Posted by Peter Clayman on Wed, Aug 04, 2010 @ 10:04 PM
Hi Everyone,
I hope this blog sees you well. I am trying to get caught up on presenting some of the slideshows (wedding photography) that we have done for couples. Jen & Shawn were married a few months ago at the Alvirne Chapel in Hudson, NH. and their reception was at Hampshire Hills (www.hampshirehills.com). Check out the slideshow and let me know what you think.
Posted by Peter Clayman on Wed, Jun 23, 2010 @ 09:50 AM
Hi Everyone,
I hope this blog sees you well. I came across this blog post done by Andrea Joki and thought it was brilliant so I am reposting.
A question I am asked frequently is why photographers charge what they do. There is such a discrepancy in prices – and those shopping purely on price alone are nearly always going to go the least expensive route. But is that the wisest decision? One phrase I hear a lot is, “it only costs 10c to make a print – so why do you charge so much?” And if the value of the image was only the print paper cost itself, that would be a valid question. But then again, a lawyer makes several thousands and all they produce is paper worth less then a penny. So why do we pay lawyers upwards of 100 euros an hour?
The easy answer is that an experienced photographer – one who has spent years studying the craft, honing skills, and perfecting style, is going to give you a much better image than the beginner who is simply clicking a shutter button. If clicking the shutter is the only parameter of a professional photographer, I’d like to offer the services of my 7 year old – she takes great pictures (everyone says so!) and I’m happy to hire her out for $200 for a disk of images. She’ll be happy too – she’d love a new Lego Star Wars set. But why pay $200 for my 7 year old (or a beginner photographer) when you can just have the grandparents click the button instead – and for free?
I could make this post longer by summing out costs of being a photographer: VAT/taxes, insurance, business development costs, time, software, equipment, the desire to not work for free for other people ……. but really, I would think that most would recognize there are obvious costs behind owning any business. Would you really feel you were saving money if you hired a lawyer who had no formal training or education but who felt they would be good at winning lawsuits because they saw someone do it on TV? The parallel is true since many photographers are encouraged by friends and family (would you tell your best friend that the image she shot and is so proud of has a kid in dappled light and a telephone pole sticking out of his head with a white balance so off that he is practically blue?). Similarly, many photographers are not licensed business owners – so if you get charged for poor portraits, you have no recourse. I would love to charge less – and certainly my photography business isn’t going to buy me a Lexus. But at the same time, it is frustrating to be legal, pay taxes, and yet lose customers to those operating illegally.
Truly: professional images comprise a lot of factors – otherwise, why would you hire someone to photograph your children if you could just do it yourself? Composition, metering, focus, white balance, skin tones, light in the eyes, pose, post processing….. these are skills that take time to develop. And the difference in quality should be fairly obvious if you compare portfolios. Which always leads to the next question: “It’s just the camera, right?” And that one hit kind of home for me. One day last year, my sister told me she wanted to take images of her family and have them be as good as mine – so she asked which DSLR she should buy. I answered her honestly: unless you are going to shoot in manual modes (not auto) and learn ISO, F-stop, Shutter speed, spot metering, etc, she could spend thousands and thousands and not have as good images. Good images are about using the equipment and reading the light correctly – neither of which can be obtained in AUTO by clicking a button. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and spend thousands. But also be prepared to admit that it’s not the camera, it is the artist BEHIND the lens, that is making the creative and beautiful portraits. And as for my sister? She bought a prosumer and not a DSLR and has been very happy since. And saved quite a bit of money in the process.
One thing I really find interesting is that people will buy Coach purses, fancy flatscreen TVs, expensive toys and sets for their children, and all manner of luxury goods that have maybe a 1-2 year lifespan. But when it comes to professional portraits, which will last a lifetime, they base the decision purely on price. I’m not sure at what point children and family become less important than a fancy purse. But I can tell you that those who purchased high quality portraits have a beautiful reminder of a time that has past – and those portraits are still hanging or displayed while the purse has long since been thrown away.
Sure, parents can choose to purchase inexpensive photography based solely on price. Not everyone can afford the price of a good photographer and the compromise often is quality. But I truly hope and encourage buyers to really consider what they are buying and why – and not to choose solely on price. Your memories do not have a price tag and once this moment is gone, you forever lose the chance to have hired a true professional to beautifully capture your family. Choosing the best you can afford will always be the best advice given to anyone looking for quality professional portraits. As with anything hand-made and requiring an artistic eye, those who produce quality work often charge more – it compensates for the amount of time they have spent learning and perfecting their art. Choose not based on price – but on how the photographer expresses themselves – and how that will translate into your family’s portrait work. Choosing based solely on price is saying that all photographers are the same – and that really isn’t true. Sure, price may not always reflect skill. That’s where a buyer’s judgment and comparison of portfolios come in. But it is a good bet that a lot of the cheaper photographers will disappear in a year as they realize they are actually losing money and working for nearly free. And that is also a concern because they may not have an interest in protecting or archiving your photos.
Posted by Peter Clayman on Fri, Jun 18, 2010 @ 04:01 PM
Hi Everyone,
I hope this blog sees you well. Jen and Chris came in today to look at albums and pics and all that good stuff. They were married last fall in Meredith, NH (Chase House www.millfalls.com). We took some beautiful wedding photos and had a lot of fun in the process. I am collecting and recording testimonials of couples experience with NH Images and there will be many more to come. If you have any questions, or would like to talk with us further, please email info@nhimages.com or call 603.888.7204. Thanks for reading and watching.
