How to choose the right photographer for your wedding // Tips & Tricks for making the right choice!
Sometimes even a very good photographer is not the one that fits to your taste and your needs.
So, you are about to choose the right photographer for your great day. You want someone to give you some perfect footage and convert your moments into timeless artwork, but you have seen so many photographers and their work, and now you are completely confused!
Here are some tips and tricks that may help you to make the right choice:
1. Ask the photographer to see the whole wedding footage. Every single photographer may have a nice portfolio. Shooting more than 1000 images in one wedding gives you the opportunity to have 1 or 2 great photos to complete your “best of” section. But what about all your wedding photos? Are they good enough for you?
We always show full wedding photography to our couples. Maybe not all of 500-600 images but more or less around 200 photos of the wedding day. Take some examples below:
https://www.hopevisualproductions.com/weddings-new/2022/1/7/vicky-callum-wedding-at-derwent-manor
https://www.hopevisualproductions.com/weddings-new/2022/1/8/louisemark-wedding-at-healey-barn
2. Ask him if she/he is a full-time wedding photographer or if she/he has another daily job. It is very important to understand of no matter how talented is someone, wedding photography is a job that needs you to be 100% focused on it. A part-time photographer usually has no time to improve his skills, and most of the time he is just looking for extra money to complete his income.
I am a full-time professional photographer for over 25 years, and I still have to spend a lot of time educating myself about new technology, trying new methods, shooting editorials, visiting photo shows, and watching seminars.
3. Experience: A Wedding is not something you can repeat. You don’t have a second chance and when moments are gone… are gone. It’s completely different to have captured 2-3 weddings rather than 500 or even 1000. An experienced photographer has fewer possibilities to make a fatal mistake indeed.
4. Style: Look at his photography style and editing look. Sometimes even a very good photographer is not the one that fits to your taste and your needs. What you see is what you must expect from your photographer. Looking for a traditional photographer, a relaxed one, a documentary-style or someone with a mixed style? And it’s about you, to make the right choice according to the footage provided.
5. Awards: I have been awarded many times over the years. Local awards, national awards, even international awards for my work. It’s always nice to be awarded because it’s some kind of “certificate” of the excellence of your work. On the other hand, when someone asks to be his wedding photographer, it’s not the awards I provide to convince him to make the booking but my work. At the end of the day, you are looking for some nice photos and not the awards of your wedding photographer.
6. Budget: Do not ask around only for prices. The difference in prices in wedding photography is so huge! You may find photographers from £150-200 up to £10.000. Set a budget first, find the style you like, and then try to find someone to match both. It’s completely useless and disappointing finding a photographer you love and then discover that the cost is beyond your budget.
7. Give the photographer detailed info of your wedding day and describe what you expect, what do you like most, and everything by email. All professional photographers keep records of their emails. So, before your wedding, a professional photographer will look or even print your information sheet to be sure that nothing is missing. Creating a detailed action plan is never bad.
8. Book an engagement shoot. I know that you don’t have much time, especially if you must organize so many things about your wedding but having an engagement shoot (which usually doesn’t cost a lot) it’s always a good thing. You have the possibility to discuss and know better your photographer, talk about wedding details and at the end of the day, you will have some nice pre-wedding photos too.
I know, there are too many things to consider when you must choose the right photographer for your wedding. Much more than the basics above, like the personality of the photographer, his/her reviews, the final delivered products, and services, etc. Today, we have more wedding photographers than ever. For some people being a wedding photographer is an extra income, for others, it’s like business as usual, and for some others a lifetime passion! So, make your research in the market, follow the steps, and let your instinct lead you to the best.
Tips & Tricks for making the right choice of your wedding photographer