Wedding Photography & Videography

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Check their references. Make sure they can offer what they claim. Discuss exactly what you want of the finished product from start to finish. Be clear on your expectations. Show examples of what you want. A pix is worth a thousand words. You need to know what graphics you want (if any) the numbers of cameras you want, deadline for project, and so on. They should be knowledgeable and will most likely ask all the right questions. I prefer a customer to give me all the information they can. I don't want to waste their time and mind with a finished product that they're not satisfied with.

If any service is to be outsourced, get those prices too. Everything in writing.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Event videos and photos are some of the most challenging to produce. Your videographer and/or photographer must have experience in shooting events whether it be weddings or birthdays. Otherwise it will look like a home movie, and you've paid to much for that.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Know exactly what you want the finished product to look like. Show us examples of what you want. They don't have to be exact only similar. It gives us a starting point, a blue print. There are a million ways to produce visual and audio media such as weddings, commercials, birthdays, training videos, photography just to name a few. Even if you're not sure of what you want, we can provide examples and let you go from there. See how we can tailor the project to your needs.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We work with our customers to personally design the finished product to meet their needs. Free consultations with any project big or small. Our prices are accurate and there are no hidden fees.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Just because someone has a videocamera or camera doesn't mean they are a professional. Experience and knowledge plus an artistic eye gives the work the professional and polished finish that you've paid for. There is alot of work and talent that goes into the media field and there are customers that just don't understand why we have to charge our rates. Sound, equipment, time, experience, editing are just some of what you need to qualify. It's not simply pressing a button to record images. There's a learned skill to produce quality work. It takes time to setup and shoot and it takes time to edit. If you want a fast turnaround, then customers must be willing to pay for that. There's much more but these are just the highlights.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. As a little girl, I had a Minolta 35mm camera. Several years later in the mid '80s I got my first videocamera and fell in love with video. I put myself through school at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta as a freelance videographer. I graduated and soon entered corporate america as a Safety Coordinator. I stayed in that field for many years; however, I never stopped shooting videos on the weekend. Finally in 2000, I started my own video production company then a few years later we added photography services. We've undergone a name change too. Overall it's been very rewarding.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. Wingers Media produced an online ad for Skinny Cow chocolates. We had complete creative control. Very exciting and we got to meet alot of fun and interesting people. As the screenwriter, producer, director and video editor, you take on a ton of responsibilities. But the satisfaction of working with others and getting their input to make the final piece a true work that the customer LOVES make you and your team proud. We bartered with the company so we kept the price lower than our normal rates. They will advertise the video nationally and by allowing our web name into the video, we get great exposure that would normally cost thousands.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Education is important of course but get some on-the-job experience too. Do some freelance jobs. Money is nice but there are some wonderful internships especially in the metro Atlanta area that are unpaid. One example is CNN. I interned at CNN's Headline News for a few weeks. I learned so much in a short time. You'll have to do your own research for educational programs. I would suggest a program that offers alot of hands-on work both shooting and editing. The field's technology is always changing so be ready to go with the flow. It can be overwhelming at times because as a business owner, you need the funds to keep up with the technology too, not just understanding it. If you want to experience entrepreneurship, I would say work with a small company that does exactly what type of work you are interested in. You need to see what goes on in the day-to-day activities of running a business too. As the saying goes "You'll wear alot of hats" in owning a business. Until you have enough money coming in to pay for an accountant, office manager, marketing manager, web designer and other videographers/photographers..... you may be able to build your own site or do you own accounting in the beginning but as you grow or work to make it grow you'll need assistance at some point. I've had other very successful biz owners (in various fields) tell me... "don't try to do it all on your own. Hire a professional and let them do their job. Don't lose site of what you specifically want to do."