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Examples of Craig's Wonderful Wedding Images In The
The Difference Shows There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between Wedding Photographers. Learn more about how you can capture the most unique, fun and special moments of YOUR wedding day.
One of the biggest mistakes brides make is not hiring the right photographer. With the pressure of the wedding budget and the desire to have everything as nice as possible, some brides make a critical mistake by skimping on the memories. When the wedding is over, all you have is the memories. Photographs are the reminders of all those special moments. You will show your children, grandchildren, and new friends. The photographs help you relive your day through the eyes of the camera lens. There are so many photographers to choose from in the area. How does one go about choosing the right photographer? How does one know if your expectations and dreams will be captured on film the way you want? Will the personality of the photographer be friendly, cooperative and compatible with your expectations? Every studio claims to have the best price, best value, and best photographer. But how can you be sure? The best advice is to meet with the actual photographer who will be photographing your wedding. Look at their photography work, discuss how you want to remember your wedding day and talk about the process and how the photographer would handle the organization of the photography. Determine if the photographer is flexible or demanding about deviations from the established schedule, and if they are open to special photo requests. This is a once in a lifetime event, make sure you choose your photographer carefully!
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In two recent surveys of brides, one in the upper mid-west region, and one nationwide, the average amount spent on wedding photography was about $1690 with a low of $800 and a high of $3500.
If you were to compare print for print prices, Craig Schmidt is neither the highest priced photographer, nor the lowest. A Wedding Photography Plan will cost a couple $1500 or more depending upon the number of hours photographed, the size and complexity of the album and, of course, how many extra portraits are purchased. Quite honestly, Craig is tremendously flexible, and he's a very talented photographer. As a result, Wedding charges run the whole gammut, from the $1,500 minimum, to many thousands. The choice is up to YOU!
What makes Craig Schmidt Photography so special and why is Craig the right photographer? The answer lays in the fact that Craig is one of the top photographers in the area, in fact, one of the top in the entire region.
His photography style captures the gentle romance of the bride and groom, unique wedding poses, creative outdoor environmental photographs, the glisten and glow of traditional relationship portraits, 3-dimensional lighting on the altar photographs, fun candids, humorous moments as well as photojournalistic black & white creative photography. What ever your pleasure, Craig will seek to please.
You owe it to yourself to personally visit the studio, meet Craig and his wife Mary, see wonderful wedding portraits and photography style. Craig will listen to your plans, dreams and your expectations.
Craig has been taking photographs in one form or another for most of his life. Satisfied customers, a great product and prompt courteous service have allowed his wedding photo business to expand and evolve to a higher level. This acheivement and business excellence is your guarantee that Craig will do what he promises, and he will be there for your wedding, and we will do what it takes to make you a happy and satisfied customer.
Full Coverage with Flexible Packaging
You'll find some studios show you pre-set "packages." Many of our brides have pointed out that this limits creativity, limits the number of photographs taken and presumes that you will want something from a pre-set package. From Craig's experience, THERES NO BRIDE QUITE LIKE YOU! You are unique, special, and your own person. So Craig will capture the uniqueness of your wedding and attend to your special tastes. You are different. Your photographs should show all the wonder and charm possible, don't you think?.
With this kind of full coverage photography arrangement you will receive More Creativity, More Photographs, More Flexibility, Free Special Effects, Free Dimensional Lighting, Free Portraits if desired, Free Engagment Session, EXCITEMENT AND FUN! and much much more . . . .
What is an average number of photographs taken at a wedding? At our studio the average number of photographs taken is usually over 300. WOW! This gives you plenty of photographs to select from. The actual number can vary from 100 to 600 depending on any number of variables including, the cooperation of the weather, schedule of the day, and the timeliness of the participants.
Just use the "Wedding Planner" included below to determine the amount of time desired for your wedding day coverage.
Begin with the Ceremony Start Time (BOLD below), and work backwards to figure the photography start time.
