You have 1000 things to worry about to make your wedding the perfect one. Any why not – its a dream come true and on the special day you want to be sure that are no surprises.
But at the end its the photographs that you look forward to – your lifelong connection to your special day.
So here are my 7 tips for finding the perfect wedding photographer, who will work as hard as you have and make sure when you look back to this special day after decades, you will feel as if it happened yesterday.
Start the selection early
After the venue, the photographer is probably the one who you want to select early. They get busy and if you like a photographer, you want to be sure she would be available for your wedding. Your initial short listing process should include checking out samples of her work, which can be easily done online. After looking at many, you will probably have a sense of the style you prefer and a few photographers that work in that style. If any of those comes with a recommendation from another friend you trust, then great, but you still need to see, compare and feel good about the quality of her work.
Would you use a photo studio?
You have a choice of going to a photo studio. They usually have a team and have a better chance of finding a replacement should something unforeseen should happen. However even a photographer working on her own and who values her clients should have a network of other skilled professionals. If she needs to cancel, she would make sure you are covered. The photo studio could show you a lot of samples, but those pictures might not be shot by the photographer they will send for your wedding. You might not have the kind of one-on-one interaction with the photo studio photographer that you would have with a photographer who is on her own. If that is important to you, my suggestion is to find a photographer who owns her own business.
Understand the business process
Photographers have packages to suit a variety of clients and those may or may not fit your needs. But any professional photographer would be flexible to win your business, should your needs not match the cookie cutter package. Please be clear about the payment schedule, refund policy and delivery schedule. Go over the contract carefully before signing it. Most photographers will retain copyright but request your permission for showcasing your wedding photographs in her website or via social media. They might also want to have their pictures displayed by other vendors from your wedding like the venue, the DJ, the wedding planner etc., for mutual benefit. However that should be the extent of it – any more publication rights should require a signed model release. Please remember, your selection of your photographer was helped by a couple who consented to have their wedding photos published online. So I would recommend to do the same.
Do you need a wedding album?
A well designed wedding album is a beautiful thing. You can touch it, feel it, cuddle with it when you are alone. It grows old with you.( not in the sense that the pictures will fade) Yet many opt for shoot and burn wedding photography. They sometimes want to control the budget, or think given the digital images they would be able to design the album. Album design is not easy, it takes time and creative effort, and best left to the professionals. So during the meeting with your photographer check out samples and be sure her style of album design suits your style. Albums costs vary depending on size, the number of pages, the type of cover (linen, leather, metallic, acrylic) and other choice from a myriad of options. I would strongly recommend to have an album, but if budget is a concern, it can be deferred until later.
What about digital files?
Album or not, you should get edited digital files in low resolution (for online sharing) and high resolution (for printing). Ask about how these files are delivered to you or archived. A good professional should have onsite and cloud backup facility so that your images can be retrieved (at a cost) if you happen to lose your copy of the digital files 6 months after your wedding.
Your choice of post-processing style?
Different people like different styles or look in the edited images. Some prefer richer color and contrast, some like a brighter high key look. Others may want something else. If you have a specific style in mind, please show some sample pictures and ask if the photographer will be flexible to edit according to your preference.
What about equipment and help?
Equipment itself means nothing. But a good photographer should have professional quality equipment. Do not be shy to ask about the brand or models she will use and if she will have backup cameras and strobes (she certainly should). Would she need to bring supplemental lighting and if she will need assistants to help her with that.
Would you need a second shooter?
While the main photographer would be focused around everything related to the groom and the bride, the second shooter captures many off-guarded moments and details that help complete the story of your wedding. If there are 200 or more guests, a second shooter is strongly recommended. A second shooter is preferable when there are about 125 – 150 guests and / or there are more than one locations to cover (such as the bride and the groom getting ready at 2 places at the same time). Ask if your photographer has a network of reliable seconds shooters, if you believe you should need one. Personally, I would strongly recommend a second photographer, if your budget would allow, at least as a back-up on your wedding day if the main photographer gets delayed due to traffic or falls sick etc.
How do you judge experience?
Before being a good wedding photographer, one needs to be a good people photographer and before that one needs to be a good photographer. A good photographer is one who can produce good images in a variety of situations, wedding or not. Can the photographer show samples of other types of photographs from her personal work – landscapes, street photography, still life, or anything other than weddings? Creative professionals dread the rut and if your hire a photographer shooting scores of weddings a year, would your wedding photographs stand out? If the photographer is great, it might, but it will not be because she has done 20 weddings already at the venue same as yours. It will be because she has the eye and the instinct to produce images that would look special to you.
However, if you have an ethnic wedding, prior experience might matter. In this case, a good wedding planner, if you have one, would certainly be a help to a typical photographer not familiar with rituals of such a wedding.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider in this process. But don’t stress and click the button below!
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