How to choose your wedding photographer

Buy yourself some inexpensive Disposable Wedding Cameras to place on your wedding reception tables. You can get many wedding reception themes for you at a discount. Buy them now, while it's fresh on your mind, they are hard to find and 2 days before your wedding reception. Your guests know what to do with these wedding cameras. Your photographer cannot be everywhere and your guests won't let good times go by undocumented. I was impressed by the imagination of our non-pro wedding guests. We got some one of a kind greats. The Kodak Disposable Wedding Cameras take better pictures these days; film technology has really improved. It's amusing to see the action that you missed at your wedding. When shooting with these disposable wedding cameras, make sure the subject is 6' to 12' away. Any further and the picture positively will not come out.  The photo will be too dark.

Where To Start Interviewing Wedding Photographers: Get References From Friends and Coworkers

Your best resource is people you know. Ask around, look at other wedding albums. Do you like the photos and album color and construction? Are the photo colors bright and clear and all pictures in focus and dust free? Are the group photos nicely composed? Do the poses look fake, unnatural? Are wedding rings obscured? Is there detail in the bride's gown and cake or are they too bright and washed (a common pitfall) out from an overexposed shot? Would you want that wedding album as your own? The photographer's personality can make or break your wedding. I've heard horror stories from people claiming the photographer yelled at guests who were not posing quickly enough. A good experienced photographer is patient, professional, friendly, always smiling. Only this type of person can motivate a large group into action. We were fortunate to see our photographer at work at a friend's wedding before ours. He was always happy and smiling, having a good time. Don't always trust the "bridal warehouse" or "bridal city" type operations with one stop shop "Wedding Packages" unless you are really sure of the photographer's reputation. Most hotels, resorts, caterers, etc. can recommend photographers as well, but beware, many caterers get kickbacks so you can't always get an unbiased opinion. What does a cook know about photography? If they knew anything, they'd be photographers. Decent resorts don't take kickbacks, but they recommend photographers they know to be reliable, as their reputation as a fine resort is at stake. Keep in mind that sample photos a resort may show you were throw away photos given to them by the studio and may not be as good as the studio's true ability. We all make throw away shots.

 
Trends
In Wedding Photography
Black & White
Are you looking for something different in your wedding photography?  Some people don't like traditional "posed" pictures in wedding albums, and have turned to alternatives such as candid photos, black and whites, and grainy photojournalism shots. The photojournalism shots are more animated, and might show the bride and her bridesmaids running into the church in the rain, or the groomsmen playing around outside, or guests having a wild time at the reception.  To the left is a shot I took of my sister at her wedding and converted it to black and white to give you an idea of B&W effects. Click on the image for a larger view. Black & whites provide a refreshing departure from the status quo, and make your wedding unique.  Instead of a standard color photo of the bride and groom posing by a fountain, smiling for the camera, try a different shot like a black and white photo of the bride and groom looking away from the camera out into the ocean, contemplating their future, or even some B&W candid shots.

Digital Wedding Photography Studios

Some photographers have given up film and gone purely digital.  They should use professional digital SLR cameras with high quality interchangeable lenses, only these cameras record digital images into memory cards instead of exposing analog photos onto light sensitive film.  The better studios will then send the image files to high end labs who print enlargements onto professional paper, just like normal wedding photos.

Of course if you can get them to give you the CDs or DVDs with your image files on them, you can upload them to Costco's web site, and pick up the prints at Costco next time you go into the store. Digital versus film is controversial because experts claim that mathematically, digital photos won't blow up as clear as film, but others claim they have seen 16" x 20" enlargements and cannot tell the difference.  You should ask to see sample enlargements of the photographer's digital photos and judge for yourself. Ask them to show you the same shot at different size enlargements to compare. To get any decent enlargement size, make sure they are using a camera of at least 8 Mega pixels.  In 2005, the better studios were using the high end Nikon Coolpix models, or Canon EOS 20D for example.  It's also important that if the wedding photographer shoots your wedding with digital cameras, that they shoot in full quality mode, and nothing less.  Some fools will try to save memory on their cards by shooting at a lower resolution to fit more images per card.  But this cuts down your image quality.

