One of the top five questions I am asked by my brides and grooms is whether I would recommend them also hiring a videographer.
While this may seem like an odd question to ask a photographer, I am glad to know that they do so knowing that they can trust in me giving them an unbiased perspective.
On that note, let me give you my honest take on videographers at weddings.
How important is having a video to you? I ask because while most people will look at photographs over and over again for years to come, I have had brides in the past that literally watched their video once and never again. On the same note, I have other past brides that will sit down weekly to look at their pictures while watching their video. So, if a video is something that you feel is something you will watch again and again, then by all means, hire a videographer for your wedding.
What is my personal opinion of videographers? Well, obviously I am partial to still images, however, video is not the same as it was even ten years ago. Back when videographers shot on beta, hi8 or VHS format editing studios were extraordinarily expensive and not always available to all videographers. One thing to remember is that your final video is more like a storybook wedding album. Instead of being just well shot footage, it is actually the final edit and put together that really makes the final video. Now that videographers have access to very sophisticated digital video editing software at a fraction of the cost of the old professional editing suites which fits on a desktop computer, videographers have the ability to provide their clients which extremely high end final products. Just as good is the fact that their cameras have been able to shrink while maintaining exceptional image quality.
So, this leaves two major issues that you will want to consider. The first is what should I look at when hiring a videographer and the other is how do I make sure my videographer and photographer get along?
Let’s start with the first item. Choosing a videographer is no different from choosing a photographer. You want to look at their creativity, make sure they have what you feel is a good eye for capturing events, as well as making sure they have a strong understanding of the use of their equipment and the media. You also want to view their equipment and make sure that they only use professional grade primary and backup equipment because accidents do happen. I would also tend to stay away from studios that offer both video and photographic services. Why? Well, they are very different art forms with different sciences behind them. Would you go to Annie Leibovitz to shoot a movie or go to Steven Spielberg to shoot a photo spread? Then why do the same thing for your wedding. Additionally, and this is a personal thing, just like I do not like third parties designing my wedding albums, you would prefer that they do the final video editing themselves. My reasoning behind this is that we both shoot a great deal of images and footage. We then have a limited page space or video time to tell the story of your day. Who better would know the important events of your wedding than the people there?
The last thing you want to ask them is what their opinion of photographers is. If they say anything negative, then you might want to keep looking. The reason is tied to the last item. How do I make sure my videographer and photographer get along?
Simple, provide each of them with the others information and ask that they connect and compare notes about your event ahead of time. Doing this will not only allow them to plan how they will shoot each important event without interfering with each others shot but it will also allow them to potentially work together to make sure that events such as cake cuttings and bouquet tosses are done in a way that allows them both to capture great images and footage. I have even been known to shoot images using only the lighting from their main light (as seen in image above).
I hope this gave you some insight into the relationship between videographers and photographers as well as what to consider when considering a videographer for your event. While I do not endorse or have any business relationships with any particular videographers, I always maintain a current list of videographers that work well with me and provided my clients with an exceptional final product. Feel free to contact me and I will be happy to provide you with their contact information.
While this may seem like an odd question to ask a photographer, I am glad to know that they do so knowing that they can trust in me giving them an unbiased perspective.
On that note, let me give you my honest take on videographers at weddings.
How important is having a video to you? I ask because while most people will look at photographs over and over again for years to come, I have had brides in the past that literally watched their video once and never again. On the same note, I have other past brides that will sit down weekly to look at their pictures while watching their video. So, if a video is something that you feel is something you will watch again and again, then by all means, hire a videographer for your wedding.
What is my personal opinion of videographers? Well, obviously I am partial to still images, however, video is not the same as it was even ten years ago. Back when videographers shot on beta, hi8 or VHS format editing studios were extraordinarily expensive and not always available to all videographers. One thing to remember is that your final video is more like a storybook wedding album. Instead of being just well shot footage, it is actually the final edit and put together that really makes the final video. Now that videographers have access to very sophisticated digital video editing software at a fraction of the cost of the old professional editing suites which fits on a desktop computer, videographers have the ability to provide their clients which extremely high end final products. Just as good is the fact that their cameras have been able to shrink while maintaining exceptional image quality.
So, this leaves two major issues that you will want to consider. The first is what should I look at when hiring a videographer and the other is how do I make sure my videographer and photographer get along?
Let’s start with the first item. Choosing a videographer is no different from choosing a photographer. You want to look at their creativity, make sure they have what you feel is a good eye for capturing events, as well as making sure they have a strong understanding of the use of their equipment and the media. You also want to view their equipment and make sure that they only use professional grade primary and backup equipment because accidents do happen. I would also tend to stay away from studios that offer both video and photographic services. Why? Well, they are very different art forms with different sciences behind them. Would you go to Annie Leibovitz to shoot a movie or go to Steven Spielberg to shoot a photo spread? Then why do the same thing for your wedding. Additionally, and this is a personal thing, just like I do not like third parties designing my wedding albums, you would prefer that they do the final video editing themselves. My reasoning behind this is that we both shoot a great deal of images and footage. We then have a limited page space or video time to tell the story of your day. Who better would know the important events of your wedding than the people there?
The last thing you want to ask them is what their opinion of photographers is. If they say anything negative, then you might want to keep looking. The reason is tied to the last item. How do I make sure my videographer and photographer get along?
Simple, provide each of them with the others information and ask that they connect and compare notes about your event ahead of time. Doing this will not only allow them to plan how they will shoot each important event without interfering with each others shot but it will also allow them to potentially work together to make sure that events such as cake cuttings and bouquet tosses are done in a way that allows them both to capture great images and footage. I have even been known to shoot images using only the lighting from their main light (as seen in image above).
I hope this gave you some insight into the relationship between videographers and photographers as well as what to consider when considering a videographer for your event. While I do not endorse or have any business relationships with any particular videographers, I always maintain a current list of videographers that work well with me and provided my clients with an exceptional final product. Feel free to contact me and I will be happy to provide you with their contact information.
