what is the normal amount of pictures taken during a wedding
We are in the process of looking for a photographer for our wedding and have no idea how many pictures are enough. We want the photographer to follow us around all day to capture the entire day - from getting ready, to the ceremony, to the reception. It just seems that some of the packages limit the number of pictures they take. An example is a package offering 9 hours of coverage states it takes between 500-600 photos. I was wondering what is the normal amount of pictures taken during a wedding and reception and if it is normal practice to set a window of amount of pictures taken. THanks for the help.
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edited by TWQadmin on Jan 28, 2007, 8:19 PM)
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Jan 30, 2007, 12:36 AM
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Re: [gorman] what is the normal amount of pictures taken during a wedding
[In reply to]
I think you've got the right idea, Gorman. You want to have the photographer follow you throughout your wedding day and shoot photos of every phase. Where things get tricky is trying to quantify that strategy into a certain number of photographs.
If you queried five different photographers about what the "normal" number would be, you might get five widely varying answers. Wedding photography is more art than science. Basically, you're hiring a professional for a custom photo shoot -- just as you might hire a skilled designer to make a custom bridal gown. You probably wouldn't get five designers to agree on the "normal" amount of fabric, or the extent of embroidery, or even the right kind of lace, either.
It might be more useful to think about what you would like to have in your photo albums, when all is said and done, then work backward from there.
Some photographers might include engagement photos or formal portraits in their packages, but let's leave that aside and just start with your wedding-day preparations. Assume the photographer is on hand for both your preparation and your groom's preparation. What's a reasonable number of photos you'd like to have to document those parts of the day?
Personally, I think two dozen of each would be plenty -- and you could do a stunning album section with far fewer. It's the final viewing experience that counts, not how many rolls of film the photographer actually shot, or how many flash-memory cards they filled with digital images.
Let's add another three dozen for pre-ceremony shots of the bridal party and family members (if you have big families); then three dozen of the ceremony itself. Another two dozen for post-ceremony coverage of posed family groups, and of you and your groom. Finally, let's assume four dozen for the reception.
If you've been keeping track, that's a total of 240 images. Too many for you? Too few? No problem -- adjust the figures to suit your preference. Just remember that you and your family will be the ones flipping through all those album pages.
Sticking with our present estimate, let's figure that the photographer will shoot at least two additional images for every good one that makes the final cut. The actual percentage will vary, because photographers may click off a lot of frames on the same basic shots during "Hold that pose!" moments, like the pre-ceremony, where they control the situation; and shoot a great variety of different shots in run-and-gun settings like the reception dances.
This brings our reckoning to well over 700 images; but if the photographer does a conscientious job of screening them for you, you'll never see any second-rate shots. You might end up making your final selection from half that many, or less.
Please note that these are very general estimates. Photographers who specialize in highly artistic coverage might take a "less is more" approach, and deliver albums with significantly fewer photos but with a very high "Wow!"-per-image ratio.
Some photographers may find it worthwhile to quote you a set length of time and a finite number of images. Others might never mention a quantity, and treat the number of delivered pictures strictly in terms of what's left after they do their own preliminary editing.
I would recommend talking with brides who have worked with any photographer you are considering, and asking them what their experiences were like. That should give you the best information of all.
And, if I may put in a plug for my own profession, don't neglect videography in your planning. If you're concerned about capturing as much of your wedding day as possible, remember that a single minute of video can capture more memories than a whole stack of photographs.
what is the normal amount of pictures taken during a wedding
