How much does wedding photography in Ottawa really cost?
Like any other purchase, it can cost as much or as little as you want! How much importance you attach to recording this event is the fundamental starting point. If you're not very concerned about the quality of photographs, then it could be as simple as asking your friends and family to bring their cameras! Another low cost option is to hire an amateur photographer. Results will be in line with the bargain price.
The vast majority of couples need a professional to handle their photo needs and the challenge is the selection process. If you were to google: ottawa wedding photography or photographers, you'll find more pages to surf than you'll know what to do with and that's a daunting challenge.
We all want the best quality for the lowest cost and many people easily get hypnotized by apparent bargains! Wedding photography is not a bargain. A lot of time & effort are involved and it takes years of formal training & practice to be consistent. Tools are expensive and continuously evolving, requiring expensive upgrades. In fact, if a price sounds too good to be true, it is! A one time event such as this is not the place to gamble, you need reliable quality workmanship. Excellence can only be assured by a genuine pro. Because this industry is unregulated, anybody can claim to be pro and this explains the outrageous number of web advertisements. Fact is, the vast majority are mere pretenders with a fancy camera for credibility, and out fishing for bargain hunters. At the risk of stating the obvious, acquiring a "pro" camera cannot transform anyone into a professional photographer, any more than acquiring a 6 burner gas range can transform them you into a Cordon Bleu Chefs! Many try to fill the blank with cute stories about their passion for this art, but let's face it, at the end of the day, there's no substitute for reputable formal training to back it up!
The first thing you'll notice when you visit websites is that many do not publish prices and policies. There's no legitimate reason this behavior whatsoever, if there was, everyone would do the same. It's an antiquated sales tactic and it reflects poorly on ethics & sincerity, two key criteria discriminate clients look for.
As with any other business, prices vary according to many factors and it is critical to not lose sight of the goal. High quality workmanship is the reason to hire a professional in the first place and this is where you must educate yourself to learn about what is being offered, and in order to make an astute purchasing decision. If not technically inclined, just get help from a friend who is. Packages are endlessly diverse and unless you understand the real value of each item, as well as the workmanship involved, the package price is meaningless. Custom packages are the only way match your needs exactly, otherwise, you'll pay for items you don't care for or need. If it's included in a package, you can bet that it's included in the price!
How about a budget? Do you have one?
An unrealistic budget is about as useful as not having one at all. So the challenge is to keep it real and that's not imminently obvious to most couples shopping for this service. In fact, many let the tail wag the dog by starting with an unrealistically low budget and then shop based on an erroneous amount, instead of making the necessary adjustments. It's a recipe for poor quality work and disappointment. Saving money is great, when it has a minimal impact, but in this case, wedding rings aside, your photos are the only purchase that will last beyond the wedding day! It's a long term investment and it must be prioritized as such. The most pressing purchase is the quality of captures and their processing! If your budget gets tight, postpone the purchase of the album and prints so that you can secure the services of a better quality photographer for the key hours. It beats hiring a lower quality candidate for a full day. Hundreds of low quality images are never going to make up for fewer exceptional ones. Besides, an album is meant to accommodate a limited number of iconic images, not a thousand average snapshots! Who the heck wants to sit through a 1000 image marathon? Think quality, not quantity!
All couples evaluate potential candidates by browsing their websites and that's a good start. The style and creativity can easily be judged at a glance, however, it's important to know that, images sized for website galleries are low resolution jpegs! This means that their fidelity as prints is unknown. The processes involved to produce a professional grade print, require a lot of time, knowledge and a meticulous workflow with top quality tools. If you're paying professional rates, you deserve professional results! Images on a DVD should have a resolution of 8inches X 12inches at 360ppi. If this means nothing to you, you're a prime target for being short changed! When you arrange an appointment with a candidate photographer, look at images at full resolution on screen and view the same image on print. This is a proper way to evaluate the candidate's workmanship.
When should you book a photographer?
The sooner the better for a couple of reasons. Firstly, to secure a date with the candidate you like. Secondly, to allow for planning of the shoot times and locations before you have a fixed schedule. Proper planning will allow you to enjoy the experience, feel relaxed and get better images. Quality conscious individuals know that rushing is never a good strategy.
