Videographer vs Photographer

coming to this a bit late but heres my 50¢
I've done a good few weddings at this stage - stills photography and recently was asked to do a video of one, so with some trepidation I agreed, I must say I have newfound admiration for the men and women who undertake videography. I certainly dont think they should be undervalued or be considered less important.
I do understand that a lot of people have this notion of some uncle or cousin holding a handy cam and the result is shaky badly lit inaudible footage.

Dedicated videographers will have much better equipment in terms of audio/video and general shooting style.

I was supplied with a good Camcorder - capable of capturing HD video 1920x1080/60i and also stills of 14 Mpix to cover the event. Unfortunately i didn't have any lights or extra audio options, however I was able to capture the essential moments during the day (the money shots if you will). The footage in total was in the region of nine hours or thereabouts - after editing it was one hour twenty minutes long and i also supplied a 10 minute short of the highlights, in different formats e.g. for Facebook/Youtube, Mobile phone, Android, iPhone etc.
There was an awful lot to learn to do the editing however it was worth it, but a steep learning curve I was pleased enough with the output to put my name on it !
Having experienced this from both perspectives I must say that i see no reason why both stills and video cannot complement each other. I do think that the short 10 minute highlights footage would be a thing that would attract a lot of couples because of its portability compared to photographs.

A few points on some of the views raised:
Yes we (irish) dont like hearing or seeing ourselves - I dont think this will change anytime soon (maybe try it when they're falling down drunk)

Speaking of - in the few days i had to prepare for this event I had a look at some sites online - there was one in particular that i thought wasn't great - it showed very drunk people acting and doing very drunk things - maybe not one to show your kids in a few years time.
I think this is one point that clients should be reminded of, that among other things, everything they do/say is being recorded.

As far as choosing between a videographer or a stills photographer I think the line is going to get more blurred, I've got a EOS 7D for exactly the purpose of motion video to enhance slide shows. I am considering getting a dedicated camcorder to extend the range of services i can offer.

Everyone has or knows of someone that had bad experience with photographers and i suppose videographers too. That shouldn't cloud your judgement tho in getting a reasonable price for the day, there are lots of dedicated, creative people around as well as chancers!

I do think that video is getting more popular, I'm talking about good clear video, clean audio, sound tracks, tight editing appealing cinematography, it's all possible.
Most photographers supply a slide show of the photographs of the day, this usually has music, slick presentations with overlays and slide transitions etc. so in effect it's just not only photographs that people expect any more.

sorry for the rambling post.......

I have to whole heartedly disagree with some of the previous posters. We got married six weeks ago and our videographer was worth his weight in gold, he was simply brilliant. Not one guest even noticed he was there! He fit in perfectly with our photographer and they complimented each other very well...

I would consider myself pretty awkward and was nervous about having him there but had been advised by friends married before us that it was money well spent. I am so glad we listened to them. Within a few weeks of our wedding he had put a highlights clip together, 7minutes of our days "best bits". I have lost count of the amount of times I have watched it and believe me there is nothing clinical about it, far from it. I got to see our day through a different pair of eyes, me walking up the aisle, our first kiss, the speeches. My absolute favourite bit is being able to see our guests reactions and faces at certain points in the day and to hear the laughter and heckles during the speeches. The faces on my parents when we were just married is something I will treasure for the rest of my days. I know some will argue a photo can capture this but to me there is something about seeing these emotions in "motion" that is so special!! Wedding videos have come a long long way from the days of camera set up on a tripod and not moving for the day! Ours is just beautiful, shot in a really romantic style which is hard to explain.

I don't know, each to their own but I know personally the videographer was the best money we spent as I know it is something I will watch over and over again.

I never knew of videographers at weddings until I attended one that had one last year. The video was a full hour, so quite long to sit-through if you're not interested in all the detail, but the short of it was great and got shown to lots of friends and relatives thereafter.
I'm prioritising a photographer for our wedding simply because I've always enjoyed physically having photographs and albums to flick through, Even with digital pictures, I've always printed them and put them into albums. I've a lot of family abroad and will be sending them copies of photos as well.
I do want a videographer though as well, as that particular wedding's record made me feel that it is something I'd love to have as keepsake too; mainly to show our children someday and to have a look at ourselves when we're old. The short on the phone will be great to show other friends and acquiantances.
I would budget equal amounts for both, simply because there's no point having a poor video and we'll start with just having the basic DVD package for photos, then get them done over time when we have money again.

There will always be people for and against videographers. Some may have had a bad experience. But any experienced professional will capture the day without you noticing that they are there. Once comment made was that ” we won’t look at the video that often”. That may be true, but it’s the lasting memories captured that you have forever that should be the main point.
You’re not going to look at your wedding album ever day either I suspect.
As an experienced videographer, I am very much aware of what people are looking for. Someone that is courteous, professional and discreet.

LifeSceneFilms wrote: »

The couples choosing photographers only, are not aware of changing trends i bet.

I have seen Still Motion films and the equivalent in Ireland, and we're still not getting a DVD. Those companies do fantastic things and are utterly impressive, but I'd still only watch the DVD a handful of times so to me it's not worth it.

texanman wrote: »

There will always be people for and against videographers. Some may have had a bad experience. But any experienced professional will capture the day without you noticing that they are there. Once comment made was that ” we won’t look at the video that often”. That may be true, but it’s the lasting memories captured that you have forever that should be the main point.
You’re not going to look at your wedding album ever day either I suspect.
As an experienced videographer, I am very much aware of what people are looking for. Someone that is courteous, professional and discreet.

For me working with a videographer I would like more interaction from them, I have worked with a lot of videographers from different styles/ways of working and I could only count two that really pursued the vision that they had in mind, when I say that I mean they interacted with the couple and myself and what was produced between the two of us was really special.

Thats what I would want from my videographer

this was posted up on Fstoppers and its not so much about capturing everything but more the feel of a fantasy day

Cameras Used:
Canon 60D
Canon T2i
Panasonic AF100

Lenses Used:
Tamron 17-55mm 2.8 VC
Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS
Canon 200mm f2
Canon 16-35mm 2.8
Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95
Panasonic 7-14mm F4
Panasonic 14-140 f4-5.8

Other Gear:
Cinevate Atlas Slider
Photoflex Starlite
Ebay LED Panel

http://vimeo.com/30653844

I found this thread very interesting. Thanks. I am a wedding videographer and 1 thing i would add is this: I see the gap between take up in video and take up in photography as a positive thing. It means there is a huge part of the market still to be "turned on" to the idea of wedding videos. I'm happy to be approaching the future with a solid business plan, knowing the market is not already saturated. Quality will always speak for itself. Professionalism, courtesy and attitude on the day towards people are of vital importance also.
It's great to see the photographers here speak highly of the videographers. I think it is so true that a good videographer will compliment the photographers work on the day, its always nice learning new shots and different views on things.
Ronan

bette wrote: »

Sorry but that is more like an ad for soap or body lotion...

We should see a bit more action than the slo-mo stuff. The music is too 'in your face' and should have some transition to another tune as it's just too long.

I wouldn't take that as a good memento of a wedding.

Could do with some walking down the aisle, some shots of the vocalists merged in. Mammy's tears could figure. Some brat yawning for a touch of fun.

How about this so Click Here
I hope LBD does not mind, it is actually the clip from her wedding! This was 1 of my first weddings when i went out on my own. I have since started using dslr's also to increase the production value in my offerings.
Ronan