Choosing a wedding photographer: how not to make a mistake?
Preparing for a wedding is always a pleasant hassle. Finding wedding outfits, choosing a venue, filling out invitations – all of this undoubtedly takes up a lot of time and energy for the newlyweds-to-be and their relatives. But you shouldn’t forget about the photo shoot! Thanks to high-quality pictures, this holiday will be remembered by you and your guests for a long time.
Needless to say, the choice of a wedding photographer is a very responsible task. The easiest way to avoid mistakes is to understand some of the subtleties of photography and photo equipment. For example, you can easily figure out what is EV in photography by reading Skylum’s blog. And of course, thanks to our tips you can find a specialist who will not just take a couple of hundred “pics”, but will create a real photo fairy tale from your celebration!
Top tips and tricks on how to choose a photographer for your wedding
Of course, at first, you may think that you already understand how to find a professional and that it is very easy. But the deeper you go into this question, the more you will realize that you are completely confused. Don’t panic! Just read our tips, they will help you solve this important problem.
Pay attention to the experience
An experienced photographer is, first and foremost, a specialist who can easily adjust to the most unexpected situations. For example, if it suddenly starts to rain. Or a trip to the city park breaks down. Or the bride will break her heel and will not be able to pose according to the plan. In other words, an experienced photographer can easily adjust to any force majeure, without compromising the quality of the photos.
A true professional is not afraid to lie down on wet grass or a dusty road or climb a tree or a drainpipe if it helps to make a super shot.
Examine the portfolio
To begin with – any more or less respectable photographer (even a beginner) is very careful about compiling his portfolio. That’s why the absence of it should, at the very least, make you think about his professionalism.
If a portfolio is available, you need to study it thoroughly. And in no case do not make hasty conclusions. After all, you must agree that a couple of “great pics” can work even for a person far from the world of photography. But the portfolio of a professional is literally “stuffed” with first-class photographs!
Looking at the photographer’s finished work, you’ll get a more or less clear idea of what areas he works in and what photos he gets the best – staged or “reportage” (shots taken in the real course of the celebration – without preparation or a script).
Have a face-to-face meeting
It is not necessary to give your final approval and say a joyful “YES” to the photographer before a personal meeting with him. It’s very simple: it does not matter how he is dressed, his height, weight, sex, or religion – the main thing is that you feel close to the photographer, you can relax and open your inner world in front of the lens. Moreover, this sympathy must be mutual, that is, the photographer must also “feel” your couple.
Do not miss the opportunity to discuss matters of interest to you, and pre-agree on the time and place of the shooting. Quite often photographers offer to arrange a “prologue” photo session before the wedding to shoot some preparatory moments (decorating the hall, buying rings, choosing wedding dresses, etc).
Pay attention to the cost
Adequately assess the situation. To do this, it is worthwhile to research the prices for wedding photographers in your city and focus on the average cost.
In addition, do not forget that the cost of the service includes several components. It can be:
- Hourly payment or a lump sum payment for a certain amount of the work;
- Pre-wedding shooting;
- Processing of all photos or selectively;
- Printing of photos (if so, the cost will depend on the quality of printing, paper, photo size, etc).
If you kindly allow the photographer to use photos from your wedding in his portfolio, you can even count on a small discount.
To avoid getting into an unpleasant situation when paying for the photographer’s services, it is best to discuss these points very clearly, and even better – spelled out in the contract.
Let’s say at once that if the wedding photographer refuses to sign a contract, feel free to refuse his services.
If the contract will still be considered, do not forget to pay special attention to the following points:
- Clearly stipulate the date and time of the shoot.
- Indicate the amount of the prepayment (if it is available).
- Specify the photographer’s working hours at the celebration.
- If you are going to pay by the hour, specify the cost of 1 hour; if you are going to pay for a certain time, then indicate the entire amount, but don’t forget to specify the possibility of overtime and how he/she will be charged for “extra” hours.
- If the photographer has additional equipment, list it.
- How many printed photos you will receive?
- How you will receive the photos digitally (flash drive, email, cloud storage, etc.).
- Deadlines for turning in the work.
Conclusion
The main point when choosing a photographer is to stop thinking of stereotypes and start evaluating the situation objectively. For example, if you want to get creative, you need to look for a young photographer; or the more you pay, the higher the quality of the order. In fact, to choose the right specialist, it is enough to follow a few simple rules, which we have discussed. The art of photography is a very fascinating topic, you can learn even more interesting information on Skylum’s blog. Read what is EV in photography and other informative and interesting articles. Who knows, maybe you will become the next star of the photography world. We sincerely wish you so!
