Hi all gals, I found this here's a piece of good advise from Wedd Messenger from another thread in FBO. VERY Useful information! Just hope can help those who still seeking for professional Photograhper...
What's a ( Price for ) Professional Photographer ?
When you quote someone who's a Pro ( professional ), please run through below check list:
[1] Is the Photographer a Full-time or Part-timer ?
-- There's a great deal of commitment level and responsibility differences, when it comes to whether your Photographer are into this field full-time ( eg. a Career ) or just part-timing ( eg. weekend moon-lighters ). It's common sense, when someone is doing it for side-incomes or experiences, the results and expectation will shows, it the end.
The Professional is not just commited to serve you his best, apart from a reputation to upholds, but more importantly, it's his passion to excel in his crafts, and dedicated to rewards those who trusted in them to document and create a wedding day story for their esteem to-be-wed clients, thru their years of hard-earned experiences, artistic skills, patience observations, and finally producing a "a labour of Love" -- your envisioned and dreams of wedding pictorial arts and memories. ( Like all things, there's a price of such high level of commitment and focus ... $ ).
[2] Put the Money where the Horse's mouth is ?
-- In today's context, and with the technological advancement in Photographic systems ( and no thanks to ever confusing feels-good digital cameras Advertisments and media influences, it seems that everybody or anybody who owns a fancy piece of lastest Camera(s), can call themselves a photographer (wedding), and to a large extend - a *Professional Photographer.
First , ask whether is the Photographer and his business is registered ( and has a Physical Setup studio or at least an Presentation Office )-- because it's for your own protection ! When things goes wrong, or consumer's right to be excercised, the customers has the comfort in knowing they could make an claim or complaint against a business that is registered with RCB.
We have heard of known cases where Photographers, who are freelancers ( un-license ) cheated clients with their deposits, or Not turning-up for the reporting, or rendering services not up to expectation, etc. They have no Agencies (eg. CASE ) to seek help or refund. Or the photographer who are foreigners ( eg. Malaysians) , did a bad jobs or no-shows, and the Wedding Couples can't track them or locate them for those mis-haps ( mis-fortunes ), etc.
Second, get Testimonies from satisfied clients, or check with friends whom have their Wedding works & albums done by the referred photographer.
Sometimes, an overly eager friends may have put her photographer's name to your short-listing, however the good intention is, it is BETTER to meet-up the Photographer and look CLOSELY his works, and asked yourself whether you like what YOU see, and Not what you Hear or have heard !
Of course, if theres's much more Compliments ( than complaints ), then something must be really right, and good for that Photographer -- whether it is his Works, Services, or Pricing ( or All ).
But again, different people and friends have different tastes , ideas and views, ... You should meet-up with the Pro Photographer(s), and talk to them, and check it out for yourself ( no laziness here please ).
Third, Always asked for and Reviews the lastest and recent Weddign Works or Portfolio.
No point seeing someone's works that are dated 2 years-ago... for his style or presentation may have changed then, or worst his consistency will not be there. You do not want somebody to show you His BEST Works of 1999 - 2003, and realising that when come to your time [ 2005], you are given a different approaches, or quality and presentations is totally different or unexpected, from what you'd last seen.
In short, the best is to reviews his recent works of not more than 3-6 month old, ... the rationale is simple, if he claim that he is in this FULL-TIME, and the Wedding Photos is truly taken by Him, then the Pro Photographer should be showing you at least last months' wedding & bridal works, and not half-a-year away jobs -- and not just 2 - 3 weddings, but at a minimum least 5 weddings in 3 months. This is also an benchmark to which Wedding photogs are into this Professionally, or just part-timing ( even for the so-called pros alike ).
The Conculsion:
Professionalism comes with a high price tags, and commitment level -- whether in Investment ( equipments & setups ), Marketing ( adverstisments & PR ), and Customer-Oriented Services ( Pre-wedding & post-wedding ) -- therefore, if Customers did not do much researched and viewed Professional Wedding & Bridal Photography is a 'Mickey-mouse' jobs and industry, then they Should be prepared to faced the medicore results and disappointents.
However for those who understands the talents and the meaning of 'labour-of-love' in the process of the whole creation process, with the participation of the Wedding Couples, chances are that they'll be delighted, and many happy surprises and returns will be greeting them ...
To those whom were cheated by Christopher Soh, i hope you get your money back.
i got it from red box flowers & gifts.. its $25.. flower nice nice, lady oso nice nice.. im very pleased with her svcs & the end product.. can consider her if u gals lookin for florist..
) and we went ahead... 