 You can see one nice benefit of digital photography is the studio does not have to keep buying and refrigerating expensive film, stocking and using 10-20 rolls for a wedding, then paying for processing. Also, since they are not paying for film, they should be taking 500-700 pictures at a typical wedding.  Some studios create a secure account for you on their web site where you can login and see your pictures, and order proofs.  Many use Photoshop as needed to process and crop photos, add a vignette, or other effects. The cool part is the digital camera pictures are already in a computer's native digital JPEG file format, so they load them into the PC via a USB port, no photos to scan in. The studios typically print out 4" x 5" proofs and let you order your enlargements from there. Some studios may also charge extra for a CDROM of your images.  Some may not offer it all, wanting more profit from additional reprints before they turn over the CDROM to you.  It is their right, since they own the copyright on their own work.  This is always a sore subject for customers.

Now Back To Film... Should The Studio Use 35 mm or Medium Format (2 1/4" frame) Cameras at your wedding?

Boy did I open a can of worms! This is the biggest debate next to the Grassy Knoll.  Sure 35 mm cameras and film improved in the 90's, but so did 120 film, and you still can't beat laws of enlargement physics!  A medium format negative (2 1/4" x 2 1/4") only needs to be enlarged 1/4 that of a 35 mm negative, resulting in finer grain and sharper pictures 4X that of 35 mm. On 8x10 photos the difference in quality is noticeable! Don't skimp on the film. Sure you'll still get good shots with 35 mm film, but they won't be the best that they can be. Examples of better medium format cameras are Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Bronica.

I love my Nikon, but If I take pictures at a friend's wedding I only use it as a backup. The true professional with their heart in the assignment uses a medium format camera, because when 8x10, 11 x 14, or 16x20 blowups are made, there is a difference. And I know a lot of people who have 16 x 20's made. Regardless of what anyone tells you, there is a difference at 8x10. Since you are paying a lot of money for them to shoot your wedding, don't let them insult you with lame excuses of why it's ok for them to use 35 mm.  Translation:  That's the only camera they could afford.  The only benefit of 35 mm is that it's cheaper to process, providing more profit for the studio, and 35 mm cameras are easier for some "whiny" photographers to carry around. Yes I do get emails from photographers, whining about having to carry around medium format cameras, telling me I should try doing it.  Well, when I go skiing, I shove my Hasselblad down my ski suit to get the cools shots at the top of the mountain.  I don't complain.  I do the same thing with my equally heavy Nikon and don't complain either. You might as well give your 35 mm camera to a photojournalism student who will shoot your wedding for half the cost. Any photographer who tells you there's no difference between 35 mm and 120 film, is either ignorant, or lying to you.  Is it ok to shoot 35mm for the B&W photojournalism shots?  Maybe, if you don't expect to blow it up very much.  But then again, some people like the grain. Here's the problem.  Due to low light levels in weddings, I just KNOW that many photographers are going to shoot their B&W candid shots on 800 or 1600 speed film, which is too grainy.  Personally, I never use any film above 160 ISO unless I'm at a concert.

Hasselblad is worth the Hassle!

This is another very controversial subject.  Many photographers will use 35 mm cameras for the candid shots, which I'm still on the fence about, preferring the medium format cameras like Hasselblad, Mamiya, Rollei, Bronica, etc.  Many photographers have emailed me to complain that 35 mm cameras are easier to use for candid shots, and "Hasselblads are not even usable".  Wait a minute.  Not Even Usable?  Listen to how stupid that sounds.  Hold up the camera, take the picture.  Sounds usable to me. They cry on my shoulder that they don't own one because they are too bulky to get good pictures with. Translation: "I decided to go it on the cheap and cannot afford a Hasselblad". Someone get me a shovel!  First of all, if they don't own a Hasselblad, how would they know it would be hard to use one?  The majority of pros out there now using them now don't seem to have a problem. Personally, I think any camera is as easy to use the next one. I've lugged mine to several weddings of family and friends and never had a problem with it.  I've stuffed mine down my ski jumpsuit and fallen face down on the blue runs getting bruised ribs, just to get one phenomenal shot, yet I'll never complain about the weight.

