One Captured documented day

1 captured documented day

ALL THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE WHEN PLANNING A WEDDING ARE IMPORTANT. FEW, HOWEVER, ARE MORE CRUCIAL, LONG-TERM, THAN CHOOSING THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER AND CINEMATOGRAPHER.

Your photographer and cinematographer will be with you for a large part of your wedding day. Make it a priority to find professionals with positive energy and attitude—someone you have chemistry with. The more you “click” together, the better your photographs and video will be.

Stunning Styled shoot at Bear's Best Golf Club

Ella Gagiano Studios

FINDING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Tempting as it may be to enlist the talents of an acquaintance who dabbles in photography — don’t. Experienced photographers have the experience, equipment and know-how to make your photographs sensational. They understand the different moods created by proper lighting and posing, and use reliable techniques and equipment to create quality images. Not to be overlooked is the fact that your photographer has but one opportunity to get it right. There are no second chances.

STYLE Just a few years ago wedding photography styles could be conveniently grouped into two categories: traditional and photojournalistic. Not so, today. As you delve into the task of finding your lens master, you’ll quickly discover a plethora of new styles. From vibrant enhanced color process to the milky, washed-out tones of the vintage process, or even the retro Fuji Instant prints, photographers are doing more with specialty filters, lenses and post production software than ever before. Find a photographer whose portfolio showcases the style you’re drawn to.

Photography, Cimenatography Duo and power couple: Izzo Pro

LIGHTING Like photographic styles, you’ll find that most photographers have specific strengths and preferences when it comes to lighting. Some are masters with natural light, others excel in delivering spectacular images from indoor and low-light conditions. Skill is required, regardless. When looking at portfolios, think about the time of day and location where you’ll be getting married. If your reception is midday, outdoors, but the images you love in the portfolio are all dark, moody and shot indoors, you might want to look a little further for a photographer whose body of work features a nice volume of outdoor or natural light images.

EQUIPMENT Some photographers shoot with film, others have migrated to digital. Is one better than the other? Not necessarily. Some photographers prefer the end product film delivers, while others prefer the convenience of digital. The most important factor is the quality of images in the photographer’s albums. If you like what you see, and can be guaranteed the same camera that captured those images will be capturing yours, don’t worry about what type of equipment or format. View the work!

Unique Lighting and portraiture from Jacob Galleries for your Las Vegas Wedding

Jacob Galleries

BLACK & WHITE Of course you’ll want to capture the vivid hues of your centerpieces and décor with vibrant, color photos. However, when it comes to documenting the emotional, unscripted moments of the day, black-and-white is in a class all by itself. The fewer colors your eyes have to process, the easier it is to focus on the subject matter. Black-and-white is great for capturing intimate and sentimental close-ups such as: mom buttoning the gown, the vows, the kiss and the first dance. In addition, black-andwhite helps mask skin imperfections because shades of gray don’t record blotchy, skin irritations. It’s also perfect for those “getting ready” shots.

TIMING One of the most common mistakes is shortchanging the photographer on time between the ceremony and reception. To lessen the pressure consider doing all the bridal party and bride and groom photos prior to the ceremony. Your event planner and photographer can set up a private moment for the two of you to see each other before the wedding party joins the show. Rely on your photographer’s suggested time allocation. If you cut it short, don’t expect to get all the images on your wish list.

Stunning wedding portraits in Las Vegas

Kristen Marie Weddings & Portraits

MUST HAVE SHOTS If you have a large wedding party or family and want a series of posed group shots, compile a list of the persons or families you’d like in each shot. Provide the list to your photographer and event planner, or the person in charge of assembling everyone to be photographed. Nothing holds up a celebration more than waiting for missing people.

THE COST Most basic packages start at around $2,800 but can easily reach five to six times that amount. Expect a range of prices depending on the skill, experience and demand for the photographer. Most packages include an engagement session, a block-of-time the day of your wedding, reproduction and post-production for the wedding album, two parents’ albums and enlargements for framing.

If proofs aren’t included in the package, and you can’t imagine not owning each and every photo from your wedding, ask if they can be purchased.

A Classic Las Vegas Wedding Photo by Luxlife Las Vegas

Luxlife Photography & Videography

DO-IT-YOURSELF If considering the purchase of your negatives or raw images on disc and handling the reproduction yourself, be prepared to weed through a thousand images, arrange for photo retouching, find someone to develop the prints, find and order the album, and finally construct the album or scrapbook. Evaluate this option realistically. You don’t want to end up twelve months down the road with your proofs and negatives disorganized sitting in a box. Our advice: leave everything to the professionals.

ASSISTANTS Most photographers work with an experienced and professional assistant. While the photographer concentrates on lighting and equipment, the assistant is watching the details; arranging the hem of your gown, smoothing out wrinkles, etc.

