Are your weddings clients in a hurry?

Just curious if any others of you who have been shooting wedding PRIOR to this season have had clients who seem more in a hurry to receive their pictures/albums/etc than in the past. I'm taking less time than ever to get work out, but getting calls sometimes within a week asking for pictures. , but it just seems that perhaps the "immediacy" of digital may be causing changing clients' expectations, especially if they don't appreciate the nature of post-processing, album design and construction, DVD design, etc.

In my contract, I clearly state the minimum amount of time that is required. My clients are not upset or anything like that, but they just seem more anxious than in previous years. The only "problem" I've had this year is a young bride for whom I was creating both a DVD and album who starting calling after just two weeks with the impression that not only should everything have been finsihed, but should have already been delivered. I kind of lost my breath on that one!

--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net

Although unrealistic on their part, it is actually a good problem to have. I would worry more if the couples were not interested in viewing the images.

I have not noticed this to be a trend since I have instituted a policy of telling couples when to expect items and work diligently to keep to the schedule. I also E-mail "Album Updates" to keep brides apprised of the progress of their merchandise.

Yes, my clients have been in a hurry. Yes, once the design phase is over and the book is in production, a few brides E-mail me every week to find out about the progress of their album. But, I understand and appreciate their eagerness to own their images.

Your brides' eagerness is due to how much they enjoyed their event and the fine job you do in capturing it.

--
Vance Zachary
http://www.pbase.com/photoworkszach
http://www.photoworksbyzachary.com

Yeah I have definatly felt like people are wanting their photos right away. I have had people ask.."so can we pick these up tomarrow" WHAT?!

http://www.gideonphoto.com

That a bit more what I have experienced. I generally communicate VERY well with my clients, so it hasn't been a problem before. I certainly havn't changed the way I handle consultations.

On the plus side, one mother of a bride who had been calling for regular updates called last week and said that of all the people who had digital cameras and of all the cameras that they bought and put on the tables at the reception, she and her daughter had no seen a SINGLE image from their wedding. I happily volunteered to post about a dozen of them from my own collection to share in the interim. I think it was much appreciated.

Understandly, my business model is somewhat different than others. While I offer a traditional proofing/selection service, I implemented a new offering several years ago in response to brides taking inordinate lengths of time to order their album. It was not uncommon to provide proofs in just two weeks only to be waiting more than a year later for the album order for which they had already paid! Thus, I suggested to brides that they allow me to design their album and DVD from the ground up, bypassing traditional proofing. They'd save a little money (no printed proofs) and get their albums and DVD MUCH sooner... typically in 4-6 weeks. For this option, I offer to redesign one page of the album for each 12 in the book at no charge. To date, not ONE SINGLE BRIDE has wanted her album changed. The albums are better because I can approach them in a freer and more artistic fashion, too. The drawback, however, is that they have to wait a longer INITIAL length of time before seeing any images. I am considering, as a standard, creating a simple collage of a dozen or so images to post online within about a week of the wedding, and which they can send out for friends to view in a mass emailing.
--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net

I send out email samples all through the post and they know the drill
when things will be delivered.

However, very few weddings were really relaxed this year and clients
had causual weddings that the clients were spending time with their
guests and requested 90% PJ style and little for posing with the couple.
Only one had an early day wedding and gave us a few hours at the
beach alone with them. That is a low because seveal usually give is
time alone per year. The trend this year was the time partying with their
guests and less formal weddings. Schedules ran from a half hour to up to
one hour plus behind on the actual wedding. Majority of locations were
resorts, woods, the beach or private homes and not churches. Most were
pretty fun filled events, but I saw a general lack of real planning and more
"let it happen" sort of timing. I also noticed that the cakes were down
played and a couple did not have cakes at all? One had donuts around
on trays as they meet in a donut shop.

It was an average year with not hugh highs and spectactular weddings but
no real lows or overly problamitic couples. I'm not totally into the PJ style,
but that was the calling this summer. I might add that the hair styling was
sort of strange with those dangling threads over the face? That makes for
some strange pictures. Even though some of these wedding were well over
$30K total for all the services, I tend to think that things could have been
better planned. Location coordinators are only thinking of the resort and
not the couple. Althought we offer some part time photographic consulting,
there is a real need for wedding planners or so it seems. One example was
a long pure white cloth down the isle on an outdoor wedding. It totally took
up the pictures look and they would not remove it even at our request. Things
like that are should be gone over carefully and that is part of the 'hurry' that

they overlook things that could be made better with just a little consulting with
the photographer.

Michael Thomas Mitchell said:

Just curious if any others of you who have been shooting wedding
PRIOR to this season have had clients who seem more in a hurry to
receive their pictures/albums/etc than in the past. I'm taking less
time than ever to get work out, but getting calls sometimes within
a week asking for pictures. , but it just seems that perhaps the
"immediacy" of digital may be causing changing clients'
expectations, especially if they don't appreciate the nature of
post-processing, album design and construction, DVD design, etc.

