How Much Does Wedding Photography Cost?

September 20, 2022 in Wedding

How Much Does Wedding Photography Cost?

Welcome back gang, to another Momentum 360 weekly blog. As we always say, if this is your first time with us, welcome aboard! Allow us to introduce ourselves…Momentum 360 is an on-demand content company, spanning across 50 of our beautiful states with over 1,000 contractors. Our key services are virtual tours, photography, videography, virtual staging and 3d rendering!

If this isn’t your first time with us, welcome back, and thanks for all the support. Without your support, our blog wouldn’t be anything, so we thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. Remember to keep creating, keep believing, and never stop dreaming!

So…wedding photography. How much does it cost? That’s the question, are you ready for the answer? It might not seem like that much of a discussion, but it is! There are so many factors to pricing wedding photography than meets the eye, that’s why it’s so important to create proper expectations with your client to let them know what’s going on at all times.

Before we start, we’d like to invite you to join our official Momentum 360 Facebook Community! It costs nothing and we’re only looking to provide value.

So, without further ado, let’s get started. Get some popcorn and a cold drink and get ready to learn, because in this one, we’re teaching you how much does wedding photography cost!

Scope of Work

Before we price out anything here at Momentum 360, we need to understand the scope of work and appropriate shot list for your wedding. For weddings, are there obvious signature shots that just make sense, such as:

The bride putting on her wedding dress
The bride and her dad walking down the aisle together
The bride and groom first kiss
Bride and groom walking down the aisle as everyone celebrates
Their first dance
After party

These key shots have been incorporated into weddings since the beginning of time, so it’s extremely important to ensure that the photographer knows these shots are very basic, and that they may need to spice it up a bit to get creative!

All of this being said, the price depends on the scope of work and the shots that you’re taking. We make sure that every client we’re working with has a formal shot list beforehand that we check off during the event to ensure that everything is covered. We prefer something physical that can be crossed off, rather than “just remembering” it from their head…that doesn’t work. You need something physical that you and the client can review before the shoot, because during it they will most likely be having a good time and you do NOT want to disturb them at all.

Location

When you talk to a local realtor about properties, they’ll tell you one thing….location, location, location, and they’re not lying! Location to pricing out weddings is imperative for one single factor and reason, space and size. The larger the space and environment, the larger the quote.

Think about it for a second.

Your photographer is lugging around their gear for hours, and to top that off they’re walking the entire time! If they aren’t compensated properly for the time it takes them to do their job at such a large space, then you can simply forget hiring an amateur photographer, let alone a professional one. For example, my parents got married in a small church in my hometown of Whitemarsh, PA, about 35 minutes outside of Philadelphia. The area was so small that they only needed the photographer for about an hour after the ceremony, totalling to about 2 hours on-site shooting, ceremony included.

Now, take my buddy’s wedding to New York City. After the ceremony, we went to this elaborate place that had to be about 20,000 square feet, and there were multiple floors, which made the photographer have to carry their gear up flights of stairs, it can get exhausting pretty quickly! Luckily, I’m sure the photographer was compensated properly, as he had a smile on his face the entire time, even though he was sweating through his white dress shirt!

But always remember, location matters, and your photographer will take into account how much moving they have to do throughout the entire day. We’re getting to the answer of how much does wedding photography cost?

Equipment Needed

To the people who say that wedding photography equipment doesn’t matter, shame on you, because it does! There are core pieces of photography equipment that certainly matter when we do weddings. However, there are goodies and add-ons that can make your wedding photography better.

For us, a basic wedding photography package will include back up batteries, and even a backup camera! For us, we always want to eliminate Murphy’s Law, so to do this, that’s why we charge accordingly to ensure that this stuff doesn’t happen. Here are 10 core essentials that every wedding photographer has with them to produce a great shoot:

1. Camera and backup camera

I actually bring three cameras so I can shoot with two and have one additional as a backup, but I think only two would get the job done. It is essential to have a backup in the event that something goes wrong with your primary camera — and there are so many things that can go wrong.