________ Portraits/Bride & Groom Specials: Portraits, Window light, Love Poses, Special Poses, (½ Hr)
________ Portraits/ Bride & Groom Altar Formals: Bride, Groom, Bride & Groom Pre-Creations (½ Hr)
________ Portraits/Preliminary Poses: Groom, Groomsmen, Grooms Parents, Fathers (½ Hr)
________ Portraits / Preliminary Poses: Bride, Bridesmaids, Bride's Parents, Mothers, Pers Attendants (½ Hr)
________ Formal Family Portraits: Bride, Groom, Bride & Groom, Wedding Party, Parents, Immediate Family,
Extended Family, Grandparents, Other Formal Groupings_______________________ (1 Hr)
________ Pre-Ceremony: Guests arrive, Aisle Runner, Bathroom Breaks, Prepare for Ceremony (½ Hr)
________ Ceremony ___15min ___30min ___45min ___1hr (Receiving lines average 6 guests per minute)
________ Post -Ceremony: Receiving Line, Greet Guests In Aisle, Dash to Limo, Carriage, Other_____________
________ Travel to Reception: Outdoor Portraits, Park, Bar, Other_______________________
________ Social Hour: Receiving Line, Mingle with Guests, Cut Cake __________min before dinner
________ Dinner: Head Table, Parents Table, Toasts to Bride & Groom, Other_______________
________ Dance: First Dance, Wedding Party Dance, Parents Dance, Bride w/Father, Groom w/Mother
________ Garter and Bouquet Toss: Dollar Dance, Other dance photos_______________________
Start Coverage Time_________ End Coverage Time__________ Total Hours____________
Weddings are expensive and budgets are tight. At Craig Schmidt Professional Photography, you have several options, which give you the exact flexibility to fit your needs.
Payments accepted are VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Checks, Travelers Checks, and Cash.. You can choose from the following payment plans: (1) normal terms - which split up your payments or (2) easily monthly payments
1) Normal terms: Camera charge to reserve wedding date, purchase commitment is due 2 weeks prior to wedding, $500 security deposit if proofs are checked out of studio, additional orders paid in full when ordering, balance of brides album and extras due upon pick-up of final order All purchases subject to state and local sales tax.
2) Easy Monthly Payments can be established. Establish a budget; divide that by the months remaining to your wedding. Convenient monthly payments will pay off your balances by the scheduled due dates.
When you have decided on Craig as your wedding photographer call right away to make sure your date is still available, then make arrangements to book your wedding date.
Arrangements can be done on the phone with a VISA, MasterCard; Discover or American Express through the mail with a check, or by any payment method on a personal visit to the studio.
To book your wedding and to hold the date on our calendar, the payment of camera charge and a signed Agreement Form is required. You do not need to decide on a specific coverage plan, album options or other details at this time. Final decisions will be made at the final consultation or requested at the time of your wedding. Coverage time used over or under the hours contracted for will be paid or credited at the time you pick up your wedding proofs.
The Agreement Form spelling out the details of your wedding is provided as a way of assuring you everything you expect for the prices quoted.
CUSTOM
DESIGNED ALBUMS
WITH
NO PROOFS!
Craig has the distinction of being a designer of fantastic wedding albums, and this service is available to you as well. Many couples in recent years have praised the advantages of going with the NO PROOF method. In this scenario, Craig goes to work on your wedding album immediately after the wedding, and creates the custom designed albums that have won top wedding album awards in professional photography competitions, and this plan saves you money as well.
Here's how it works: When Craig processes the first images from your wedding, he can save expenses by ordering no proofs. Then Craig goes to work, putting together the exact album of your dreams, based on specific guidelines that you set with him before the wedding. The advantage to you is that you get more album for the money, purely based on the fact that there isn't the up-front expense of proofs.
In addition, you save the hassle of having to pick and choose which photographs you ultimately want in your album, since ALL POSES are automatically designed into the album layout according to your wishes. There's no additional cost for this exclusive Album Design service, in fact, in most cases, print for print, it costs LESS!
Yes! You can have those great panorama pages and custom made digital composites that you've seen before, but YOURS will look completely different, because your wedding is different. That's what makes Custom Album Design THE CHOICE for discriminating couples like you, who want their album to be a unique and valued family heirloom treasure. Start thinking about yours. . . . . TODAY!
Only One Wedding Per Day - YOURS!
When Mr. Schmidt accepts your wedding, you will be THE ONLY wedding Craig photographs that day. This will give you the flexibility to change your schedule or request additional coverage time without any conflicts or concerns. Plus, you can be assured that YOUR WEDDING is the ONLY WEDDING on Craig's mind.
Craig arrives prior to the scheduled time of photography. He looks over the church or ceremony site to determine the best locations. When you are ready to start, Craig is ready to photograph. You are assured that everything you want photographed will be taken. Our studio prides itself in its organization and worry free approach to wedding photography.
You will NOT be disappointed!
Craig has NO rules or strict policies that hinder or dampen the spirit of your wedding day.
Some photographers have the ridiculous rule that prevents anyone from taking photographs except them. This is self-serving for the photographer and usually creates hard feelings. No one should prevent Grandma, Auntie or Cousin Lou from taking a few photographs. Make sure you clarify this policy with the photographer you choose.
Craig does not object if others want to take pictures. All he asks is a little consideration. Consideration of your time so Craig will have the opportunity to get everything you want; consideration of the portraits, so others do not flash immediately before the professional photograph, as this will cause a reflexive eye blink and spoil the professional photographs.
