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Pass the 'Wedding Test"

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centralcoastmagazine

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Here is another wedding story of interest. We had done a full dress wedding

portrait session for a couple who called and said the wanted pictures in dress at
a local hotel and at church which they had permission to use the garden
area. We do have an engagement session on our site, so thought this was
just one of those jobs where the couple wanted some special pictures. We did not
know if they were married or not but just thought they wanted these pictures
for unknown reasons? Not my business, so didn't really ask but made the
appointment and did the job. They were very nice and we actually went to
several locations and were paid in full when we first meet. Since we had several
hours with them in a relaxed way, the pictures were very special as we did not
hold back, but took over six hundred. The 'bride' was very beautiful, so this
was not a problem for me. It was a chance to work in some experimental
ways in the partial sun and fog and diffuse light on the beach and local
resort hotel.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the couple was actually auditioning
photographers to see who might do their wedding? They wanted first hand
experience with different photographers to see who might be the best for their
wedding to be held in Japan. The did call us in a vague way to ask if we had
a date in Sept open, which we did. They told us to hold it and a deposit would
be arriving FedEx. They did have our contract which can be downloaded from
our web site, so who knows?

So, today a really fat deposit and a contract arrive for the wedding with full
arrangements for travel and hotels for two weeks in Japan. This is a first for
me to say the least.

One can never tell? These were young people who were just arranging their

wedding to suit their needs I suppose. A bit unconventional but quite delightful.
They have a set of engagement pictures in dress and we have a nice contract. The

point is we could have treated a simple portrait session as unimportant. Instead,
we plowed ahead and gave them the full time and energy they deserved and that
is why they hired us, because they not only liked the work, but the energy we
put into a small job.

I'm wondering? How many clients would actually go to the trouble to preview
the photography in this manner? A bit of a dream I suppose? Had we not been
hired for the real wedding, I would have never know the answer?
 
Salesman at my old place of work told the following;

'Al' and the other salesmen were standing around the local Buick dealership, listening to Al tell a joke when the next thing Al new, nobody was listening because they were gone! They all ran away because they saw an older gentlman in bib overalls approaching them and figured he was worth avoiding.

Al went out and did his 'salesman' thing with the gent and 45 min. later they were talking payment method on a new, loaded, top of the line Buick and the gentleman pulled the total amount in cash out of his bib's!

Al learned to talk to everybody as a serious customer because you just don't know who is and who isn't.

Could be a 'life lesson' in there somewhere!

Brian

P.S. Will this be your first trip to Japan? I've lived here since 1998 and am willing to answer any questions you have.
 
wow,

congratulations, it sounds great. Yes I understand your point and in this business you really never know... point taken, good advice!

since you'll go to japan can you please pick up a couple of things for me? (while you'll be there...) eheh

mark

--
http://www.imagingphotographics.com
 
MarkLe said:
wow,
congratulations, it sounds great. Yes I understand your point and
in this business you really never know... point taken, good advice!

since you'll go to japan can you please pick up a couple of things
for me? (while you'll be there...) eheh

mark

--
http://www.imagingphotographics.com
Click to expand...
Hate to be a wet blanket because it sounds so good. Almost to good to be true. Just don't send them any overpayment they might have sent to you by "accident". Or pass any overpayment on to someone else they might need to pay for something in the wedding. Do keep everyone posted. Please.
 
That's great, just goes to show some people still recognize what a quality product is. Unconventional but I'm sure much appreciated. It is hopefully that one special day. =)
centralcoastmagazine said:
Here is another wedding story of interest. We had done a full dress
wedding
portrait session for a couple who called and said the wanted
pictures in dress at
a local hotel and at church which they had permission to use the
garden
area. We do have an engagement session on our site, so thought this
was
just one of those jobs where the couple wanted some special
pictures. We did not
know if they were married or not but just thought they wanted these
pictures
for unknown reasons? Not my business, so didn't really ask but made
the
appointment and did the job. They were very nice and we actually
went to
several locations and were paid in full when we first meet. Since
we had several
hours with them in a relaxed way, the pictures were very special as
we did not
hold back, but took over six hundred. The 'bride' was very
beautiful, so this
was not a problem for me. It was a chance to work in some experimental
ways in the partial sun and fog and diffuse light on the beach and
local
resort hotel.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the couple was actually
auditioning
photographers to see who might do their wedding? They wanted first
hand
experience with different photographers to see who might be the
best for their
wedding to be held in Japan. The did call us in a vague way to ask
if we had
a date in Sept open, which we did. They told us to hold it and a
deposit would
be arriving FedEx. They did have our contract which can be
downloaded from
our web site, so who knows?

