Photographer for ROM

[Ms SML]

I am holding my ROM in November 2012 in a restaurant.

Intend to look for a photographer that charge hourly (instead of taking package) because I am inviting 20 guests only and think would only need 2 hours of photography.

Budget hopefully not more than $100 an hour (saw another blog, this is the current market rate).

Where is the best place to find "not bad" photographer that charge this rate?

 

[sinned79]

There is a =url=http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/services-wanted/]different section[/url] that you can post.

You may also wish to provide the actual date of the ROM instead of just the month.

 

[Ms SML]

Okay, thanks.

My ROM on 11 Nov 2012 lunch time.

 

[kentwong81]

Hi, $100 per hour is not the market rate. In fact there is no "market rate" for wedding photographers, unlike a Samsung TV selling at different stores at similar range of prices, because the Samsung TVs are the same model, no matter where they are sold.

Wedding photographer are different, they are humans, they have different DNAs, different brains, different skills, different styles, different aesthetics vision, different years of experience, etc. Hence, it is not possible to put a "market rate" on every wedding photographer.

Same goes for wedding couples' budgets. There is no "market rate" for the wedding couples' budgets because different wedding couples have different requirements and priorities on holding their weddings.

Usually accepting a 2-hour wedding job rather than a full-day-package is an "opportunity cost" for a wedding photographer, especially if it is a weekend (most actual day weddings are held on weekends). Because after accepting the 2-hour job for the lunch time, he/she will not be able to shoot for the rest of the day, unless he/she manages to find another wedding job that starts in the late afternoon/evening. Hence, some photographers with good skills and good experience will have a "minimum package" that ensure he earns a minimum income for that day, besides covering the transportation costs and meals.

I'm not sure if $200(consider that you pay max $100 per hour) is enough for the wedding photographer that you engage. If the photographer is taking taxi to your ROM location and back, the taxi fees could be $50 in total if the photographer's house is far away and if the taxi companies hike the rates and extend the peak hour timings again by your ROM date 11 Nov 2012(very likely), which means the photographer is only earning $150 maximum or lesser, which may not be enough to buy a pair of Nike sport shoes in this high inflation era.

#PS: the camera gear that the photographer use could be easily above $4000(just basic setup) and even beyond $10,000 for the pro. So earning $150 or lesser may not help in paying back these expensive gears.

 

[Rashkae]

$100 per hour will most likely be the polytechnic wanna-be photographers who just got a DSLR for Christmas. You will just get a CD with straight out-of-camera JPEGs, no processing, retouching, etc. No printing of photobooks, etc.

If you read ON A BLOG that $100/hour is the market rate and expect a photographer with a basic idea of what they are doing and some standard of quality and thought in the shots, you are VERY VERY VERY mistaken.

 

[jasonyjw]

maybe the hired photographer can shoot with compact camera?

 

[catchlights]

I am holding my ROM in November 2012 in a restaurant.

Intend to look for a photographer that charge hourly (instead of taking package) because I am inviting 20 guests only and think would only need 2 hours of photography.

Budget hopefully not more than $100 an hour (saw another blog, this is the current market rate).

Where is the best place to find "not bad" photographer that charge this rate?

it does not mean that you have less guests you will get cheaper rate, I have shot solemnization weddings with less than 10 pax (inducing the couple) and they still pay me the same rate. in actual fact, it is much harder to shoot small scale events.

pro photographers or seasonal wedding shooters will avoid shooting ROM events held on weekends, if booked for a ROM event for 2-3 hours they won't able to shoot a full day wedding event on the same day, that is consider a lost of income, so usually ROM wedding on weekends are somewhere between $400 to $600 for two hours service.

of course you still can find someone who fit in your budget, but please note some of them are shooting for experience, some of them are shooting for extra pocket money or some other reasons. if you don't mind of these, then that shouldn't be any issue.

hope this help.

 

[Agetan]

I had to add in my 2 cents though...

Here is what I think...

It will all depends on what is the TS looking for in the pictures. If all he needs are some well expose record shots, I guess for the money that he is willing to spend, I don't think it will be difficult to find. There are a lot of new photographers who will be more than willing to take the job. Everyone has to start somewhere...

As a photographer, I believe people who is considering photography, should first look at what images that speak to them and slowly narrow it down to the budgeting. Not saying that you have to pay a lot for what you want, but I think to shop for pricing first may not be the best idea.

So my suggestions is to look at some works done by photographers who is offering their service under "Service" and talk to a few and see if you are happy working with them.