In my contract, I clearly state the minimum amount of time that is
required. My clients are not upset or anything like that, but they
just seem more anxious than in previous years. The only "problem"
I've had this year is a young bride for whom I was creating both a
DVD and album who starting calling after just two weeks with the
impression that not only should everything have been finsihed, but
should have already been delivered. I kind of lost my breath on
that one!

--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net

Click to expand...

You pretty much have summarized quite accurately my own wedding experiences this year. In fact, I have been so accustomed to weddings beginning on time, it has been rather startling for me to see weddings beginning with seemingly no concern over the time. Last weekend's wedding began about 45 minutes past the scheduled time, and although they had budgeted about 90 minutes for posed pictures in advance, we had less than 15. Still, the wedding was a lot of fun and I even got an email from the couple saying that they took my advise and didn't let things going wrong affect their good time. (During the toast, the groom said that all their plans for the day went totally down the tubes, but what turned out was better than either of them could have expected.)

By the way, I nearly got drawn in a few days before a wedding in a rather serious conflict with a couple concerning doughnuts. He said that his cake he wanted a huge stack of Krispy Kreme doughnuts arranged in the shape of a cake. She said over her dead body... she didn't want any "cheap redneck cake" at her wedding! When they asked my opinion, I jokingly replied that marital counseling would cost extra! How was it resolved? Well, I don't know if they actually formally agreed, but I didn't see any doughnuts at that reception!

--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net

What I've noticed this has been the lack of interest in time for somethng a little more elegant than "catch as catch can" oops, er...photojournalism. The emphasis on PJ has gotten so strong that some get impatient after 10 minutes for the wedding party/family.

I like a blend of both, but hey, stressing them out by insisting on it doesn't help either.
--
jrbehm
http://web.mac.com/jrbehm/iWeb/Site/Truchas,%20NM.html

Michael Thomas Mitchell said:

Just curious if any others of you who have been shooting wedding
PRIOR to this season have had clients who seem more in a hurry to
receive their pictures/albums/etc than in the past. I'm taking less
time than ever to get work out, but getting calls sometimes within
a week asking for pictures. , but it just seems that perhaps the
"immediacy" of digital may be causing changing clients'
expectations, especially if they don't appreciate the nature of
post-processing, album design and construction, DVD design, etc.

In my contract, I clearly state the minimum amount of time that is
required. My clients are not upset or anything like that, but they
just seem more anxious than in previous years. The only "problem"
I've had this year is a young bride for whom I was creating both a
DVD and album who starting calling after just two weeks with the
impression that not only should everything have been finsihed, but
should have already been delivered. I kind of lost my breath on
that one!

--
Michael Thomas Mitchell
http://michaelphoto.net

Click to expand...

--

I was talking to a recent bride last year who was showing off her album. The photographer shot & printed out their photos as the wedding progressed(2 person team). They were well done, some could have been lighter/darker and a few other adjustments as well. overall, they were satisfied with their purchase. traditional poses were fine, the reception was fine, but this type of "instant album" shooting leaves no time for closer inspection of the finished product before delivery & more prone to errors(maybe I'm just too slow, my contract allows for 4 weeks completion time.)

18 years as a freelancer,(news,magazine, wedding photography) camera equip. over the years: Practica MLT, Canon A1, Minolta 9xi, 7xi, Dimage Z1(see my Z1 shots at http://www.photobucket.com ALBUM NAME: buckl the COMMUNITY album was done with the Z1, and most of the photos in the album:Other were w/the Z1)

Yes! they are in a big hurry these days..

Over here we call it the “Mc Donalds” syndrome. Everything right Now, Fast Fast Fast, this generation has grown up with everything around them being instance gratification or they walk away.

The other thing we noticed is that the couples settle for inferior quality just to get it faster and cheaper..

--
Bob Scrip
RScrip Studios
Equiment in profile where it's suppost to be!

This is one of the major reasons we started our blog....Clients like to see some of the photos fairly soon after the wedding, and by putting up about 40 from each wedding 4 days later, it gives them something to look at (and show off) until the rest are ready...

brooks
http://www.BrooksBlog.com
--
Brooks Whittington
http://www.BrooksWhittington.com

The blog is a good point.

I do something along the same lines but a bit different. What I do is try to have a sample digital album put together and online within 1 week of the wedding. I publish the album first and let them live with that for a week or so and then publish the rest of the 700-800 images of the storyboard.

All of this is online within two weeks or so of the wedding. The storyboard stays online for only 8 weeks and so the album design changes have to be completed by that time.

That is probably why I do not get many calls from anxious brides about wanting to see their wedding images.

--
Vance Zachary
http://www.pbase.com/photoworkszach
http://www.photoworksbyzachary.com

Brooks Whittington said:

This is one of the major reasons we started our blog....Clients
like to see some of the photos fairly soon after the wedding, and
by putting up about 40 from each wedding 4 days later, it gives
them something to look at (and show off) until the rest are ready...

brooks
http://www.BrooksBlog.com
--
Brooks Whittington
http://www.BrooksWhittington.com

Click to expand...

