The role of AVPs (or a family reunion to remember)

We get some inquiries for just the basic package (photography plus portraits/album).  

Most of the time, AVPs (audio/visual presentations) are extra add-ons that the bride and groom don't want included.  It's OK.  

However, there was one event that this one we wanted to make sure that the AVP was included.

**

What's an event (besides weddings) that's sure to bring tears to the eyes?  Why, family reunions of course!!!  

Family reunions in the Philippines are huge affairs.  However, frankly speaking, the budget isn't THAT big compared to weddings because even though it could involve the whole barangay of a small town, the perennial question comes up -- "Who pays for it?". 

(Aaaahhhh, a sticky subject to be sure, but very important nevertheless.)

That said, it still is a huge and tearful affair. (*Cue: blow nose here.)  One that demands a lot of work and time.

-------

My sister and I covered a family affair in Lagawe, Ifugao.  It actually involved a lot of work for my sister since she had to do a lot of work BEFORE the day itself.  MY work is on the day, hers is before and after.  

--------

So yes, one of the presentations in a family reunion involved an AVP which my sister painstakingly made.

Simple?  Not quite. 

It's not just gathering all the old photos the family was able to provide.  

What made it more touching was the presence of videos.  VIDEOS!!  Please note that in the early 1980's, not everybody had a video camera.  One uncle had a video camera and he was able to take footage of a family reunion back then (possibly 1982 or 1983).  With technology now, the video was transferred to a DVD, but the quality was Betamax-era.  

In that family AVP, my sister took video clips of those family members who passed away.  Imagine the surprise of the second and third generation of family who saw, not just pictures, but videos of their loved ones caught on film (the video even had the patriarch in it before he died in 1984), very dynamic, alive and having fun. There was hardly a dry eye in the place. It was a celebration of life and love for a huge family.  Lots of hugging, games and strolls down memory lane.  It's the stuff EVERY family is made of.

---------

They'll probably appreciate the album when it's done, yes.  They'll appreciate the photos posted on facebook, yes.  But that day, what meant more to everybody was seeing an AVP that made them realize what was most important in their lives - that of celebrating family and relationships while everybody is still here.

---------

The next family reunion is in Baguio, February 2013. AND we'll cover the same event as well.  What will be easier that time around is that:

    - since we did the photography and the AVP, we'll have more photos (and videos) of the family to show 

    - photos that will possibly get "lost" in the maze that is called facebook will not get lost with us since you're also paying for storage when you book with us. (Try looking for photos that you took 3 years ago from THAT class reunion.)  

   - we'll get to know you. We'll know that the little makulit boy grew up to be a polite 6-year old, and we'll take fantastic photos of him just the same (just wait 'til he grows up to be 10 or 12 years old - we'll still get to show those embarrassing pics of him when he was 4!).

----------

So before you start 'saving' by removing the AVP from a package, think about it.  It could be the best gift you'll ever get for your family.  

Wedding Photographers - Why pay premium price?

Wedding Photographers - Why pay premium price? (or Why are Wedding Photographers so DARN Expensive?)


When the date's set and the church has been booked, what's the next thing the bride (and/or the groom) does?  


She looks (or they look) at suppliers - that means choosing a caterer, getting a couturier for the gown and booking a photographer to record it all.


But horror of horrors, some photographers charge an arm and a leg just to shoot your wedding!  Php50K for 7-hours of work?!!, you ask.  Hmmmm.....


-------


Here's a list of 11 reasons why photographers are expensive - and why we're really worth it.  


1.  Tools of the Trade -  We definitely use top of the line digital cameras.  Not just camera bodies, but the lens as well.  We use wide angle, normal and telephoto lenses.  Did you say flash?  We have on-camera and off-camera flash.  We use triggers, tripods, reflectors, bags - all the gear that we'll ever need and don't need at your wedding.  For three photographers shooting at a wedding, the cost of the gear alone is the cost of a compact car.  


2.  Business License and Insurance and/or Memberships with Photoclubs here and abroad -  If the photography outfit is legal (meaning they are able to issue official receipts), then they would be paying for business permits, taxes and insurance.  Insurance is definitely needed when accidents happen.  


       Is your wedding photographer a member of a photographers' club or association?   These clubs and associations hold workshops just to make sure that their members know the latest trends in photography.   