So, today a really fat deposit and a contract arrive for the
wedding with full
arrangements for travel and hotels for two weeks in Japan. This is
a first for
me to say the least.

One can never tell? These were young people who were just arranging
their
wedding to suit their needs I suppose. A bit unconventional but
quite delightful.
They have a set of engagement pictures in dress and we have a nice
contract. The
point is we could have treated a simple portrait session as
unimportant. Instead,
we plowed ahead and gave them the full time and energy they
deserved and that
is why they hired us, because they not only liked the work, but the
energy we
put into a small job.

I'm wondering? How many clients would actually go to the trouble to
preview
the photography in this manner? A bit of a dream I suppose? Had we
not been
hired for the real wedding, I would have never know the answer?
Click to expand...
--
Just shoot! =)
 
I'm branching out into shooting my own weddings and recently ran into something similar (although I didn't get tickets to Japan!)...

Couple wanted to meet to look over my portfolio and get to know us (my daughter and I shoot together). They asked if I would mind taking a few "sample" shots. I agreed and we headed to a park (well...after we initially went to a beautiful not-for-profit Japanese gardens that wanted $100 for a "professional photographer permit")...We took 45 minutes and I took 80 or so shots...I picked some of the best, put them on my site (with print turned off, large turned off, and proof stamped all over)...

Bottom line was that I had a signed contract and deposit before the week was over. I think more and more couples are taking this approach (they're probably all reading the same wedding site suggestions!). Note that my one mistake was in not charging an hourly rate for the "Sample shots".

D.
 
The part I likes is that some couples would actually go to the
trouble to get the samples and base their decision on the
the product they get. Seems totally reasonable since it is an
important part of the wedding. I must say this is a first for me
were someone has such a strong interest in the photography and
not swept up in the whole process. I'm also glad that I did not know
the way this would develop because I might have been a little more
nervous since it is a big job? Maybe not because we knew the locations
from prior weddings anyway. A new web site of mine stresses this as
the process and this was the first known couple that actually read the
articles and took advantage of the packages as we laid out there.

We believe that weddings take a great deal of time from engagement
session, pre-wedding meetings, rehearsal and afterward. The real reward
is that people are listening to that plan and coming to us on that basis.



 
Lots of posters on this forum have been recently lamenting the downsides of the recent digital explosion, but I think you may be seeing one of the upsides -- an increase in knowledge and appreciation of good photography, and a consequent willingness to spend money on it.

When I got married five years ago, I really had no understanding of the wedding photography market. I did have a little bit of an eye, and my wife and I found a photographer we liked at a price we were willing to pay, but really did not look too long or hard -- only at two or three photographers, as I recall.

As time passes, things change. I was bitten by the photo bug a couple years ago, and my (amateur) eye has developed a lot more. Now when I look at the pictures from our wedding, I see flaws and issues that I never would have noticed before. In general, I am happy with them and feel fortunate that they are as good as they are and that we actually lucked into someone who did a pretty good job. However, if I had to do it over again I would spend much more time selecting a pro and I would spend more money, too!
 
Wow, I need clients like this, you must be in a large city !
centralcoastmagazine said:
Here is another wedding story of interest. We had done a full dress
wedding
portrait session for a couple who called and said the wanted
pictures in dress at
a local hotel and at church which they had permission to use the
garden
area. We do have an engagement session on our site, so thought this
was
just one of those jobs where the couple wanted some special
pictures. We did not
know if they were married or not but just thought they wanted these
pictures
for unknown reasons? Not my business, so didn't really ask but made
the
appointment and did the job. They were very nice and we actually
went to
several locations and were paid in full when we first meet. Since
we had several
hours with them in a relaxed way, the pictures were very special as
we did not
hold back, but took over six hundred. The 'bride' was very
beautiful, so this
was not a problem for me. It was a chance to work in some experimental
ways in the partial sun and fog and diffuse light on the beach and
local
resort hotel.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the couple was actually
auditioning
photographers to see who might do their wedding? They wanted first
hand
experience with different photographers to see who might be the
best for their
wedding to be held in Japan. The did call us in a vague way to ask
if we had
a date in Sept open, which we did. They told us to hold it and a
deposit would
be arriving FedEx. They did have our contract which can be
downloaded from
our web site, so who knows?

