CHoosing your photographer
Questions…
Choosing your photographer
When you search on line for wedding photographers you will find an endless list with different skills. They’ll have different packages and a whole spectrum of prices from the very cheap to the very expensive. But how do you choose? The following guide may help you in making an informed decision choosing your photographer for your wedding.
Experience:
Photographing wedding requires a different skill set than photographing your friends and family. Being the main photographer at your wedding is an entirely different job altogether. Pressure, organizational skills, quick thinking and the ability to work and adjust what he / she is doing according to the conditions are just some of the required skills. If your photographer doesn’t get the all important shot of your first kiss who is going to? An experienced photographer will know how the day can play out which is vitally important in making sure that everything runs smoothly.
Insurance:
Yes we all know it’s not important until your need it, but what happens if your photographer takes some stunning photographs and then their car gets broken into before they get home? Insurance not only covers equipment costs and public liability it also provides indemnity cover to (worst case) re-shoot the wedding. It’s not just the photographers insurance policy. It’s also for your protection.
Full time or part time?
Does the photographer just shoot at weekends or is it a full time occupation? Again you may ask what the issue is here but what if you need to ask a question, or meet up through the day, will you be able to? After your wedding how much time will be spent processing your images and building your album? If he has a full time job besides photographing your wedding, your photographs may take a back seat whilst other more important things get done so don’t expect anything to be done quickly.
Customer service:
It is so important that your photographer gives you impeccable service. You’ve so much to sort out during the lead up to your wedding, extra worry or not getting answers from your photographer for your questions won’t help in stress free planing and ultimately a stress free day. On your wedding day you want to be able to enjoy it and not worry about one of your suppliers.
Contracts:
These serve for your protection and the photographer. They should detail what happens in the event of a cancellation, what happens if your photographer is ill and what you should reasonably expect from your wedding photography. It goes without saying that the contract also details and confirms the costs involved in your day. There should be NO hidden costs.
Qualifications
No they aren’t that important but any qualifications gained help you to know that your photographer is serious about his business and his further commitment to constantly improving his skills. A photographer who keeps a fresh approach and learns new techniques means you won’t end up with an album lacking in imagination. Just be a little careful of the term ‘award winning’ as this can have a lot of different meanings and are not always as good as they claim to be.
Images
You will find that photographers generally put their best images on their websites! So why not when you visit your photographer ask to see some example albums? OK, he may not have the actual albums to hand but should be able to show you some completed album designs along with a selection of other product samples. You should be able to see more than what’s on his website. If there is nothing available to see then worry about how many weddings your photographer may have photographed! You can see our galleries HERE.
Personality
This is so important. Can you get on with your photographer, is he easy going, cheerful? Will he get on with your guests? If you can’t and he won’t then he’s not going to get the best out of you on your wedding day. I always aim to have a laugh and a joke when I photograph weddings. Not every photographer has a personality that is in unison with your own.
Style of photography
You’ve probably heard about traditional and reportage photography. What photographs do you want? When you employ your photographer you need to ensure that he can provide the type of images that you are wanting (Have a look HERE for more details on this). If you want reportage photographs and all your photographer can provide is traditional photographs then you’re not going to be happy with your album!
Who is your photographer?
Again this may sound a little daft, but is the person you met at the consultation and started to build up a relationship with the person who will actually be shooting your wedding? Does he contract work out? You spend more time with your photographer on your wedding day than you do with any of your guests so it’s important that choosing your photographer is a top priority.
