( aka. "this is how I do business" )
I've compiled this list of questions to help clients make the best decision possible when selecting a wedding photographer.
I'm doing this in hopes of clarifying everyone's expectations in this industry. Things have changed considerably with the transition to the digital age and I believe communication will help avoid unnecessary disputes and complaints.
A photographer worthy of your business should have the patience to answer these questions completely and confidently.
1. What kind of deposit / retainer do you require with the signing of a contract? How does the payment schedule work?Knowing when you'll have to pay your photographer is crucial. He/she should have a clearly outlined payment schedule that is described in their contract with specific $#'s. We charge deposits/retainers because unfortunately sometimes weddings fall through. We can't afford to take a total loss on anticipated income, especially when it means avoiding other potential clients on a specific date.
For example, I refer to my payment schedule as 20/40/40. 20% retainer ( non refundable by definition ), 40% paid the day of the event, 40% paid when the client receives all prints/files/etc that I've promised. Of course I've been screwed out of the final 40% several times. It isn't my conscience that will suffer.
Payment schedules avoid uncomfortable discussions about money. By being able to refer back to the contract, everyone remains on the same page. I've found this is one of the most commonly asked questions.
2. Are the specifics of your packages negotiable?Well, mine are. In my opinion a photographer should be willing to negotiate with you in the event that one of their packages doesn't exactly meet what you're looking for. I often have people who want to scrap an engagement shoot in the interest of saving money, or get a different # of 8x10 prints than one of my packages provides. I can't imagine how many clients I would have turned off if my answer was simply 'no'.
3. Do you bring backup equipment to every event?This one should be obvious. Equipment failures happen and can put a photographer entirely out of commission. The simple redundancy of two cameras and two flashes is a much safer way to go.
4. Can you provide a list of references?A list of references will give you a good idea of how many satisfied customers a photographer has, even if you don't call any of them. However, making a quick phone call or two will give you insight to the character and professionalism of your potential photographer.
5. Will I receieve all the photographs from the wedding day? And will I have the right to duplicate ( print ) them?I get asked this all the time! This is probably the #1 source of paranoia for wedding clients. The answer is complicated so bear with me.
A photographer should be willing to provide you with a copy of everything shot during the event ( aside from the absolutely unusable images due to exposure/focus mistakes, because they happen ). However, most photographers prefer to have the opportunity to retouch any images that might later be shown as a representation of their work.
My philosophy is: If you're going to print it, I'm going to retouch it. I require each of my clients to tell me which images are going to wind up as prints so I have the opportunity to make sure they look their best. Imagine a bride getting married without makeup. It would never happen. That's how we feel about our prints.
The second issue is rights to printing which is also complicated....
It used to be that everything was shot on film so the process of proofing / printing was expensive and time consuming. Photographers would often retain the rights to the original negatives so they could make prints themselves, as well as require clients to pay additional charges for additional prints. I believe this is where the paranoia has come from.
Welcome to the digital age. An exact duplicate of the 'negative' can be made so both the photographer and client can keep a copy for future printing. I provide a copy and keep a copy to avoid the image being lost for either party in the event of a hard drive failure.
Legally this gets complicated. Pay attention to your contracts. A photographer with a minimal contract may be operating under the terms of 'work made for hire.' Meaning, if you're paying them to take pictures, then you own whatever pictures they take.
My solution to this: My contract includes a clause about model release and rights to use images for promotional purposes. I retain the rights to use the images for my promotional purposes and the client retains the right to duplicate their images for prints indefinitely. Everybody wins.
6. If I order prints as part of my package, what rates will I be getting on the various sizes of enlargements?Again referencing the days of celluloid film.... It used to be that only the party with the original negatives was able to make prints. For this reason I find that my clients are often concerned that I'm going to 'mark up' the cost of prints ( charge them more for prints than it costs to make them ).
I give every client the choice of managing printing themselves, or allowing me to do it for them at no additional cost. I call it 'prepaying for prints'. They pay me in advance for the basic cost of printing and shipping their prints.
I actually prefer to do this for clients because I have a lab that I use frequently which I know is consistent and professional. Though I explain this to clients, some prefer to manage printing themselves. If they go to RiteAid and their prints wind up looking like crap because a 16 year old is the photo tech there, at least I tried to make my point.
7. Can I see printed examples of your work?Printed work is often different than what you will see on a computer monitor. If you're going to trust your photographer to manage printing for you, get a look at some printed examples they're willing to show for themselves. If their prints look incorrectly exposed or color corrected it indicates an error somewhere in the retouching or printing processes.
8. How will the proofing process work? Will I be able to review my images online and share them with my wedding guests?Your photographer should have some kind of online proofing process. It is often the fastest way to see your images, and certainly the easiest way to share photos with your wedding guests.
The online process streamlines photo selection and retouching, and can be made secure with passwords.
9. Will my images be retouched? What types of retouching can you provide?Some photographers will be willing to deliver images 'straight out of camera', meaning NO retouching. Clients often ask for this in the interest of their budget. I don't recommend it, but some people think that at some point in the future they'll pay someone to touch up the pictures. ( Imagine the probability of this actually happening )
I would recommend seeking out a photographer willing to offer basic exposure and color correction on all of your images. If you're going to be printing images to share with family and friends I would absolutely encourage selecting a photographer who is experienced in advanced retouching including cosmetic touch-ups. Everybody has at least one pimple or blemish on their wedding day. Although I have been the guy who has had to fix the same pimple 200 times, I recommend you pay someone willing to do this for you.
Black and white alternate versions, as well as 'selective colorization' are things you may consider asking about as well.
Quick lesson about 'Raw' images: Most people assume 'raw' to mean 'unedited' or 'original' images. In the photography world the term 'raw' actually has a different meaning ( often capitalized as RAW ). RAW is actually a different file format which is not viewable or editable on most consumers computers. While most of us in fact do shoot RAW files, we hesitate to deliver them to clients fearing that they'll complain about not being able to access the files. There was actually a lawsuit in San Diego about five years ago involving this exact misunderstanding. Be clear when asking for 'raw' vs 'unedited' files.
10. What other services or referrals are you able to provide?A photographer with a list of referrals for videographers and DJs can be a good sign. It shows that they have working relationships within the industry.
I'm often asked for referrals and I only provide the ones I truly know to be professionals. Not only do I fear the blame coming back to me for their lack of performance, but I know who I prefer to work with. I often trade images/video with these same vendors to ensure that our mutual clients are as satisfied as possible.
11. How long can I expect it to take for our contract to be complete? ( ie. all payments and deliveries of product completed )I hear horror stories all the time about people waiting 6 months or more for their pictures. The reality is that if you have no specific deadline in your contract, your photographer has an indefinite time line to deliver your images. It all comes back to the contract. If you have a concern, politely ask your photographer to add a clause to their contract. They should be willing.
I hope this has been helpful. I'm exhausted!
Soviet audiences didn't like it, I hear, because it, "wasn't revolutionary enough." I'm not going to pretend like I know what it means to say that, all I know is that they weren't impressed. People literally forgot about this film for 30 years.
A Russian historian dug up a copy of the film for a series on Kalatozov in 1992. By the next year the film was screening at the San Francisco International film festival, and in 1994 copy of Soy Cuba was screened for Martin Scorsese. In 1995 it was being distributed by Milestone with both the Scorsese and Coppola names attached to it.
