Services:
Established:	1988
Accepts:

Fritz has been photographing for over 20 years as a fine art and documentary photographer, which has shaped his creative wedding and portrait photography. As an award-winning photographer, Fritz has travelled the world covering projects for magazines, agencies, and personal projects. His images have appeared on the cover of magazines and in the pages of books, hang in homes and galleries, and grace the world wide web. Fritz  offers this award-winning experience to a very select group of artistically inclined wedding clients. Fritz is a proud member of the exclusive International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers.

Personal Service
"Service with a smile" isn't a slogan, it's just the way it is with Fritz. We love what we do, and you'll know it. Our personal attention to detail is guaranteed to make you smile as well.

Straightforward Pricing
No hidden fees, no minimum orders, no hard sales pitches. Consider this: all our packages include a complete proofbook for you to keep, a web gallery, and an online slideshow, at no extra charge. And when we say your package comes with an album, we don't mean a have-to-pay-more-for-it-later album; each custom-made book is a unique, completed product. Exceptional photography and exceptional value, without compromise.

Commission an Artist
When you hire FritzPhoto, you don't merely hire photographers, you commission artists. We put all our creative energy into crafting artwork that will be a delight to view, over and over again.

EJP Events	EJP Events loves working with Fritz Photography. Fritz's artistic eye coupled with his professionalism and his willingness to work with couples make for a wedding where we don't have to worry a bit about the photography!
AJ's Hair Design and Makeup	I have such a great time working with Fritz. He has incredible character and his depth and surpassing talent are clear in all his work. I see A LOT of photographers and photos in my line of work and Fritz is, by far, one of my favorites.

How to Choose an Awesome Wedding Photographer

 

by  Fritz Liedtke of  FritzPhoto

Copyright 2008

 

 

I remember how overwhelming it was, at times, to plan our wedding: with every decision I completed, I found five new ones had cropped up.  While some couples want to keep things simple, others (as I did) want to put all their creative energies into planning this special occasion.  Most important, we all want to remember it for the rest of our lives as a joyous celebration of our love and vows, in the company of our friends and family.

 

That’s where photography comes in: it helps us remember.  But, you might then ask, what kind of photography, and what kind of photographer, will I enjoy most?  What package will best suit me, and what are my options?

 

To help you sort through the myriad of options, here is a primer on the basics of wedding photography.  There’s a lot to sort through.  But if you find a good fit, you’ll enjoy sorting through your wedding photos for years to come.

 

 

What styles of photographers are there?

 

Traditional:  Usually this means there are many posed shots of family, wedding party, and the standard events of the day, with some soft-focus filters thrown in during the ceremony.  (Your parents’ album is most likely quite traditional.)  Depending on the photographer, this can be elegant and classy coverage, or tired and repetitive.

 

Photojournalistic:  A more recent trend in wedding photography, photojournalism covers everything from dressing to dancing, with limited formal or posed pictures. The aim is to tell the story of your day through images.  Usually there is no limit to the amount of images shot, and this can result in a lovely record of all the little details of the day.

 

Combination/Alternative:  Some photographers blend the 2 styles, shooting as many formals as you want, as well as documenting all the little details of the day at length.  Some will vary the types of images shot, special effects, and depending on your tastes, even bring along a variety of cameras and lenses to add a playful element to your coverage.  This is the type of coverage FritzPhoto offers to discerning customers, and it is as exciting and unique as your wedding day.

 

Shoot and Burn-- A Caveat:  Some photographers will offer to come take photos of your wedding, then burn all their images to a disk and give you the disk.   The advantages of this are that the price is usually low, and it sounds like a great deal to the bride to have access to all her digital files.  However, you might want to take into consideration several factors when considering hiring this type of photographer: What is the quality of their work?  What will you do with several thousand unedited photos?  The quality may be poor, since the photographer hasn’t spent time editing or enhancing the images.  Unless you have experience editing photos or working in graphic design, and the days and days needed to work on the images, you may not know how what to do with them.  And you won’t have access to the kind of professional lab or professional albums, prints, and other services that a full-service photographer can provide.

 

 

 

What options and products are available?

 

Proofs/Prints: Once the wedding is over, how do you see your photographs?  Photography packages can include a full set of prints for you to keep, a partial set of prints, a proofbook, or no prints at all.  Those who don't include prints may either lend you a set of “proofs,” or a CD of low-resolution scans, or just have a web gallery from which you may view your photos. 