2. Medium zoom lens

I use a 24-70 f2.8 as my medium zoom and the lens that is on my camera most of the time. This focal length is great for wedding portraits and photojournalism, offering both wide and tight perspectives. The pretty wide aperture gives me some flexibility in spaces that aren’t very well lit.

3. Telephoto Lens

You will need a longer lens to capture events from a distance, in particular the ceremony. I like to stand toward the back or sides of a ceremony so as to not block anyone’s view and take photos from a distance with my 70-200mm. I also use this lens for closeups of the first dance.

4. Wide angle lens and prime lenses

These are not as essential for a wedding, but are certainly nice to have. The wide angle can get you shots of architectural details or big groups. The prime lens can allow you to shoot in dark spaces and give you dreamy depth of field.

5. Speedlights

Using an external flash can be a lifesaver when you need to get a shot that is just too dark to get otherwise. I have to use speedlight photography techniques for nighttime weddings and dark churches. The alternative is dark or grainy images.

6. Memory cards and batteries

Always bring more cards and batteries than you think you need. I will shoot 50-60 GB of images for a wedding and go through two sets of batteries per camera and per speedlight. Make sure the batteries are all charged up in advance.

7. Tripod and light stands

A good tripod will get you out of a pinch if you are low on light and just need a little more stability. It’s also helpful if you are working in very low light or compositing images together. The light stands are helpful to place your speedlights on and allow you to adjust the placement of the lights. Shoot-through umbrellas are also helpful to have with the light stands and speedlights for portrait work.

8. Flash diffuser

I like to bring a Gary Fong Lightsphere to put on top of my flash. It helps to diffuse the light and make for better portraits on the fly when you don’t have time to set up lights.

9. Camera bag

You will need something to put all your gear in. Make sure it’s big enough and comfortable enough to haul around with you as you’re moving throughout the day.

10. Studio strobes and umbrellas

Some people may disagree with me that this is essential, but I like to have powerful strobes (more powerful than speedlights) to use on formal portraits if I need them. Sometimes, it rains or is too cold and I’m forced to take formals in a dark church. In this case, I like having the speed and power of strobes to evenly light up a large group of people.

Post Production

One of the final steps to finishing wedding photography is post production! There are so many things that we can do for editing photos such as color correction, saturation, etc to enhance these photos. If you’re a wedding photographer, this is really where cost comes into factor. If you’re not charging enough to make edits for your client’s photos, then you’re doing you and your service a disservice.

You’re in the business of making money for what you do, not making stress in your life. So you should charge as much as humanly possible to execute a fantastic product. That is, the product needs to be fantastic, I don’t recommend charging a lot for your services without providing something that is incredible. We’re about to answer the question of “how much does wedding photography cost?”

Cost

Ah, cost, finally it’s about time! So in regards to our wedding photography prices, Momentum charges at least $500/hr for wedding photography and post production. This includes rights to the photos from a digital copy, any shot list that you desire, and then some!

See, we have over 1,000 5 star reviews since we first started the company back in 2017. Thus, we need to charge the most to create the most value for our clients. This is how much wedding photography cost.

Next Steps

Momentum 360 covers all 50 states, and we have over 1,500 wedding photographers to work with you. So if you’re in need of a wedding photographer for your big day, don’t hesitate to contact us!

You can either:

Submit a form on our website
Email us at info@momentumvirtualtours.com or sean@needmomentum.com
Call us at 215-607-6482

However you decide to reach out to us is fine, just make sure you do!

Momentum 360 is a Premiere Small Business and Real Estate marketing company in Philadelphia and tri-state area. Our main service offerings are 3D Virtual Tours powered by Matterport, as well as photography and videography. We are both a Matterport Service Provider and Google Trusted Photography agency.

While 3D Virtual Tours started in real estate, they are versatile and applicable across every industry. Momentum 360 specializes in virtual tours for real estate, small businesses, restaurants, retail, healthcare, professional services, and much more. These virtual tours help our clients showcase their business online, while also allowing them to rank higher on Google with SEO, and get more followers on social media. Call for a quote!