While the Hassey is a bit heavier, I think the quality of the photographs it produces with the Carl Zeiss lens is worth whatever "extra weight" they are complaining about. I think these photographers who flame me with complaints that I don't know what I'm talking about are wimps and should just quit whining about it and give us all a break. If the weight bothers them, they should change careers and become wedding florists instead, where the flowers are much lighter. I've used My Hasselblad at nearly 20 wedding and events I do just fine with it, capturing the best images just like the pros, even though I'm not a pro. 

Of course the many studios that do use Hasselblad for weddings don't complain at all, because they agree with me and want to provide their customers with that extra bit of quality. Does this mean you should not use a studio who does not use medium format cameras?  No, plenty of capable photographers use only 35mm, but they better not charge as much.  Some studios have come up with creative excuses like "Hasselblads are mechanically unreliable, so we don't use them".  Wow, unreliable?  That's a new one! I guess that's why NASA used them on the moon. The studio that shot our wedding sends all their Hasselblad equipment to the factory for an overhaul every year, whether it needs it or not.  If the complainers were that conscientious about maintenance, they would not have to worry about mechanical breakdown.  I don't shoot pictures for money, and even I still send mine in about every 2-3 years for maintenance.

Reliability Issue: I brought my Hasselblad to a friend's wedding. Lucky for him, as his photographer's Bronica camera crapped out on him and I let him use my Hasselblad in exchange for several rolls of film. That saved him and my friends from devastating results. How important is quality?  Let's see... NASA uses Hasselblad in space, Hmmm... do they use Bronica or Pentax when they only get one chance to bring home the gold?  Also ask the studio about their camera maintenance. You want a studio that sends their cameras and lenses for maintenance annually, whether they need it or not.

The photographers smack talk Hasselblad are not telling you the REAL reason they don't have a Hasselblad or Mamiya:  They are darn expensive.  They are probably the most expensive in the world and these whiners don't want to spend the money so they make excuses why they don't have a Hasselblad.  Eventually they begin to believe their own lies.  If I'm so wrong like these few naysayers claim, someone better call NASA, Playboy, and most of the top fashion and wedding photographers worldwide and tell them stop using the "unreliable" Hassleblad, and tell them they only need to be using 35 mm.

Interview 3 to 5 Wedding Photography Studios During Off Hours

Make appointments to interview wedding photographers as early as possible preferably on a week day, or on a Saturday if you work during the week. And you'd better show up if you book the interview. Get there as soon as they open, before the crowds, as Saturday is the busy day for them. After work on weekday evenings is also a good time to go. Every studio will show you their best 2 or 3 albums on display. But ask to see more albums from the back room, current work in their darkroom from last week's wedding, or recently finished albums ready to pick up. Study the albums carefully to see if you like the quality. Look at pictures taken in low light surroundings like a dark church. The exposure should be clear, colorful, and free of graininess, which indicates underexposure, and free of dust. Look for detail in the bride's dress. You want to see detailed lace, not white wash from an overexposed shot. Talk to the photographer about their philosophy of shooting weddings, and lighting. Ask them how they deal with wedding guests trying to take pictures while they are posing the wedding party. Ask them how they handle the Murphy's Law situations when the arise. Have them describe the worst wedding nightmares they have had and how they got through the situations.

HUGE forum Debate Topic: Why won't the studio give me my wedding negatives???

