Hey guys! Just a general post here on this hot Monday afternoon. Here in Florida we have 4 seasons. Warm, hot, on the surface of the sun and 2 days of what some would call winter. I digress. I have been spending time today perusing the internet and i have seen many people reaching out in various groups and circles looking for photographers. Some looking for wedding photographers, some looking for family photographers as the holidays are quickly approaching. As I looked at some of the responses and visited various web pages some things jumped out at me and I thought to myself.. hey self.. you could write a little something up about that.
First. Finding a professional photographer can be challenging. Its a large lake with a lot of fish. Big fish, small fish, sharks, snakes... you get the idea.. There are some things you want to look for right off the bat. It will help eliminate those that are in it for real, and those that are in it thinking they can make some quick side money. Let me say. It isn't quick, and its a lot harder than they think. Now.. What I also found was that to get an edge some felt it appropriate to down talk and bash other area photographers. Im not going to do that. I have character and integrity. Having to call out others shows theirs and makes them look rather.. 90210-ish.
Onto what we should look for. One of the things to look for are multiple weddings, sessions etc on their site. If they have a Facebook page look for multiple posts showcasing their work. Why? You're looking for consistency in their style and also to make sure that the work they produce as a whole is what your envisioning for your own photography. Consistency in the work is the main thing here. If you're hiring a wedding photographer you want to know that they are going to be spot on. You don't want missed shots or important moments. You want to make sure attention is being paid to detail. What makes us different you ask? Well.... This is what we have been doing for the last 11 years. We have photographed over 300 weddings. Knowing where to be and what to look for is kind of our thing. We have years of experience behind our work and it shows. You want to see quality work, and your wedding images shouldn't be on your list of " I hope they got that". A quality professional photography team will get it. We spend time with you getting what you want. Your photography is about you. Your story. Through our lens
Another thing to look for, and probably looked at more than quality unfortunately, is cost. Photography is like fine dining. Its a want. A luxury per say. Like food.. now.. there are photographers that run the gamut. From $400 to $5000 depending on experience, gear upkeep, how long it takes working on the images after the wedding day, insurance ( more on this one later) . product, website etc. To be honest I'd be very cautious jumping at a low cost wedding day photographer or a super low cost family photographer. Why? Because .first..ask yourself..would you work at your job.. for less than minimum wage and no tips? Wait..what?!? Look. There's more to photography than pushing the button. What?!?!?! I know right!?!?! Who knew?!?!? A typical 8 hour wedding day can run upwards of 60 total hours when all is said and done! Didn't know that did you? The acne that Billy Bob had on his face that magically disappeared..yeah that takes time! The Speedo wearing man that's in the background of all the wedding images on the beach that you'll never see because the time was taken to remove him out of all your ceremony images. It takes time and experience. Not to toot our own horn.. but that's something we do. Your photographs are all about you. So we take the time to make you the center of attention. We take the care to make the images the best they can be.. so Billy Bobs acne.. fuhgedaboutit.. We take care of it. Speedo man. Poof...gone. Because you don't need that image seared into your brain when you look at your wedding images. Experience is also part of your cost factor. Between the lead photographer and the associate photographers at Abundant Grace there is a combined 33 years of photographic experience. This is what we do.. Full time. We don't have other jobs that take up our time. You get our full attention. Need to chat on your lunch break? We can do that. Need us to talk on the phone? We can do that too. This is our full time commitment. Look... you can eat at McDonalds and save some money. In the end though.. a lot of times.. Like fast food.. It leaves you unsatisfied and empty, upset..and wanting..well.. something more. We offer affordable cost and if you need a payment plan to make it happen. Talk with us. We would rather you have amazing and memorable photography than heartache over what could have been. These are your memories.
There are many other factors that can feed into cost but lets look at a serious thing when looking for a photographer. See.. Unfortunately there are some that do this illegally. No?!?! Gasp!! Seriously?!?! Yes. Seriously. See nowadays many people can get a camera and loudly exclaim to the world " I R a Fertogapher" and slap a price on there and start taking your money. Well. We take that transaction seriously. We are registered with the state as a legitimate business. Wait?!?! You have to do that?!? Yes.. yes you do.. We pay our taxes and we keep things current so we can stay on the up and up. You can even look us up on the state website. We are also insured. Meaning.. If something happens during your session, or wedding. You are covered. If you're planning an event or wedding..and considering someone else...ask them.. are you insured? If the answer is no.. chances are they aren't legal either. Now.. Id be concerned.. If they don't take their business seriously... how do you know for certain they would take your session or wedding seriously?! What if something happened during your session or wedding. Wouldn't you want that peace of mind knowing they cared enough to be covered? Of course the answer is yes!! The insurance isn't to cover us. Its to cover you.
If you've gotten this far than you're awesome! Just be mindful when selecting someone to capture your memories. We would be honored to be your full service photography company. We truly love what we do and always have your vision at heart. If you know someone looking for a quality family photographer, or an experienced and fun professional wedding photographer, please send them our way. We'd love to take care of them. We capture the memories, so you can live them.
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