Today's guest blogger is Melissa Jill, a Scottsdale-based wedding photographer. Melissa and I have been friends for a while and make sure to get together regularly for Mexican food and trips to the gym. Although the gym stuff seems to take a back seat to comida delicioso and we (mainly me) don't work out as often as we probably should.
Today, Melissa is sharing some advice on how to choose a photographer not just based on how much you love their photos, but on how they handle post-production after your wedding is over. It is an oft overlooked topic but one that every wedding planner gets an earful on from the bride and groom if the photographer is slow in that area. Here's what she has to say:
I Want Happy Stories
Whenever I tell someone who is married that I am a wedding photographer I inevitably get an earful about their experience with THEIR wedding photographer. I’m sad to say that generally, the story is not a good one. I’ve heard way too many times that a photographer took six months to a year to show the client their photos. I’ve even heard a few times that a couple didn’t receive ANY photos. How unbelievably crushing. I can’t imagine.
From these enlightening conversations, I’ve gathered that the number one complaint couples have about their wedding photographer after all is said and done is that their post-wedding service disappointed.
Unfortunately, when a couple is searching for a wedding photographer, how the photographer is going to perform AFTER the wedding is #1 - not largely discussed and #2 - difficult to predict with any certainty.
Photographers largely sell themselves on their art. And rightly so. I think one of the biggest things to pay attention to when you’re hiring your photographer is whether or not their images make you FEEL something. You have to resonate with their eye and style. That’s a given. But once you find someone whose work you are in love with and who you would be comfortable having around on your wedding day, make sure to ask about their post-wedding service standards. Ask questions like:
*How long after the wedding can I expect to see my proofs?
*When I place a print order, how long will it take to receive it?
*How long does the album production process take?
In my opinion, the answers to these questions should be no longer than:
*4 weeks
*2 weeks
*6 months (with partial responsibility resting on the client to choose images, revise and approve the design, etc, in a timely manner).
Now these answers are definitely on the long end of the spectrum. In this day and age of technology and our “need for speed” culture, photographers should be striving for even quicker delivery times. I take this part of my business very seriously and have been making changes to our post-production system in order to exceed clients’ expectations. The happier clients are, and the more you exceed their expectations, the more and better quality referrals you will get. And we all win.
If you want to be really thorough in your research while looking for a photographer, another step you can take after asking these questions is to ask for the contact info of three past clients. Email two or three brides and ask them the same three questions. I love to take people at their word, but with the horror stories I’ve heard, I might be inclined to dig deeper and ask other couples who worked with the photographer I’m interested in what their experience was like.
I’m so sad when I hear stories about how wedding photographers have let their clients down. I’m ready to hear some happy, smooshy stories for a change. So if you’re looking for a photographer to capture the most important day of your life, make sure to take the steps above and hopefully we’ll talk someday and you can tell me how thrilled you were with your experience.
{original photo of Melissa by Adrienne Maples}
Welcome to the wedding blog by Blue Orchid Designs! My name is Liene (and in case you're wondering, it's pronounced Lynn) and I am the CEO of Blue Orchid Designs, a wedding planning firm with consultants in Arizona, New York, and Washington DC. I am also the founder of Splendid Communications, an online media consultancy serving the wedding and event industries. Some of my favorite things include candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach. Oops, sorry! Wrong intro.
In all seriousness, we're glad you've stopped by our blog! We love weddings. We love people. And we really love pretty things. So we dish about all of the above here at the Blue Orchid Designs blog. Our blogging style is direct, pragmatic and fun. If the dress isn't your most flattering style, we'll tell you. We'll also be the ones wearing waterproof mascara on your wedding day because chances are very high that we will mist up when you walk down that aisle. So, pour yourself your favorite beverage and come join us! We are just a little bit addicting, if we do say so ourselves.
In all seriousness, we're glad you've stopped by our blog! We love weddings. We love people. And we really love pretty things. So we dish about all of the above here at the Blue Orchid Designs blog. Our blogging style is direct, pragmatic and fun. If the dress isn't your most flattering style, we'll tell you. We'll also be the ones wearing waterproof mascara on your wedding day because chances are very high that we will mist up when you walk down that aisle. So, pour yourself your favorite beverage and come join us! We are just a little bit addicting, if we do say so ourselves.
photos by Darby Elizabeth and Sloan Photographers
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Posted by
Liene Stevens
Labels:
be our guest,
weddings
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
I TOTALLY agree!!