Like any other purchase, it can cost as much or as little as you want! How much importance you attach to recording this event is the fundamental starting point. If you're not very concerned about the quality of photographs, then it could be as simple as asking your friends and family to bring their cameras! Another low cost option is to hire an amateur photographer. Results will be in line with the bargain price.
The vast majority of couples need a professional to handle their photo needs and the challenge is the selection process. If you were to google: ottawa wedding photography or photographers, you'll find more pages to surf than you'll know what to do with and that's a daunting challenge.
We all want the best quality for the lowest cost and many people easily get hypnotized by apparent bargains! Wedding photography is not a bargain. A lot of time & effort are involved and it takes years of formal training & practice to be consistent. Tools are expensive and continuously evolving, requiring expensive upgrades. In fact, if a price sounds too good to be true, it is! A one time event such as this is not the place to gamble, you need reliable quality workmanship. Excellence can only be assured by a genuine pro. Because this industry is unregulated, anybody can claim to be pro and this explains the outrageous number of web advertisements. Fact is, the vast majority are mere pretenders with a fancy camera for credibility, and out fishing for bargain hunters. At the risk of stating the obvious, acquiring a "pro" camera cannot transform anyone into a professional photographer, any more than acquiring a 6 burner gas range can transform them you into a Cordon Bleu Chefs! Many try to fill the blank with cute stories about their passion for this art, but let's face it, at the end of the day, there's no substitute for reputable formal training to back it up!
The first thing you'll notice when you visit websites is that many do not publish prices and policies. There's no legitimate reason this behavior whatsoever, if there was, everyone would do the same. It's an antiquated sales tactic and it reflects poorly on ethics & sincerity, two key criteria discriminate clients look for.
As with any other business, prices vary according to many factors and it is critical to not lose sight of the goal. High quality workmanship is the reason to hire a professional in the first place and this is where you must educate yourself to learn about what is being offered, and in order to make an astute purchasing decision. If not technically inclined, just get help from a friend who is. Packages are endlessly diverse and unless you understand the real value of each item, as well as the workmanship involved, the package price is meaningless. Custom packages are the only way match your needs exactly, otherwise, you'll pay for items you don't care for or need. If it's included in a package, you can bet that it's included in the price!
How about a budget? Do you have one?
An unrealistic budget is about as useful as not having one at all. So the challenge is to keep it real and that's not imminently obvious to most couples shopping for this service. In fact, many let the tail wag the dog by starting with an unrealistically low budget and then shop based on an erroneous amount, instead of making the necessary adjustments. It's a recipe for poor quality work and disappointment. Saving money is great, when it has a minimal impact, but in this case, wedding rings aside, your photos are the only purchase that will last beyond the wedding day! It's a long term investment and it must be prioritized as such. The most pressing purchase is the quality of captures and their processing! If your budget gets tight, postpone the purchase of the album and prints so that you can secure the services of a better quality photographer for the key hours. It beats hiring a lower quality candidate for a full day. Hundreds of low quality images are never going to make up for fewer exceptional ones. Besides, an album is meant to accommodate a limited number of iconic images, not a thousand average snapshots! Who the heck wants to sit through a 1000 image marathon? Think quality, not quantity!
All couples evaluate potential candidates by browsing their websites and that's a good start. The style and creativity can easily be judged at a glance, however, it's important to know that, images sized for website galleries are low resolution jpegs! This means that their fidelity as prints is unknown. The processes involved to produce a professional grade print, require a lot of time, knowledge and a meticulous workflow with top quality tools. If you're paying professional rates, you deserve professional results! Images on a DVD should have a resolution of 8inches X 12inches at 360ppi. If this means nothing to you, you're a prime target for being short changed! When you arrange an appointment with a candidate photographer, look at images at full resolution on screen and view the same image on print. This is a proper way to evaluate the candidate's workmanship.
When should you book a photographer?
The sooner the better for a couple of reasons. Firstly, to secure a date with the candidate you like. Secondly, to allow for planning of the shoot times and locations before you have a fixed schedule. Proper planning will allow you to enjoy the experience, feel relaxed and get better images. Quality conscious individuals know that rushing is never a good strategy.