Big Box Weddings

It was the strangest job posting I've seen yet.

A national bridal chain was advertising for photographers and videographers. They specify the equipment the video or photo professional needs, they book the wedding, and the shooter is responsible for providing them with the raw materials. Get in, shoot, get out, and pass your raw materials on to some unknown assembly-line "artist" in an undisclosed location, who hands it off to the big box bridal store for their client. I guess after practically decimating the privately-owned bridal shops that used to be common in communities all across the country, the big boys are finally going after the last remaining personalized service offered for weddings: your photographer and videographer.

I can't even begin to tell you why I think this is a huge mistake. But I'm going to try anyway.

Hiring a photographer and/or videographer for your wedding is not like buying a tuxedo, renting a limo, or any other service you'll book for your wedding. As I've pointed out on these pages before (and in countless conversations with brides over the past two decades), when the meal and cake are eaten, the guests have all gone home, the flowers have wilted, the dress is packed away, and the honeymoon is over, you have two tangible reminders of your wedding day: your pictures and your video.

Your photography is not a service you should hand off to just anyone.

Photography and video are personal. You'll spend more time with your photographer than anyone else on your wedding day, and yes, that includes the one you're marrying. By the time we arrive at a wedding, we've already spent hours consulting with our brides and grooms, we've attended the wedding rehearsal, we've met the families and wedding party...in short, we've developed a working relationship that helps ensure the best possible result. No one should meet their photographer on the day of the wedding.

I've been solicited by companies taking this kind of approach before, and I've always turned them down. Part of the reason is because, philosophically, I don't agree with their tactics. It cheapens the relationship between the photographer and client, and turns photography and video into something it isn't: another commodity. I don't know many couples that would hire a band for their reception without hearing them first; why would you do it with your photographer or videographer?

But I've also turned them down because "taking the picture" is only part of the process of creating a great memory. Any reputable photographer will tell you that as much time (usually more) is spent editing photos afterward, tweaking the digital image to bring out certain elements, fix bad reflections on glasses, or make any of a hundred other adjustments to make those images special. When photographers are hired by these "services", they hand off the digital files to some unknown assembly-line retoucher, who handles the creation of the final image. That should be unacceptable to anyone who cares about their final product.

I once knew of a photographer that painstakingly airbrushed out someone's oxygen tube in all the formal photos, at the request of the bride AFTER the ceremony was over. That's the kind of personal service you're not going to get from some anonymous faceless conglomerate.

It also bothered me greatly that the requirements of the big box store centered around the kind of equipment the photographer needed to have. I've seen amazing photographers work with very little gear, and I've seen shooters weighed down with so many lenses and accessories that they could barely move, and the end result wasn't worth the deposit the bride and groom paid, let alone the finished product. While I understand the importance of good quality equipment, I was dismayed to realize that (no pun intended) the gear was their primary focus.

The larger issue here is that weddings have become a huge industry. Year after year, I see more and more people swarming after brides for a monetary piece of the wedding day pie. Granted, I'm part of the swarm. But believe me, there are easier and more lucrative ways to make a living. Anyone who shoots weddings for a living does it, at least in part, because they love what they do, love weddings, and enjoy the hands-on aspect of making a lifetime memory (see this blog post from another photographer for an excellent writeup on this subject). It frankly sickens me to see something as important and personal as photography and video services reduced to the level of renting your shoes.

Having said that, I've been faced with the phenomenon of the "out of town" bride who hires me sight-unseen for photography or video. But I also know that I spend a great deal of time consulting with those brides before the wedding on the phone, I make certain that they've seen my portfolio and know my style, and I do my best to make them comfortable with the work coming out of my studio. My name is attached to that final product; it's important to me that the work is of the highest caliber I'm capable of, and that the client is thrilled with the end result.

Could I sign on with this company? Sure. Could I probably double or triple the number of weddings I work each year? Most likely. It would probably be very lucrative for me to work this way. The appeal is definitely there...no worries about scheduling multiple meetings with the clients, attending the rehearsal, working an all-day schedule (the big-box package limits the number of hours the shooter has to work), or any of the tedious and time-consuming post-production editing of photos and video. It has its appeal if, as a photographer or videographer, money is your only concern.

But it cheapens the work.

Ultimately, that's the problem I have with what I call the "commoditization" of these services. Whenever I talk to a bride and groom, I tell them this: "I don't care if you hire me, or if you hire someone else. Obviously, I'd like you to hire me. But more importantly, I want you to hire someone whose style you like, whose personality meshes with yours, and with whom you feel comfortable. Yes, price is a consideration, but it's only ONE consideration. Your memories are too important to trust to just anyone."

Please don't make that mistake.


/ Rich LaVere
April 4, 2011

Wedding Video Highlight

As part of LaVere Media's "Deluxe" wedding video package, we include a highlight video of the day's events. It's an overview of the much longer video of the day.

This is one of my favorites. The wedding was held at the library of Elmira College, and the reception was at the Elmira Country Club. A great couple, and a great day.


Wedding Video Highlights from LaVere Media on Vimeo.

John and Ashley's Love Story Video Session

What a whirlwind!