I Don't recommend asking for your negatives. True, I am trying to save you money, but do you REALLY want to risk ruining your wedding negatives? These are not picnic photos. Some fools won't take the negatives to a PRO lab, and it gets ruined by Fred & Barney's 60 minute photo. Some people think studios act like we are all dumb and would ruin the negatives. It's true! You give John Q public WAY too much credit. Step ladders are required to ship with seven warning labels because John Q. Public can't use a step ladder properly. To be safe, don't take all your negatives to the lab at once. Besides, where are you going to get 120 sized film printed? Only pro labs do that, and they are few and far between. You could drive all over town and not find a lab capable of printing your 120 size negatives. The studio knows how to handle film properly and can print it themselves more cost effective than you can. Look at it from their view: The studio just shot your wedding. They have to dodge you on the road going into work and you want them to trust you with your negatives? Next, you're getting prints from scratched negatives, and everyone blames the studio. They have their reputation to maintain. They know who to send film to for quality processing. If you take them to an untested lab and they get ruined, there's no undo button

Wedding Studios Make Their Livelihood From Your Wedding Negatives

Studios make a profit from shooting your wedding.  But the real profit for them materializes when you order reprints, and photos for your family.  By asking them to give up the negatives, you are asking them to give up their livelihood, which is a lot for a studio struggling to stay afloat.  They have a lot of overhead to pay, such as rent, salaries, film, paper, and chemicals.  This is why many studios will not give out the negatives, and rightly so.  However, some studios might sell you your negatives in 2 years, before they purge them from their files.  The studio we used does that. I suggest that you just let the studio print all your photos the professional way, it's a lot easier, there's fewer headaches, and you'll get better results.

Freelance wedding Photographers

Some freelance photographers who do not have the overhead of a studio may shoot your wedding and then turn over the negatives, as part of the contract.   Some freelancers only operate this way, preferring a $600 job for a few hours work and not having to drive all over town afterwards to have your film processed.  They prefer to just shoot, and turn over the film to you.  But they can only afford to do this because they don't have the overhead of a studio.   You still may want to have them print the initial photos for your album to be safe. Then ask for your negatives afterwards, so you can make all the prints you want for family and friends. But I still urge you to take the negatives to a lab that prints for professional studios, on professional paper. Do NOT try to cut corners there. I compiled some pricing for you from 2 pro labs that I use frequently, and from typical studio pricing you'll encounter:
 

Pro labs cost more than Costco or WalMart, but don't cut corners! If studios do their own printing, they eliminate the pro lab middle man and reprints can be profitable for them.  Try to negotiate the price of the reprints with them.  I doubt studios will lower their price, but it never hurts to ask. Your wedding photographer can also recommend a limo service. They know who arrives on time and who does not. Interview 3-5 photographers during your quest. You'll see differences in personality, and let them ask you questions. You want a photographer who shows an interest in your needs so they can provide the best service possible.
 

Ask What Camera Equipment, Film, Lighting, etc. The Wedding Photography Studio Uses

The first question to ask is what camera will they be using. If they are not using a Hasselblad, this can deduct a few points for the studio. Let's face it, they charge you a lot of money for their service so they better be using the best. The Rollei 6000 series with the same Carl Zeiss lenses that Hasselblad uses is also a good camera.  The Mamiya RB series is a great camera too (I own 2 old Mamiya C30's from the 1950's). The Hasselblad medium format 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" frame camera  is the only camera I wanted used at our wedding as they are the best and the Carl Zeiss optics are the finest on earth. That's why they're used in planetariums, binoculars, and microscopes. They should be used at your wedding too. The Mamiya does come close, however. Truly great photographers who want that extra tweak of quality to set them apart from the rest use Hasselblad. Someone with that kind of respect for quality can't be too bad.  If I'm down to my last 2 studios to choose from, and they both seem excellent and I can't decide who to go with, the Hassey has it. Thus endeth the sermon.

I went through the "Hassle" of recruiting the talented pastry chef at The Boca Raton Resort to create the most incredible groom's cake for me, with an edible Hasselblad replica on top!  My cake was a hit at the wedding, looking so real, many people thought someone left a camera on my cake. Go to our "Wedding Cake Photo Page", which has lots of awesome wedding cake pics: ours, friends, relatives, and wedding cake pics from other weddings that we found on the web. A must if you're looking for cake ideas!
 