Although hiring a photographer with a qualified assistant may cost more, it’s worth the investment. If a photographer you’re interested in does not work with an assistant, confirm the images you admired were taken without additional help.

Beautiful wedding gown from Brilliant Bridal from Spectacular Bride annual shoot.

M Place Productions

CEREMONY Ask your photographer to communicate with your minister, rabbi or priest, to avoid last-minute situations where his or her lighting might not be allowed in their house of worship. .

PROOFS With the advent of digital photography, wedding proofs can now be viewed and ordered online by not only the couple, but guests as well. How fabulous is that? This technically savvy option takes some pressure off the bride and groom, who in the past were responsible for gathering the orders, handling the collection of monies and delivery of end product. Just one more thing you can cross of your list.

Lovely Vegas wedding couple captured in a sweet moment.

Marcella Photography

BOOK IT Secure your photographer eight to ten months in advance. Provide exact locations and times for the ceremony and reception and agree upon a time for prewedding photos such as those with the bride, bridesmaids and parents as well as the groom and groomsmen. Although there are certain prerequisite shots, it still helps to provide your photographer with a checklist of these and other shots you absolutely must have. It is also a good idea to provide a schedule of events, such as the arrival, the first dance, cake cutting, etc., so your photographer is prepared.

A stunning vista of the Las Vegas desert landscape

Moxie Studio

FINDING A CINEMATOGRAPHER

The most amazing thing happens the dayof your wedding. Your feet never touch the ground, you can’t stop smiling and by the following day you can’t remember half of what happened. It’s true. Of course there’s good reason for not remembering certain things, like watching the flower girl inch her way down the aisle with ring bearer in tow, or catching the groom’s nervous glance as he takes his walk up the aisle. Simply put, the bride isn’t there for these priceless moments. She’s at the back of the church on her father’s arm, awaiting her grand entrance. What better reason could there possibly be for hiring a cinematographer? Nothing captures the moment like moving sight and sound. A professionally composed wedding video is the best way to experience all the moments you missed. In addition, it allows you to share the day in detail with loved ones unable to join you in your celebration.

Float Media

Cinematographers aren’t just cameramen, they’re storytellers. If you want the story told right, hire someone who’s skilled in capturing all the emotion and moments of the day, while also a master storyteller in the editing bay. A seasoned professional will have the time, equipment and experience to deliver a sensational product.

As in most cases, the best in the trade are hired quickly, so don’t procrastinate. Start reviewing online demos and narrowing your choices as soon as you’ve booked your venue. Ask to view a video that was actually delivered to a client and shot by the professional you intend to hire. This allows you to see their style with material from one wedding, as opposed to a series of “best shots” woven into a demo.

It’s common for cinematographers, especially during the peak wedding season, to hire “stringers” or “tapers.” If that’s the case, ask to meet the subcontractor and view their work; if you like it, hire them. If they can’t provide samples of their work, it might be wise to request someone else.

EQUIPMENT Most cinematographers offer detailed information about the types of cameras and equipment they use. While camera quality can definitely impact the end product, your true criteria should be whether you like their style of taping and editing. If you’re happy with the quality of the demo and confirm that the same type of camera used for the demo will be used at your wedding, you’re set. If you want your day filmed in HD, be sure to hire a cinematographer that shoots in HD. Likewise, If you want the final product in a format that will play on your iPod or iPad, ask if it’s an option.

STYLES & PRICING There are basically two methods of videotaping: documentary and cinematic. The documentary is typically a two hour version with a ten to fifteen minute highlights piece. Expect to invest anywhere from $2,500 to $3,500 for this style of video. Cinematic is usually thirty-five to fortyfive minutes long. It is edited throughout in much the same way as the highlights piece, creating an entertaining movie that tells a story. The shorter and tighter the video, the more time it takes to edit. This can take up to fifty (plus) hours to create. The price is commensurate with the effort, closer to the $4,000 to $7,500 range.

Fees are impacted not only by the style of filming and editing, but by the level of service you contract; the number of cameras used, assistants and end-product deliverables. Cinematographers often charge per hour or per camera, though you can certainly inquire about a flat fee or package options. Packages typically include the filming, editing of the master and delivery on DVD.

TIPS FOR A BETTER VIDEO

• Don’t chew gum, it looks bad on video

• Act natural. Don’t duck and avoid, just pretend the camera isn’t there.

• Walk slowly when going down the aisle so cameramen can get plenty of footage.

• Allow your cinematographers to move around. You’ll get better footage if they’re not confined to a tripod at the back.

• Semi-competitors, your photographer and cinematographer will need to work sideby-side the day of your wedding, each trying to capture the same moments via different medium. It’s a huge plus they like working together.

• Provide a secure place for your vendors to store their backup equipment. •