We have thoroughly enjoyed already photographing and getting to know many seniors from Atlee, Lee-Davis, Hermitage, King William, Caroline, and Hanover high schools. Our August portrait dates for high school seniors are filling up quickly. Since most schools have an early yearbook deadline date, please consider booking your senior portrait before school starts.
Bring a senior friend and share the sitting fee. It is always fun having your portrait taken with a friend!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Richmond Wedding or Bridal Show
Thank you to all who came by our booth to talk to us about their wedding photography. We met many couples from all over Virginia, such as, Lynchburg, Charottesville, Norfolk, Farmville, Providence Forge, Colonial Heights, Glen Allen, Mechanicsville, and, of course, Richmond. We, also, met couples from outside of Virginia. They lived in Maryland and North Carolina.
For any of you still searching for your wedding photographer, we would love to talk to you more about your plans and see how our options can work into your budgets.
For any of you still searching for your wedding photographer, we would love to talk to you more about your plans and see how our options can work into your budgets.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Richmond Bridal Show
Don't forget to visit us at the Richmond Wedding Expo on this Sunday at The Downtown Richmond Marriott, 1 p.m - 5 p.m.. Pre-register at www.Richmondweddings.com for quicker entry into show. Be sure to let us know if you found out about this show through our blog!
See there.
See there.
Engagement Portrait at Radford Unversity
We met Julia and Scott at their alma mater, Radford University, yesterday for their engagement portrait session. We will be doing their wedding photography in the Spring of 2010 in Richmond, VA. We really enjoyed our time with this couple. It was exciting to capture their love for each other
New Ceremony Venue
We had the privilege of photographing at Gardens by Pat in Goochland County. The owners are halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville. If you are looking for a beautiful outdoor ceremony location for a small (about 50 or less guests), intimate location for your wedding ceremony, then contact Pat or Richmond Carrier through their website at http://www.gardensbypatva.com/.
Pat is a Master Gardner. She and her husband, Richard, created, by hand, themed gardens on their many acre homesite. The gardens are bordered by a beautiful lake. It is the perfect place to say, "I do."
Pat is a Master Gardner. She and her husband, Richard, created, by hand, themed gardens on their many acre homesite. The gardens are bordered by a beautiful lake. It is the perfect place to say, "I do."
Monday, July 13, 2009
Why is There Such a Difference in Wedding Photography Pricing
It is bewildering and wearisome choosing the right photographer. While all professional wedding photographers take pictures, that's about all they have in common. Asking a wedding photographer on the telephone how much their packages are is like calling a car dealership and asking how much their cars are. In the end, if you select a car based on its pricing, and you don't like it (or even see it), or it falls to pieces when you drive it out of the lot, you are stuck with a useless piece of metal that you might have to pay on for years to come! You don't want to continue to pay emotionally for selecting the wrong photographer for your wedding coverage.
Pricing structure for wedding packages, a-la-carte options, and quality are so different among wedding photographers that it is impossible to directly compare them. You may find some sell "fast food value meals at a drive-up window" and some sell from a full menu where you can sit down, enjoy the atmosphere, communicate and get to know the staff, and have an option of eating filet mignon.
Since planning a wedding is a one-time event in a couple's life, knowing how to choose a quality photographer can be overwhelming. Here is some information to help couples select the right photographer for them.
1. Do not shop for price over the telephone or through email. Asking for price before viewing the work fails to recognize the professional's time, skill, education, experience, and personality. Decide if you like the qualifications and style of the photographer first and then discuss price and options. Most photographers will strive to work with you if you have a particular budget in mind. Here's something to think about: If you are applying for a job--will your salary be based on your experience and education?
2. Since most photographers do want to try to work with you and your budget, it is unfair to base your decision on your photographer if he/she has a price list on their website. Most experienced, high-quality professional photographers do not list pricing on their website, because they want the flexibilty of working with you and your budget. Since most people in general will assume the pricing listed on a website is set in concrete, they will not call to ask if there is some flexiblity in the packages listed.
3. A photographer's preparation time before your wedding is important to you. The more high quality or technologically advanced his/her equipment is, the more time it takes to plan, test, and prepare. All professional wedding photographers should spend careful time testing, cleaning, and recharging their equipment before your wedding. Is this important to you? Do you want your photographer to find out an equipment problem while he/she is photographing your wedding?
4. Do you want a photographer to have an assistant or an additional shooter? It's difficult for one photographer to be everywhere at once. If an assistant or an additional shooter is included in the wedding package, this means there are two salaries involved and double the time spent on your wedding day coverage and post-wedding day work.
5. Some wedding photographers spend hours with pre-ceremony preparation and consultation; post-editing; uploading images to a professional lab; assembling proof albums; uploading images to an on-line website where family and friends can view your photos; post-consultation with the couple; designing, ordering, and assembling formal and family albums. Others just show up at your wedding, shoot, and hand you a CD of unedited images or a handful of photos on low-quality photo paper.
