Names: The contract should specify who your photographer is. This is especially important if you’re booking with a studio – sometimes it’s written in their contract that they can substitute one photographer for another. Furthermore, make sure the contract specifies an acceptable alternative if your photographer gets really sick or some other emergency arises that prevents her from making it to your wedding.

Date, time and place:  It sounds obvious, but double check that the date and start time are correct on the contract. Also make sure the length of time the photographer will be present and shooting is correct. Be sure to include the address(es) of the ceremony and reception.

Photography:  It’s a good idea to make sure the contract includes what equipment will be used. If you’re going with film, the contract should stipulate an approximate number of exposures and cost of extra rolls of film. Ask the photographer if she brings backup equipment in case her primary camera malfunctions.

Cost: Does the price listed match what you discussed? Keep an eye out for extra fees like travel time and expenses, overtime, post-processing touchups, etc. If you don’t see any extras listed, it’s a good idea to ask, just in case. Look to see if the cost of getting the digital files is included. If you’re planning on making your own wedding photography album, you’ll want all the files on CD. Some photographers will charge a bit extra for this, since they’re not making the extra money they would by designing your photo album for you.

Processing time: The contract should include an estimate of how long it will take for you to get prints, digital files and your wedding album, if you’re ordering it from the photographer. Estimates can range anywhere from four to twelve weeks. If you’re going the DIY wedding album route, the time will be shorter since the photographer mainly needs to review the images and copy them to a disc for you.

Cancellation, refund and liability policies: These policies vary from photographer to photographer, but some sort of policy should be spelled out in the contract. This section goes hand in hand with the liability section of the contract, which typically, but not always, states that if something out of the photographer’s control goes wrong, the client gets her full payment back but nothing more.

Other things to look for: Some photographers have policies about guests not taking photos of the posed portraits. Also check for copyright policies – e.g. who owns the digital files, what type of files will you receive (high resolution vs. screen resolution), in what capacity you are allowed to use the files, in what capacity the photographer can use pictures of your wedding for her own purposes, etc.

Signatures: Take the time to read the contract over carefully, maybe even take it home with you. Once you’ve signed the contract, make sure the photographer signs it and gives you a copy for your record.

The post The Wedding Photography Contract appeared first on Fizara.

Decide on your budget and start shopping around. Decide what photography style you like best, ask recently married friends about their photographers, and put out requests on social media for recommendations and to see if you indirectly know any professional photographers. Check online portfolios and make initial contact with photographers whose work you like. In person, check out complete wedding albums to see how a photographer approaches the big day, and be sure to ask lots of questions. For more information on choosing a photographer, read this article.

6-12 months before: Book the photographer

Once you’ve found someone whose photography style, personality and budget match what you’re looking for, sign the contract. The longer you wait, the bigger the chance the photographer will not be available for your date. Plus, prices may go up as the photographer’s schedule gets busier. But don’t be pressured into signing a contract too fast. Read it over and make sure you understand everything. Make sure there’s a contingency plan for what happens if she’s sick or can’t show up for some reason. Make sure it specifies who owns the digital files, especially if you’re planning on making a DIY wedding album, or other photography products. Copy the contract and save it for yourself. You’ll also be responsible for paying a retainer or deposit at this point.

1 month before: Meet with the photographer

A month before the wedding, the three of you should sit down and discuss specifics. Give her a shot list, discuss how you like to look in photos and let her know of any challenges you foresee (a difficult flower girl, for example). Meeting in person will also give you all a chance to get to know each other better. The more comfortable you are around the photographer, the more likely you are to have natural-looking photos. Be sure to give her emergency contact information as well as contact information for a point person, maybe a good friend who can help her identify important guests on wedding day. Also let her know about any restrictions she may face (e.g. no flash photography in the church).

wedding photography of bride and groom having fun with camera

Wedding day

The photographer will be on hand to capture the pre-wedding routines, the ceremony and the reception, for however long you previously decided. With a good wedding photographer, this part won’t require too much attention on your part.

4-6 weeks after: Photographer identifies the best photos, does post-production

With digital cameras, the photographer will have taken hundreds, maybe thousands, of pictures at the wedding. It will take a while for her to review them all and weed out the duds. She will also do postproduction work like cropping and making small color adjustments. Some photographers return the photos in as little as three weeks, but most quote around 6 to 8 weeks.

2-3 months after: Wedding photography album

Either the photographer will design and send off to the printer for your wedding album, or she will give you the digital files and you’ll make your own photo album. If you’re going the DIY wedding album route, give yourself several weeks to review, select and layout the album yourself. Check out this article for a step-by-step guide to make a DIY wedding album.

