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 "The end results far surpass anything I could have imagined," says
Bortzfield, 27, whose overall wedding costs were significantly more
than average, to say the least.
Her photography package included a two-and-a-half hour feature film
and an elaborate collection of still images, all aided by the use of
a drone. (A nearly four-minute trailer of the film posted on
Miami-based wedding filmmaker Ray Roman's Facebook page has nearly
18,000 views (http://on.fb.me/1ebJuZf).
The wedding photography business, including video products, is
continually pushing the limits. Photographers say they must do more,
better, or be distinctly different than rivals because the field is
crowded and they have to separate themselves from the pack.
That now increasingly includes using equipment mostly used for
adventure sports and spy surveillance - drones, tiny GoPro Inc video
units that can also capture time-lapse images, 3D rigs and remote
cameras.
"When it comes to videography, nothing beats having aerial footage,"
says Brad Merriman, a wedding videographer based in San Francisco.
"Even if you have a jib crane, it's still not going to do what a
drone does."
COSTS AND OPTIONS
The price to have a professional capture your wedding has a broad
range, generally from $1,500 to about $15,000 just for still images.
An edited video used to be considerably less expensive, but now new
devices are pushing up costs. Rates are typically similar to the
$2,700 Merriman charges for six hours shooting video, including
aerial shots from a drone.
Bortzfield's video topped out at $12,500 because of the length of
the edited video and the complexity of the shots.
Massachusetts wedding photographer Glen Cooper says there is a
difference between fads and actual advancements in the field. It was
not that long ago, he notes, that the Jurassic wedding was all the
rage, using photoshopped images of dinosaurs chasing the wedding
party. He wasn't a fan.
Cooper says that, while some clients have asked about drones, none
have chosen a different photographer just because that is not
something he offers. Instead, he says, they are impressed with the
low-tech aerial shots he gets with a remote-controlled camera that
can be mounted with suction cups, attached to a monopod and held
overhead, or hooked onto a decoration. He uses his iPhone to see
through the viewfinder and take the pictures.
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"It's similar to a drone, but you don’t have to worry about flying
anything," he says.
New York City wedding planner Viva Max says it is a buyers market
when it comes to photography gimmicks. Long gone are disposable
cameras on every table.
One popular addition is a photo booth. Options range from a
traditional booth, to one that can shoot slow-motion video, to
booths that create old-fashioned flip-books that make sequential
still photos look like they are in motion. In many cases, souvenirs
are generated on the spot and given as favors.
Standard booths rent for $1,000 to $2,000, with the fancier ones
such as those using slow-motion going for up to $5,000.
Some wedding photographers include gadgets in their pricing, and use
the footage to enhance their offerings.
Photographer Kristin Griffin offers 3D images that you can see
through an old fashioned View-Master. Each couple gets a
complementary View-Master with a seven image wheel, but extras cost
$100 per View-Master and another $50 per wheel.
"Everyone has different priorities," says Griffin, who is based in
Massachusetts, but has shot weddings in 11 states. "How much are you
going to watch (the video) or look at the pictures?"
(Editing by Beth Pinsker and Andre Grenon)
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