Recommendations for your wedding in Toronto and GTA
Your wedding photographer will provide a
long lasting remembrance of one of the happiest days of your
life. Your photographer should deliver a complete selection
of photographs that tell the full story of your day. To help
select your professional photographer, keep these thoughts
in mind:
- Hire a professional; don't trust your wedding memories to a friend with a camera.
- Reserve your photographer as early as possible. The best photographers tend to be booked months - sometimes a year or more - in advance.
Whether you choose to believe it or not,
your photographer is the key vendor involved in your wedding
day. Your photographer is your only vendor who is with you
from the beginning of the day all the way to the end. Since
your wedding photographer works from 20 to as many as 40 weddings
per year, you should avail your self of their expertise. Your
photographer can provide you with hints and ideas to relieve
some of the stress and anxiety that are part of planning a
wedding. Your photographer can help you organize your time
on the wedding day resulting in photographs that show your
happiness and the romance of the day - not the stress of the
day.
You need to inquire and get answers to a number of questions for your wedding in Toronto area & GTA
Since your photographer is important part of your wedding
you should begin your search as early as possible. Quality
photographers are booked months, sometimes years, in advance.
Below are some criteria you should consider before you make
your final decision:
- Do you use a professional medium format film or professional digital camera?
- Do you have back-up equipment?
- What kind of educational background and/or experience have you had in developing your photographic technique?
- Have you earned recognition for your wedding photography?
- What is your philosophy about wedding photography?
- Considering by facial features and physical attributes, which angles of my face would you assume to be better?
- Have you notices any expressions or mannerism of mine that you mighty want to capture or avoid?
- How much can I expect my photographic coverage to cost?
- How many images will have to select from your wedding Toronto?
- Can the coverage be customized to my specific needs?
- How can my coverage be customized to fit my specific needs?
- How long will it take to see our wedding images and how long will it take to complete the finished album?
- Is a complete set of photographic images included with the coverage?
- Is black and white coverage and special effects available?
- Who will design and layout our wedding album?
- If the studio designs the album, can I make changes?
- If I design and layout my album, how much assistance will the studio provide?
- How long will it take to get our completed album?
- Are the images of my wedding Toronto available in digital/electronic format?
- Do pictures and albums have a guarantee?
- How are orders, payments, and delivery of additional products and services handled?
- What could we do special, just for my wedding?
- What are your studio's policies?
Study Each Photographers Samples
Each photographer's sample albums and photographs will speak
for themselves. They will give you a very good idea as to
the photographer's artistry, talent, creativity, style or
styles of photography, and technical knowledge. Look for the
elegant, the artistic, the different, the unusual, and the
creative. Look carefully at the quality of their photographs
and albums.
Your Personal Wedding Photographer should be someone with
whom you feel comfortable working with and in whom you have
complete trust and confidence that they can and will provide:
- The quality of photography you want.
- The style or styles of photography you want.
- The artistry and creativity you want.
- Competent assistance and advice when and if you want it.
Styles of Photography
The photographic styles used to cover your wedding can vary
from the very formal to the very informal (journalistic).
You have the option of selecting the specific style or styles
to be used in photographing your wedding. A word of warning:
There are many photographers who promote the (journalistic)
approach to wedding photography who do no more than take "snapshots".
Many photographers offer only one or two styles; whereas
others offer you an extensive repertoire of wedding photography
styles from which to choose. Each of the following styles
involve a great deal of knowledge in blending the technical
details of lighting and equipment with creativity and photographic
artistry:
How to select a wedding photographer in Toronto
When we're interviewing brides, we always ask the
question "What are you looking for in a wedding photographer?"
The most common answer - "We don't know!"
Wedding photography is a mystery to most couples, because
for most people we talk with, it's their first wedding.
Sometimes mothers can give some insight, but for the
most part, wedding photography has changed dramatically (and
for the better) since the time this generation of parents
were married. To badly paraphrase a now defunct car companies
commercial "This is not your mothers wedding photography!"
Choosing your photographer is one of the major choices in
designing your wedding. While good wedding photography is
a major investment, is the only part of your wedding budget
that will continue to bring you enjoyment for the rest of
your lives. And while the end product is important, so is
the process; the experience of being photographed. No matter
how good the photographs are, if all you remember when you
look at them is a photographer with no people skills, who
thinks it is his or her day, not yours, your investment is
wasted.
So, how do you choose just the right wedding photographer
for you? This document is designed to give you some helpful
information. Click on each of the categories below to continue,
or just scroll through the document.
There are five major considerations we like to recommend
In addition, we've included a section on frequently asked questions
Level of service during your wedding
Just as with any other business, what you get from your wedding
photographer can vary widely; from the person who photographs
your wedding, hands you the film, and walks away from any
responsibility for a quality job to the consummate professional
who makes sure every aspect of your photography experience
is wonderful.