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Consider cutting coverage:

You obviously want the photographer around for the ceremony and the reception’s big events. But after the bouquet toss, cake cutting and toasts, how different are the third and fourth hour of dancing from the first and second? There are lots of other, cheaper ways to make sure important moments later in the evening are captured than paying several hundred extra an hour for extended coverage. Ask your guests to upload all their photos to a designated website like Flickr, Photobucket or a wedding website. Create a hashtag for Instagram so you can find them all. Send personal emails after the wedding asking your guests for photos.

Wedding Photography of bride and groom holding hands in golden sunlight

Shop around:

Make sure you have a good grasp of the going rate for wedding photography in your area before booking. And get several quotes before signing a contract. Figure out the best price for the best-matched package, and see if other photographers you like can, or will, beat that price. If you found a photographer you love, but the price is a little out of your range, ask if you can drop something from the package – an hour of coverage, the photo album (you can always go for a DIY album instead), the extra set of prints – to bring it into your price range. Especially if you’re working with an independent photographer, not a studio, prices are negotiable! Also keep an eye out for package deals. Sometimes photographers and videographers team up, and if you book them together, you’ll get a deeper discount.

Friends of friends:

If you know someone, or knows someone who knows someone, who is a professional photographer, definitely reach out. While it’s risky to book a hobbyist photographer since he or she may not have experience with wedding photography (remember: a good camera does not a wedding photographer make), there’s a good chance you have some tangential connection to someone professional. Put out the request on Facebook and Twitter. Maybe your sixth grade biology partner is now a professional. If you can find someone you have a personal connection with, there’s a good chance you can knock a bit off the regular price.

Wedding photography of bride and groom embracing in morning sunlight

Pay full price for the photographer. Save money elsewhere:

Photography is a vital part of preserving wedding memories. You may want to consider finding the best photographer you can, and cutting costs elsewhere. Making a DIY wedding album is a great way to save upwards of $1,000 in your overall wedding budget. The materials – paper, ink, printing, binding – are of professional quality, and because you’re the one designing the layout and choosing the photos, the final wedding album will be exactly what you want, not what a professional designer or photographer thinks you want.

The post How to Save on Wedding Photography (Part II) appeared first on Fizara.

First, review and rate your photos. Look at each and every photo without a critical eye to get an idea of what you have. Then, do a second pass through, rating each photo on a scale of 1 to 5. Do another round, this time getting trusted friends’ and family members’ opinions, Immediately throw out the 1s and 2s, but don’t worry about narrowing down to your final list of top photos just yet.

Second, group your photos by event. Make folders for getting ready, the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dessert, the bouquet toss, etc. Decide how many photos each event needs to adequately tell the story. Remember, that’s the point of your DIY wedding album – to tell the story of your wedding day from beginning to end. Remove your least favorite photos from each folder.

Third, make sure all the important people and details are included. Review your folders. Are there pictures of the wedding dress, the rings, the food and the venue? Are there pictures of your best friend, your college roommate and your work crew? These are the things that made your wedding special, so make sure everyone and everything that’s important to you is included in your DIY wedding album. When in doubt, lean towards photos of people, not things.

Fourth, look for variety. To narrow down your photos more, review them all once again with a critical artist’s eye. Look for variation in composition, depth and style: candid shots, portraits, close-ups, wide angles, interesting shadows/angles/focus, etc. This will ensure your wedding album tells the story in the most interesting and visually appealing way possible. Get rid of repetitive shots or ones that don’t look very interesting in the context of what else you’ve chosen.

Fifth, decide on your album. Flush-mounted albums, in which the photos are printed directly on the page like a coffee table book, are the most popular and modern wedding albums. Plus, they give you much more flexibility in terms of design and layout. Pick the type of cover you want (classic leather, acrylic or cameo photo), the shape you want (square, horizontal or vertical), and the number of pages you want. Fizara photo albums include the first 20 pages free, and extra pages can be added for a small additional cost. Consider the size and length of your wedding as well as your budget when determining how many pages you want. A typical flush-mount wedding album has between 40 to 60 pages.

Seventh, decide on your final photos. Does the number of photos you have left match the number of photos that fit in your chosen album size? You’re all set! If not, go through each folder again and re-rank the images. Absolutely keep the 4s and 5s, but weed out the lower-ranked ones, making sure you don’t accidentally remove the only photo of a special loved one.

