Choosing A Photographer

Once you have set your wedding date, you have a lot of fun ahead planning your special day! We all know there are many decisions to make, and a professional photographer should be just as important as choosing your wedding dress! When choosing a photographer, there are a few things you should consider...

In the age of digital technology, most people have their own digital cameras and if they don't, everyone has a cell phone! You might be tempted to cut corners and let your friend or family member, who may be a great hobby photographer, capture your wedding. Please consider yourself warned!

There is a reason why reputable wedding photographers have earned their title!

Remember that you are putting your friend or family member under a lot of pressure to come up 'with the goods' and no disrespect to their ability, there is a difference between amateur and professional.

For one, you have to be aware that they will not be able to enjoy your wedding as a 'normal' guest as they will be working and are not able to dance or mix up with your other guests. Whilst I am sure that he or she will only have the very best intention, unfortunately, they often miss important key moments of your wedding because they may get caught up in a conversation with other guests and don't want to cut another family member or friend short. Often they simply don't know where they should be at what time, what questions they need to ask your providers, how to scout out different backdrops, not to forget that there is always a certain lack of authority if you are too close to your family or friend 'photographer'. Its always easier to turn down the request of a family member or friend when asked to hurry up or go to another location than to a stranger and you may miss out on some great shots.

Another big question is the lighting. Is your 'nominated' photographer familiar with the lighting at your wedding? Can he or she calculate how much time is necessary for your getting ready photos, for the ceremony, congratulations, reception, etc? Unless you have professional equipment, a mere ordinary flash is not going to be sufficient if you are covering an entire reception. Remember that shooting a wedding is a huge responsibility and you need to carefully consider if it's worth losing a friendship over in case things don't work out...

It goes without saying, that at the end of the day, the only thing that you have left as a physical reminder from your wedding day are your wedding photos! Photography can be a hard investment to make - it is difficult to purchase something "intangible", as you really don't know what your pictures are going to look like - until, perhaps it is too late...

It is not just a matter of price, although there is no doubt that for most of us this is probably the major deciding factor. Although the internet makes it easier to locate suitable candidates to capture your wedding, it also makes matters a lot more confusing. Competition is stiff and each photographer seems to offer 'bigger and better packages' than the next to get your attention. Don't be fooled!

Photographers often lure with big packages of prints, slide shows, other extras and so on. Wonderful! However, 'more' does not necessarily mean 'better'! It is the quality you should be looking for, not quantity. What good are 300 photos when you really only like 20 of them? True professionals only shoot about 35 'good' photos per hour - that puts the photographer who offers you 300 prints per hour into perspective! Most couples only use actual prints these days if they want to frame a photo; They prefer the beautiful coffee table books over a traditional album with photos, so a package with 300 prints is great, but then you have to find a place where to put them. If you want to get a nice album for your wedding photos, it will set you back a few hundred dollars, so that's not actually a saving but additional cost that most have not calculated.

Check out various photographer's websites that you are interested in and compare various styles. Even though a flashy website, a simple one or a badly designed one is not necessarily a good indicator of whether or not a photographer is good or even great, it will shed some light on his or her personal taste and style, irrespective of whether they designed their own website or not. Most photographers these days will give you some information about themselves and the opportunity to view a 'complete wedding' and not just snapshots of various weddings. If they don't and you are interested, ask to see a complete wedding. Never feel embarrassed to ask for qualifications or awards if its important to you. The website will only give you an idea of a photographer's style, his or her ability to compose a photo or use lighting but in reality, most websites are usually not a lot more than a first impression and should be treated accordingly. Its the 'real' person that counts behind the website and if you want to find out more, you have to dig deeper.

Another point to consider is if you 'click' with the photographer. How willing are they to listen to your requests? Are they open and communicate well with you or do they appear aloof and have a tendency to have an attitude? Trust me, I've seen it all! If you are working with someone who thinks he or she is superior and who shows attitude, they are no fun to work with! 

It is difficult to compare which photographer offers the best value for money as there are many deciding factors:

• Cost
• What is included
• The actual photographer and where applicable his/her team
• Equipment
• Service
• Photography style
• Testimonials or reviews from others