When should I have my engagement photo taken and what do I wear? Do I suggest a location or will the photographer? How will I view my images one they have been taken? All fantastic questions- after all, you’ve never done this before (in theory).
Once you have secured a professional photographer to handle your wedding, you can set up your engagement photo. The season and location might determine where the shoot takes place- studio or outdoor, perhaps both. The one thing you need to know before you schedule this session is that unless otherwise noted in your package- you will be charged a sitting fee. This is the amount of money the photographer will charge for you to “sit” in front of his camera. You are paying for his time as you would any professional. If a photographer does not have a sitting fee and if it isn’t included in your package, you are likely not dealing with a professional.
A professional does nothing other that take photos, thereby, this is how he earns a living. Some sittings can take five minutes (head shots,) an hour (engagement,) three hours (bridal,) and it is not uncommon for engagement or bridal shoots to be more elaborate- thereby, time consuming.
Most of what drives your cost when dealing with a photographer is labor (time)- the reason for that is, the more time he takes with you, the less time he can take with others- so you will pay for that time- like an attorney. Further, the more time he takes, the more images he produces, the more work there is in editing and color correction and burning of the images to a disc.
So, find out the sitting fee (be assured a weekend sitting will be a rarity as professional wedding photographers photograph what on the weekends? Weddings- you guessed it)- and don’t be surprised if Monday is a difficult day to acquire an appointment as it might be their only day off in the week.
If it is winter, you might find yourself committed to a studio shoot (if the photographer does not have a space in which to shoot- you are dealing with an amateur and will be lucky if he shows up to your wedding after you pay him- luckier yet if he is still in business when it comes time to produce the albums and product you have paid for in advance). Depending on the background, clothing selections can be made. I find these tips to be relevant in all settings. No patterns or stripes, no clothing which will date the image (nothing too trendy), your clothing should complement one another unless it is very “you” to clash (you in business attire and him in cargo shorts and a t-shirt)- but that clashing should not extend to colors or patterns. You don’t have to match, but you should harmonize. If you don’t understand, ask your photographer for further instruction (pay him enough and he’ll come over and hand select the items for you).
Discuss in advance whether the photographer has allotted enough time to allow for more than one clothing look and or location. Do not assume. Manage your expectations by clearing up how much time he has set aside for you and if it is included in your package and you feel it might not be enough or you want multiple locations- negotiate a price with him/her. For example- it is becoming a trend for couples to request a “fashion” style shoot, which would entail hair and make up, multiple carefully selected (and paid for possibly) locations and TIME. If this is of interest, do the leg work- find places which interest you, inquire with the venue to see if they would be open to you being photographed and if so, what would the charge be. These are lasting images- so don’t be afraid to invest in them to reflect your personality as a couple. I recommend “tear sheets”- look through magazines and pull out images you find appealing- show them to your photographer- scanning and emailing ahead of time if you can and make sure he understands your desire PRIOR to the day of the shoot.
Once the photos have been taken- the photographer likely will need to do some corrections and then forward them to you via CD or DVD (depending on the number taken)- likely you will view this on your computer (make sure you can read CDs and DVDs) and make your selections.
Know what comes in your package and be prepared to pay for anything over the included portraits (printed, mounted, sprayed and archival- museum quality) or reprints (machine prints). If you determine you can not part with a single photo- you need to inquire as to the cost of obtaining a hi-resolution file of the images from the photographer. This could run you anywhere between $500 and $3000.00. This would give you the rights to make your own prints- otherwise you will be viewing a low resolution copy (do not attempt to blow these up- it is a $250,000 fine for each infraction) and likely have a watermark on them.
No matter where you shoot or with whom, you want the images taken to reflect your relationship- so relax, have fun and try not to take it so seriously!
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