6. The owners of most photography studios spend time with you personally, and others pass you off to a freelance photographer, who is learning the job or has no commitment to the studio other than a paycheck. How does this make you feel?
7. A highly qualified wedding photographer will be a member of a professional organization with other experienced or equally qualified members, or be in association with other wedding photographers with equal experience in case something happens to your wedding photographer on your wedding day. Some of the professional organizations give the wedding photographer the benefit of purchasing insurance to protect you on your wedding day in case of equipment failure. Both the memberships and insurance do not come without a price tag for the professional wedding photographer, but both protect you and give you more of an assurance of your images being recorded and perserved.
8. All of the items listed above require countless hours and extra effort by a high-quality wedding photographer. To work on a total wedding properly--pre-wedding, day-of, and post-wedding--requires an average of 40 hours or more devoted to each wedding couple, families, and friends. This is an average work week for most people. This is not just the six or so hours you and your guests see the photographer at your wedding.
9. All the above information gives you some idea as to the differences in amateur and professional wedding photographers, but what about talent, education, skill, and the experience level of the wedding photographer? The time and labor of an expert professional wedding photographer is more important to you on a per-hour basis than a beginner who picked up a digital camera, saw the image on the back, and said, "I can shoot a wedding!" These beginners are looking to build a portfolio and will even offer to do your wedding for free or at an extremely low price. This is a definite sign of an inexperienced photographer and one that is not have confidence in his or her skills. They may be weekend hobbyists who have no previous experience in photography. The weekend hobbyist, who works a full-time job elsewhere, does not, in most cases, have the time to devote to a couple that a full-time professional wedding photographer has. He or she may run the risk of having to work on your wedding day at his or her full-time job because of a special requests of the boss, too.
10. Another aspect to consider is the equipment used at your wedding. Simple techniques used on your wedding day require inexpensive equipment. More elaborate techniques and sharper photos require highly advanced and costly equipment. A photographer who uses a camera body that costs $3,000-$10,000 and lenses that average $1000 or more each will likely charge more than a photographer who uses a $300 camera body and the lenses that came in the kit. It is nothing for one highly qualified professional wedding photographer to carry equipment on him or her that averages $10,000. But, do you want two photographers at your wedding? Do you want your wedding photographer to have backup equipment for all the equipment he/she is using on your wedding day?
11. Is it important to you to have a wedding photographer who has a background and/or education in photography, such as a corporate, magazine, or newspaper photographer? Or are you satisfied with a photographer who says, "I've always loved taking snapshots of family and friends since I was a little boy or girl," or "I took a class in photography in high school or college?"
12. Lastly, how much will your photos mean to you in the future? Does it matter to you that the memories of family and friends be recorded in such a way that you can relive them even after these family and friends pass away? Do you want them to show your children and grandchildren? It is sad to say, but some couples consider the alcohol costs at the wedding more important than the photography that will be with them for a lifetime.
Pricing structure for wedding packages, a-la-carte options, and quality are so different among wedding photographers that it is impossible to directly compare them. You may find some sell "fast food value meals at a drive-up window" and some sell from a full menu where you can sit down, enjoy the atmosphere, communicate and get to know the staff, and have an option of eating filet mignon.
Since planning a wedding is a one-time event in a couple's life, knowing how to choose a quality photographer can be overwhelming. Here is some information to help couples select the right photographer for them.
1. Do not shop for price over the telephone or through email. Asking for price before viewing the work fails to recognize the professional's time, skill, education, experience, and personality. Decide if you like the qualifications and style of the photographer first and then discuss price and options. Most photographers will strive to work with you if you have a particular budget in mind. Here's something to think about: If you are applying for a job--will your salary be based on your experience and education?
2. Since most photographers do want to try to work with you and your budget, it is unfair to base your decision on your photographer if he/she has a price list on their website. Most experienced, high-quality professional photographers do not list pricing on their website, because they want the flexibilty of working with you and your budget. Since most people in general will assume the pricing listed on a website is set in concrete, they will not call to ask if there is some flexiblity in the packages listed.
3. A photographer's preparation time before your wedding is important to you. The more high quality or technologically advanced his/her equipment is, the more time it takes to plan, test, and prepare. All professional wedding photographers should spend careful time testing, cleaning, and recharging their equipment before your wedding. Is this important to you? Do you want your photographer to find out an equipment problem while he/she is photographing your wedding?
4. Do you want a photographer to have an assistant or an additional shooter? It's difficult for one photographer to be everywhere at once. If an assistant or an additional shooter is included in the wedding package, this means there are two salaries involved and double the time spent on your wedding day coverage and post-wedding day work.
5. Some wedding photographers spend hours with pre-ceremony preparation and consultation; post-editing; uploading images to a professional lab; assembling proof albums; uploading images to an on-line website where family and friends can view your photos; post-consultation with the couple; designing, ordering, and assembling formal and family albums. Others just show up at your wedding, shoot, and hand you a CD of unedited images or a handful of photos on low-quality photo paper.
