Economic Realities and Maui Photographers

There's been quite a bit of hype on various destination websites regarding the "state of the economy" and consumers' expectation of negotiating professional fees.

There's always somebody willing to sell their service more cheaply than somebody else. That doesn't mean we should all race to the bottom in setting fees. A client who's looking for a 20 or 30% discount off your pricelist may not be the client you're after. Conversely, the photographer who is willing to cut his fees dramatically just to book, may not be the photographer you want to retain. He may be a part timer who doesn't depend on his photography business to pay the bills, so what happens if he loses his part time gig? With the "state of the economy", that's a real possibility. Where does your deposit go when he leaves the island, especially if you've booked 5 or 6 months out? What happens when he gets a call from a client who wants to book him for his full rate on the same date as your discount wedding?

When your discounted photographer shows up for the wedding, is she bringing everything she normally brings? Her assistant? Her top end lighting gear? Her best creative attitude? Will the edit be cut short to minimize time spent? Corners are always cut when the product is discounted. Photography, like other businesses, is run for profit, and a discounted rate means less service to make up for lost profit. For your Maui wedding, this seems like a terrible risk to take. You don't get any "do overs", that'll cost you double.

My suggestion to everybody is to calm down. I've seen recessions come and go. To potential clients: Find photography you like and a package you can afford and book it. Don't believe the William Shatner ads and "negotiate like a pro". You might wind up with someone who doesn't shoot like a pro. To the professional Maui photographers out there: When the recession ends, you're going to be bummed that you can't book a full price gig because you held the date for a discounted one.

When you should hire a professional Maui Photographer

Every now and then we get people inquiring about our full service Maui wedding packages but they want their friend to shoot the wedding. We always scratch our heads over this. A destination wedding is a once in a lifetime event. Saving a few bucks on the photography is not the best way to go. Sure, your friend has some great shots of their kids or may have had some work published, but unless they are a professional, shooting for their living, the results are sure to be disappointing.

A seasoned pro understands the intricacies and flow of the wedding day. A pro will have 2 cameras with different lenses and know when to use them. They'll have remote lighting setups, understand how fast the light can change here in Maui and how to cope with it. We bring an assistant who knows how to operate diffusers and reflectors to modify the light, umbrellas to create an on location studio look and in the end, photoshop abilities that make each image a keeper.

So the next time you're thinking about letting your brother-in-law the marketing analyst with a Nikon shoot your wedding, remember that marketing is his profession. Leave the photography to the photographers. You won't be disappointed.

Maui Wedding Photographers

Maui Wedding Photographers come in all shapes and sizes with varying degrees of experience and competence. Some have been doing this for half their lives, others haven't. How can you tell? Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. If your photographer is offering a zillion images for 69.95 you can be pretty sure they aren't going to be very good. If she tells you you'll have the disk before you leave the island it means she's either not very busy (bad sign #1) or doesn't know anything about photoshop and digital imagery, is shooting in jpeg format and dumping unedited images on a cd (bad sign #2). We all put a strobe on our camera to fill shadows on bright days but lighting is very important and we need to know when to use that strobe, how high the ratio needs to be and when to use the wireless strobe off camera. Typically, we use the off camera wireless lights at sunset, to avoid those ugly shadows and the harsh amateur look. If your Maui wedding planner is doing a 495.00 wedding with images on cd and full reproduction rights, the photographer is definitely not a professional. Check the online gallery and be critical. It's worth a few extra bucks to get awesome images of your once in a lifetime Maui wedding.

Maui Wedding Photographers

A maui wedding can be a visual banquet. When checking out a location for your big day, be sure to inquire about the Olowalu Plantation House. This circa 1930 plantation house was the residence of the Pioneer Mill plantation manager. Lovingly restored and converted into Maui's premier wedding venue, the Plantation House offers incredible sunset views, tropical landscaping and authentic architecture which lends an air of rustic elegance to your Maui wedding album. This venue can accommodate over 100 people with ease. The grounds are large enough for a tent, luau show and dance floor with space left for a romantic sunset shoot along the rocky beach. The coconut palms create that breezy island look that captures the essence of the day. If you're interested in the Olowalu House or any other premier wedding venue on Maui, be sure to contact us. You'll be glad you did.