5 Essential Points To Consider When Choosing A Wedding Photographer
Couples around the world rely on photographers to capture every special event in their life. . Wedding photos are extremely valuable and are meant to serve as a life-long reminder of that wonderful day.
You need a photographer who is talented when it comes to capturing photos of the bride, groom, family, and friends as they enjoy themselves on your wedding day.
Considering the importance of wedding photography, it’s shocking that many couples do not take the time to carefully select the right photographer for their wedding. Unfortunately, a lot of newlyweds end up with low-quality photographs instead of the beautiful pictures they envisioned.
Even worse, some couples end up in situations where they have absolutely no photos of their wedding due to a bad photographer. How devastated would you be if this happened to you?
Wedding memories are a treasure that most people cherish and share with their family and friends for the rest of their lives. Not having good, quality wedding photos due to a photographer’s negligence is a tough pill for most people to swallow.
Hiring a wedding photographers seems like it would be an easy task, but it’s actually one of the most difficult decisions for a couple to make. Given the fact that you have to hire the photographer before you even see the finished product, you basically have to rely on faith for a positive outcome.
But what if that outcome is bad? Can you be refunded for the work? Even so, you are left without memories of your wedding, which can’t be replaced.
Nothing makes newlyweds happier than having bright, beautiful photos of their wedding day to share with everyone.
Hiring a professional, skilled, qualified, and reputable photographer can be tough unless they come highly recommended by someone you know, which is good. We will discuss this in more detail later.
However, if you do not receive any recommendations for wedding photographers, you can still find the perfect one if you do your research before hiring one.
1. Check Their Credentials & Experience
Find out what type of training your photographer has gone through and if they have a certification, photography degree, or any professional associations. Having one or more of these credentials is a good start, but if they don’t have any, move on to the next one.
Remember, we’re talking about your wedding so you need the best photographer out there. Go with someone who at least has something to prove their qualifications as well as show their level of commitment to the profession.
Check the Better Business Bureau to make sure the photographers you are considering do not have any negativity in their profile. If so, this is a huge red flag so move on to the next one.
You can also do a basic internet search for the photographer’s name and see if any additional information comes up. If someone has had a bad experience with the photographer, chances are that they’ve posted it somewhere online.
Check their website and review it for additional information. Be sure to visit the “About Us” section, which is where most people list details in regards to their credentials and experience.
Also check out their portfolio, which should also be located on their website. Most photographers realize the importance of marketing their business through their websites, so they include a portfolio on their site to show samples of their work to visitors.
Find out if they have any type of specialization in wedding photography – this is important. While reviewing potential photographers, find out what their experience level is before making the decision to hire them. A lot of people end up skipping this step for some reason and end up working with an amateur.
2. Get Recommendations from People You Know
The best recommendations come from those you know and trust. You probably know quite a few people who have gotten married over the years. Most of them probably used the services of a professional wedding photographer for their own wedding.
So before you go on the hunt for a wedding photographer on your own, take some time to ask your friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors for referrals. Those who have had great experiences will be happy to give you the name of the photographer.
And those who have had BAD experiences will be happy to tell you all about it so you can avoid that photographer like the plague. This is very valuable because when you know that a for sure that a photographer has produced low-quality work, it’s easy for you pass up their services.
Getting recommendations can save you a lot of headaches down the road.
3. Interview More Than One Photographer
Choosing a photographer for your wedding is a very major decision and should be done with extreme care. So instead of snatching up the first one that comes along, take some time and interview at least a few of them.
Many couples make the mistake of flipping open the Yellow Pages, calling up a photographer with a big, beautiful ad and make the decision to hire him or her after a two minute conversation. Huge mistake.
Even if you receive some good recommendations from people you know, don’t just pick a photographer without doing a little homework. You should take the time to talk to at least three different photographers to make sure they are the right fit for you.
This interview can be done over the phone, but an “in-person” interview is even better. Either way, be sure to sit down with your soon-to-be spouse and write down a list of questions to ask.
Once you’re in the interview, it’s your chance to get all of your questions and ideas out so the photographer fully understands your needs. It’s best to prepare a list of questions prior to your meeting so you can get all of your answers right away.
Here are some additional questions you may want to ask:
Will you be shooting our photos personally?
Do you have a replacement person to shoot my wedding photos should anything prevent you from being able to do it, such as an illness?
Do you carry back-up equipment should anything happen to your main equipment on my wedding day?
What methods will you use to show us our selection? (physical proofs, internet gallery, electronic images)
What is the turnaround time to receive photos from my selections?
What are your regular fees, overtime fees, travel fees?
What is your payment policy?
While interviewing, be sure to take not of how well the photographer communicates with you. Do they seem agitated by your questions or do they seem warm and welcome your questions? How is their body language? Do you feel comfortable with them? What about their appearance – are they clean and well-groomed?
4. Ask for Samples
One of the best ways to see if you’re compatible with a certain wedding photographer is to see some of their samples. Seeing their samples will give you a better idea of the type of work they do and allow you to make an informed decision before hiring them.
For instance, if the photographer has all child photography samples and no wedding photo samples, they are not right for you.
Most offer the option of having posed portraits or candid portraits. Some offer black and white photos in addition to color photos. There are many options when it comes to photography, so look at some samples – you may end up seeing something you like but never thought of yourself.
Check their websites for a portfolio and samples as most photographers who have websites post them there.
Not only will the samples allow you to see the type of work they do, but you can also see the quality of their work first-hand.
If you come across a photographer who has no samples to show, RUN. Either they are brand new to the field, which is not necessarily a bad thing, or they have something to hide.
Another simple, but effective way to communicate what you want is to show the photographer some samples of photos that you like. Visual communication is very powerful; especially when it comes to something like photography. This way, the photographer can see firsthand exactly what you are look for and will let you know whether or not they can do it.
5. Get a Clear Understanding of Their Pricing and Delivery
Even though the price should not be used as the deciding factor when hiring a wedding photographer, you do need to find out how much their fees are so you know whether or not they are within your budget.
Hiring a photographer only to find out that you can’t afford any of their packages is just a big waste of time, so it’s smart to ask questions about fees early in the process.
However, you do not want to be cheap with photography services for your wedding because you do “get what you pay for.”
Also find out how long it will take to get your proofs, finished albums, bridal portrait, etc. back after ordering. You’d be surprised at the difference in delivery time depending upon who it is.
If there is a contract, be sure that you understand it. Does it seem fair? Does it mention anything that protects you as the customer; such as a disclaimer about what will happen if the photographer doesn’t show up on your wedding day?
So as you can see, there’s a lot to consider before hiring a wedding photographer. On the most important day of your life, the last thing you should be worried about is whether or not your wedding photographer is doing their job effectively. You should have comfort in knowing that your photographs will be professional and beautiful because you took the time to find a solid, reputable, skilled photographer.
Are you still trying to find that right photographer to capture your big day? Contact a Winnipeg wedding photographers now to take care your photography needs. We will also provide a free consultation on what we have to offer.