Until next time, don’t forget to read up on the latest Momentum 360 news, and we continue to provide daily and weekly updates and content through all of our social media outlets. We can’t wait to work with you! We hope we answered the question of how much does wedding photography cost?

Best Cameras to Use for Wedding Photographs

September 7, 2022 in Blog, Photography, Wedding

Best Cameras to Use for Wedding Photographs

Do you want to capture stunning photos at weddings? Rest assured, you’ve landed on the right page.

In about four minutes, you’ll no longer be anxious about missing memorable experiences because of a slow camera. Nor will you ever fret about the quality of crucial moments in wedding events again.

In this article, you’ll learn about the best cameras for wedding photographs. So if you’re a newbie or want a budget-friendly device, or you’re looking for an upgrade, this post is for you. Let’s dive in.

First…

Fujifilm X-S10

This camera offers an easy-to-use and customizable experience while taking high-resolution pictures. Add vivid image quality and colors to those advantages; you have the go-to machine for weddings.

X-S10 gives you the desired result fast, allowing you flexibility and confidence in your creativity. And you no longer have to miss out on meaningful but chaotic events or take shaky pictures.

The camera is easily the best investment you’ll make for the best day of your life.

Those benefits result from the 26MP camera, APS-C sensor, a Fujifilm mount, an advanced 425p framework, and a 6-top built-in picture stability enhancer. The device also gives you convenience because it’s lightweight. And you can take a video of 4K resolution at a maximum speed of 20 fps.

There’s a chance that you might confuse this device with the X-T30.

But you’ll differentiate the two by looking at the handgrip. X-S10 has the biggest handgrip of all devices in the X series, and it also boasts a user-friendly control panel—allowing you to take good pictures quickly.

Experts recommend this camera for both novices and professional photographers. Whoever you are, expect one thing, it won’t let you down because you’re also getting 85 years of Fujifilm’s experience in camera technology at your fingertips.

Pros:

Incomparable image stability.
Minimalist, easy handling for newbies.

Cons:

Decreased video balancing effect.

Nikon-Z5

Are you new to wedding photography? Or perhaps you’re on a budget but looking to upgrade your device. Then you’ll love Niko-Z5’s cost-effective, clean, stable, quality pictures that are useful for your event or work.

Allow your creativity to roam free and impress your clients. How? Interestingly, this camera allows you to take crisp pictures with little lighting.

You’ll get those advantages because of the 24 MP camera, giving you Ultra-HD videos and pictures. The lightweight device also has an in-built VR stability feature helping you take steady photos.

Combine that quality with the 273-point auto-focus aspect, and you have beautiful and accurate pictures.

What about memory storage? Good question! You get a dual SD card slot system. Additionally, you’ll have strong and fast connectivity to a phone or tablet for effortless file transfer. There you go, no more picture losses or inconveniences due to a filled-up memory.

Other features include time-lapse, video capture of up to 2160p (4K), multiple exposures, and an ISO range of 100 – 51200. And you can also use some of its brother’s (the Nikon F) spare parts, like the mount lenses.

Pros:

Cost-effective.
Dual SD-card apertures.

Cons:

Slow shooting speed (4.5 fps).
Auto-trimmed 2160 videos.

Canon EOS 90D

The Canon EOS is a DSLR camera allowing you to view and take precise and attractive pictures. You also get creative freedom with this device when shooting at tricky angles. The camera also features a user-friendly experience, apparent with the AF joystick and a minimalist handgrip.

The 32.5 MP CMOS APS-C camera strength and a fast frame speed (10 fps) give you 4K UHD videos and a professional image resolution.

But you might wonder, will the weather damage your device? No. Canon made the camera with a blend of aluminum alloy and polycarbonate to ensure durability and photography in unfavorable weather conditions.

Other features include built-in wifi, Bluetooth, DIGIC 8 image processor, and more accessories.

Pros:

Non-trimmed, full-resolution videos.
Smooth 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen.

Cons:

One SD card aperture.
Limited buffer capacity.

