How to select a photographer for your wedding – a photographer’s viewpoint.
The first hurdle is to locate a few possible websites with potential photographers. Usually typing in wedding photographer + “your area” eg “Yorkshire” or “Essex” works well, though added terms such as “traditional”, “reportage” or “documentary”, storybook or anything else that’s important to you, will focus and narrow down your search. You can also try searching under “photos” + the name of your venue to give you an idea how photographers use the location to get exciting and creative shots, or simply to give you ideas as to whose style best expresses your preferences.
The first hurdle is to locate a few possible websites with potential photographers. Usually typing in wedding photographer + “your area” eg “Yorkshire” or “Essex” works well, though added terms such as “traditional”, “reportage” or “documentary”, storybook or anything else that’s important to you, will focus and narrow down your search. You can also try searching under “photos” + the name of your venue to give you an idea how photographers use the location to get exciting and creative shots, or simply to give you ideas as to whose style best expresses your preferences.
You do need to feel comfortable with your wedding photographer so check if you both feel at ease with them, initially in their emailed communications or in texts or phone calls. You take great care to get the right mix with your guests and the table plan, so even more care needs to be taken with this, as a clash of wills or personalities on the day, or the dreaded photographer who hijacks you and your guests keeping you under his or her rigid control for hours on end can totally ruin your well-planned and long-desired dream wedding. Are you impulsive or well-organised? Outgoing or shy? Can your photographer see this and work accordingly to bring out the best in you and your HTB (husband to be)?
Some photographers are prepared to travel outside their immediate geographical area, but there can be an extra charge for this based on the mileage or time it takes to travel there and back, and if accommodation is needed that might increase the overall price you are expected to pay on top of the basic wedding costs. If you’ve found someone you like who is available on your wedding day, then that might be worth considering. The most popular (best value for money or most skilled or nicest personalities etc) photographers tend to get snapped up 18 months or more in advance so it’s a good idea to book yours as soon as you have set the date and booked the venue.
Find out what is included in your Photo Package and get their agreement down in writing. Sometimes this takes the form of a huge contact with loads of legal-ease in small print. Other times it is a simple letter or email outlining what they will do for you and how much you have agreed to pay for it. Keep this in your wedding file along with all your other information - flowers, balloons cake etc – anything /anyone who is meant to arrive on the day, as your suppliers are all human and mistakes can happen.
I once went to a wedding on a Thursday. The bride was getting anxious about her flowers not yet having arrived. Fortunately she had her wedding file with all the contacts to hand and rang the florist. The florist replied,”Yes its ok I have them all ready for your wedding on Saturday!!” Panic ensued but once the mistake had been spotted she did get her flowers – just in time!!!
Ring your photographer a week or so before the wedding to check final details and to go over the itinerary and to introduce the important people in your life to them. Their head may be full with weddings for the current week so no need to ring too soon, unless you just want to touch base and check they haven’t forgotten about you!
If you do have any special shots – ones you’ve seen in a magazine, or on a website, by all means show them to your prospective photographer so they know what makes you happy. However, you won’t have their depth of experience and inside knowledge, so this can only be a guideline for them. Don’t pin them down to tightly or you’ll destroy all the spontaneity and creativity they have to offer you. Do your research (on current styles and poses that you might think flatter you), and think about who is important to you too, so you don’t miss the opportunity to get say, Great Grandma, with her children, grandchildren and any great grandchildren as family tends to only meet up from far and wide on occasions such as this. The Groom’s Mum with the couple is important too, as his side of the family tends to be less “pushy” so Brides, give him a look in too!
If you do have any special shots – ones you’ve seen in a magazine, or on a website, by all means show them to your prospective photographer so they know what makes you happy. However, you won’t have their depth of experience and inside knowledge, so this can only be a guideline for them. Don’t pin them down to tightly or you’ll destroy all the spontaneity and creativity they have to offer you. Do your research (on current styles and poses that you might think flatter you), and think about who is important to you too, so you don’t miss the opportunity to get say, Great Grandma, with her children, grandchildren and any great grandchildren as family tends to only meet up from far and wide on occasions such as this. The Groom’s Mum with the couple is important too, as his side of the family tends to be less “pushy” so Brides, give him a look in too!
Ask how you are going to choose you photos afterwards. Will they spend time with you and give you support?
Turn around times tend to be longer during busy periods, as the photographer nowadays is expected to do work previously taken care of by the photo lab so will be preparing your images for viewing afterwards, either online in your own personal gallery or in a photo slideshow on a DVD or sending them to you as a PDF (a compressed file that is readable with Acrobat reader) by email for you to view at home (best suited to small numbers of photos rather than hundreds or thousands.) or by a personal viewing appointment in their studio/home office.
In the past the original material was stored on negatives, access to which was never (or rarely) given to the client. Some photographers are now prepared to release your photo files to you on a DVD (CDs only hold low-resolution files or approximately 100 files at full size and resolution), usually at a cost which is designed to compensate them for future loss of earnings through re-print orders from relatives. They may say this is available only after all orders have been placed or that this is copyright protected and for your reference only.
Some companies book several weddings in one day, so if they have more than one photographer on their books its worth asking who is actually covering your wedding, as its nice to get a chance to at least speak to them on the phone, to get a chance to bond with them first.
Turn around times tend to be longer during busy periods, as the photographer nowadays is expected to do work previously taken care of by the photo lab so will be preparing your images for viewing afterwards, either online in your own personal gallery or in a photo slideshow on a DVD or sending them to you as a PDF (a compressed file that is readable with Acrobat reader) by email for you to view at home (best suited to small numbers of photos rather than hundreds or thousands.) or by a personal viewing appointment in their studio/home office.
In the past the original material was stored on negatives, access to which was never (or rarely) given to the client. Some photographers are now prepared to release your photo files to you on a DVD (CDs only hold low-resolution files or approximately 100 files at full size and resolution), usually at a cost which is designed to compensate them for future loss of earnings through re-print orders from relatives. They may say this is available only after all orders have been placed or that this is copyright protected and for your reference only.
Some companies book several weddings in one day, so if they have more than one photographer on their books its worth asking who is actually covering your wedding, as its nice to get a chance to at least speak to them on the phone, to get a chance to bond with them first.
Some couples prepare detailed lists of all the photos they want taking - in all the various combinations. This can be useful for you to focus on what you think you want but leave some space for the photographer to add their ideas too. You'll want time to socialise and meet all your guests so sometimes its nice not to have to think too much and to be able leave that to the professionals. You'll decide what level of involvement suits you best, I'm sure...
Happy hunting, good planning and above all, enjoy your day!
xx Elaine (of Reel Life Photos)
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