We have found the best way to handle any situation is with common courtesy and by treating everyone with respect. Craig's NO HASSLE POLICY makes for the best spirit and sets the tone for cooperation.
Everyone expects everything to go as planned. But we know Murphy's Law happens: bad weather when you wanted outdoor photographs, running behind schedule because the hairdresser was late, flowers delivered late, a tuxedo that doesn't fit, or many other of life's unexpected turns. Heaven forbid any problems will happen on your wedding day. If they do, you don't have to worry with Craig Schmidt as your photographer. You will be in experienced hands.
Mr. Schmidt has many years of experience photographing weddings. Craig can help you through many of these difficult situations.
Craig brings back up cameras, multiple lenses, lighting equipment, emergency kit, safety pins and other necessities you might need.
If a camera malfunctions - Craig has backup. If lighting equipment fails - there's backup. If a lens breaks - there's backup. There's enough camera and equipment available to photograph the entire wedding twice. You can rest your mind when you choose Craig Schmidt Photography as your studio - Craig Comes Prepared!
If it rains and you wanted outside photographs, Craig offers extended creative session at no extra charge. If you scheduled enough time for photographs and things are running behind due to events outside your control - Craig will stay extra time at no extra charge to help you out!
Album Finished Within Eight Weeks
After you place your order, the processing and finishing of your wedding album and reprint order takes about 8 weeks. At Craig Schmidt Professional Photography, you will not experience any long delays or frustrations with the delivery of your order.
Craig's personal promise and commitment to you is to meet or exceed the delivery date and your expectations! If anything takes longer than what we promised, we will keep you apprised of the progress and the expected delivery date of your order.
Wedding pricing depends upon four things:
1) Number of hours you hire the photographer
2) Number of photographs you buy
3) Size of the photographs
4) Additional products or services such as album, retouching, print finishing, or print protection.
Craig has several "flexible" package plans that range from $1500 to over $6000, and it can go up from there. There is no upper limit. The typical amount of time a couple hires a photographer is 6 hours which would cover the photographs before the ceremony (Bride & Groom, Attendants, Families), the photographs taken during the ceremony, and the cake cutting at the reception. You can choose to have photographs taken for a longer period of time if you choose, from early candids thru the first part of the dance. What a great collection of memories!
When you decide to book your wedding, normally you would pay a retainer of $500 when you sign the agreement to hold the date on Craig's calendar. You can take some time to choose the packae plan that works best for you. Then, 60 days before your Wedding you would come into the studio to review the options available and place an additional amount on your account according to the plan you've chosen.
See the section called What Do Most Couples Spend for more information about Wedding photography costs.
All of Craig's wedding plans include . . .
Engagement Portraits
Print order credit, to be used ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE! For wedding photographs, album, prints large or small.
Your wedding plan commitment is paid prior to the wedding and applies towards any plan you choose.
The size of the plan you choose determines the actual price for each print. Essentially, prices decrease as you buy more. We offer five price levels.
Craig's work has received the acclaim and praise of the nation's top photographers. He has been awarded three Fuji Masterpiece awards, state and regional Sweepstakes and Presidential Awards, plus no less than EIGHT Kodak Gallery Awards For Photographic Excellence, which have been called the Academy Awards for Photographers.
Craig has proven his photographic competence and professional ethics by achieving the status of "Certified Professional Photographer" which he has maintained since 1995. He's been awarded the prestigious "Master of Photography" and "Photographic Craftsman" degrees by the Professional Photographers of America as well as the Certificate Of Business Management.
The benefit to you of this accomplished and active photographer is that you are assured of truly GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY! These photographic competitions and memberships are proof of Mr. Schmidt's vision, character and expertise, so that your photographs are the best they can possibly be.
Professional, Courteous and FUN!
With Craig, you'll find a photographer who truly loves what he does, and he desires to make photography enjoyable for you as well.
Your wedding can be a stress filled day, and Craig strives to reduce your anxiety by taking charge of the details and the schedule. Whenever possible, your every request is cheerfully followed. He wins the respect and cooperation of your family and wedding party by his gentle and polite mannerisms.
Every bride is unique and has her "vision" and "dream" of how she wants her wedding photographs to look. To assure your plans and special requests are followed, Craig does four things:
1) When you first visit the studio, it will be determined how you want your wedding memories to be remembered and what is especially important to you. This is obtained in the interview process, and for those that choose Craig as their wedding photography studio, there's already a plan in place of what needs to be photographed.