Sony Alpha A7R IV

Best Cameras to Use for Wedding Photographs

Know what you need, and what you want.

Take your wedding photos to the next level. Sony outdid themselves with this one. Catch well-detailed pictures with the highest resolution camera. The device is suitable for indoor and outdoor activities, translating to value for your money.

Never miss an exciting moment again.

This device reduces vibration effects in pictures with the 567-point AF system and Sony’s EyeAF technology. You also get a 5.5-point built-in image stabilization feature.

The parent company ensures you get pristine image quality without compromising performance speed. Therefore, 61 MP and a frame speed of 10 fps await your commands to capture your wedding experiences. You also get a mirrorless device and a design facilitating low noise capture.

The camera has a BIONZ-X image processing engine allowing you to maintain the natural colors of objects. Therefore, skin tones will be more vibrant and accurate, and you’ll have a more straightforward editing process.

Those advantages are possible with a high ISO range of 32,000 and the a7R IV A feature.

Pros:

Highest resolution images.
Speedy image capture.

Cons:

Poor user experience.

Nikon D850

Capture good-quality images fast. That’s the promise of this innovative camera. Nikon thus made the device with effective light-gathering technology, quick data readout, and accurate colors without distorting the original image.

Details on people’s faces, smiles, and clothes will be more apparent, which is what you want. That dynamic range improvement results from the low ISO rate of 64, reducible to 32. You also get an FX-format full-frame CMOS image sensor with 45.7 MP.

The Nikon camera allows you to take your images quickly and for a long time. This benefit is because of the EXPEED 5 processing system powered by a long-lasting battery.

Don’t terminate filming your 4K videos to save on battery life.

The Nikon D850 also facilitates the seamless backup of your files. And the weather protective features help you film and take pictures through spilled drinks in wedding commotions.

Pros:

Long battery life.
High-quality images.

Cons:

Slow focusing speed.
Heavy in comparison to alternatives.

Conclusion

Choosing the best cameras for wedding photographs isn’t as complicated as it might seem. You only have to check the camera system, full frame vs. APS-C features, and whether the device is mirrorless or DSLR. Also, check the durability and battery life to prevent media loss and facilitate a quality experience.

Wedding Videography

May 25, 2022 in Blog, Videography, Wedding

By Sean Boyle

Introduction

We’re back ladies and gentlemen! In this one, we’ll be discussing wedding videography and why it’s better than plain old wedding photos. If this is your first time reading a Momentum 360 blog, welcome! We post weekly blogs and videos in order to help you grow as a photographer and virtual tour provider in today’s day and age.

Our goal is to provide you with as much valuable information as possible to help you succeed. We’re not here to sell you anything, we’re here to help you sell more as a photographer, or get more helpful information if you’re in the market for wedding videography, while also considering hiring Momentum 360, so we might be selling you a little ha!

To date Momentum 360 has worked with couples all across the country to shoot their big day, we have a pretty good understanding of what works when it comes to wedding content.

So it’s your big day and you’re wondering whether or not to hire a photographer or videographer or both. Why go with one over the other? In the next section, we’ll talk all about this at length to make sure you make the right decision for you and your special person.

Differences Between Wedding Photos and Videos

To someone who doesn’t do photography for a living, they probably can’t appreciate the way content is created for a wedding. There are subtle differences and reasons that people pick a video over photos, or vice versa. For photography, you do this to capture a moment in time. For a wedding you want to capture the ceremony, kissing the bride, the first dance, as well as a handful of other special moments.

Now for a video, it’s a lot more complex. With this, you’re looking to capture several moments all in one. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, while a video is worth a million. For a wedding, you want to capture the bride walking down the aisle, throwing the bouquet, amongst many other events that can’t be captured or limited with a photo. For a wedding, we obviously recommend getting both services done, as both pieces of content will serve a special purpose for your day, but we believe that it’s the video that you’ll be able to take more away from and sincerely enjoy more.

