Chicago wedding photographer and videographer

When it comes to Chicago Wedding Photographers, we here at Fred Fox Studios believe that we have the most beautiful brides in Chicagoland! We know that each one of our lovely brides puts a lot of thought into that walk down the aisle and the impact it will have on her family, friends and especially on the man that will become her husband. We are thrilled when a bride chooses a Fred Fox photographer to capture that moment as well as all the other extraordinary moments of the day. We want all your memories to be as picture perfect as possible!

Along those lines, we are often asked our advice as to what makeup works best for the camera to capture that perfect look for wedding pictures. Well, we know about beauty and quality in photography and videography but makeup is not in our area of expertise!  We decided it would be best to go to our friend Vanessa Hunt from Vanessa Rose Makeup (www.vanessarosemakeup.com) to get her expert opinion of how to get that flawless look in your wedding pictures. “When it comes to wedding photography, we definitely see a difference between airbrushing and traditional makeup,” Ms, Hunt told us. “Airbrushing means the foundation is sprayed on in a fine mist with a gun as opposed to the traditional sponge applicators. The makeup is water based and lasts all day.”

It’s nice to eliminate as much worry as possible on the wedding day. Hiring an experienced professional photographer is one way to breathe easier and a professional makeup artist with an airbrush is another. Airbrushing will even your skin tone and cover unexpected blemishes. We definitely see that brides are requesting more and more HD and HDSLR when booking wedding videography. Vanessa told us that airbrushing is used more now for media professionals since the majority of television is now HD. This is because airbrushing has a softer glow and does not “cake.”

Check out our HD and HDSLR video on our YouTube page to see how clear and creative our video is.Also, check out our photographs to see our gorgeous pictures of our beautiful brides.  Then, check our prices; affordable, elegant, stunning…what could be better?

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No matter how many times you’ve heard it… it’s still true. ”A picture is worth a thousand words”. In today’s business world, it’s truer than ever before. No matter how we may play down the importance of it… let’s be honest, we all want to look our best. With social media sites becoming the “go to” place for communication, now more than ever your image is your calling card and like it or not, we are all perceived by the first look.

For a new game in town visit Enhanced Image Photography.

For one person, the all inclusive price of $195 includes…

• Photography session up to one hour.
• The retouched image of your choice (each additional retouched image $35)*.
• Internet posting (so you can view and choose images online).
• Email delivery of your digital file along with a copyright release.
• We can accommodate up to three additional people during this hour @ $35/person.

Let’s talk about the cheapest wedding photography in Chicago. Back in what we now refer to as “the day,” it was the guy who advertised himself as “professional” and worked out of his basement (ask your mom, she’ll tell you all about him). He came to the wedding in the loudest plaid sport coat he could find on the clearance rack; (Google 1970’s clothing for an example), called everybody “honey” or “sweetheart” and usually ended up offending somebody with his off-color jokes. Today that profile has changed and the most affordable wedding photographer in Chicago is not necessarily the bad guy.

As a Chicago wedding photographer, we’ve got a lot of competition these days and the pressure is definitely on to be the most affordable. We feel that competition is healthy and we are up to the challenge…as we have been for the past 93 years! Chances are we did your parents or your grandparents wedding. Why didn’t they go to the independent photographer who worked out of his basement? Because after all is said and done and at the end of that very important day, if you don’t get the quality images you paid for, it doesn’t matter how much money you saved or how many freebies you received from a less experienced photographer. Still, the question remains; when you’re looking for a wedding photographer, how do you strike a comfortable balance between experience and price? Honestly, is it essential for your peace of mind to have an experienced photographer? Absolutely; and I am going to tell you why.

An experienced photographer is familiar with timing, posing, lighting and routine. He or she knows how to communicate with the DJ, band, reception hall personnel, wedding coordinator and the videographer. An experienced photographer does not get thrown by changes in schedules or unexpected weather conditions. He or she captures moments and emotions that show the love and devotion between a bride and groom and their families. We here at Fred Fox do realize that budget does play an important role when planning for your wedding photography but we have also learned (from experience) that price is secondary to the quality of the pictures when it comes to our wedding couples. Fortunately, we listened and have designed pricing to fit every budget.

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Our video director, Luis Feliciano stopped by the “Midday Fix” at Chicago’s own WGN on March 1^st. We are very proud of his incomparable creativity and his unique approach to wedding videography.

Check out the perfect marriage of photography and video with our new $1995 bundle package.

While interviewing Luis, WGN’s Dina Bair brought up the most important point about photography and video.  She said, “It’s the one thing, other than your memory, that lasts when it comes to the most special day of your life and I think that perhaps, a lot of people take it for granted.”  Thank you, Ms. Bair! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Here are some great tips for creating lasting memories:

• Book your photographer/videographer approximately a year before your wedding. (The best photographers and videographers book up quickly and availability goes fast.)

• Personality (as well as style) plays a huge part when choosing a photographer or videographer. Know your shooters!

• Keep an open line of communication with all studio personnel.

• Look for “bundles” to keep cost down when booking both video and photography.

• It’s best to choose a studio who handles both video and photography. This will help to eliminate any possible competition and will help to create a more collaborative effort.

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Many of our couples struggle with this very question when budgeting for their weddings. Let’s face it, weddings have become an expensive endeavor and cuts need to be made somewhere. Every couple wants (and needs) wedding photographs but many will pass on videography, unable to justify the additional expense. They often tell us that it’s not that important to them or that they will “never watch it.” Well, I have to agree with them; it’s not that important and, most likely, they will not watch it much after the first viewing…for the first few years at least.

