Connecticut wedding photography Connecticut wedding directory of wedding and event specialists and vendors
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| Begin with a Grin | Heartprint Photography | Fleeting Moments ALBUM Design | ||
| 203.704.1552 | (203) 598-9718 | 203-704.1552 | ||
| $1500. named one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the state of Connecticut. Packages with 2 photographers, 5 hours of coverage, online proofing, and ALL images on DVD with full copyright release to the client. | Did you receive your digital negatives, but do not have a bridal album? Our staff of graphic designers can produce many style albums for you. Prices start at $500. | |||
| Client Reviews | Client Reviews | Client Reviews |
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TIPS for CHOOSING a WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER by Sue Cunningham/Begin with a Grin
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Planning a wedding can be overwhelming and sometimes confusing. There are no set standards in wedding photography. Today we are inundated by digital photographers. Some are professionals and some are simply hobbyists who shot a decent digital picture who label themselves as wedding photographers. When choosing a wedding photographer bear in mind, these are you memories finitely captured for eternity. Do you really want to trust a hobbyist or someone new to wedding photography with such a tremendous responsibility? |
| Questions to ask, and
think about: How long have you been photographing weddings? |
| I hate to say it, people lie....but their website, bridal feedback (www.weddingreports.com) , and their portfolio should tell you the truth. If they only can show 3-4 weddings, you may want to dig a little deeper into their business background. |
| What do you wear? |
| Seems like a silly question, I know. We all dress for the occasion to blend in. We usually wear a Black & White pant suit, appropriate for the occasion and yet flexible enough to allow us to work. On the other hand, I have seen photographers wear jeans & t-shirt to a wedding. Personally I think a professional should dress professional. |
| Do you have any references? |
| Besides what a photographer will give, which invariably will be GOOD references, check other websites like www.weddingreports.com or bridal chat rooms to hear what your peers think. Also professional references should count considerably. If a photographers competition would recommend them, it says a lot. |
| What kind of equipment do you use? |
| Most photographers who are digital will shoot with either a Canon system or Nikon system. In canon 20D, 30D, 40D, 5D, mark II, Mark III are high end pro quality equipment. Nikon runs a similar line. Also make sure they have a FULL backup system. No camera is perfect, things happen and a pro should be well prepared to act on a whim. These pro-line cameras are 8 mega pixel or higher and can render a 2'x3' large format print without a problem. |
| Retouching? |
| Also when viewing a portfolio or sample books, look for things you like as far as editing goes. This is a art in itself. After the pics are taken, they are left either raw (which is full color, no color correction, no cropping, effects etc) and edited and enhanced to bring the image to an art quality. Images can be translated to B&W, Sepia (old brown tone), retouched (blemishes, double chins etc), duo-toned (black and blue, red, yellow hue), and tinted (part color-part B&W). Like I said retouching takes time, and really brings out the artist to create a stunning image for you. Not everyone does it, and not at the same levels. |
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| Raw color corrected Blur Effects Duo-Tone Black & White Sepia Soft Effects Tinting |
| Traditional or Photojournalistic? |
| Traditional: The 'traditional' photographer will attempt to make a perfect portrait from each shot. Most shots would be posed or set up. This approach requires the photographer to guide the couple and to manipulate many of the day's events, and in effect take more time. |
| Photojournalist (aka: documentary, candid) A photojournalistic photographer covers a wedding by observing and recording the highlights as they happen. They create a story-telling sequence for the couple to remember their day by. It requires the photographer to be versatile in their skills as they adapt for each moment. This allows them to record the day, yet remain as unobtrusive as needed. |
| Creative/Illustrative : Semi-posed. Actually situations may be suggested and the bride and groom will react naturally to each other. Example we may say take a stroll by the beach or lake. What the bride and groom do from there is up to them. It can be some intimate moments that can be captured from afar with a zoom lens and create the most romantic images without "posing or interfering". |
| Digital Negatives - Can you buy them or are they included without copyright restriction? |
| There is no set standard on this. It is entirely up to the photographer whether or not they want to release your images to you. Some will include them if you buy and album package, where others just give them to you without question. Some may charge you more, and some may make you wait a waiting period. Bottom line, Digital negatives (your disk of high resolution images) can be printed at almost any lab today. You have the ability to print whatever you want, post whatever you want, make your own albums etc. You can even duplicate your disc. Personally I feel this is your day, your images. I store a copy as backup for down the road, but really I feel they are yours. |
| PACKAGE ELEMENTS?
Here is another confusing
thing for people. Packages and items/services to be included in
that. Hours of time: How many hours are included? - Do you need only 6 hours, 8 hours, or will you have a 12 hour wedding day? Photographers time starts from when they arrive to the time set on the contract to leave. Second shooter or assistant? Second Shooter is just that a second person taking photographs. An assistant tends to be a main photographers "helper"-carrying bags, loading cameras, handling external lighting etc. It isn't always necessary to have a second shooter. If you are having a wedding with 125 people or under, an experienced photographer can capture the day just fine. Larger weddings you may want to have multiple photographers snapping away. This way more moments can be covered. All Images or edited Images? Many photographers will give you edited images. I like to give all the images because what I think is a bad picture may mean the world to someone else. I also like to give all the raw images and the retouched ones as well. Online proofing? Does the photographer offer online proofing for your guests to view? If they do how long will the images be online for? The average seems to be for 3 months, I post them for over a year. It depends on the service they use for posting and the package you choose. Proofbooks - Proofbooks are just that usually proofs. Photographers will choose a certain amount of images that highlight the day and make 4x6 prints for a proofbook. Sometimes they are RAW un-retouched images and sometimes they are enhanced. Look for it when you view their sample proofbook at your meeting. Also make sure you review a complete wedding, and not just the photographers "favorites" from a variety of weddings. |
Italian Milano proofbooks. |
| Guest Signing Books - A new trend. Some photographers who do an engagement session (usually an on-location one to gain the most variety) can produce a custom made guest book encompassing your engagement picture shoot. It is an amazing keepsake. |
 
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| Travel Charges
- Does the photographer charge more for locations outside their
range or out of state? Also do they charge more for
multiple stops? i.e. You are getting ready in one town, ceremony
in another, pictures at another location, and the reception in a
different town? Some do, most don't but it doesn't hurt to
ask. You don't want to find out after the fact, that there
are extra charges.