Contrary to popular belief, videography isn’t actually that much more expensive than photos. Modern technology has actually made shooting video at weddings a lot easier than before, thus the value for you as the happy couple will be so much more. The best part about this is you’ll have more money for the honeymoon as you won’t be paying that much for the wedding videography as before!

Why Hire A Wedding Videographer?

We already have covered this for the most part, but this section will be dedicated to going much more in-depth about videography. For us at Momentum 360, we’re known for working with many different wedding types and styles, so it’s imperative to use different cameras that can do different things!

Why hire a wedding videographer? Simple! We’ll create moments for you with our comprehensive list of cameras that your old school videography company can’t! Here are a few camera options that we’ve seen to perform extremely well:

Fujifilm X-T4

This vintage style camera has been used for a long time, however it still has some of the best style around! The Fuji will be your cheapest option by far, while still providing value. We’d recommend using this if you’re just starting off in videography.

Whereas, if you’ve been around the game a little longer, you’d be better off to just search for a more expensive camera like the ones below that have more features.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Behold, the most comprehensive videography camera on the planet, not just for weddings either. This camera is good for real estate photography, wedding photography, event photography, anything in regards to content, obviously including video content!

Sony A7 III

To create wedding movies, rather than just videos, this will be your best camera for that. Since Sony has a lot of interests in video games, they obviously want to have their cameras perform good solid videos, rather than a focus on photos, although it can do that too. This is another solid option for wedding and events for that matter, the price is really solid and you’re able to add a lot of unique lenses and other gadgets for this too. We’d highly recommend this.

Nikon D810

Pound for pound, this camera is the best DSLR for strictly wedding videography, which if you’re still searching for a camera to use for your big day, look no further. This is the camera you will and should be using.

This is also imperative too because some millennial and Gen Z people will start requesting 360 panos for their wedding, similar to doing those 360 booths.

Sony a7R IV

If you’re looking for another cheap option, this is the best mirrorless option for you. The features will be able to simply capture amazing video content without having to worry about mirrors.

Wedding Videos Last Longer Than Photos

You go on your favorite social media, Instagram, Snapchat, especially TikTok. What gets your attention the most? Videos of course! But why is that? Several reasons, but let’s start with the most obvious. They’re more compelling, there’s more substance to them. They’re the most like our real life, since they’re in video format, just like how our life is to an extent.

We can add music to videos, and so many other features that photos can’t do. This is why we love video so much more, and why in the future video will control a good majority of our lives, instead of just regular still photos.

This isn’t just including weddings, but other niches like real estate, small businesses and so on. You can see from a lot of our portfolio that this is one of the truest things in the digital world today.

The Future of Wedding Videography

The future of wedding content is simple. Video will begin to take over more and more as millennials and Gen Z start getting married, while the older generations who prefer photography will cancel out and video will be primarily the main form of content being preferred for these weddings.

Next, there will be some other form of content I’m sure that doesn’t even exist yet that will take hold over video, it’s just the natural order of things. The only thing that’s certain is that things will change. Accept it now, so you can continue to innovate and learn from the people before us to invent newer and better technologies that can impact people better.

How to Hire Momentum 360 for Wedding Videography

Looking to hire one of our professional videographers for your big day? Awesome! We’d love to help you. To ensure that we deliver exactly what you’re looking for with the vast array of tools that we have, here is our step-by-step process to hiring us:

Schedule a Quick 10 Minute Call with Our Owner Sean Boyle
Created Quote Based on Call (Pricing, Expectations, Camera + Equipment, Final Deliverables, Date, Etc)
Get Quote Accepted + Get Deposit Submitted
Schedule Shoot Date + Review + Confirm Shot List
Shoot on Your Big Day and Send Final Assets 48-72 Hours After

Our Philosophy for Wedding Content

Our process is very simple. We want to make sure that all of the big moments from your big day are captured, and captured well! To ensure that this happens, we need to set extremely clear expectations with each other. If this is done properly, then we’ll have a perfect day! If this isn’t done, or not done well…then we’re in trouble.

If we don’t communicate properly then it’s a lost cause.