I took this photo of my groom's cake. You know I'm going to take photos with my Hasselblad at my own wedding and not charge myself!

A guest at our wedding shot this photo of our dessert table. The actual shot looks much better than the low-res thumbnail above.

Ask the studio if they will be using secondary flash units or umbrella lighting at the church. The bridal party portraits will come out much better. The extra light provided by the umbrella evenly lights up the larger area taken up by a big bridal party.

Ask them what film they will be using. Make sure they use a professional film. Kodak, Fuji, and other film makers produce consumer films that you buy in stores, but you want your photographer to use professional grade films. Most photographers here in Florida use Kodak Pro, Porta, or VPS film as of 2004.  Take a look at these photos that I shot at my sister Tracy's Wedding using Kodak's Professional Porta Film. The color and clarity was breathtaking, and the film is designed for flesh tones. Many photographers in California use Fuji.  The word I hear from several photographers is that Kodak is r//eally difficult and arrogant to work with, so they hop into bed with Fuji, who is more user friendly.  It all boils down to preference with the photographer, and with the pro films you can't go wrong with either one.  I myself think that Kodak's Pro and their Porta color 160 speed film is the best I've ever used.  I even use the 35 mm version for my Nikon.  It produces stunning blacks at night, and nicely saturated colors in daylight.  Kodak usually costs the stores and studios more money, but Fuji gives them higher profit margins. Make sure your studio buys film fresh from refrigerated suppliers. You don't want good pictures ruined by bad film.

Let your wedding guests take wedding pictures for free

Buy yourself some inexpensive Disposable Wedding Cameras to place on your wedding reception tables. You can get many wedding reception themes for you at a discount. Buy them now, while it's fresh on your mind, they are hard to find and 2 days before your wedding reception. Your guests know what to do with these wedding cameras. Your photographer cannot be everywhere and your guests won't let good times go by undocumented. I was impressed by the imagination of our non-pro wedding guests. We got some one of a kind greats. The Kodak Disposable Wedding Cameras take better pictures these days; film technology has really improved. It's amusing to see the action that you missed at your wedding. When shooting with these disposable wedding cameras, make sure the subject is 6' to 12' away. Any further and the picture positively will not come out.  The photo will be too dark.

Choose A Studio Who Uses An Assistant And Does Their Own Printing
It is a BIG plus for a studio if the photographer uses an assistant for your wedding. Few studios do, but some studios employing family do. The assistant performs many tasks like changing film backs, batteries, and shooting candid photos, freeing the photographer to focus on your special occasion. It may cost more, but it's value added.

Try to negotiate the cost of your wedding package

Just because the studio shows you a written price list does not mean you have to pay the "rack rate".  Ask them if they will give you a better price WITHOUT TAKING ANYTHING OUT.  One thing is for sure, if you don't as for a lower price, you won't get it. In other words, you want them to come down in price, not just remove some items to bring the price down.  You might be surprised that the studio may drop the price.  Of course top notch and highly rated local studios who are booked a year in advance can demand top dollar and are not desperate for your business.  They can afford to hold out for full price because if you don't take that Saturday slot, someone else will.  Ask if they will charge you a lower price on an off day, like Friday or Sunday.  Lastly, if they don't budge, work with the studio on a custom package.  Look at their entire wedding brochure package lineup and jettison the items you don't need.  Maybe you don't need 7 or 8 hours of coverage.  Maybe you don't need 60 8x10's, or a location photo session, or a pre-bridal studio sitting. Maybe if you promise to buy a certain number of 8x10's and 5x7's where they make good profit, maybe they will cut you a break.  Maybe they will give you a volume discount on a large number of the same shot.