Canvas Prints - These are large format prints that look like an oil painting. Typically the best quality ones are pricey. It is an option some photographers will offer their clients. |
| ALBUMS
- albums are not created equally. Also most
manufacturers will only sell to professional photographers.
So even though you can design your own album, having it bound
professionally may be a challenge without the help of a pro
photographer or an album design company (www.fleetingmoments.us)
Traditional matted albums - contemporary matted albums. Images are printed individually in different sizes and mounted to the page with a mat over it to frame the image. Matted albums are usually 12x12 and hold 8x10 images with a mix of smaller sizes. Some allow panoramic images to span across 2 pages. Flush mount albums (where the images are apart of one page) are the most common. There are many companies, grades of quality, sizes to choose from. Coffee Table sized albums run from 8x10 to 12x16. Pages are no where near as think as a matted album which allows for a sleek album that is easy to handle to be left out on your coffee table to view. Other companies like Graphis Studios creates a stunning large format album bound with Italian leather for a contemporary look with a real bridal album feel. Like any import, they are more expensive than the regular flush mount album. Some USA Companies include: Leather Craftsman, Zook Binders, Capri, Art Leather, Renaissance. International imported companies : Graphis Studio, Queensberry, Digicraft. Scrapbook - For the real "Art minded" couples. Very element scrapbook albums are in the mix. Images are individually mounted to an acid free heavyweight textured art paper, loosely bound with rice paper in between. They are not as main stream but appeal to a smaller group of clientele. |
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| Traditional Matted Flush Mount Story Books Graphis Studio Collections |
| DVD Slideshows - Many photographers will offer a slideshow with "photographer" selected images. Most include it into their packages, some offer it complimentary (which is the same thing as including it in their packages) and a few will offer it with a separate charge. |
| How long before you can see your proofs? |
| I have heard horror stories. It should be on average 3-4 weeks. I have heard brides waiting up to a year. That is for a proofbook. Albums are different as alot is dependent on you choosing your pictures, then the photographer designs a layout and WAITS for your approval. Once approved, the album manufacturers can take 4-8 weeks to print, coat, bind your final bridal album. |
| Do they offer Packages or ala Carte? |
| Ask if the photographer is flexible on their packages. Let them know what you are looking for and see if they can custom create a package for you. Maybe you can swap out one element for another. |
| Standard Package
Pricing - again
photographers are not created equally. Their prices can be
dependent on their quality, reputation, awards and publications,
volume of weddings booked (supply and demand) location, and the
elements in the packages. It depends on the studio.
Photographers can be people too. When you find one that is
down to earth and understands what you are looking to achieve
for your wedding day, they can be more flexible in their
packages rather than "by the book". Economy can play a
factor too. You do get what you pay for in this industry.
On average expect to spend $2500-$4000 for a full album package
by a real experienced professional. Traditional Photographers range from $800-$2500 for album packages. Photojournalists range from $1500 - $6000 depending on the package and creative elements (retouching, enhancements etc) |
| What are their payment terms? |
| Read your contract. Most photographers will state your deposit aka retainer is non-refundable. That is fairly standard. Because they are guaranteeing you the date, they can not book themselves out for that date. If you cancel 3 months before the wedding, they may not be able to re-book the date. Retainers typically are 1/3 of the package price, 1/3 a few months before the wedding day, and the balance 30 days before the date. Some will have the final balance due after the wedding, that is at the discretion of the photographer. Some will offer a basic package up front with an option to purchase an album within a time span after the wedding and pay for it then as well. |
Barnes Studio
(860) 464-7258
Gales Ferry
(203) 704-1552
Connecticut
Benoit Photography
(860) 582-7965
Bristol
Bungard Photography
(860) 745-0014
Enfield
Benka Photography Studios
(860) 690-1591
Vernon
Bethel Photo Works
(203) 748-1999
Bethel
Big Picture
(203) 791-2887
Danbury
Blaisdell Photography
(860) 886-1771
Norwich
Bob Hennessy Photography
(860) 635-3382
Cromwell
Calabrese Wedding Photography
(860) 282-9609
Windsor
Candid Wedding Service
(860) 643-1442
Manchester
Captured Moments
(914) 273-8702
Capture the Moment
(203) 929-9916
Shelton
Charbonneau
(860) 274-4768
C. Christopher Semmes Photography
(203) 531-5300
Greenwich
Claudio Mann
(718) 488-7549
Coolpix
(203) 846-3377
Creative Images
(914) 769-8921
Creative Studio
(203) 288-4265
Cummins Group Photography
(203) 921-1790
Stamford
Czarnecki Photography
(860) 654-1962
Windsor Locks
Dalla Valle Photography
(888) PHOTODV
Dakille Studio
(860) 223-3572
Dan Rosen Photography
(203) 452-1997
David Frost Photography
(203) 468-9797
East Haven
David Ottenstein
(203)-865-1831
New Haven
David Photos
(203) 748-2887
Bethel
David White Photography
(203) 624-4441
Deborah O' Brien Photography
(203) 431-0906
Ridgefield
Debranne & Company
203-254-7734
Southport
sponsored by: The Photographers at The Wedding Network
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