Etiquette looking for a student for a wedding

[TiCoyote]

My fiancee and I are getting married in June of 2010. Being an amateur photag myself, I would like to hire a student to shoot our wedding. I think it would be a nice way for a student to build a portfolio and earn a little money. We live in Providence near RISD, AI, and a few other schools.

I put a posting on RISD's digital job and submissions board. I was also thinking about e-mailing the head of the photography dept. When I was in college, I studied painting, and every once in a while our professor would approach a student with an opportunity, so I think this is reasonable. My fiancee thinks that the request is inappropriate, and I might offend someone.

Thoughts?

 

[Big Mike]

I would think that as a photographer yourself, you would put more importance on the photos for your wedding...and thus would hire a pro who's work you really admire.
But, each to their own I guess.

I definitely think that calling or E-mailing the head of the photography department is a great idea. They would probably be a great person to know who the up and coming stars are. They could probably even direct you to someone that fits a certain style, if you give them some idea as to what you're looking for.

 

[BLD_007]

I will do it for free if you pay for the plane ticket =).

 

[JimmyO]

If i had the money id rather pay a pro, but this is still a great idea, much better then picking up some random dude off craigslist

 

[bigtwinky]

Definately better than going to craiglists where you find people who do not always have the proper idea of what makes a good photo.

Good on you for thinking of the students. Maybe turn it into an assignment and get 3-4 students there...or a paparazzi event and get an entire class

 

[Overread]

I can't see how it would offend by contacting the staff first - infact the staff is where I would start. They can direct you to the best possible students and also put the students in contact with you easily. Also they will have some idea of which students will be best prepared for such an event.

Also June is an interesting time - most should have finished their exams and be into a freeperiod so you have a good chance to pick up students of any year group (finalists are the most likley to be better but not always in something like photography).

I know one family have done this in the past - a small handfull of students (not awhole class full ) shot their wedding and did very well.

 

[bazooka]

I don't know if it's common, but I actually saw an ad on craigslist here in Houston where someone was looking for a wedding photog.... unbelievable.

 

[IgsEMT]

Hire a student, who really doesn't have much experience with wedding, and photography at all?
Seriously do you want to stay married to this person?!

If $ is an issue, sometimes it isn't, here's what you do: you hire a pro wedding photographer to shoot your portraits and ceremony. You also look around for a newCOMER in the business (NOT A STUDENT) who'll be willing to shoot your reception.
You don't get any albums, all you get is images on a CD/DVD or arrange to give your own cards and get them at the end of the shoot.
You don't get a 12hr crew you get about 6-7hrs
PRO will cost you about $100-150/hr for about 4 hours it'll cover portraits and the ceremony.
Newcomer will be $75-100hr for about 3hrs of reception.
So about 7hrs of coverage will about $800 (I'm ball park figures also depends on your area and what people charge).

Then AGAIN if you on the budget (cause no one else in their right mind would want a student to shoot his/hers wedding) rather then getting a full blown 12x12 leather album with metallic paper you select about 100-200 pictures and you make collages out of them to condense them to about 50-75 images. THEN you order your self a proof-book BUT print these images or one of those coffee-table albums. They DON'T last as long, don't look as glamorous but are relatively cheap.
And will cost you, I don't think more then 100/album.

So overall, you'll get about 7hr photo coverage of your SPECIAL DAY for about $1,000.
BUT it'll take a LOT of time and effort on your part to pull this off. Also some wedding photographers might not agree to such arrangement, that's something you'll have to discuss and be honest from start.

Good Luck

 

[IgsEMT]

I don't know if it's common, but I actually saw an ad on craigslist here in Houston where someone was looking for a wedding photog.... unbelievable.

People on craigslist want to pay $200-400 for an 8-12hr coverage of their wedding AND want 2crews (at least thats what NY shows).
What's worse is that you have people who are advertising them selves to do such thing and #1 really under price the industry and #2 deliver ****ty product.

 

[TiCoyote]

Overread, thank you for your comments, I agree with what you have to say.

IgsEMT: Your first post is pretty insulting. I didn't write anything about money, but you're assuming that I'm just trying to be cheap. There are lots of ways to save money. I'm trying to be altruistic.

 

[craig]

I like your idea and I can tell you that you are not going to go wrong with a RISD student.

Love & Bass

 

[Sam6644]

I love how many people on here are saying a student is a risky decision without even knowing what RISD is.


The Rhode Island School of Design is one of, if not the best, art schools in the country beyond a shadow of a doubt. Nobody in the photo program there is inexperienced, nobody there wouldn't be able to handle something like a wedding.

Their tuition alone is $36,000 a year, there's fewer than 2,500 people in the school, and the year I graduated and was interested in RISD they accepted less than 200 people a year to the school.

If anything, I wouldn't just say that hiring an RISD student is a fine idea, I'd say you better make sure to pay them well because they know they are good at what they do and probably wont feel like working for cheap.