Sixth, lay out the design of your photo album. Using Fizara’s free album design software, you decide exactly how and where the photos appear on each page.

Seventh, send it off and await the final product, your own DIY wedding Album!

The post Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a DIY Wedding Album appeared first on Fizara.

• Do give your wedding photographer a list of must-have shots ahead of time. Let her know which are essential and which would nice to have. Don’t assume the photographer knows what you want. Every couple she works with wants something different. The two of you may also want to discuss with her ahead of time how you want to look in your photos and what angles and positions you think you look best in.
• Do get to know your wedding photographer. If you can’t afford, or don’t want to do, an engagement shoot, the three of you should at least meet for coffee a few weeks before the wedding. Feeling comfortable around each other is one of the best ways to help make sure you look comfortable and relaxed in the photos.
• Don’t forget to make a wedding day schedule. Give it to the photographer. It will help things run as smoothly and as close to on-time as possible. Sharing the schedule ahead of time will help her figure out exactly which photos should happen when in order to avoid rushing, or the alternative, keeping your guests waiting at the reception too long.

On your wedding day, help ensure you get the photos you want without distracting too much from the main event at hand – celebrating!

• Do have a friend be your point person for the photographer. If she needs help tracking someone down for portraits, your friend will know where to look and which name to call out. If there’s a problem, your friend can handle it so you don’t have to. Introduce the photographer and your friend first thing and have them exchange cell phone numbers, just in case.
• Don’t forget a touch-up kit. Have your mom, sister or friend carry it for you. It should have bobby pins, lipstick, eye drops, tissues, cotton swabs, face powder and anything else you think you might need to look your best after the vows. Crying opens up the possibility for red eyes and runny makeup, and all those congratulatory hugs might mess up your hair.
• Don’t focus too much on the photos. Yes, they’re important, but they aren’t the reason you’re all there. A good wedding photographer will be able to capture the moment, and all those portraits, without spending all day doing so. If you’ve shared the wedding day schedule ahead of time, the photographer should be able to tell you if you’ve allowed enough time to get through the portraits.
• On the flip side, don’t rush through photos. If they’re scheduled into your wedding day, you won’t have too. But, if you are feeling rushed, take a moment to talk with your significant other and photographer – decide which photos absolutely need to be done now (e.g. get photos with little kids and older relatives early in the day), and which you can maybe sneak away for later.
• Do feed the photographer. A happy, energized photographer means better photos for you.

The post Common Photography Mistakes to Avoid on Your Wedding Day appeared first on Fizara.

Take a look at photographers’ online galleries to get an idea of what kind of style they prefer to shoot in. Then visit the photographer in person and ask to see a few complete photo albums. And be sure to ask a few key questions to better understand the photographer’s approach: How would you describe your style? What kinds of shots are your favorites to shoot? How has your approach changed over time?

Traditional wedding photography with a modern twist

Traditional
The core of traditional wedding photography is the portrait. Almost every wedding will incorporate at least a bit of this because everyone wants a nice family photo for their wedding album. Traditional wedding photography tends towards more posed and formal, and the photographer will orchestrate the subjects in the photograph to create a balanced picture in which everyone looks their best. Think of traditional wedding photography as photos that vary from the bride and groom and all their extended family on the steps in front of the church to the new husband and wife under an old stone archway in the garden.

Photojournalistic wedding photography

Photojournalistic
Photojournalistic wedding photography is more modern and probably the most popular style of wedding photography these days. Photojournalism is the candid shots – the bride-to-be and her bridesmaids putting on makeup, Grandma and Grandpa slow dancing at the end of the night, the happy couple whispering in each other’s ears. These are the photos that make the viewer feel like he’s part of the action. Sometimes called “documentary style,” this type of photography may also feature scene-setting shots, like the decor, the wedding gown hanging in the doorway or a landscape shot of the reception venue. Whether you go the DIY wedding album route or the professional wedding album route, photojournalistic images will likely dominate the book.

Artistic wedding photography

Artistic
Artistic wedding photography encompasses a whole range of styles and shots that aren’t strictly photojournalistic or traditional. These are the shots when the photographer climbs a chair to get a bird’s eye view, or he crouches down to capture the shuffle of feet. Think off-center compositions, interesting shadows or creative use of focus. With artistic wedding photography, you trust the photographer to use his sense of style to tell the story from his point of view.

