watch out for frauds!

think it can't happen to you? read some of these horror stories from the St Louis Business Journal - the nut of it... people paid for their pictures and NEVER received them or the album or it took over a year before they saw their pictures. 

it never ceases to amaze me when we meet with people and you talk to them and try to understand their thought process. i am definitely getting on my soap box here and i apologize in advance - ;) well... only a little. 

look, bottom line - this is one of THE most important days in your life! Next milestone... children... first home...etc - you get the point. fast forward 5 years... 10 years... what will you have to remember your big day... there is only one thing - PICTURES. Sure, i am a photographer and this seems self-serving - but its an undeniable fact. talk to anyone who has worked with us and they will agree whole-heartedly. 

there are studios in town claiming to do your wedding for $500 or $800 - WHOA RED ALERT!! Seriously, think about it. NOT possible. there is and will be a catch. If, you met a guy and he offered to sell you a new car for $500 would you buy it? if so, I have a bridge in ny to sell you. ;)

here are some basic questions you must ask yourself. 

1) do I know who will my photographer be? Some studios in town - i am not naming names... Trotter - sorry that slipped out - will play the shell game with you. You have no clue who your photographer is the day of your wedding and the person who does your engagement session is rarely the person who will be there on your wedding day. think this isn't a big deal? there is a significant relationship and bond we have with our clients - we are vested in your day - we share a vision for your day - what it will look like, where we will go, etc. this comfort, trust and vision is all lost when a stranger shows up on your wedding day. and you are now working with a photographer who doesn't have the ability to work on his own... translation - inferior skill set and part-time job. RED ALERT. 

2) what's included? rarely will these companies give you a full package for this price - there are all sorts of add-ons and catches. for example, these advertised rates... usually only include 4 hours of coverage and no album or engagement session. by the time you add an album, full day of coverage which by the way is usually about 10hrs, an engagement shoot, etc - you are at the rates of an actual professional photographer. our packages are all inclusive - we dont play the shell game - you get full coverage, an album, an engagement shoot and the owner of the company. 

3) two shooters or one? something rarely thought about until its all over. next time you go to the movies - watch the screen looking for the different camera angles. trust me... it matters. we can only be in one place at a time. when you are walking down the aisle - do you want to catch the expression as he lays eyes on you for the very first time? that look can NEVER be recaptured. to do this... you need multiple shooters - one on the bride and one on the groom and this is just one of the many reasons two shooters make the difference. 

if this hasn't been enough to scare you into thinking long and hard about the importance of photography on your big day... i don't know what will be. 

all i can tell you is that we have re-shot 4 brides from other photographers in 2008 that were absolutely disgusted with their wedding pictures from them and decided to redo them with us. 

i look forward to hearing your thoughts on this... so if you are reading this post... please sound off and add a comment. 

and here is the link to the journals article 

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/10/13/daily29.html