How Hiring An Associate Photographer Can Help You!

You hear about “associate photographer” when the photographer you want to book for your wedding is unavailable, or maybe their package is out of your budget. They referred you to their associate photographers. So what even are “associate photographers”?

Although associate photographers have been around for a long time, we understand it is a new concept to you. This can cause a lot of confusions and fears. You are afraid they are inexperienced, not as good as the main photographer. Their prices are usually lower than the main photographer, which makes you believe even more that they are not as good as the main photographer. Any of this ringing a bell?

Before we go on, a little industry jargon lesson!

These photographer-related words might confuse you: associate, second, partner.

Simply said, if I refer you to my partner, my partner will plan the wedding with you, take the photos, edit and deliver them. If I refer you to my associate, my associate will take the photos, but I will plan the wedding with you, edit and deliver the photos. A second photographer is only the photographer who shoots with the main photographer on the wedding day and you can read more about what they do here.

Should you hire an associate?

“Do you like their work?” and “Is their price within your budget?”. If the answer is YES to both questions, then I would tell you to book that photographer. That’s it!

I wish everything could be that easy for you. But the fact is, when it is your wedding, there is more for you to consider than just those two questions. After all is said and done, your photographs are the only thing you will walk away with from your wedding…besides your love and marriage. So who you choose is extremely important, so we wanted to explain the process to you a little bit further and give you a handful of great reasons why an associate shooter is a great choice for your wedding!

#1 – MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!

The reality of life is that many brides have a budget in mind and only have a certain amount allocated for their wedding photography. Many times that budget determines the level of photographer you can hire.

Generally speaking, a lower budget equals a less experienced photographer. Depending on your budget, you may be hiring a wedding photographer who only has a few weddings under their belt. But not with us. We have packages for nearly every wedding budget and you still get to take advantage of all the years and years of experience, planning, resources, organization and training that comes with an experienced photographer.

As I mentioned earlier, associates’ packages are usually lower than the main photographer. This is not because they aren’t as good as many people fear. It is because they don’t have to bear the cost of running a business themselves, which can be a lot in term of money (advertising, marketing, image storage, etc.) and time (blogging, bookkeeping, social media, etc.). They get to focus on what they do best, which is taking photos and loving on you, and leave the rest for other experts. Thus, this will be more cost-effective for them to work as a team and why their prices tend to be lower.

When you book a CBP associate you still get access to all of Cate Batchelor’s session prep information, the CBP bride experience, and everything that she provides to her own brides that have been the lifeblood of her business. You are also working with photographers who have been shooting for years and who are constantly going through training and mentoring with Cate to become better and better all the time.

#2 – YOU AREN’T HIRING ONE PERSON, YOU ARE HIRING A TEAM!

With Cate Batchelor Photography & Co., you get more than just one person watching out for you. You get access to Cate and all of her client experience, constant communication with our Client Success Manager, and of course you will be getting oodles of personal attention from your associate photographer.

With a team set-up, you have multiple people making sure that your experience is amazing and that your wedding photography is just what you dream it will be. Nothing falls through the cracks because we are all committed to making your big day the perfect day.

#3 – THERE IS ALWAYS A BACK-UP IN PLACE 

We hear horror stories all the time of photographers backing out, getting sick, showing up late, and many other things that no bride should have to ever have to worry or stress about. With Cate Batchelor & Co there is always a back up in place in case something happens.

We are a team, with a family mentality, who are here to support each other which means supporting you as well and making sure that your wedding is stress free and just what you envision it will be.

Whether we show up to hold an umbrella on a rainy wedding day, help lead a big crowd, or whatever the situation calls for, you can count on our team to take amazing care of you on your big day and step in when the need arises.

#4 – EXPERIENCE! EXPERIENCE! EXPERIENCE!

When you hire an associate photographer with our team, you are gaining access to years and years of experience. From the over 130 weddings that Cate herself has shot, to the years of experience that our associates have shot, there isn’t a single thing that we haven’t seen, experienced or been through.

Every wedding day fiasco, every complicated family situation, every unique and special situation, we have seen it all. So instead of hiring a photographer who is “just figuring things out” you are able to have access to professionals who have been through a lot.

We are constantly in contact with each other, sharing ideas and experiences, so with any situation that might come up we can handle it and have probably been through it before and can make sure that we use that experience to make your day stress free and all those unique situations handled just perfectly.

#5 – We have a proven system in place!

Each couple that works with our company gets access to the entire CBP experience. From session prep, vendor suggestions, timeline help, oodles of hype queen energy and anything else you need, we don’t hold anything back. No matter who you are you are important to us! We are grateful that of all the choices out there that you have chosen us and we want you to have the best of everything we have to offer.

#6 – THE TEAM FOCUSES ON ALL THE THINGS PHOTOGRAPHERS LOATHE, SO THEY CAN FOCUS ON WHAT THEY LOVE…YOU!

The reality of life is that many photographers dread the business side of things. They got into photography because they love interacting with clients, love being a part of your big day, love capturing the moments and emotion of your wedding, and love the photography element. Though our associates have all had experience in running their own businesses and done an amazing job at it, if they had to choose business over shooting, they would leap at the chance to just create stunning images. Which is where our team steps in.

The team takes care of all the editing and business aspects that make for a smooth and amazing experience, so your photographer can put their whole heart into being with you behind the camera. They are able to focus on the things that they love and the team is able to take care of all the behind the scenes aspects that also need to be top-shelf, A-1, if you will. Our Team Manager is amazing at keeping things organized, on schedule, and making sure you have everything you need. Cate handles all of the client experience and business elements. So you’re able to have an amazing photography experience, without having to sacrifice on the business end with a photographer who either doesn’t have the experience yet or whose heart just isn’t in it.

All that to say that associates are a great way for you to get the wedding photos and experience of your dreams if the main photographer is already booked, or a bit beyond your budget! Why compromise on quality and expertise when you can trust in our team? Book your Discovery Call to see if an associate photographer is right for your wedding day!