Bringing It All Together
If you decide to go the do-it-yourself wedding album route, the makeup of types of photos you decide on is entirely up to you. But keep in mind that you want to tell the story of your wedding day, and having a good mix of portraits, candids and unique pictures can help capture that. There is no magic formula. That’s the best part of making a DIY album – you can tailor it to exactly what you want. Go with your gut, and pick the style of wedding photography that has the most emotional resonance with you.

The post Styles of Wedding Photography appeared first on Fizara.

Personality: You, your significant other and the photographer must get along well. The better the three of you get along, the better your photos will come out. You should feel relaxed and comfortable around the photographer. You also want to make sure the photographer has the right temperament to deal with your friends and family. She’ll likely have a lot of interaction with them during the portraits as well as throughout the day. You want someone who can handle organizing groups of people into nicely composed photographs, but also someone who can fade into the background to capture the special candid moments.

Wedding photography of bride and groom holding hands on beach at sunset

Style: When you’re deciding if you like a certain wedding photographer’s samples, take note of her style. Decide what types of photos are most important to you – the family portraits, the candid shots or the creative ones – and look for a photographer who takes those kinds of photos really well. To get a better idea of what style a photographer tends to shoot look at more than just sample wedding albums. Ask to see full online galleries of current customers, and ask her directly to describe her photography philosophy.

Budget: Decide on a ballpark figure before you begin shopping around. It will help you avoid temptations to book someone out of your price range, and it will help you narrow down the field. But remember, price is often negotiable. Skip the engagement shoot or the professional wedding album if you’re looking to save money. A DIY photo album can look just as nice as a professional wedding album at a fraction of the cost.

Talent: Obviously you want to hire someone who takes good pictures. But what if you don’t have an eye for photography? Here are some things to look for. When you look at a photographer’s portfolio, do any of the photos elicit emotions? The best pictures will. Can you tell what’s happening? Do they look like part of a bigger story? You’re not just choosing a photographer who can take nice pictures. You’re choosing someone who will create a body of work that tells the story of your wedding day. Look for how well everything fits together. Do the people in the photos look natural? Do they look good? It’s her job, especially in the portraits section, to make everyone look their best. And lastly, the simple question – do you like the photos? Trust your instincts.

Creative wedding photographer captured silhouette of bride and groom.

Level of involvement: Some wedding photographers take a more backseat approach, and others act more like the director of a play. Figure out what role you want your photographer to play, both during the wedding itself and in post-production. If you would prefer a professional photo album, find a photographer whose sample albums speak to you. If you’d rather make the wedding album yourself, find a photographer who doesn’t charge too much extra for the digital files. Always be sure to ask about copyright ownership of the digital files, before you sign the contract.

The post How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer appeared first on Fizara.

Book a Sunday brunch wedding:

Or any time besides a Saturday night. There’s a good chance you can save money if you decide to have your wedding any day of the week besides Saturday and any time of the day besides evening. Because weddings are typically Saturday nights, photographers can charge a premium. However, most photographers don’t have high demand for their weekday or morning schedules, so they may offer you a discount for booking off-peak days or hours. Even if a deal isn’t offered upfront, it’s worth asking. Prices are rarely set in stone.

Beautiful fushia Kate Spade shoes and white LaRichi Couture wedding dress

Hire a photography student:

Call up the photography department at a local college and ask for recommendations. Young photographers are always looking for opportunities to beef up their portfolios and get some extra practice. It’s obviously more risky than hiring a professional, but there’s a good chance you’ll be able to knock a few hundred to a $1,000 off. Be sure to ask professors for recommendations, then take it upon yourself to sift through their portfolios. Since there’s a good chance the student won’t have much wedding photography experience, ask to see a variety of candid shots from an event as well as posed portraits to decide if you like the photographer’s style.

Hire someone who works from home:

It’s kind of a no-brainer. If the photographer works from home, he’s not paying rent on a studio. If he’s not paying rent on a studio, he’s not passing those costs onto the client.

Spring wedding photography – take advantage of natures beauty

Skip the snazz:

Engagement shoots, mini photo albums, framed prints and the like can be attractive parts of a photographer’s package deal, but do you really need them? Most photographers offer several different packages depending on your price point and the types of “extras” you want. Base your decision on the amount of coverage you want on the big day, and pay a la carte for any extras that you can’t live without.

Make a do-it-yourself wedding album:

Most wedding photographers will offer to design your wedding album, either as part of your package or as an add-on. If you have the money, this is a great option, because it saves you the hassle and you already know you like your wedding photographer’s design sense. BUT: it’s expensive. $1,500 to $4,000 expensive. You can cut that down to as little as $200 if you go the DIY wedding album route. Make sure you check with your photographer ahead of time about ownership of the digital files. You may need to pay a little extra to get them, but if you’re looking to save money, and if you enjoy putting the pieces together yourself, a DIY wedding album is an excellent option.

