My Take On Selecting Your Wedding Photographer

Selecting the right wedding photographer

Wedding photographers are like finger prints. They are all different. Sure you might find some that seem almost identical, but if you really look close you’re sure to find some distinguishing features. So as a bride (or Groom), how are you supposed to sort through the pack and find the right photographer for you? Well let’s break it down a little.

The Best Photographer isn’t always the best photographer for you.

I once heard someone say, “I want the best photographer for my wedding”. Really? I know it sounds like a perfectly good idea, but let’s define “best”. There is big difference between the best photographer, and the best photographer for you. Every photographer has their own style, a look, or appeal that is theirs, not to mention price tag. What appeals to some is not necessarily appealing to others. Do you like a classic look or are you into a more modern edgy style? Do you want posed shots, real moments, or maybe some relaxed portraits? Maybe you want a little of everything. Do you like color, black and white, or maybe sepia tone or selective coloring? What’s your budget? Does the photographer you like cost $2000, or $25,000. The point is you have a style and budget and the “best” photographer for you is one that can consistently produce beautiful images in that style and that budget.

Cost vs. Convenience.

While we’re talking about budget….I had a wedding that I was supposed to shoot not too long ago. About three months before the wedding the bride-to-be got stressed over finances and decided to have Uncle Bob (it was uncle something, I really have no idea what his name was) take pictures for her. Uncle Bob had a digital camera, so he could do it, right?. WRONG. Uncle Bob may have a camera, but that doesn’t make him a photographer. Oh, and just because you’re a photographer, doesn’t mean you can shoot weddings well.

The number one complaint brides have is that they wish they had spent more money on there wedding photography. I have NEVER heard a single one wish they had spent less. It’s the old saying; you get what you pay for. A professional wedding photographer has experience, they know the flow of a wedding, they know what to look for and have the right equipment to capture the moment.

New photographers or armature photographers, especially in these tougher economic times put themselves out there as a “Wedding Photographer” trying to make some extra cash. Don’t get me wrong, every professional photographer has to start somewhere, but your wedding isn’t that place. They typically will charge next to nothing to shoot a wedding, anywhere from $700 dollars or less. An experienced professional knows how much time and skill goes into a wedding and charges accordingly. Again, you get what you pay for. If you really like the $300 kid down the street, hire them as a second photographer, but make sure you have a real pro there to make sure you are happy. At the end of the day your photographs will be all you have to cherish your wedding day. Don’t try and save a few bucks upfront, it will cost you in the long run.

While I’m at it, let’s define a professional. Some people like to define a professional by the amount of money they make. To me that’s not as important. To me a professional is someone who understands the art of photography and can CONSISTANLY produce high quality images. That is why I tell people to look at a full wedding, not just the portfolio images. Armatures can get great shots, but they usually don’t do it consistently. Just because one image from a wedding in the portfolio looks great, doesn’t mean the rest do.

I had a friend get married and she hired a girl for $700, mostly because she was willing to travel for free to shoot the wedding. When she got her wedding photos back there wasn’t a single picture of her and her new husband that she like. Saving a couple hundred dollars upfront cost her big in the end.

Equipment

There is another old saying, “It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer”. While in many ways that’s still the truth, in others, the camera gear is very important. In the film days the quality of the image had a lot to do with which film you chose and what lenses you used. Now with digital, film has been replaced with an electronic image sensor. The quality of that sensor can make a big difference. Higher level cameras will have better sensors, with better low light performance. Most weddings take place in poorly lit churches, so the better the camera, the better the performance, the better the quality of the images. That being said, just because someone has the best camera, doesn’t mean they know how to use it.

Your photographer also needs to have at least one back up camera and flash. While only shooting with one is fine, what happens if the camera dies, or gets dropped? I saw one photographer that wasn’t paying attention and wound up falling in a pool. No more camera, no more pictures.

Attitude

This may be the most important aspect of choosing the right photographer. Your personality and the photographer’s must jive. If you don’t get along, it could very well ruin the whole day. If you aren’t comfortable with your photographer it will show in the pictures. It will also, for better or worse (no pun intended) make you bias towards the pictures. If you don’t like the photographers personality, then there is a good chance you won’t like the pictures.

I recently got booked for a wedding by a bride who called up angry at her current photographer. She was mad that he had made her jump through some hoops. His attitude was that he was the important one and he was doing her a service by taking her wedding photos. She complained to some one, who happened to recommend me as an alternative. After two minutes on the phone, she decided to book me instead. Why? Our personalities worked together. She needed a photographer that could be laid back and go with the flow and I was able to do that for her. She had a beautiful wedding and loved her pictures. I was constantly being told how great it was that I could be there. Part of a professional photographer’s job is making their clients comfortable, both physically and mentally. If that means staying out of the way, then I stay out of the way, but if it means helping to coordinate events and getting her a drink of water, then I do that too.

Packages and reprints

Packages are perhaps the most straight forward part of selecting a photographer. You should know exactly what your costs are upfront. Most of the time photographers offer a set of packages to choose from and sometime you have to call to get a price. Either way you should be able to get this basic information quickly.

How much does it cost?

How long will the photographer be shooting? (3 hours or all day?)

Is an album included? What size and how many pages?
If not, how much are albums?

How do I view the proofs?

Can I order images online or do I have to do it through the photographer?
How much are images and how long do I have to order them?

Can I get a copy of the images on CD? Is there an extra price?

How many images can I expect to get?

When will I get my images?

Simple questions like this need to have an answer and they need to work for you  in terms of quality, quantity, and price. If a photographer tells you that he will shoot your wedding for 4 hours for $1200 dollars make sure you find out what that includes. Does it include prints? If not, how much are prints? Does it include a CD? How much is the disc?

I had an old co-worker once that thought she was getting a great deal on her photographer. He only charged her $1000 for the wedding. What she failed to do was ask those basic questions and understand what that $1000 was getting her. In the middle of the reception he told her his time was up and that he was leaving now, or she could pay the hourly fee. In a panic she agreed to the fee, which was another $200 an hour. When she got back from her honeymoon she started the process of ordering prints. She’d failed to ask what the cost of prints would be. They weren’t cheep. All in all her $1000 wedding photography ended up costing her almost $2500. I can’t blame the photographer for all of it. The terms were in the contract and while he didn’t volunteer the important information, she didn’t ask either. Had she known it would cost her $2500 she could have either found a photographer that better fit her budget, or budgeted out the $2500. Either way is better than a $1500 dollar surprise.

In the end the best thing to remember is this. People can rarely spend too much on something that is important to them. It’s almost always better to pay more upfront for a better photographer than to save some money and be disappointed with your wedding day pictures. Make sure your photographer is an experienced professional. Look at there work. Make sure you get to see a whole wedding, not just the portfolio pieces. Also, understand that the images you see in the photographer’s portfolio should be similar to the images you will get from your wedding. That’s the photographer’s style. Don’t expect something completely different than what you’ve already seen out them.

Your Style

Once you have selected a photographer it is also a good idea to bring them a few images from wedding magazines that you like and also some that you hate. This will help them to understand your style and taste. It will help them to know what to focus on and what to ignore. Make sure you go over the details about black and white images, color, or any particular styles and looks you like. The more you and your photographer talk, the better.