Photographer Woes

Disclaimer: I know this is a really long post, just read to the end :)  I really need some advice!

Chris and I are currently in the market for a fab wedding photographer and spent an exhausting day today with shutterbugs.  I have to say that even though I think A LOT about other stuff, everything pales in comparison to the photographer.  I know what I like and what I hate and can tell a good photographer from an awesome one.  I'm an amateur photographer and know all about f-stops and ISO settings.  Of everything in the wedding, the photography is BY FAR the most important.  Even more important than the dress and (gasp) the cake.

I want some of the fun and trendy pictures, but I also would like some beautiful shots of the moments.  50 years from now, I will probably smile at the picture of Chris and his groomsmen pretending to do cannonballs, but I really hope deep down for timeless classics.

I really love all those pictures because I think that not only are they beautifully composed, but they really capture the moment.  I generally like those cute semi-posed shots that are relaxed and fun (like the Kennedy wedding shot), but I don't want a whole album of prom-style photos. I want a photojournalistic photographer rather than a traditional wedding photographer. 

Mel the Planner set up appointments today with three photographers.  I'm glad we met with them because one of the photographers I was moderately considering, I realized I did not like at all after meeting.  I made a ridiculously detailed list of questions I wanted to ask these photographers and quickly realized that he just wasn't fitting the bill.  When I say detailed, I mean detailed.  Sometimes the Type-A in me gets out of control. Mel made fun of me the whole time :(

That's not even the half of it.  It's actually 3 pages long and includes a place for me to staple a business card.  I know, I know... But if any of you want it when you're planning your own wedding, let me know!  I'll be happy to forward it along to you.  It's got all sorts of things you should look for.

Anyway, the one guy that I thought I would like, upon closer inspection, I realized that his shots were overexposed (you can tell when looking at details like the lace on a dress and the cake -- the shots will be blurry), they were also not focused or framed well.  Not so good.

I think we're stuck between Dreamland Images and Alyona Photography.  Both are that photojournalistic style.  I have to be honest.  Alyona's photography speaks to me much more than Dreamland's.  Out of the three photographers we looked at today, she is by far the best.  She is really good at finding the details of the wedding (taking pictures of the flower arrangements and cakes, etc.) and framing it really well.  She also finds these great key moments of the wedding.  And those are lovely.

However, some of her shots look really artificial--like the ones of all the bridesmaids or groomsmen together.  We really want those group shots, but instead of us all lined up in a row, we want it to be more casual:

not her picture

You can tell that she really struggles to come up with those ideas.  I don't think she's that creative.  We could also tell her what we wanted, but I doubt that it would come naturally or organically to her.  It may never look quite right.  But, she is also the cheapest.  You would think that this decision would be a no-brainer.  However, she has no personality.  Seriously.  She's a lovely person (she's from the Ukraine), but the interaction with her was pretty strained.  She also answered some questions really bizarrely.

Dreamland is actually a husband and wife team, Amelia and Daniel.  They are awesome.  They're definitely more expensive than Alyona, but still within our budget and are ridiculously fun.  Their photography is still wonderful, but not as good as Alyona's.  Within their package they also have a "photobooth" where they set up a camera and folks take pictures.  They are put up on a website within 24-48 hours so that people can download them at will.  We were going to do something similar to this, so we thought this was cool.  However, this isn't exactly a deal maker or breaker. Chris and I could hire a photography student from College of Charleston for $200 and have him run that camera.

I also liked that Amelia said that she abhors the flash.  Me too.  I hate flash.  If I can't take the picture without a flash, then I rarely take the picture.  I also got a high five from Daniel.  They were super easy to talk to to.  This is a concern for Chris and I because we will be spending just so much time with them. I really want to work with them!  Ack!


We're meeting with a fourth photographer next weekend if we can.  Her name is Heather Forsythe.  She's about the same price as Amelia and Daniel.  But her photography is phenomenal.  She's very very similar to Alyona, but with more experience.

What do you guys think?  Click around their websites if you're bored at school or work and let me know who your fave is.