The post How to Save on Wedding Photography (Part I) appeared first on Fizara.

A good wedding album will include a mix of portraits and candid shots, from a variety of angles. There will also be little details like close-ups of the wedding bands, the wedding gown hanging in the doorway and the champagne splashing into flutes.

The price for wedding albums can vary from as low as $200 for a DIY option to $4,000-plus, for a professionally designed, modern flush mount coffee table book option. With the DIY option, you’re buying the album directly from the manufacturer, so it costs substantially less. And it can look just as good as a professionally designed one. With the same high quality professional photographic paper, cover materials, and custom binding, the only difference is that you, rather than your photographer, decide how you want to arrange the photos on the pages.

Fizara DIY wedding albums with acrylic (glass) cover

Cost, whether you go the DIY wedding album route or the professional wedding album route, is usually dependent on size, number of pages and type of cover. Depending on the size of your wedding, you’ll want between 50 and 80 pages. Usually the first 20 pages are included in the base price, then you’ll pay extra for each additional page. Next you decide if you want a square or rectangular book. Then you pick out a cover: leather cover, cameo cover or full photo, acrylic front – which looks like a glass cover. There are all kinds of options when it comes to colors and styles.

The most modern type of wedding album is the flush mount album. With this style of photo album, photos are printed directly onto thick archival pages, giving you the look of a coffee table book. The more traditional style wedding album has each photo matted on a page, either with the photo glued in by hand or slipped in behind a mat.
With flush mount albums, you (or whoever is designing it) will have much more versatility. You decide how big each photo should be, which photos look good side-by-side and which ones you really want to draw attention to. You can include as many photos as you like and lay them out any way you want.

Fizara DIY wedding album design with free album design software

Keep in mind if you’re having a professional design your album, the layout will often be at his or her discretion. Same with photo choices. If having the final okay is important to you, you’ll need to discuss that ahead of time. In fact, when you’re shopping for wedding photographers, it may be good to ask about their album design process right from the get-go.

Creating a DIY wedding album can be fun and easy with the right album design software. Fizara’s free design software can create a professional looking design for you, yet still give you the flexibility to customize the design to reflect your style. You will only have to sort through your photos and select the ones that best tell your story. To learn more about selecting the best photos for your album, read “6 Things to Include in Your Wedding Photo Album” and “4 Easy Steps to Selecting the Best Photos for Your Photo Album.” Then it’s off to printing and binding, in a few weeks you will have a beautiful modern flush mount wedding photo album that you will be proud to show off.

The post What’s the Deal with Wedding Albums? appeared first on Fizara.

Balance the layout of your photo book

Balance the layout of your photobook or wedding album design

A balanced, symmetrical layout helps the photos in your do it yourself (DIY) photo book flow together. However, that does not mean all the photos have to be the same size. Place a larger photo on the right side of the layout for effect, then arrange smaller photos to the left. If you plan how the design will flow over two adjacent pages (a “spread”), the finished product will be more appealing.

Create a DIY photo book design with focal points

Create a photobook or wedding album with focused pages

Every photo page layout needs a focal point—usually a photo that grabs a viewer’s attention. This image should be larger than others on the page. Size contrast allows the important photo to stand out, and other images to complement it.

Less is more in a photo book

Less is more in a photobook or wedding album design

Don’t drown pages with too many photographs. A busy layout detracts from the beauty of the images. Leave space between photos, except for an occasional strategic overlap. Blank areas lend a sense of calm and allow viewers to concentrate on the images, rather than the design of the page.

Make a photo book with one background throughout

Use one type of background throughout your photobook or wedding album design

If you choose one type of background, you create a uniform, cohesive feel for your album. Different elements on each page can distract the viewer. Consistency will set the stage to tell your story.

Minimize graphic elements

Minimize the graphic elements in your photobook or wedding album design

If you are going to create a photo album rather than buying one, concentrate on letting your photos tell the story. Limit the number of graphics, such as borders or drop shadows. Too many different elements cause the layout of many a do it yourself (DIY) album to compete with photos for the viewer’s attention. Keep it simple, and let the images stand out.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, create layouts for your DIY photo book that let the messages come through loud and clear. Because you’ve done it yourself, it’s more special than ever.

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