Wedding studios who do their own developing may be better

Ask if they develop and print their own pictures, or if they farm it out to out of state labs. If it's out of state, this can be a minus for them. I'm not saying reject the studio, many studios send out for and receive good work. Your film is less likely to be lost or damaged if it is done locally.  The pictures will also be ready much quicker. In some areas, it may be hard for the studio to process themselves or environmental laws prevent them from doing so. Just look in the wedding forums and see how many people waited months to get pictures or even had them lost because they were sent out! Some studios have no choice if they can't find a local lab to meet their quality standards. The studio we used does all their own printing so we went on our honeymoon and our album of 420 proofs was waiting for us when we came back 1 week later! Most people wait typically a month or more. For this reason, try to "shoot" for a studio that does their own printing, right up to 16 x 20, so the film and process is under their control not a volume plant trying to crank out the numbers.  Your prints are ready quicker than mail order, where there is always risk to your negatives. Ask if they print on Kodak Professional Paper, not plain Kodak paper like you get at local 60 minute labs.
 

Check the wedding forums for angry brides and see for yourself how many people got burned by their photographer when they didn't get the album they expected, or near the number of "promised" 8x10's. Make sure you see the exact album you are getting so there will be no surprises when it arrives. Most people get 36 8x10 photos in their album. If you can afford it, get more. We found 62 pictures were necessary to tell the story of our wedding. If your studio plan includes a portrait to be displayed at the reception, or a location shoot, make sure it is mentioned on the contract, along with the use of professional film and paper. Other items in the contract should be your wedding date, where the photographer is supposed to report to, size of the wedding party, number of guests, ring bearers, etc. all event times and locations, how many hours you have the photographer for, your deposits, and remaining balance. The studios overtime charge (usually $100-150/hr) should be listed in case you run late. Like the old saying goes, the best surprise is no surprise.

Which Wedding Photo Album should you get?

This is always a tough decision for the bride and groom. Leather Craftsman and Art Leather are the best albums, both with lifetime guarantees. Here is a description of both:

Leather Craftsman Wedding Albums

The best album according to most studios is Leather Craftsman. This is the one we chose, with black rounded golden edged pages. The Leather Craftsman was a $300 upgrade over the Art Leather Perma-Bound. Of course you might as well stick a Hoover in your wallet and set it on high for this one. It's a Rolls Royce, but the Art Leather is a better bang for the buck if you're low on cash. After your final layout approval, the prints for your album are coated with a protective lacquer finish and shipped to Leather Craftsman in New York to be library bound, engraved and permanently mounted. The album we chose has a white cover, black pages, 1/8" gold stripe around each picture. Then, each page edge is finished in a hardened, smooth shiny gold color, that looks stunning when all the pages are closed. It looks like a big golden book. They have a lifetime guarantee. The studio agreed with my choice of black pages, as it makes you focus on each photo. White pages are distracting and if scuffed or marked, white pages would show it more.

Art Leather Perma-Bound

Used by most professional wedding photographers as a great album that is not too expensive. The original Perma-Bound album introduced the unique spine which has since become their trademark. The difference is Art Leather is the kind in which the photos slide under the matting, the matting is sealed, the pages are attached by thin steel rods into the binding. Some people claim the rods can loosen over time, but how often do you flip through the book? Besides they have a lifetime guarantee. The Leather Craftsman pages looked better than the Art leather pages but that is just our opinion, you need to decide for yourself.

I do not recommend putting multiple pictures on a page, like a collage. Sure this saves money for people who are pinched, but it cheapens the look. This is only my opinion, but I feel your wedding album is the premier photo album of your collection that should stand far above the rest, with all 8x10 photos. Why dilute the image by placing several small photos on a page, making your expensive wedding album look like a football collage or one of those multi image frames you buy at Target and hang in the kitchen?  You paid the studio big bucks to take big pictures with a big camera, then you ask for small pictures which lack the clarity and story telling ability of a big 8x10 photo?  If you want a collage, stick it on your bookshelf instead.