As a wedding photographer, not only do I want to exceed my clients' expectations and get awesome referrals, but I become so attached to my couples, I want them to hire me again in the future for other family events, maternity sessions and baby photos. I work hard to establish and MAINTAIN that relationship!
Great post!!
Great article Melissa.
I'm disappointed to see an article where specific "rules" regarding post-production are listed. Every photographer handles his or her post-production differently, and delivery times may vary widely.
The ONLY thing that matters is that A) the photographer's contract clearly states all delivery times, and B) the photographer honors those delivery times.
If the bride and groom know in advance that it may be 6 months before they see their photographs, and that's okay with them, then the photographer has done nothing wrong.
On the flip side, if a photographer says s/he'll have photos available in 2 weeks and it takes 3 weeks, then the photographer has failed to fulfill his or her commitment, and that is totally unacceptable.
Articles such as these shouldn't establish hard and fast rules for how every photographer should behave.
Instead, it should help brides and grooms know what to ask, and hold photographers accountable for honoring their commitment -- whatever that may be.
I truly expected more from a Blue Orchid article.
Anne, you make a great point about managing expectations and I agree that the key is communication on all sides - both from the photographer and the couple. I also agree that if delivery times, no matter the length, are clearly stated and agreed to in the contract, then no one is at fault because expectations have been stated up front.
That said, I didn't feel from reading Melissa's guest post that she was condemning any photographer whose workflow includes different turnaround times than the ones she strives for. Rather, I read it as her speaking from her experiences and sharing her professional opinion - which she clearly states as her opinion.
If Melissa had presented these numbers as hard and fast facts, I probably would have edited her post to state that it reflected her opinion only. Since she mentioned that herself, I left it as is. I generally edit guest posts for grammar and clarity, but leave the writer's opinions and original content intact.
Hi Sarah C,
While I respect your opinion, I feel some of the points you made are hurtful, so I am not going to publish your comment.
You are more than welcome to guest post for Blue Orchid Designs and share your views on wedding photographer workflow. I just ask that you keep any personal attacks separate from the discussion.
If you are interested in guest blogging, please contact me at info{at}blueorchidweddings.com.
Liene
I personally think that this is a great article and brings first and foremost a sense of taking ownership for the contract you are getting into and what should be within the contract.
Thank you for making brides and grooms more aware of what they should be looking for.
Being an educated consumer and knowing what you are paying for and what you are expecting to receive is vital. And you always make that a priority!
Great perspective and subject.
As an amateur photog and a future bride I found it to be great. Melissa is right, I never would think to check on a photog's post event strategy.
She did a great job at suggesting what target times are norm and did not set a standard at all. And if she did, it would be a great standard go by as she is a very successful and respected photographer.
Thanks for such a great article. I will surely be back to this site for more.
Thank you for making brides and grooms more aware of what they should be looking for
http://www.1stjournal.com/
This is very solid advice Melissa, as a wedding photographer myself I also pride myself on being VERY fast with returning the finished images to my customers, usually by the time they return from their honeymoon in as a matter of fact.
The fact is though that very few of my customers tend to ask much about those timetables in our discussions prior to the wedding, which I've always found to be odd (so I tend to bring it up on my own if need be).
For couples I'm convinced that the key to happiness in dealing with ANY wedding vendor is to have the best communication possible so that everyone involved has realistic expectations of one another and knows what to expect.
My only point of disagreement is that all wedding photograhers come from different situations. My partner and I both have very full time (50 hour week) jobs, and my clients usually get their proofs back in 6 weeks-two months. ALL Of my clients, however KNOW how much I work, because I always talk to them about it in our meetings.
I got married 1 month ago and i have only heard from my photographer once 10 days ago. He hasn't returned any phone calls or emails. what the hell am i supposed to do?
Post a Comment
Comments make our day! Spam, not so much. So if you have a question, thought, fab idea, and you aren't trying to sell us anything bought or processed, then please chime in on the conversation!