You're getting married and this is probably the first time in your life that you've been in the position to hire a photographer. If you work in the publishing industry you may have some experience in working with top photographers and amazing photographs. If you don't work in that field then you'll probably have to navigate the confusing and sometimes sordid world of wedding photographers.
It's a daunting task distinguishing one wedding photographer from another especially if you don't have photo-editing experience. Finding the right wedding photographer for you can be as difficult as choosing a hairdresser. When choosing a hairdresser, you won't know the quality of their work for sure until they are done with your cut. The same thinking goes with choosing a photographer.
The key to the process is to know your own artistic tastes. In other articles we pointed you to look at the items you hang in your home to help you decide which type of photography may speak to you. You may have a more classic aesthetic or a more contemporary sensibility. The key is to know tastes and then find a photographer who is the best match to that style.
Proceed with caution. There are tons of "photographers" out there who took their consumer camera to a family wedding and liked the photos they created. Before you know it they have a website up and are calling themselves "wedding photojournalists". Their website will tell you that they will share and capture the emotions of your important day. They most likely won't tell you that if their cameras didn't have auto exposure and auto focus they wouldn't be able to capture any photos at all.
Using a wedding photojournalist may be the choice for you. A genuine wedding photojournalist is a veteran of the publishing business. They sell photos to websites, major newspapers and magazines and have to pass the scrutiny of the publication's photo editing department.
The photo-editing department of a good publication has years and years of experience choosing photos to illustrate the stories they run. If the photographer you're considering using sells to real publications then you'll know that professional photo editors have scrutinized them. This means you need to ask your photographer if their photos have been published.
Also, ask your potential wedding photographer to see an entire wedding that they've shot. You'll want to see all the photos, especially the ones that were not in the wedding album. If your potential photographer hesitates to show you a full wedding, again, beware. Good photographers will have a preponderance of great photos from a single wedding. All the photos they show you should be well exposed and attractively cropped.
The cost of equipment, websites, marketing and album construction and be very high. Most professionals will work your wedding with tens of thousands of dollars of equipment and they will have spent many more thousands just keeping their marketing programs going and their offices open. So, the price your wedding photographer is quoting says a lot about how long they've been in business. If the photographer you're considering is quoting you a price below $1,500 then they are probably working almost for free in order to build a business.
Expect the best from your photographer and make sure they are confident in their presentation. A real wedding photographer will be happy to show you an entire wedding and the photos will all look great. You can ask your photographer for the names of former clients and they should share a few with you with no reservations. And, beware of photographers advertising unrealistically low prices. Low price is a sure warning sign.
It's a daunting task distinguishing one wedding photographer from another especially if you don't have photo-editing experience. Finding the right wedding photographer for you can be as difficult as choosing a hairdresser. When choosing a hairdresser, you won't know the quality of their work for sure until they are done with your cut. The same thinking goes with choosing a photographer.
The key to the process is to know your own artistic tastes. In other articles we pointed you to look at the items you hang in your home to help you decide which type of photography may speak to you. You may have a more classic aesthetic or a more contemporary sensibility. The key is to know tastes and then find a photographer who is the best match to that style.
Proceed with caution. There are tons of "photographers" out there who took their consumer camera to a family wedding and liked the photos they created. Before you know it they have a website up and are calling themselves "wedding photojournalists". Their website will tell you that they will share and capture the emotions of your important day. They most likely won't tell you that if their cameras didn't have auto exposure and auto focus they wouldn't be able to capture any photos at all.
Using a wedding photojournalist may be the choice for you. A genuine wedding photojournalist is a veteran of the publishing business. They sell photos to websites, major newspapers and magazines and have to pass the scrutiny of the publication's photo editing department.
The photo-editing department of a good publication has years and years of experience choosing photos to illustrate the stories they run. If the photographer you're considering using sells to real publications then you'll know that professional photo editors have scrutinized them. This means you need to ask your photographer if their photos have been published.
Also, ask your potential wedding photographer to see an entire wedding that they've shot. You'll want to see all the photos, especially the ones that were not in the wedding album. If your potential photographer hesitates to show you a full wedding, again, beware. Good photographers will have a preponderance of great photos from a single wedding. All the photos they show you should be well exposed and attractively cropped.
The cost of equipment, websites, marketing and album construction and be very high. Most professionals will work your wedding with tens of thousands of dollars of equipment and they will have spent many more thousands just keeping their marketing programs going and their offices open. So, the price your wedding photographer is quoting says a lot about how long they've been in business. If the photographer you're considering is quoting you a price below $1,500 then they are probably working almost for free in order to build a business.
Expect the best from your photographer and make sure they are confident in their presentation. A real wedding photographer will be happy to show you an entire wedding and the photos will all look great. You can ask your photographer for the names of former clients and they should share a few with you with no reservations. And, beware of photographers advertising unrealistically low prices. Low price is a sure warning sign.
About the Author:
Learn more about San Francisco wedding photography. Stop by John Santoro's site where you can find out all about bridal photography and what it can do for you.
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