Working With Your Wedding Photographer During The Wedding

At the ceremony, listen carefully to the photographer's direction. You have more control of your wedding party than the photographer so you are influential in getting people lined up for photos. Remember, time is money. After the receiving line, have the wedding party remain seated up front so the photographer can work quickly. If you have to be aggressive with your family, do so. This way the photographer does not have to, like good cop, bad cop. You do not want guests complaining that the photographer was rude.  Your guests will never say YOU were rude, they'll understand that you're upset with the lack of quick response on everyone's part.  Your guests should stand clear when the photographer is setting people up and they should not take photos, as their flashes will set off the photographer's remote slave strobe lights, which take several seconds to recharge. This is portrait time only, and you are paying big money for so your guests must be patient and stand clear.  Have someone with authority carry this out.  A truly professional photographer knows that your guests want photos in the church badly.  Your aunt Rose flew 2,000 miles and damn it, she's going to get a photo.  So the better photographers will wait until the full bridal party shot has been taken, then announce that guests can take a minute to shoot pictures.  This is usually the best, most picturesque shot anyway, all posed for you by the photographer.  At a friend's wedding, the photographer after taking the shot stated "Stop, don't move, anyone who wants this shot come get it right now".  A smart photographer would make this the last shot at the church.  As an added plus, they might even leave their strobe on for a few minutes for people with decent cameras, so they get great fill lighting.   This way, unavoidable conflicts don't arise with guests wishing to take pictures. At the reception milestones like garter toss and cake cutting, don't start until your photographer is in place with a good angle to take the shot. A good photographer is already in place if they work closely with the DJ, but things happen and you do want to make sure they don't miss it.

Choosing Photos After The Wedding

Go enjoy your honeymoon, and don't worry about your pictures. When you get back a week later, your proofs will be waiting if you chose the right studio. Although medium format cameras produce a square frame, your proofs will most likely be cropped into rectangular 3 x 5's. As you examine each proof, determine if the shot is a keeper.  You these tips as your guide:

• Are everyone's eyes open? 
• Did someone look away?
• Is the lighting nice and white, or is it dark and off color?
• Is there anything in the background that will look lousy when blown up?
• On natural lighting shots without a flash, is the exposure good or is it too dark?
• Does the picture make you smile when you see it?

It's hard to tell sometimes with 3 x 5's. Pictures look different when they are blown up too, so make sure you are warm and fuzzy about each 8x10. This may sound cold, but don't buy pictures for your family members. You still love them, but you will go broke as all the little wallets and 8x10's add up real quick. We ordered 45 reprints of the best proofs, made a little handheld album, and mailed it around the family for them to write down what they wanted, and they sent all their checks for the studio order. Once you decide which proofs to blow up to 8x10 for the album make sure you have all the shots you want. When the 8x10's come back, review each shot carefully with the photographer, as it will be permanent in your album. The biggest issues with 8x10's is dust or the white dresses and wedding cakes are too bleached out and lacking detail.  Some photographers over expose the shot from being so close, or have their flash set too bright for the distance they are away from the subject.  The studio should reprint it at no cost to you, because you are paying good money for properly exposed and printed photos. This is where using that out of state lab comes back to haunt you, because now you have to wait another month or more for your dusty 8x10 to be reprinted. Make sure the cake photo has good detail and is not washed out. Did you decide to get your parents a parent album? These usually have 25 5x7 photos. Find the best picture of the family and blow it up to a 16x20 for your wall. Church family pictures usually come out well, if the photographer did a good job lighting and posing everyone.

So what package did we get for our wedding?

We got a 6 hour plan with 62 8x10's, a Leather Craftsman Upgrade, a 16 x 20 bridal portrait and portable studio setup displayed at the reception, and a proof book with 420 proofs. These were 375 proofs from the wedding, and 50 from a location shoot with the family 2 days prior to the wedding. Also included was a parent album with 24 5x7's.  This package was $2299 that was in 1996.  Ouch! We paid $300 extra to upgrade from Art Leather PermaBound to Leather Craftsman, and were real glad to do so.  It's like paying extra money for a Lexus.  Sure it's a lot of cash, but it's worth it. But we originally signed the contract for Art Leather, waited to think about it, and when all 63 of our 8x10's were ready and we reviewed them with the studio, we used some of our gift money to upgrade to the Leather Craftsman. Cool idea, huh? This type of package is not suited to everyone, but it was for us.
 

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