So, today a really fat deposit and a contract arrive for the
wedding with full
arrangements for travel and hotels for two weeks in Japan. This is
a first for
me to say the least.

One can never tell? These were young people who were just arranging
their
wedding to suit their needs I suppose. A bit unconventional but
quite delightful.
They have a set of engagement pictures in dress and we have a nice
contract. The
point is we could have treated a simple portrait session as
unimportant. Instead,
we plowed ahead and gave them the full time and energy they
deserved and that
is why they hired us, because they not only liked the work, but the
energy we
put into a small job.

I'm wondering? How many clients would actually go to the trouble to
preview
the photography in this manner? A bit of a dream I suppose? Had we
not been
hired for the real wedding, I would have never know the answer?
Click to expand...
 
No offense, but these photos are real basic out of date looking wedding shots, you must have really got lucky ! How much did you make ??? Type in LA. or NY wedding photography to see modern styles of wedding photography !
centralcoastmagazine said:
The part I likes is that some couples would actually go to the
trouble to get the samples and base their decision on the
the product they get. Seems totally reasonable since it is an
important part of the wedding. I must say this is a first for me
were someone has such a strong interest in the photography and
not swept up in the whole process. I'm also glad that I did not know
the way this would develop because I might have been a little more
nervous since it is a big job? Maybe not because we knew the locations
from prior weddings anyway. A new web site of mine stresses this as
the process and this was the first known couple that actually read the
articles and took advantage of the packages as we laid out there.

We believe that weddings take a great deal of time from engagement
session, pre-wedding meetings, rehearsal and afterward. The real
reward
is that people are listening to that plan and coming to us on that
basis.



Click to expand...
 
It could be too good to be true but if you have been paid a deposit to keep the dates open then hopefully it will materialise as ther date approaches. Due to the travel arrangements that need to be in place before time you will hopefull have time to re-allocate your resources if and when it goes sour.

Just one question which follows on from an earlier thread centralcoastmachinegunmagazine, you said you only took six hundred shots at the audition. I hope that on the big day you take your usual 'thousands' of shots. You need to make sure that you get a few good ones for such an important shoot after all, and the law of averages won't co-operate with you if you only take six hundred.

Button mashers of the world unite!
centralcoastmagazine said:
Here is another wedding story of interest. We had done a full dress
wedding
portrait session for a couple who called and said the wanted
pictures in dress at
a local hotel and at church which they had permission to use the
garden
area. We do have an engagement session on our site, so thought this
was
just one of those jobs where the couple wanted some special
pictures. We did not
know if they were married or not but just thought they wanted these
pictures
for unknown reasons? Not my business, so didn't really ask but made
the
appointment and did the job. They were very nice and we actually
went to
several locations and were paid in full when we first meet. Since
we had several
hours with them in a relaxed way, the pictures were very special as
we did not
hold back, but took over six hundred. The 'bride' was very
beautiful, so this
was not a problem for me. It was a chance to work in some experimental
ways in the partial sun and fog and diffuse light on the beach and
local
resort hotel.

Anyway, to make a long story short, the couple was actually
auditioning
photographers to see who might do their wedding? They wanted first
hand
experience with different photographers to see who might be the
best for their
wedding to be held in Japan. The did call us in a vague way to ask
if we had
a date in Sept open, which we did. They told us to hold it and a
deposit would
be arriving FedEx. They did have our contract which can be
downloaded from
our web site, so who knows?

So, today a really fat deposit and a contract arrive for the
wedding with full
arrangements for travel and hotels for two weeks in Japan. This is
a first for
me to say the least.

One can never tell? These were young people who were just arranging
their
wedding to suit their needs I suppose. A bit unconventional but
quite delightful.
They have a set of engagement pictures in dress and we have a nice
contract. The
point is we could have treated a simple portrait session as
unimportant. Instead,
we plowed ahead and gave them the full time and energy they
deserved and that
is why they hired us, because they not only liked the work, but the
energy we
put into a small job.

I'm wondering? How many clients would actually go to the trouble to
preview
the photography in this manner? A bit of a dream I suppose? Had we
not been
hired for the real wedding, I would have never know the answer?
Click to expand...
 
What an interesting story. I have heard of people "auditioning" photographers but nothing to the extent of your story.

Two weeks in Japan with paid arrangements is phenomenal! What part of Japan will you be in and are you shooting a number of different events during that time, other than the wedding for the couple? Oh if they wear traditional Japanese dress it should be so vibrant and lovely. Perhaps you will be able to share a pic or two.

Much luck!
 
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