Shooting hundreds of Weddings and events first hand, we see it happen all the time: Wedding Photographers and Cinematographers overlap and get in each other’s way. Granted, both parties are cordial most of the time, but when time is not on your side and pressure mounts with everything else going on in the day, things can get… shall we say, tense.
Because we provide both Photo and Video (and other services as well), we can understand both sides, but the solution is to remember that client happiness is the top priority here after all. True professionals should be able to work together nicely for the sake of the client in any occasion. However, to take the safe route, we highly recommend an all-inclusive combination package with the same company for both photography and videography. Here’s why.
1. A Common Goal
It’s very obvious that every shooter, whether it’s the Photographer or the Videographer, wants to get the best possible angle from their camera, which can cause overlap. When shooting your Wedding, it’s not so much about individual angles, but both teams getting the best unified result. The Photo team and Video team now act as one team and work together to communicate and coordinate a common end goal. Now, you have one company who is 100% accountable for the final result. No more hearing excuses like, “the Videographer was in my way.” The same goes for any other missed shots or ruined shots.
2. Advantageous Positioning and Workflow
Team work really does make the dream work. Especially so on your Wedding day. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that experienced teams work together better, the same as any basketball team would. The synergies between photo and video teams can be seen through their positioning (getting out of each other’s shots), communication, and honoring separate needs (stills vs. audio). Below are a few examples of how this shows up on site at our events:
The First Look
The first look is a very raw and emotional exchange between Bride and Groom. Quite often, there are things said that require the room to be in complete silence. When the Video team is recording and capturing the audio, the Photo team understands to provide space and not click away on their cameras with the flash going off. Addiotionallly, shooters will need to coordinate with each other to make sure they aren't in each other's line of site.
First Dance
One important photo on our shot list is the Wide Angle photo that features just the Bride and Groom alone in the spotlight during their first dance. Our Video team understands to stay off the floor until the Photo team finishes getting their shot before going in for their close to medium video sequences. *Bonus* Having a DJ on your team here helps to manage the timeline and make sure Photographers are in position and Videographers have their audio equipment plugged in and recording.
Ceremony
The front and center angle for your first kiss is going to be the most valuable real estate of the day. When that grand first kiss is about to happen, shooters jump on this position like a lion on its prey, often leaving one out position. Instead, our Photo and Cinema teams stack themselves here to share the space. If they weren’t on the same team, it would make for some awkward sharing of space between the two.
3. Cohesiveness
Choosing a unified Photography and Cinematography team ensures a consistent style and quality throughout all images and films. Also, you’ll experience a shared vision among you, the photo team, and the video team. Your best side, what you like and dislike, will all be shared knowledge throughout the team. Everyone will be on the same page for your desired outcome.
Here are a few samples of recent Weddings who hired both Photo + Video:
4. One Contract and Point of Contact
We don’t how many times we’ve heard our clients tell us how much easier it is to work with us and deal with only one contract and point of contact as opposed to doing this multiple times. You don’t want to be dealing with multiple sets of the same conversation, especially when it’s crunch time. This will save you precious time. *Bonus* Book All Inclusive Packages and knock out your DJ, Lighting, and Photo Booth calls as well.
5. Preferred Pricing
Ok, let’s be fair- while this isn’t our favorite reason, we all know it’s a sweet bonus to have. On top of everything else, you actually SAVE money when you book both services together. And EXTRA savings for booking our Photo, Video, DJ, Photo Booth, Lighting, and Coordination packages together. Now, this shouldn’t be the determining factor, but it can be the cherry on top. It never hurts to save a few dollars, right?