I got married in 1983 (the year after I started with Fred Fox) when VCR’s ran between $500.00 and $700.00. Our studio had begun to offer video packages at that time but I figured that I would never be able to afford a VCR anyway (really!). Because of this, my husband and I decided against video coverage. Little did I know that, within a couple of years, VCR’s would cost closer to $100.00 and nearly everyone would have one. Still, I will admit that, at first, I didn’t miss having a video recording of our wedding. I had chosen one of our best photographers and had bought our nicest album. I was very happy with my wedding album and I didn’t give anymore thought to video. That is, until I had been married for a few years. My husband’s grandfather passed away (at almost 90 years old!) and I thought about how nice it would have been to share his voice and mannerisms with my kids. On our tenth anniversary, I couldn’t really remember the wording from our wedding ceremony so I looked it up…not quite the same as hearing it from our own lips. I remembered how much thought I had put into our ceremony music and how much it would mean to hear it during our ceremony now. The fun stuff would be great to see and hear too; the speeches, my mother doing the “jitter bug” with her sister and my husband sitting in with the band. The pictures of those events are wonderful but I have a feeling that a video would have brought all that back as if I had been a guest at my own wedding.

Today’s contemporary videography not only brings it all back, it does so with that photojournalistic feel that makes it the cinematic story of your wedding. While I mourn for a lost opportunity captured in a somewhat grainy videotape (which, can now be converted to DVD for $79.00…what I was thinking?), this generation’s wedding couples can capture the look, sound, feel and emotion in SD, HD or HDSLR.
Videography Prices begin at $995.00…totally worth it. Take it from me.

-Ellen

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Ania and Rafal (who purchased a Cinema Package) hosted a wedding that was not only formal and beautiful, but an absolute blast! I was able to meet with this couple before the wedding and after a few conversations, I had a good understanding of what they were expecting for their final video.

LADIES…THIS IS REALLY WHERE YOUR VIDEO BEGINS – with that initial meeting with your videographer. I understood the things that were important (and not so important) to them.
This made my job 1000 times easier the day of the wedding and I was able to capture specific shots that she needed – making Ania VERY HAPPY. And you know that old saying, happy bride – awesome video?? (I think that’s how it goes).

-Luis Feliciano

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Sarah and Todd were absolutely awesome to work with! Thanks for hosting a GREAT PARTY! A lot of that energy and detail was captured in this Same-Day Edit. I remember watching Sarah and Todd’s reaction when we finally showed the video at the reception!! It was hard to believe that EVERYTHING that had happened from morning until introductions (which had just taken place 40 min prior) was ALREADY EDITED and being SHOWN AT THE RECEPTION – PRICELESS!! The video was online the next day READY TO SHARE. Best part was the following day her out-of-town guests who couldn’t make it were able to watch the highlight reel of Sarah and Todd’s wedding day! For the brides that want to go beyond the “Photomontage Presentation” at their wedding – THIS IS IT!!!

-Luis Feliciano

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We definitely started the Wedding Trailer trend in Chicago and consequently have the biggest posted collection of trailers. These things are so much fun (for us) to put together and it gives you a short video with the look and feel of a REAL MOVIE…only better because, unlike a Hollywood production, this story is absolutely REAL and its YOURS!

Trailers are posted within a few weeks after your wedding, so you can share them on Facebook or simply email the link to friends and family (especially the ones who couldn’t make it and probably won’t be getting a DVD!) Lets face it – with the popularity of social networking, your wedding experience wouldn’t feel complete without one of these Fred Fox Wedding Trailers!!

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Join our video director Luis Feliciano on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 8:00 pm for a special Valentines Day edition of “Livin’ Large” with radio talk show host Geoff Pinkus. “Livin’ Large” airs on AM 560 WIND. Along with relationship expert, The Love Doctor, Luis will be talking about wedding proposals, love and Valentine’s Day! Tune in tomorrow for more…

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Recently, our crew from Fred Fox Photography in Naperville moved out of a large space and in with the House of Brides in Aurora. While we were apprehensive about the move, we realized that in today’s market (and with technology constantly changing the way we communicate), this change made perfect sense.Being in a large bridal shop was a real eye-opening experience. While we really know our stuff about photography and videography packages, we know very little about what the most popular styles in wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and wedding accessories may be. Until our move, we pretty much lived in our own little Fred Fox “bubble.” Our main focus has always been on the quality, pricing and marketability of our wedding photography and videography packages. Consequently, my co-consultants and I had very little idea as to what brides spend on their dresses and accessories because, quite frankly, we had no interest in these very important bridal details.

What could the amount of money our brides spend on other wedding items and services possibly mean to us?  What bearing does the cost of an Allure® gown, those gorgeous heels detailed with Swarovski® crystals, or an Ansonia® veil have on our business? Well as it turns out, more than we might have guessed! In our area, we learned that the average bride spends nearly as much on their wedding apparel and accessories as they do on their photography. According to our friends at the House of Brides, most Aurora brides spend between $1500.00 and $1600.00 total on the dress and accessories. Many brides pass on the very basic (and somewhat misleading) $595.00 wedding photography packages offered by our competitors but still want an affordable option without sacrificing quality and reliability. This knowledge has taught us an important lesson.

We have to find a way to offer what bridal couples need while providing the coverage and the pricing they need. Please check out our all inclusive price of $1595.00…album, files, eight hours of coverage and your choice of photographer.
Extraordinary value at an affordable price!

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