How to choose a photographer for your wedding.
So you’re officially engaged! Congratulations!! The wedding is going to come so fast, it doesn’t matter if you book it out 2 months or 2 years… ok no wait… don’t plan it in 2 months.
Once the shock is all over, the realization of the workload ahead of you is going to probably hit you pretty hard. No biggie, the excitement of planning a wedding is usually better than the stress of it, if you do it right. A lot of things you have to do to plan your wedding you’ve probably never done before. For instance, you may be wondering, how do I find a GREAT photographer?
The photography market is flooded with photographers at various skill levels and price points. How will you ever find the right one for you? This article is to help break down the important qualities of a great wedding photographer, and how to identify them.
To start with let’s quickly run through what doesn’t make a photographer good.
How not to choose your photographer
Equipment
Even photographers at times can fall into this trap (I did it several times starting out). “If I just had this new flash I could be so much better!" they’ll think.
Honestly a nice camera, lenses, and lighting equipment are wonderful! I shoot with the best of each of these so my creativity isn’t stifled by any inadequacies. But in all honesty, better equipment doesn’t make a photographer any better than a new stove would make a chef a better cook. You wouldn’t ask Gordon Ramsey what kind of stove he uses to determine if you’d eat his food would you? Sharp knives, nice pans and utensils only enhance a good chefs abilities, it doesn’t make them. Likewise it’s the skill a photographer has that makes him great, not his equipment.
Successful appearance and Social Presence
Some photographers are better marketers than others, and this usually is what determines their level of success (not skill). Marketing and branding have never been one of my skill sets. I’m not that great at them, and don’t enjoy that aspect of our business.
Personally social media is just a means to an end for me. I went nearly a full year without posting on any social media, all the while staying booked up with sessions. Meanwhile other photographers may be cycling through old photos just to keep their social presence, while not booking a single session. It basically has no meaning.
Don’t be fooled by a successful appearance, or a verbose social presence, this just means they’re good at branding and marketing, not photography. I say this now, while I’m planning my marketing solutions and social platforms lol!
So how do you choose a good photographer?
People Skills
Wedding photography more than any other form requires the photographer to be good at interacting with people.
Most importantly you need the photographer to get along with you and your fiancé, but nearly just as important he needs to be able to get along with your guest. If you’re wanting good family portraits, bridal party portaits, and reception pictures, the photographer is going to need to be able to get along with just about anyone.
To determine this its important that you don’t book a photographer over email alone. Get on the phone with them at the very LEAST! If they live far away get on a video chat. If they’re within a couple of hours meet them in person. The way they interact with you will tell you whether you’d feel comfortable being in front of their lens ALL DAY on the most important day of your life.
Good pictures
Obviously before you send an email or call, you’re going to want to check out their portfolio. There are plenty of technical details you can look at but its beyond the scope of this article to discuss how to assess a photographers skill level. Just few key points to keep in mind are:
Are their photos in focus? Are they the style you’re looking for? Do they make you feel something? Do they have a variety of pictures from various weddings, or is it the same poses, lighting, and people? Most importantly, would you want your wedding portraits to look like that?
You also can check to see if they are using flash or not. This may not be important for your wedding, but if you’re planning on burning the midnight oil at your reception, keep in mind that oil wont produce enough light for photography. So your photographer will need to be comfortable with flash. A LOT of photographers are natural light only, which is fine if that’s all you need.
(scroll through photographs below)
Passion
This is a hard one to assess for some. But its absolutely necessary to find a wedding photographer with passion. Without it, all your portraits are going to come out cookie-cutter. Your wedding will look exactly like the photographers previous weddings, and exactly like all the rest of his weddings. The pictures wont be unique to your style and personality.
Look at the photographer’s pictures, are they unique? Do they make you feel something? Does every picture just feel like a traditional pose? Are you able to discern something about the subjects in the pictures? This will tell you whether they can highlight your personalities, or just snap a pretty picture.
Interest in your wedding
Lastly, is the photographer interested in your wedding. This you’ll have to determine when you meet with them, whether it’s over the phone, zoom, or in person. (It kind of goes hand in hand with passion for their work.)
Try to determine what their interest is. If they want to know the details about your wedding, and what excites you, chances are they’re going to get excited about it too. But if all they’re trying to do is hurry up and book you, quite likely they’re just looking for another job.
When you talk with them, find out if they’re just going to book you and just show up to the wedding, or will they have consultation meetings to better understand your vision.
Conclusion
I wrote this article because over the past few years I’ve heard hundreds of times by now “I wish I had booked a better photographer for our wedding”, or the flattering “I wish we had booked you for your our wedding” (Aww shucks **blushes**)
Well here you go, follow these simple principles and chances are you wont regret the photographer you book for your wedding.
If you’d like to talk with me about your wedding and see if we’re a good match, please fill out the form and let’s schedule a time to discuss your wedding.