2) Craig personally meets with you, the bride and groom in the days prior to the wedding date itself to finalize the details:
·the itinerary and schedule, ·determine the favorite choice of photography style, ·find out about any special photo requests, and ·take special note of any family situations, traditions or important details of the wedding which will help him capture the essence of your wedding day.
3) On the actual wedding day, Craig captures all the traditional and expected photographs, special requests, any candid moments or photo opportunities, and all "on-the-spot" requests by the bride, groom, family and friends.
4) Before he finishes the photography and leave your wedding, Craig will check with the bride and groom to offer his best wishes and to make sure no photographs are missed.
First Camera: When I was in high school, I saved up for my first 35mm camera, a Yashica TL-Electro-X, a top of the line SLR camera in its day. In my studio, I've used all three film formats of cameras, 35mm, 120 roll cameras and 4x5 view cameras, as well as the newest of digital cameras. Each one has its advantage over the others depending on the application, however more and more, digital has become the medium of choice.
How I Got Started in Photography: Back in the 1960's, I received a Kodak 104 Instamatic 126 cartridge camera as a birthday gift and I had many adventures exposing the few cartridges of film my meager allowance would tolerate.
In High School, a friend of mine took me into the school darkroom and showed me photography from a different perspective, the processing of black & white. The dim red light in that cramped room shown just bright enough to barely see, and a blank piece of exposed paper was immersed in the developer tray. Slowly but surely, the image gradually emerged from nothingness to a wonderfully bright image. What I witnessed was nothing short of MAGIC!
From that moment on, I was hooked. I was destined to LOVE photography for the rest of my life. It wasn't until after spending 10 years in the broadcasting industry that I found myself in an actual photography business. It was in 1987 that we went into the one-hour photo lab business in Mandan. Over the years the business grew and waned, changed and evolved, until today, my wife and I run the business mostly ourselves. From those first blurry images in the early 60's, to my Master of Photography degree in 2001, it has been an interesting and adventure filled journey of about 40 years. And I feel like I'm only beginning.
Favorite Photograph: Ansel Adam's photograph of "Clearing Winter Storm" intrigued me from the first time I saw it. It remains one of my favorites to this day.
Most Admired Photographer: I most admire those photographers who were the pioneers in their day and carved out their own photography businesses in towns and cities of 1800's America. One of the most fascinating to me is "The Professor" F. Jay Haynes, who first photographed scenery for the Northern Pacific Railway. Then in the little towns and settlements of Dakota Territory, he produced portraits of local patrons. His "Haynes Palace Studio Car" was a rebuilt Pullman passenger car, pulled along the by the railroad in exchange for promotional photographs. It was quite "luxurious". . . . . and profitable.
Type of Photography Enjoyed Most: I have experienced so many different types of photography: aerial photographs, nature and scenic photographs, commercial photography, graduation portraits, family portraits, babies, weddings and everything in between. They are all fun.
But I have to admit, one of the most enjoyable photography assignments is the challenge, the thrill and the honor of being in charge of capturing a brides dream wedding day on film and then helping make the dream come true in an album that's destined to be one of that family's most treasured possessions. Although a lengthy process, each one is truly a rewarding and enjoyable project.
The real test of a photographer is to ask those who have hired him before. Here's some comment from past couples.
Craig "is a wonderful photographer, very professional and easy to work with . . . . Worth every penny." J&M, Mandan
"Thank you, thank you, thank you - I'm so very grateful to you. . . . . I could tell by your work and your attitude that nothing but the best would do. . . . . . . Your talent and artistic abilities must make your competitors envious . . . . .I shudder to think what we would have ended up with had we hired an amateur or even some of the so-called professionals around . . . . . . . .You will always receive the highest recommendation and praise from us. Again, thank you." Carol & Tom, Bismarck
This comment from a recent "father of the bride" was especially poinent: "It was so great to have the day go so well. So many photographers are a source of tension at weddings, but this was really nice!"
"The portraits were very beautiful. They captured everything from that day. . . Go check him out!" Dave & Bonnie, Bismarck
"His albums were very original. He uses different poses & picture sizes that's very appealing." Missy, Mandan
Best "variety and quality - both outstanding."
". . . . Everyone is amazed at how wonderful our photo album looks. The money spent is definitely worth the memories that photo album holds . . . . We appreciate the time and dedication you put into our photographs. We will definitely recommend you to other people." Mary & Tracy Vearrier, Vermillion, SD
Craig
Schmidt
Professional
Photography
124
Sioux Ave
Bismarck,
ND 58501
Phone
us: (701) 751-0766
E-mail
Craig for free infomation to help with your next portrait.
All
Photographs Copyrighted Craig Schmidt Photography, Bismarck, ND
Website
Developed by Craig R. Schmidt
