Important Factors To Consider When Choosing a Photographer

Your photographer will be spending the day with you.  You must choose a photographer whose work you love and one that will help you relax and get those beautiful natural photos you will cherish.  You need to feel comfortable in this relationship.  Since almost all of your special day will be spent with your photographer.
                                       
When selecting your photographer please keep the following scenario in mind.  Since this is based on many a true story:

It is your wedding day.  All the months of preparing have finally paid off.  You have selected everything including your photographer.  His work was outstanding and you really liked his personality – you felt you had a perfect fit.  You really clicked with him.  You are getting ready when you hear a knock at the door.  Smiling, you go to answer the door and you are greeted by a stranger you never met before who informs you he is your photographer…

This is a very common but true story.  Sadly there are too many photography companies that run their business this way.  They show group photo albums shot by many different photographers, or in many cases employees, who have no professional training.  Only showing the “best of the best” shots they present them as if one photographer took them.  Often the person acting as the “photographer” is a salesman and not a photographer at all.

These companies contract out the work or have hourly employees take pictures with company cameras while neglecting to inform the bride and groom that the wonderful person they spoke with most likely had no intensions of photographing their wedding.  It also means the beautiful photography style that you thought you signed up for is just a compilation of work from many different photographers they employ.  Did the person they sent even take any of the pictures you loved?  You have no way of knowing.  

How do you prevent this from happening?

Do your homework!  Do not be a victim of this potential photography nightmare.  Ask the right questions. Understand you have only one chance to photograph your wedding and that the photographs are the only tangible thing you will have through the years to come.

Unless you know the person you are speaking to is the only photographer in that company and can be sure you see a collection of photographs from weddings that the photographer has taken, then just say “no thank you”.  It’s also best to pick a photographer that will do a combination of traditional and photojournalistic style photographs.

Questions to ask:

• Is the work I am seeing, all yours and only yours or is it a compilation of work from more than one photographer?
• Can you show me work from a selection of weddings that you shot?
• Do you excel in both traditional wedding photography and photojournalism style?
• Are you the only photographer in the company?  If I hire you am I guaranteed that you will show up barring an unforeseen event?   Do you have a back up photographer for unexpected emergencies?
• Do you shoot with digital so I can get any picture I want in black and white?
• Is color and black and white photography included? Do you charge extra for the black and white and can you have color and black and white in the same photograph?
• Is the length of time included in the package or do you charge for multiple locations: i.e. home, church, reception?
• How many and what kind of cameras do you use?  (Do you have back up equipment if something breaks?)
• If my needs do not fit one of your packages are you willing to customize a package that will work for me?
•  Can you add text to a photo or do special effects?
• Do I get a copy of my CD/negatives?  If so is there a charge?
• Every Bride has special photographs in there mind they want taken, will your photographer sit down with you before your wedding day to secure a list of your favorite photos and have you assign an assistant (family member who knows all persons involved in your list?)  This enables the traditional photography to move smoothly, without wasting time tracking down all the relatives, and gets you to your reception sooner.