Q and A with Mark Bowen
Mark Bowen, of Now Photography explains the benefits of hiring a high-end professional Vancouver wedding photographer for your wedding and answers the questions every couple should know about wedding photography in Vancouver.
Why should couples hire a photographer?
Your wedding is one of the most important days in your life and one where you look your best. There are so many special emotions, moments and voices at a wedding that only a professional wedding photographer can truly capture. It's always a nice surprise when the couple looks at their images and discovers amazing moments they didn't even know happened. Don't just take our word on the benefits of hiring a pro - below you will find excerpts an article from the Seattle Bride on the advantages of hiring a pro wedding photographer.
To read more of this story and see Cody's and Joey's side-by-side images, visit Seattlebridemag.com.
What does the wedding photography end up looking like?
Now photography's images are tailored to the couple and their personalities, so pick a Vancouver wedding photographer who really understands who you are and what you're looking for. The goal of wedding photography is to re-create the story behind the day of the wedding, so we spend a lot of time editing your images to make the story come to life, beginning with the bride getting ready. Image enhancement, correction and fine art treatments are essential to the process. At Now photography we provide basic corrections on every image and on 40-50 key images we do substantial treatments on color, contrast and focus to create the ultimate fantasy images. Our computer processing on a typical wedding is worth around $1300 and not every photographer does this. With Now photography rest assured you will receive enhanced and corrected images and not raw unedited images. Make sure to talk with your photographer about which style you are looking for.
What can couples expect to pay?
It really ranges, professional photographers generally cost between $2,500 and $5,000 for 8 hours coverage. Steer clear of prices less than this, as it shows the photographer probably won't spend much time editing your images, or getting creative with poses, finding the best locations, or setting up lighting where required. Definitely editing the photography is where the costs come in. Tweaking every images and colorizing and enhancing images will be much more expensive. It's always fun to add things like creative border treatments, photo montages, sequences, fashion style beauty enhancements if you want more than just the basic photography, but this will increase the price.
How long does it take for the couple to receive the wedding photography?
We live in a society that needs instant gratification, but you have to remember that you are spending good money for an amazing photography you will want to hold up for the rest of your lives. You don't want the photographer to rush through the process. Generally It takes Now photography around 25-35 hours to edit the images so we need around 6 weeks to complete the process.
Don't just take our word on the benefits of hiring a pro - below you will find excerpts an article from the Seattle Bride on the advantages of hiring a pro wedding photographer.
The Pros of Hiring a Pro
Seattle Bride sent local writer and (semi) amateur photographer Cody Ellerd to shoot photos alongside a top wedding professional and set the record straight once and for all: Is it worth it to hire a friend or family member who's "pretty good with a camera" for your wedding?
By Cody Ellerd
From Seattle Bride
I consider myself a pretty good amateur photographer. I've taken a couple of classes, I have a nice Nikon D60 and, as a professional travel writer, I've even had a few of my shots make magazine covers and pages. If you didn't budget for a professional photographer at your wedding, I'm the friend you might call to take pictures.
"This was such a cute moment, totally unscripted," Ellerd remembers. "They bumped fists and it was clear it was a little habit of theirs, one that conveyed their friendship. Joey was right there to catch it while I was fumbling with my focus ring."
So when Seattle Bride sent me to the late-winter wedding of Vicky Wu and Chris Nicoll to shoot alongside Joey Hong of John & Joseph Photography, a local award-winning team of two brothers who have been shooting commercial, fashion and wedding photography for more than eight years, I was curious to see how well I could keep up with a seasoned pro.
From the moment we started shooting in the bride and groom's hotel room, I was floored. "Vicky, look down at your shoulders.put a gentle smile on your lips. Chris, look straight at my lens-no, smile. Relax your forehead." Joey's attention to such minute detail went way beyond "Say cheese" and brought out the couple's absolute best. He knew how to manipulate the room's light and reflective surfaces in ways I never would have dreamed of, transforming what I thought was an unremarkable setting into a photo studio with endless possibilities.
"This image is so painfully inferior," says our rouge photographer Cody Ellerd about her image. "My angle is bland while Joey's is creative. His is crisp and perfectly exposed, while mine is washed out and grainy. Joey knew exactly how to take advantage of the sense of motion created by this cool backdrop."
To read more of this story and see Cody's and Joey's side-by-side images, visit Seattlebridemag.com.