 

Reprints:  Always check a photographer's reprint prices and policies.  Some will offer you a bargain price to shoot your wedding, but include no prints in your package price.  You may then discover that their reprint prices are high, and you may be required to place a minimum order of several hundred dollars!  How do you order the reprints: online at your convenience? In a high-pressure sales meeting?  Is there a deadline? 

 

Albums:  Large, small, elaborate, simple, digital or traditional--there are about as many options as photographers.  Check with the studios you’re considering to see if their album offerings suit your style.  See if they give everyone the same type of album, or if you can choose what you want.   Ask: is your book custom made, or a stock design?  What options do you get to choose (cover materials and colors, paper type, images that go in the book, etc.)?

Digital Fun:  With the digital age have come all sorts of digital options: slide shows or DVDs with music and images, low-resolution digital proofs, screen savers, iPod slideshows, and much more.  New products come out every few months. 

 

Websites:  Wedding photography websites can be a fun and valuable option.  These web galleries allow your friends and family to view and order your wedding photos online from anywhere in the world, directly from the photographer‑-a nice option if you have friends and family from out of state or out of the country.  Websites can also save you money and hassle, since you don’t have to ship your proofs off to your families, and people can purchase their own prints. 

 

Digital Files or Negatives:  Some photographers include digital files or negatives in their packages, some will sell them for a fee, some won't sell them at all.  While acquiring the files may save you a little money in reprint costs, and allow your to store your own images, keep in mind that you will have to organize and store hundreds of digital files or negatives, sort out your own orders, and deal with labs.  More importantly, the quality of prints you end up with at “QuickiePhoto” probably won’t be as good as what your photographer gets from his professional lab.  Keep in mind, also, that a low-price photographer who is giving away the digital files is also giving away his motivation to take exceptional, reprint-worthy images.

 

Engagement Portraits:  An engagement portrait session can be a fun way to remember those months prior to your wedding.  Some photographers will take the portraits in a studio, and others will travel with you to a favorite park or locale for even more beautiful and personal images.  Include a print with your invitations, give one as a gift to your parents, include some in your wedding album.  Some photographers even create custom guestbooks filled with your engagement portraits, for your guests to sign in. 

 

Signature Mats or Books:  Instead of having your guests sign a guestbook, have them sign the matboard surrounding one of your engagement photos.  Once framed, it can be a delightful reminder of your wedding day and those who attended.  Many studios also now offer albums with your engagement photos in them, for guests to sign when they arrive on the wedding day.

 

Framed Wall Prints:  Large prints can be made, elegantly mounted, and custom framed for you.  Often your photographer can create beautiful effects or retouching, and you can even have prints mounted on canvas as if it were a painting.

 

 

What’s Really Important?

 

After your head has spun a bit from all the different options remember this: Who you hire as a wedding photographer is really more important than all the products they sell you.  You’re going to spend most of your day with your photographer.  Many brides forget this fact, and they find out too late that they’ve hired a Photo Nazi.   So ask yourself:

 

• Do you like them?
• Are they the sort of person that will help you enjoy your day, or would they aggravate you and your friends and family?
• Are they professional in dress and manner? 
• Are they kind?

 

If you can say yes to these things, you’re well on your way. 

 

But you also have to ask yourself the next most important question:

 

• Do you like their photographs?  Are they memorable?  Well exposed and composed?  Beautiful? 
• Do they suit the style of your wedding?
• Are they professionally presented?
• Can you live without them?

 

 

 

In conclusion…

 

Sorting through the various photography offerings can be a little overwhelming.  In the end, you end up with a ring, a spouse, and some photographs.  So start by asking yourself: what do I want in the end?  What style of photography, what end products, and what personality of photographer do I feel comfortable with?  Armed with some good information and some good questions, you can find the right photographer to tell the story of your wedding day.  Your wedding memories are worth it!

 

 

 

Fritz Liedtke, of FritzPhoto, has been photographing people for 25  years.  He is also a fine artist whose work is regularly shown, collected, and published.  His creativity, attention to detail, and willingness to go the extra mile for his customers is evident in every picture he takes.  You can find out more at www.fritzphoto.com.