Posted by Peter Clayman on Sun, Jun 13, 2010 @ 02:14 PM
Hi Everyone,
I hope this blog sees you well. So my couple Angie and Dave (we did their wedding photography and video @ Church Landing, Meredith, NH www.millfalls.com) came in on Friday night to look at their images for the first time. We work hard to provide the best possible experience that any couple can have. Now I also have to admit that Jaime does a much better job of creating and editing video than I will ever be able to do. If you have any questions, please email or call 603.888.7204.
All my best,
Peter
Posted by Jaime Wood on Thu, May 27, 2010 @ 12:08 PM
If you ever wanted to know about NH Images Photography & Video, we have now created a handy video guide. For those parents who are paying for the wedding and have not met us (yet), this video will give you an idea of who we are both personally and professionally. For those couples who are thinking about using NH Images, this video will give you an idea of our personalities and how we operate. The video is meant to be informative and fun so if you like the video and want to see more of what we can do for you: Email: info@nhimages.com , Call: 603.888.7204 / 603.865.7445 or click the button below to book an appointment with us. We look forward to hearing from you!
Posted by Peter Clayman on Tue, May 18, 2010 @ 07:32 PM
Hi Everyone,
I hope this blog sees you well. I wanted to take a moment and touch upon a subject that has to do with us doing business with you. I always tell people that you need to love our wedding photography and wedding videos. This seems basic, but it's so important to have the right company and people documenting your very special day!
Which leads me to my main point...if you love us then lets figure out how to work together! We have set packages that contain various hours and products, but if you are on a specific budget or are looking for something customized then simply talk to us...don't walk away assuming that we won't be able to meet your budget or provide specific products. We will always be upfront and let you know if can work within your parameters...most times we can, but sometimes we can't. But we both won't know unless you ask...If we click when we meet then let's keep the lines of communication open.
We have been very fortunate to be in demand, but we never want to lose sight of trying to help as many couples that we can. We love doing weddings and we want to be as accessible as we can for you! Give us a call if we can ever be of any help. Thanks for reading and listening.
All my best,
Peter
Posted by Peter Clayman on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 09:40 PM
Hi Everyone,
I hope this blog sees you well. We have done so many weddings over the years and here are a couple of wedding photography tips we would like to pass along:
- Do an engagement session ahead of the wedding - We have done countless engagement sessions with couples over the years. The feedback has been about how much more relaxed they were with the whole photography process. By bonding ahead of the wedding through an engagement session we get to know you more and vice versa...and yes the pictures come out that much better!
- Tell your family ahead of time about the photography - Family pictures are always the greatest challenge, not because they are hard to do but rather they are hard to get done. If you tell your immediate family that they are wanted in pictures you are more likely to be successful in getting all the key images that you want. I see time and time again families hunting down key members and this takes time to do.
- Stop dancing with your drink - It's great to celebrate and it's great to have a drink. However when you look back on your pics during the reception someone will wonder who did you marry...the love of your life or someone named bud light!
Enclosed are some images from a recent engagement session. We hope this helps out your day.
All the best,
Peter
Posted by Peter Clayman on Thu, May 06, 2010 @ 08:34 PM
Hi Everyone,
This is the destination wedding that we did back in March at the Grand Plaza Hotel in St. Pete Beach www.GrandPlazaFlorida.com
What a great trip this was at the end of March. Laura and Frank were married on what looked like a complete washout of rain...but by the powers that I have (joking of course) I cleared the weather long enough for us to get some very cool beach pics as you will see below. This slideshow was shown last weekend at their welcome reception @ The Executive Court in Manchester.
Posted by Jaime Wood on Wed, May 05, 2010 @ 12:03 PM
Once engaged, couples spend a lot of time planning for the big day and all the little details but usually in the midst of it all, some of the smallest yet most important things can get overlooked.
1. Don't forget to eat! - Many brides and grooms forget to eat and after a sip of Champagne find themselves a little tipsy or faint. A light breakfast or lunch will give you that much needed energy to get through the day. Don't forget to keep hydrated too!
2. Designate Duties. - Have a bridesmaid or groomsman take care of last minute payments to vendors, worrying about your gift table and holding on to your personal items. That's one less thing you'll need to worry about.
3. Something will go wrong. - Everyone wants the perfect wedding day, and chances are that it will be. But there is also the chance that something will go not exactly as planned. It could be the weather, that you're 5 minutes late to the ceremony, or that something wasn't put out properly at the reception. The important thing is to not stress over these little details and if you are prepared for something to go wrong ahead of time, then it won't seem like a big deal. Nobody is going to know but you that something is different and the most important thing still happened. You got married to the love of your life.
4. Say Thank You. - Throughout the day remember to thank all of the people that helped you in planning your wedding day and your friends and family for attending. Their love and support helped to get you to your wedding day.
5. Enjoy Eachother! - This day is about the two of you and your love. Don't let any of the stressful moments of the day get in the way of that. And when you're standing there during your vows, really look your fiance in the eyes and savor the moment. It only happens once.
All my best,
Jaime