Pictures and Price point isn't everything and I generally won't hire photographer who is not interested in people to start with, in short, I won't hire an *******... hahaha... I have seen some videographers recently who produce interesting work (i think the editor is better then the videographer) but totally inappropriate at the wedding and I felt shameful standing next to them.


Regards,

Hart

 

[sjackal]

I agree with Hart. Different people have different needs. The same with different photographers have different levels of skill and operation costs. The thread-starter mentioned she is looking for 'not bad' photographers which I interpret as someone who could take well exposed pictures with good correct colors and reasonably safe composition. Which is perfectly reasonable.

But if the couple is looking for a real wedding pro who could make people (and their clothes) look their best, tackle fast changing situations, have the right (expensive) equipment, thrive in chaos, do art shots, pose people elegantly, be quiet when need to, take command when required, manage emotions, reduce bride stress, motivate grouchy uncles, minimism mothers-in-laws jealousy and enmity, be respectful, dress decently, uphold honorable professional ethics, etc etc etc, and still tell (or enhance) a beautiful wedding story at the end of the day, then they must be prepared to pay for such expertise and experience.

The problem only occur when clients wants to pay amateur prices but expect pro results, or photographers produce pro results but charge only amateur prices.

Some weeks ago I had a client telling me he really really want me to shoot his big day saying he saw many other photographers work but just don't like those, said the 'feeling' just isn't there. I was happy. But he wants to pay only the prices those photog charged, saying in his next line that he saw many other photographers only charging so much and so much. Isn't it precisely why? Despite his implied rudeness (most likely unintentional) I thanked him for his query and we ended with a happy note.

I had to add in my 2 cents though...

Here is what I think...

It will all depends on what is the TS looking for in the pictures. If all he needs are some well expose record shots, I guess for the money that he is willing to spend, I don't think it will be difficult to find. There are a lot of new photographers who will be more than willing to take the job. Everyone has to start somewhere...

As a photographer, I believe people who is considering photography, should first look at what images that speak to them and slowly narrow it down to the budgeting. Not saying that you have to pay a lot for what you want, but I think to shop for pricing first may not be the best idea.

So my suggestions is to look at some works done by photographers who is offering their service under "Service" and talk to a few and see if you are happy working with them.

Pictures and Price point isn't everything and I generally won't hire photographer who is not interested in people to start with, in short, I won't hire an *******... hahaha... I have seen some videographers recently who produce interesting work (i think the editor is better then the videographer) but totally inappropriate at the wedding and I felt shameful standing next to them.


Regards,

Hart

 

[evilorgi]

i think TS is reasonable to ask for such a price, PROVIDED she is ok with the photographer in learning phase or wanting to build his portfolio... it's a fair trade here... but you do not ask a full time professional to shoot and then pay him a amatuer price... that's like asking EPL players to play in EPL with SLeague pay... this is certainly not fair...

but saying all these, as a learning photographer myself, i am willing to accept that $200 and take up this weekend job... after that still can go movie in town... LOL!

 

[surrephoto]

I think you can still get decent chicken rice for $2.00... but it won't be anything more than an as-is plate of hawker centre stall chicken rice.

You could probably get a chicken rice with vegetable set at $4 - $6, which may or may not necessary taste better, and may or may not have more quantity of meat.

You could go to a famous restaurant and pay $10/pax but it may taste very different from your standard plate or rice at your house kopitiam... since it's special and use different ingredients it became famous, and whether you like it or not is taste and preference.

Finally you could pay $22++ for a plate of chicken rice at some hotel because the chicken rice is extremely famous. Some people would never do this because to them chicken rice still is nothing more than chicken rice.

Applies the same for photography.

 

[Blur Shadow]

Simple matter of demand and supply.

 

[JasonB]

Simple matter of demand and supply.

Supply and demand is an interesting and complex issue that goes beyond just plain high supply means low prices or low prices means low demand.

One have to examine specific niches and also, if you treat photography like a commodity then it is a commodity like hawker centre $2 chicken rice

If you treat it like a lifestyle, then it's like a $200 lunch at posh restaurant or hotel. You might not have $200 lunch everyday, but it's reasonable getting a $2000 photog on your once in a life time wedding day.

Just be porportional if your holding your reception in a nice restaurant, not hawker centre. But doesn't mean getting married in posh venues you need an expensive photog, depends on individual needs, taste, lifestyle and spending power. But just don't cheap out and suffer anguish. All the cheap photogs claim they are good. All the expensive ones claim the same. Do your own homework and decide

 

[Blur Shadow]

That's the utility curve! Haha!