In keeping with Brooks' approach, has anyone tried the new Photocast that is in the newer iPhoto software? I was looking at it just this morning wondering if it had any applicability. It seems it's also possible to purchase prints through this, but I'm betting it's money straight to the print house with Apple. If it's possible to lock the images so they can only be ordered through me, I may try this. It could be a very quick turnaround.

I had so few online sales the past two years (the only 2 I tried it) I don't see the advantage of paying for the various services like I have been. If amortized over the 24 months, I bet I just about broke even. Brides here however demand online viewing for the convenience. Since I already have iDisk, I may as well try to use it for this.
--
jrbehm
http://web.mac.com/jrbehm/iWeb/Site/Truchas,%20NM.html

Yeah, but not that bad yet.

I had one a while back who told me a friend who had got married a week later already had her album and hers was going to be a few weeks more. On further conversation it turned out this other girl had a 5x7s originals package in a so-so bog standard album, and my bride was getting a custom designed and printed bookbound album. So I suppose when you are selling something a little more special and upmarket like you are selling, they need to know that it takes a little more time to produce "art". I get this instant mentality more from my lower end portrat customers who just order a bunch of 5x7s, (that has to stop...) usually the ones who order a nice big framed portrait are in no hurry at all.

The time dilemna is something that has to be mentioned when booking the client and planning the photo events with them. The most popular way of doing weddings in my area seems to be to shoot jpegs and give unadjusted images on a disk to the couple either at the wedding or the next day. I can't get the quality I want doing things that way and so I let them know that they will not see images for a week or so and maybe longer. I do lose a lot of business by not offering the quick and dirty approach to delivering images. I am not comfortable doing things that way but might eventually have to according to my peers in the area.

Even so because so much of the competitiion is going for quantity and speed of delivery I still have problems. even if they know and agree to my philosophy. There is always someone at the wedding or in the wedding party that "was in or at a wedding where the B&G got their images that night" When we have time I have one of my assistants print an 8 image folio of some decent shots from earlier in the day that have been adjusted on a laptop. This usually makes them happy and keeps the couple on focus for quality over speed.

Surprisingly to me, most of my couples are okay with my putting their images online before they actually get the proof album. Actually most request this and it gives me time to get the printing to my satisfaction, and also to get a leg up on album design. I usually do the complete album design from images I select. I ask them to look at what is online and to call or e-mail me with shots they absolutely don't want or do want in the final album. I've only had to change one or two pages after printing within the last 3 years. I have had a few suggestions about what images to leave out prior to design thanks to doing things this way.

The other advantage of having the images online first is that even though they are happy with what they see online they are even happier when they see how much better the finished prints look.

--
JAG
http://www.photosbyjag.com

not only that, the last saturday a couple (relatives of the groom) wanted to see the pictures right away (on the LCD) asking if they could pick up the prints by the beginning of the reception because they needed to leave early.
I kid you not

Did you seriously give the guy a chance to get what he wanted?

Hi, a little critique from a complete amateur who was never even present at a wedding:

First, the images are not resized well. Try a better scaler with a Lanczos function like ImageMagick (with the -support option), it does a much better job. Strangely, I've seen this problem on many web sites of pros.

Second, why are so many photos tilted? Is this modern style wedding photography? I like the "straight" shots but this tilting.. does a majority of cutomers want that? For me it destroys nearly every image on which it's used. It makes me sea sick. Or are only the blog pictures presented in that way. Is my taste from the past (I'm 29 years old)?

Tilting is one of many creative expression. Not everyone likes it (at first) but can certainly be an acquired taste. I, on the other hand, got told my images could benefit from creative tilting and since then it's become second nature to do so in my work.

bionet said:

Second, why are so many photos tilted? Is this modern style wedding
photography? I like the "straight" shots but this tilting.. does a
majority of cutomers want that? For me it destroys nearly every
image on which it's used. It makes me sea sick. Or are only the
blog pictures presented in that way. Is my taste from the past (I'm
29 years old)?

Click to expand...

--
Jan Shim
http://www.janshim.com

Tell them that good things take time.

I sometimes have to wait 3 days to get my prints back from wallmart, so I never, ever, give them stuff right away.

--
A true photo master is something to aspire to!
Show the plan, man!

Jan_Shim said:

got told my images could benefit from creative tilting and
since then it's become second nature to do so in my work.

Click to expand...

Ok, if people want it, give it to them =). I really don't understand it.

I agree it can be appropriate in some very rare instances, but apart from that.. I'm also afraid many of these superficial effects will be seen as typical for a certain age later. Like, you can tell a video or live concert coverage is from the mid 80s if the camera operator played with the new, fast motor zoom on the camera, rapidly zooming in and out as an effect (would be done with the image quickly fading in from a white flash or so today).