Quote:
Originally Posted by Neeper
You know I have shot weddings in over 6 countries now, so Europe is not an issue. 
When looking for a wedding photographer, don't just let them show you their best photos. Ask to see whole weddings, so you know their consistency throughout the whole day. Ask them which type of shooting is their strongest asset. Is it PJ or portrait? Make sure you have a connection with your photographer. He/she will be with you all day. We are the only vendors who are with the couples from morning to the end of the night. If you can't get along with them, it won't be as enjoyable and will probably be stressful. Ask to see what kinds of products they offer, such as albums and prints and such.
Experience is a HUGE asset! Don't underestimate that.
As for fees. Personally, my fees are non-negotiable. I want clients to hire me based on my rep, work, experience, service and style. I understand money comes into all decisions and I value my work. Not to sound cocky, but I truly believe that what I do, I can do better than 90% of the photographers out there. Some photographers are definitely negotiable. You could ask for extra incentives like album upgrades, extra prints and such. Physical tangible goods are easier to negotiate for than for a monetary discount. |
I'd add to this to make sure to ask about reprints and digital negatives. Things can vary a lot from country to country or even photographer to photographer. If you are hiring a foreign photographer I would be adamant that you get full resolution digitals at the very least (personally I would push for RAW files but that might be hard.. haha). Trying to go through the process of ordering reprints or trying to get any additional work done may be extremely difficult.
I personally have never understood why some photographers will not give full resolution digitals to customers, it's such a pain in the a$$ to use the photographer to print off a few 8x10's to give to grammy and pappy... and for what? To have the photographer make a few extra bucks!? Pffft.. no thanks! As long as a customer isn't using the photographs for commercial use/profit I don't see the big deal.