3.  Training - We hadn't just taken our basic photography class, we've aced it.  :-)  Seriously, your wedding photographer isn't just ANY wedding photographer.  He/she has done Events Photography (for 7 hours getting all the highlights of the show), Product Photography (for those rings, the cords, the Bible and candles), Food Photography (ahhhh that beautiful cake that only has one edible tier that we're all hesitant to eat), Fashion/Glamour Photography (we'll show the world how beautiful you truly are on your special day), Photojournalism (unposed candid shots that will show you how cute your little nieces and nephews are on your wedding - which you'll probably miss but the photographer may not), etcetera.   Photography is a skill and it's something we strive to perfect on every shoot we do.  Believe me, we have covered all the bases - including sports, macro (and what-not) photography - and competition is always a good motivator to keep us on our toes.


4.  Labor Costs -  Please don't think that a photographer's job ends after the day of your wedding. When the last bit of cake has been eaten and all the champagne has been drunk, that's the time when we leave.  However, there's more work to be done when we go back to the studio. The best photos have to be chosen.  There's editing involved.  We edit your photos to make sure that you - the client - remember the wedding you deserve for a lifetime.  Working on a weekend?  Been there, done that.  The album layout still has to be done, the DVD has to be prepared.  Our job ends when the final album (or deliverable) is in the hands of the couple - and we make sure that every piece of work that leaves the studio is a work of art.


5.  Staff Salaries - How many photographers will you get?  Two is the standard.  There's another assistant that takes care of our gear.  There could be another for photojournalism. 
       There's usually a package that wedding photography studios offer, that of having an associate photographer shoot your wedding (rather than the main man (or woman) himself do it).  This could knock at least Php7K from the price.  Ask. The quality should be similar, but having a Master Photographer shoot your wedding is quite an experience in itself.  


6.  Extras - Did you order an album? Two parent albums (the ones that are smaller than the regular-sized album)? A portrait? Family portrait?  Photobooth?  Enough said.


7.  Art/Skill/Craft - The album layout is done by a talented artist.  It requires all the skill, craftsmanship and talent of a photographer/graphic editor.  Your wedding is unique and we don't rely much on templates to do our own layouts.  Who would you rather have do your wedding album?  The expert or the novice? 


8.  Time - How much time do you think we spend on your wedding?  Ten hours?  Not just. Good wedding photographers don't just meet up with you the day of the wedding.  We meet up with you when you sign a contract that we explain thoroughly.  We meet up with you to find out how you guys met, what kind of wedding you want to have, and sometimes we meet up with you when you get upset with your future mother-in-law...  We want to capture the best day you'll ever have in your life and we want to make sure that you'll remember it forever.  


9.  Advertising/Website/Marketing - As much as photographers like to be referred to family or friends, we have to do some advertising too.  We attend bridal fairs and we give out brochures. We also try to get people to do our websites. 

10.  Quality and Integrity -  A Php20K photo/video package may exist.  But how many of these Php20K photo/video packages do these studios have to do in order to make a profit?  Please remember that this is still a business, and somehow corners have to be cut or shortcuts have to be made when you do it this way.  Quality will inevitably be sacrificed for quantity.  So if your album or video DVD from that Php20K package isn't ready in 3 months when they said it will, chances are that they haven't done it (right) the first time.   

11.  You get what you pay for - Not to sound really pessimistic, but do you recall the adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't"?  

     And have you ever heard of the Good-Fast-Cheap Triangle?  Draw a triangle and write the following words at each point.  The thing is, you can get only two but not all three.  Good and Fast?  Not Cheap.  Fast and Cheap?  Not Good.  Good and Cheap?  Not Fast.  

       SO....  how much is a 50K wedding photography package really worth?  

       There was a wise man (a photographer) who asked a groom, "How long do you intend to stay married to your wife?"  The man answered, "Fifty years? At least?" His computation was: let's get every day that a groom intends to be with his wife (50years x 365 days in a year)  = equal to 18,250 days.  If they get a package worth Php50K, it's roughly Php2.74 everyday for 50 years...  which is equivalent to a lifetime of memories.  Please note that the album itself should last at least 100 years.  

        Are you still going to scrimp on something that you want to last for at least fifty years?  We hope not.