Posted: 18/2/2010

More and more couples are under duress over the price of a wedding, and my impression is because they are expected to now pay for more. Parents, it seems, will no longer foot the bill for the entire wedding, but they may agree to take care of the reception. Add this to rising property prices and young couples starting a life together are feeling the financial squeeze.

Most are torn between feelings of the financial cost while not wanting to cheapen their wedding day. Not surprisingly, my view is that you are much better off paying a bit more and getting a great job than wasting less of your money on something that wasn’t worth it.

I recently read an article that supported this: it said financial scrimping, while giving short0term satisfaction was regretted in the long term. This is never more true than when planning a wedding.

I also received a call for an interview by an AM radio talk show host, wanting a comment by industry leaders about the higher prices charged in the wedding industry for say, photography or cakes. That may be true for some things, but I know the hours required to produce our albums and videos and have heard the horror stories when it all goes pear-shaped, and it’s just another hidden feature we offer: peace of mind from 11 years of experience

Happy Planning
Mark Facey
Photographer
Flow Images

Q: How many videographers does it take to video a wedding?

A: One good one. Not two!

Posted: 4/1/2010

Unlike photography you can only view one images at a time on screen. If you hire two photographers, as with our Gold & Platinum (photography) packages you will get roughly double the images to choose from.

Further, zooming and panning (moving the camera from left to right, or vice versa) are not hard, making two videographers unnecessary. They just seem to get in each others shots. Take the speeches for example, when the bride thanks her family. Invariably theyre either sitting on the bridal table or the table closest to the bridal table. So as a videographer you just need to zoom in for the close up. The applie to the bridal march. The videographer would focus on the bridesmaids coming down the aisle, then pan to the groom’s reaction as the bride enters. And when she gets half way down the aisle, pan back to her.

Two videographers? Its just more expense

Best of luck!

Good luck!
Mark Facey
Photographer
Flow Images

Finding a GOOD wedding videographer Posted: 21/12/2009

Having been in the industry videoing weddings for 10 years its no surprise couples still struggle to find a videographer worthy of what they charge. A good video should have professional production (vision AND sound), not miss key parts of the day, and feel like a friend or family member shot it. Clearly this is far easier said than done: and more difficult to find than photography.

There, Ive said it! Good videographers are under paid for their long hours and efforts. Especially when you consider cakes and flowers often exceed $1000 a pop.

The thing to remember is that if your going to pay someone to video your wedding do your online research. And if its not on the net: ie, their reel AND price, they will probably fall down in this area. If its not that important to you, then get a friend to do it and spend that $2-$3,000 on a better photographer, because you will get the same result if you go cheap.

All the best!

Good luck!
Mark Facey
Photographer
Flow Images

Etiquette between Photographers & Videographers Posted: 05/11/2009

Last weekend one of our ‘greener’ videographers was faced with a photographer from another company for the first time. Having videoed over 500 weddings myself I know that photographers come in all shapes, sizes and temperaments. At their best, photographers can be fast, fun and easy-going. A great combination for all concerned: none more than the couple themselves. At worst, and these are the minority, they can be controlling, slow and two-faced: talking to the couple with a sly smile while talking to the videographer like their a second class citizen.. As a photographer now myself, I try to be very aware of the videographer and include them in the day.

But how should photographers and videographers act on the day so that both get what they need and still get along?

1. The vows & speeches are the videographers domain. Let the poor guy/girl get their sound bite; it’s the whole reason they’re there!

2. A common misconception is that the photographer & videographer need to arrive at the bride and groom’s venues at the same time. I prefer to let a ‘foreign’ videographer (aka: one working for another company) to get there half an hour earlier to get what they need.

3. The biggest time constraints are at the bride & groom’s venues. The couples’ nerves are usually on edge and everyone wants their moment with them. A good photographer will show leadership form the moment they arrive. The videographer needs to take a back seat until the essentials have been photographed, interjecting to get a look or action here and there. Its also important that the photographer works fast. None of the best photographers use a tripod, and external lighting will require extra time.

This covers most of the main issues faced on the day, but ultimately both the photographer and videographer just need to have respect for each other.

All the best!

Good luck!
Mark Facey
Photographer
Flow Images

How to Choose a Wedding Photographer: Posted: 13/10/2009

There are so many weddng photographers in Melbourne. It sometimes feels like new directory listings are popping up every day! So how do you break through the clutter and get the photos you want and the value your looking for?

Firstly, ask yourself what it is your after. What’s important to you? Journalistic shots, artistic, do you want an album? And how important is it to enjoy your day? Wedding photographers differ from videographers in as much as there are a lot of ‘average’ photographers in Melbourne but a quality video is much harder to find. I have done both, so I can tell you why. Videography is harder to get right and less valued: meaning not as well remunerated. Think about it; photographers just have to capture still images and usually have the undivided attention of the couple on the day. Videographers take 25 frames per second, have to deal with unexpected events and sound issues, not to mention guests uncomfortable being on camera.

Once you have your photography priorities you need to begin searching. And nowadays, the internet has become the easiest and quickest way to search for time poor couples. But before you start you need to know there are two types of wedding photographers. Those who are album makers and those who hand over the raw images as part of their package. Often, the photographers with the best work will want to hold on to their artwork for 1-3 years before allowing the client to purchase them. This may not be to glean extra money from their clients. Afterall, there are a lot of digital photography devices out now but how many people actually print the images they take? The main reason is so that the studio can deliver a terrific album; designed for best effect, with retouched images. Its great advertising for them, as photography is a visual industry. That’s all we have!

Now back to searching. These days there’s no excuse for a studio not to have a terrific website. Look for a large and diverse gallery of images with a number of different couples and locations. Also note, if pricing is not shown they are likely to be at the expensive end of the market. Above all, don’t waste your time making the effort to visit a studio if they don’t ‘tick your boxes’ AND have a decent website. I still see couples who visit us after meeting with 5+ photographers. If you have done your homework 1-3 appointments is enough. Then the only thing you need to decide is: do I like this person and want them at my wedding?

Good luck!
Mark Facey
Photographer
Flow Images