Before & After

If you are looking to hire a photographer it's not everything just about the price. Especially in wedding photography it is very important that you are in love with the (photographic) style of the photographer and that his personality fits yours. As the saying goes for a wedding photographer it is more important to be personable, than professional. Even if I think professionalism is very important if a photographer wants to be successful, his personality is the key.

Besides style and personality the price is the third important part. To be able to compare the different offers you get when looking for a wedding photographer, you have to see what is included in the price. You don't pay a photographer primarily for the hours he is working. You pay him for his experience, his vision and the (professional) services he delivers. And especially post production is an important part of it. Low-priced "Shoot-to-Burn" photographers (they shoot the wedding and burn the images from the camera/card directly to a CD/DVD without and post processing) can only work for such a low price, because they don't deliver any service.

A vital part of a professional service is also that the photographer has a backup plan. Ask for it! What if his camera breaks down in the middle of the ceremony or the whole photo equipment is stolen? How can he handle these situations? Do you really want to rely on your most important day on a photographer that has no answers for these questions? Just because you save some money? Then you can save even more money if you ask a family member to take the photographs...

Anyway, the final product of wedding photography is a wedding album. Not some images on a CD you can watch on your computer. An exclusive album with leather cover you can take in your hands, watch it and remember the emotions and feelings of this wonderful day. "Shoot-to-Burn" photographers don't do wedding albums. And I never saw a bridal couple that did it themselves. Even if they were telling the photographer that they will do the album on their own. It will never happen... That's just the experience.

So, the bottom line is, that it doesn't make too much sense to spend money on a good photographer and not order a wedding album. But that's the bridal couple's decision. I don't push anybody to order an album. I just give them something to think about and find their own decision.

Here just a simple example of a picture without and with post production, a before & after comparison:

Before


After

Post production

Clients often don't understand what "post production" means, why it is necessary and why they have to pay for it. That's why they negotiate to have the job done without. Normally just for the sake of saving some money. But would they be happy with the final result if they got the images without allowing the photographer to finish his work? I don't think so. They will say he's a bad photographer - while comparing his work with other photographers that certainly DO post production, of course! And they will neither book him again nor recommend him to other prospective clients.

So let's dive into the subject. Why does it need post production and what is it? Compare the two pictures below. The difference is called post production :)

This is the untouched photo straight out of the camera:



It's a nice, acceptable shot. Exposure, focus and colors are OK. But not more. That's what you get (or maybe less) if you hire just the cheapest photographer to cover your wedding or another high end event. Often they work the "shoot to burn" style: shoot the wedding and just burn the photos right from camera to a CD and hand them over to the couple, without any post production or retouching. It's obvious why "shoot to burn" photographers can offer their services for a very low price. They don't need expensive tools, not years of learning and acquire skills, no time at all after the wedding for finishing the pictures and no backup strategies. The photos are ready to deliver to the client at the moment they are shot. That's where their workflow ends.

And that's where the workflow starts for the "other" photographers.

This is what the picture looks like after some work in Photoshop, called "post production" (click to view it big):



The image has been lightened, converted to black & white, added some sepia toning and the texture of an old paper to give it the taste of an old photo. To make the picture something unique and special.

[Working with "textures" like this is very modern at the moment in photography, check out the website of the master of FineArtTextures, Jesh de Rox!]

In the previous post (open the link in a new window to compare the pictures "side by side") I used the same photo to announce the slideshow of Sibylle & Jan. The picture is in color but nevertheless did get some post production: lighten, color correction, contrast bump, a little vignette and sharpening.

Post production needs time, knowhow and sometimes special tools and software. That's what you pay the photographer for. Not just for showing up with his fancy camera for 10 hours at your wedding. Also cheap photographers can afford an expensive camera. That's not what makes the difference. It's the photographer's eye and creativity, his knowhow and professionalism and what the final result looks like. After post production (And that's also the reason why photographers are not payed for the amount of hours they are "on location").

If you're fine just getting average (or below) images of your wedding, go ahead to hire the cheapest photographer you can grab. But don't expect wonders and don't be disappointed afterwards.

If your main concern is the quality of your wedding images and the album, examine the photographers' work well and ask them the right questions before you sign the contract.

Every couple should choose the photographer that fits its needs, style and budget. And it feels comfortable with. It's OK to hire a "shoot to burn" photographer. If you know the difference and are aware of the limitations this might bring. But don't expect wonders. As everywhere else in business, what you pay is what you get! The choice is up to you.

Enjoy your wedding day! It will be an unforgettable moment in your life. Hopefully you picked a good photographer and will enjoy his work for a lifetime.

(If you are more interested in the photography business read John Harrington's great book Best Business Practices for Photographers or his blog Photo Business News & Forum.)