with Patken! You won't be sorry.

I saw a bunch of Photographers..

Duet AND Patken being one of them...

I felt more comfortable with Patken...I felt their pictures were more what i like rather than Duet....More candid like imo...

It came down to Patken and Proline...But this was one of the most difficult decisions i had to make...I picked Proline

I met with both and personally clicked better with Patken. I'm really happy so far that we booked them. They have been more than accomodating with us especially since FH is in the Navy and could only be available one specific saturday for the engagement shoot. Doug specifically chose to come in extra early on a Saturday morning to do the photo shoot. I loved working with him. They even threw in a second engagement shoot for when he comes back from deployment.

I am really looking forward to working with them again. I've only dealt with the Lindenhurst office and they have always been nice.

I disagree that Patken's photojournalism is *posed*. We told our photographer (Doug) off the bat we wanted mostly candids and that's what we got - artistic, story telling images that I never knew were being taken.

Also, their shots are duplicated because it's what the brides love! Everyone has a 'Must Have' picture list and once you see their pictures many of them are what brides like and want to replicate.

Bottom line - they're going to give you the pictures YOU want.

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Posted by jcndd

I disagree that Patken's photojournalism is *posed*. We told our photographer (Doug) off the bat we wanted mostly candids and that's what we got - artistic, story telling images that I never knew were being taken.

Also, their shots are duplicated because it's what the brides love! Everyone has a 'Must Have' picture list and once you see their pictures many of them are what brides like and want to replicate.

Bottom line - they're going to give you the pictures YOU want.

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Exactly! And who wants to narrow down 700 pics into an album 1/10th it's size...I couldn't pick 60 pics from my 375 I got from doug, I wanted all of them in my album. Can't imagine how you duet girls do it, must have alot of repetive pictures i assume.

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY!! You don't need 10 pics of grandma doing the cha cha..

If I choose Duet, I'll be picking different pictures for my album and the parents' albums, so the ratio wouldn't be any worse than yours.

For all those who used Patken at their weddings and loved the results -- can you FM me and let me know which specific photographer you used?

Thanks

We saw both.
Patken was very nice and we liked their work. However, they got a little wierd when we asked them about putting proofs on a CD, which we didnt understand. They didn't seem too willing to work with us.

Duet on the other hand was much more flexible and and willing to work with us. We both thought their work was amazing, in our opinion, better than Patken. Or what I should actually say is Duet was more what we were looking for than Patken. Patken seemed overall much more posed and we want more of the photojournalistic style.

Duet gives you two photographers, one traditional, and one photojournalistic for less money than Patken, who gives you only one photographer to do both.

So.. we went with Duet and I am extremely excited to use them!

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Posted by Sweetness

Exactly! And who wants to narrow down 700 pics into an album 1/10th it's size...I couldn't pick 60 pics from my 375 I got from doug, I wanted all of them in my album. Can't imagine how you duet girls do it, must have alot of repetive pictures i assume.

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY!! You don't need 10 pics of grandma doing the cha cha..

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I used DUET and got almost 1,000 proofs. Yes there are a few that are similar to eachother I want deny that. But there are no 10 pictures of any one thing.

Someone on liw ( actually the person who posted above me lol) once told me.. ' Quality not Quantity.. but you increase the Quantity and you have a better chance of more quality'

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Posted by Soon2bMsZ

Someone on liw ( actually the person who posted above me lol) once told me.. ' Quality not Quantity.. but you increase the Quantity and you have a better chance of more quality'

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