On Friday (the day after Christmas), we videotaped the "Love Story" interview for John and Ashley, who got married the very next day. The couple flew in from Florida, and graciously sat for the last-minute interview.

The "Love Story" is a section of the video where we interview the bride and groom separately, then together, asking questions about how they met, what their likes and dislikes are, and then we interview them together at the end (a' la "When Harry Met Sally") to finish off the segment.

Normally, these interview segments are interspersed with shots of the couple in some of their favorite locations, walking hand-in-hand, etc. But due to our compressed deadline (they live out of town and the wedding was the next day), the interview segments will be supplemented with still photos and text. Still, we can't wait to show them the results.

John and Ashley were great sports for the interview, and while I can't give anything away just yet (after all...they haven't seen the footage), I can tell you that they were a joy to work with, and their stories are great. John in particular made a comment that's sure to elicit a tear from anyone who sees it.

The next day, we spent a total of 14 hours from start to finish with John and Ashley, beginning with a hairstyling session at Ashley's parents, a trip to the wedding venue (historic Hamilton Hall on the campus of Elmira College), then on to Sayre, PA for the reception. What a day!

For more information about weddings from LaVere Media, contact us at info@laveremedia.com or visit our website.

Creating a Holiday Home Movie

This information is reprinted from an article first published on Helium.com by Rich LaVere of LaVere Media.

One of the primary functions of my business is to transfer old 8mm film movies to modern formats such as DVD. As such, I've viewed hundreds of these movies, many of them holiday films. Some are engaging and exciting while others are nearly unwatchable.

So what separates the good from the bad? Storytelling and technique.

The best movies use the time they have to tell a story. There's the preparation. The anticipation. The event itself. The aftermath. If a stranger such as myself can be engaged by the story you're telling, you've done your job well. It's important that your audience care about your subject. In this case, the audience is your family both now and for generations to come. They'll watch this movie to get insight into your personality and your life for many years. Make it worth their time.

An example would be a Christmas video. You might start with the trimming of the tree. Family members could reminisce about special ornaments, the time the tree collapsed in the living room, or the year the cat climbed to the top! You get the idea.

Some shots of wrapping gifts and placing them under the tree will be a delight to folks who received those gifts, and now see the care that was taken in preparing them.

In the case of a Christmas video, you might want to include shots of special decorations around the house, the "milk and cookies" left for Santa Claus, or any other unique family traditions that give an insight into your unique methods of celebrating the holiday.

During the celebration itself, don't allow the camera to be the focus of attention. If you have small children, for example, a camera in their face while they're experiencing the initial excitement of opening gifts only detracts from the event. Mounting the camera inconspicuously on a tripod in the corner is a good way to start. Then, take it down later and shoot plenty of close-ups of gifts, interviews with your family, etc.

Don't forget the importance of good technique when shooting your home movie. Keep your camera steady by moving in close and shooting at a wide angle. Shooting from a distance while fully zoomed in will make your videos shaky and induce dizziness. Use a tripod whenever practical, particularly outdoors when you're more tempted to use that zoom.

And most importantly: have fun! Your holiday home movie will be its very best when it reflects your unique personality and the joy of the celebration itself. Let it serve as a wonderful reminder of a very special moment.

I never tire of viewing those decades-old family movies that my customers lovingly bring to me to be transferred. I love the stories they tell, and the joy they bring to a generation that experiences its history in a whole new way. Use these tips to tell YOUR story, and help bring that joy to your family for many years to come.

I Recorded a DVD...And Now It Won't Play!

"Why can't I play back what I recorded on my DVD?"

A customer recently came in to our studio with a DVD that he had burned on a home DVD recorder. It played fine at home, but when he took it to his son's house, the DVD refused to play at all. He brought it to us, asking if we could help him solve the mystery of the quirky DVD.

With a few questions, we were able to quickly diagnose the problem. All home DVD recorders save video to the DVD in "stages". The first stage is preparation, where the DVD recorder reads the disc, determines if it's compatible, and prepares it to accept video.

In the second stage, the video is compressed and recorded to the disc. At this point, when you're done recording, you can view the video you've recorded, and even add more video later.

The third step is known as "finalizing". This is the crucial step that our customer missed, and it's really the most important. "Finalizing" prepares your DVD for playback on virtually any commercial DVD player. If you don't perform this step, you will only be able to play back your DVD on the unit you recorded it on. This means that if you skip this step, and your DVD recorder stops working, your collection of DVDs will not play on any other unit.

This "finalizing" step is one that many of our customers miss. We're very concerned about what this means for all those valuable memories stored on DVDs in homes across the country. Eventually, those DVD recorders will fail; it's a mathematical certainty. When-not if-they do, those priceless DVDs will become expensive coasters if the "finalizing" step has not been performed.

It's also important to note that "finalizing" a DVD is only possible using the recorder that captured the video. You can't record on one unit and "finalize" on another (unless you're lucky enough to find the exact same unit somewhere else).

If you have a home DVD recorder, and you're not sure if you're using it properly, contact us. We can often help guide you through this complicated new world of technology.