6. The owners of most photography studios spend time with you personally, and others pass you off to a freelance photographer, who is learning the job or has no commitment to the studio other than a paycheck. How does this make you feel?
7. A highly qualified wedding photographer will be a member of a professional organization with other experienced or equally qualified members, or be in association with other wedding photographers with equal experience in case something happens to your wedding photographer on your wedding day. Some of the professional organizations give the wedding photographer the benefit of purchasing insurance to protect you on your wedding day in case of equipment failure. Both the memberships and insurance do not come without a price tag for the professional wedding photographer, but both protect you and give you more of an assurance of your images being recorded and perserved.
8. All of the items listed above require countless hours and extra effort by a high-quality wedding photographer. To work on a total wedding properly--pre-wedding, day-of, and post-wedding--requires an average of 40 hours or more devoted to each wedding couple, families, and friends. This is an average work week for most people. This is not just the six or so hours you and your guests see the photographer at your wedding.
9. All the above information gives you some idea as to the differences in amateur and professional wedding photographers, but what about talent, education, skill, and the experience level of the wedding photographer? The time and labor of an expert professional wedding photographer is more important to you on a per-hour basis than a beginner who picked up a digital camera, saw the image on the back, and said, "I can shoot a wedding!" These beginners are looking to build a portfolio and will even offer to do your wedding for free or at an extremely low price. This is a definite sign of an inexperienced photographer and one that is not have confidence in his or her skills. They may be weekend hobbyists who have no previous experience in photography. The weekend hobbyist, who works a full-time job elsewhere, does not, in most cases, have the time to devote to a couple that a full-time professional wedding photographer has. He or she may run the risk of having to work on your wedding day at his or her full-time job because of a special requests of the boss, too.
10. Another aspect to consider is the equipment used at your wedding. Simple techniques used on your wedding day require inexpensive equipment. More elaborate techniques and sharper photos require highly advanced and costly equipment. A photographer who uses a camera body that costs $3,000-$10,000 and lenses that average $1000 or more each will likely charge more than a photographer who uses a $300 camera body and the lenses that came in the kit. It is nothing for one highly qualified professional wedding photographer to carry equipment on him or her that averages $10,000. But, do you want two photographers at your wedding? Do you want your wedding photographer to have backup equipment for all the equipment he/she is using on your wedding day?
11. Is it important to you to have a wedding photographer who has a background and/or education in photography, such as a corporate, magazine, or newspaper photographer? Or are you satisfied with a photographer who says, "I've always loved taking snapshots of family and friends since I was a little boy or girl," or "I took a class in photography in high school or college?"
12. Lastly, how much will your photos mean to you in the future? Does it matter to you that the memories of family and friends be recorded in such a way that you can relive them even after these family and friends pass away? Do you want them to show your children and grandchildren? It is sad to say, but some couples consider the alcohol costs at the wedding more important than the photography that will be with them for a lifetime.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Richmond Bridal Show
Join us on July 19, 2009, at the Downtown Richmond Marriott for the Richmond Wedding Expo, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. We are one of the participating Richmond Wedding Photographers at this show. Register on-line at www.Richmondweddings.com to save yourself some time at the registration desk the day of the show.
We have been participating in this bridal show for nearly 10 years. It is one place that an engaged couple can go to and find all their wedding vendors under one roof. It gives you the opportunity to talk one-on-one with wedding experts.
We have met so many wonderful couples, their parents, their families, and their friends during this show. These couples have given us the honor of photographing their special memories over the last 15 years. This year we reached our 600th wedding.
Be sure to come by our booth and say, "Hi." Also, let us know that you saw this blog!
We have been participating in this bridal show for nearly 10 years. It is one place that an engaged couple can go to and find all their wedding vendors under one roof. It gives you the opportunity to talk one-on-one with wedding experts.
We have met so many wonderful couples, their parents, their families, and their friends during this show. These couples have given us the honor of photographing their special memories over the last 15 years. This year we reached our 600th wedding.
Be sure to come by our booth and say, "Hi." Also, let us know that you saw this blog!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Engagement Portraits
It was a beautiful day yesterdayat Maymont to do an engage-
ment portrait. We went fromthe Italian Gardens down to the
Japanese Gardens. John and
Janet will be saying their "I do's"
on August 2, 2009, at Maymont
.JPG)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
We are now on Facebook
If you enjoy Facebook.com, you can now communicate with us by searching for Miller Photography Inc. and becoming a fan. You can, also, become our friend by going to www.facebook.com/debbie.m.miller
We will be happy to answer any questions you might have on wedding photography, high school senior portraits, family or children portraits, or any other photography requirements you might have. We are booking into 2010 for weddings and filling up August for high school senior portraits.
Have a safe and happy July 4!
We will be happy to answer any questions you might have on wedding photography, high school senior portraits, family or children portraits, or any other photography requirements you might have. We are booking into 2010 for weddings and filling up August for high school senior portraits.
Have a safe and happy July 4!
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