Your first consideration is to determine how important
your wedding photos are to you, and what your expectations
are. If you just want a few photographs of some of the important
people who were there, that's one thing. But if you're
looking for someone who can capture the entire story of
your wedding day with photographs that still brings tears
to your eyes years later, it's quite another. The
priority you place on your wedding day photography will
have a major impact on your budget considerations.
The professional qualifications of the photographer
Anyone can purchase a camera, and call him or herself a
wedding photographer. But saying it doesn't necessarily
make it so.
Wedding photography is a specialty; one that requires all
the right equipment, the right training, lots of experience,
and a real love of photographing weddings. Weddings are
perhaps the hardest type of portrait photography there is,
because the photographer has to capture everything beautifully,
in a short period of time, with an artistic eye, and no
chance to do it over again should anything go wrong.
Look for someone who specializes in wedding photography;
someone whom you can obviously tell from talking with them
loves to photograph weddings. This doesn't necessarily
mean you shouldn't consider a "weekend warrior"
- someone who works another job during the week, and
photographs weddings on weekends, but understand that they
will probably be in the lower end of the service range,
because they don't have the time to do much of the
after wedding work.
Ask the photographer how many weddings they photograph
in a year. If it's only a few, then this may not be someone
who really specializes in weddings and has the equipment,
knowledge, skill and presence of mind or "cool"
to handle the requirements of a wedding. If, on the other
hand, they photograph a very large number, they may emphasize
quantity instead of quality.
Ask the photographer what type of training he or she has,
and how often they attend classes to keep their skills updated
and fresh. A photographer who has been in the business for
20 years, but doesn't attend continuing education classes
may in fact be "stuck in the 70's."
Insist on seeing an entire set of wedding photographs,
not just an album that shows the best print or two from
each of a number of weddings. The only way you can fully
assess what you're likely to get is to see a whole wedding,
or at least a very substantial subset.
You can also judge a photographer by the presentation he
or she makes. Look for someone who obviously cares enough
about photographing your wedding to give you a well prepared,
well thought out presentation of his or her work.
Look for someone who is a member of the professional organizations,
like Professional Photographers of Ontario, and Professional
Photographers of Canada. Members of these organizations
have made a commitment to the highest standards of business
and professional ethics, and usually are participants in
a program of continuing education, which these organizations
provide.
The Photographic style
Wedding photography today can be divided into 2 major categories
- Traditional style posed photos, and photojournalistic
candids.
The traditional style tends to be mostly color, mostly
posed (we like to use the term "structured") and
is typically planned out ahead of time. This certainly doesn't
mean they need to look posed, stiff or boring, but there
is an element of control on the part of the photographer.
These photographs are typically taken with care and attention
to lighting, backgrounds, and good poses. These are the
photos that capture all the important people who are sharing
your wedding day with you - your family, your wedding
party, and perhaps some of those special friends.
Photojournalistic photos are typically black and white,
completely non-posed, taken without flash and without interference
on the part of the photographer. In other words, these photographs
"document" the happenings of the wedding day as
they actually happened without controlling those happenings.
Some couples prefer one style to the other, but most couples
we talk to are looking for a combination of both. As one
of our brides put it, "The color photographs show me
what my wedding looked like, the black and white (photojournalistic)
show me what it felt like".
Not all photographers are comfortable with both styles,
so it's important that you determine what appeals
to you, and find someone who can provide your preferred
style or mix. Make sure you see an entire wedding, not just
a few of the best prints from a bunch of different weddings.
Make sure you understand how they approach the whole process
of photographing a wedding, and that you are comfortable
with the approach as well as the finished product.
Your comfort level with the photographer
Beyond great photographs, your photographer should provide
you with a great experience. Remember, no one spends more
time with you than does your photographer on your wedding
day. You might not ever see the cake decorator, or the florist.
The minister is only with you for a short time, the DJ is
only at the reception, as is the caterer, and even the wedding
coordinator will be away from you for quite a bit of the
time. But the photographer, or photographic team, may be
with you from the beginning of your preparations until you
leave on your honeymoon.
Consequently, it's vitally important that you pick
someone with whom you are very comfortable, someone you
can establish a great working relationship.
The photographer can have a very positive impact on your
wedding day, or a very negative one, depending upon their
personality and how it fits with yours. A photographer who
is bossy, or grouchy, or who forgets that this day belongs
to you can make your day miserable.
No matter how wonderful the photographs are, a bad photographic
experience will definitely lessen your enjoyment of them.
Look for someone you will enjoy having as a part of your day;
someone who can control the photographic process enough
to do an outstanding job without being overbearing; someone
with the sensitivity to understand the different feelings
you may be experiencing, someone who can photograph you
not only with his or her eyes, but heart as well.
The investment in the memories of your wedding Toronto
Every couple has a budget, which is based on the priorities
they place on each item that will be a part of their wedding
expense. Most of the items in this budget are truly that;
an expense. Something that is used and enjoyed only once,
and then they're gone. But the photographs of your
wedding, and the album that tells the story of the most
exciting day of your life is something that can be enjoyed
again and again for the rest of your lives.
Your wedding photography is truly an investment; something
which provides value over a long period of time. Even when
you're gone, your children will continue to treasure
them, as lasting remembrances of the love that ultimately
brought them into the world.
It's important for you to know and understand the
importance you place on these memories, and the heirlooms
that keep them alive. Put this in the proper priority next
to all those other budget items. Remember, you only have
ONE OPPORTUNITY to get the photographs you'll treasure for
a lifetime. The only thing worse than paying too much is
paying too little.
Good wedding photography isn't expensive; it's priceless!
Should I have pictures before or after the ceremony?
The old tradition of not seeing each other before the wedding
comes from the middle ages, and the days of arranged marriages.
By not seeing each other before you were married, it was
too late to back out!
Most couples initially consider observing this old tradition.
But once they realize that it's very difficult to
have a magical moment from 150 feet away with several hundred
people watching, and when all you can think about is keeping
your knees from locking up, they change their mind. And
we have a way of providing you with a "when he first
sees me" moment.
What about negatives?
This depends on the priority you place on photography.
There are some couples that have adopted a "do it yourself"
philosophy, or might be on a very limited budget to whom
this might be attractive. This is kind of like a plumber
bringing in all the parts necessary to make a repair, but
then simply giving them to you to finish the job. The job
may or may not ever get done, and even if it is, it might
never be done right. To finish the job is in fact why you
are hiring a plumber in the first place. And if the plumber
completes the job, they have accountability for the results.
The same holds true for photography. Capturing the pictures
is only part of the process. What you are really hiring
the photographer for is to capture the story of your wedding
day, and provide you with the finished products - wonderful
memories that will live forever.
Shooting the photographs and handing you the film will
leave you with the photographic equivalent of a bunch of
plumbing parts. And by adopting this process, the photographer
is essentially walking away from the responsibility of the
finished product.
And, if you think about it, the photographer's incentive
to do an outstanding job is that you may in fact purchase
more photographs. Giving away the negatives provides no
incentive whatsoever to really create wonderful photographic
memories.
How long do albums take?
If you are working with a photographer that provides you
with a standard album, say 46-8x10s in an album, one choice
of color etc, these can be stocked and take 5-6 weeks to
complete.
If on the other hand, you are working with a photographer
that provides you with a custom designed album that really
tells the story of your wedding in a combination of photographs
of varying sizes, styles and layout, it can take anywhere
between 8 weeks and 4 or 5 months.
Make sure to talk to your photographer about what to expect,
and be realistic in your expectations. Remember it's
not just the photographer, but also the labs, the album
companies and perhaps other who are involved in producing
the final product.
Services Piper Studios Toronto Offers:
Piper Studios Toronto offers its clients a variety of services and
special packages in wedding photography, wedding videography, disc
jockey services and wedding invitations. Piper Studios has a fully
equipped staff of professional wedding photographers. Piper Studio professional wedding photographers make your wedding day an unforgettable experience. We offer many
services for weddings Toronto including wedding
photography, wedding video, wedding invits, and DJ. We have
been serving the Toronto wedding community for over
46 years, and we are still going b. Weddings in Toronto is what we do. We take
professional quality candid,
black and white, journalistic pictures. Including the grooms
and brides house, park, ceremony and reception. Weddings in
Toronto. Piper Studios has frugal prices for every budget. Specializing also
in high end digital coffee book albums.
get good deals by booking Piper Studio for an economical budget priced services
(wedding photography, video, DJ and invitations)
Piper Studios is a Toronto, Ontario based company that specializes in professional wedding photography, engagement
photography, creative candid wedding photography,
portraits and enlargements. We offer and full dj and entertainment services, wedding video production. We have large a photography
studio and professional wedding photographers covering your wedding in Toronto and all of GTA for your
convenience.
Piper Studios also offers customized wedding invitations and card sevice.
We offer our wedding invitations in a number of different languages, so you
can have your custome wedding invite in the wording you want.
Summary
Brides we talk with tell us that they had found the right
dress, because when they tried it on, it just felt right.
As an educated consumer of wedding photography, you may
find the same thing. You'll know when you've
found the right one, because it just feels right. Their
quality will be evident to you in their work and the way
they work with you.
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