7 Important Factors For Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

Post Created: 07.04.2021 - Posted in Advice

The photographer you pick for your wedding is what will determine the quality of the images. No matter how stunning you look in your gown and how magical the ceremony is. A poor photographer will fail to capture any of that. Leaving you with bland, disappointing photos of the special day. Nowadays, freelance photographers are not uncommon. Especially not wedding ones. So choosing the best photographer for you is getting harder. You don’t want to hire any old goon with a camera. So to save you the trouble. And to avoid a potentially devastating wedding photo album. We’ve compiled a list of what to look out for when picking your wedding photographer.

Website

Just having a website is no longer impressive. Anyone can set up a site for almost no money and even less skill. Make sure their site is somewhat unique. Has thought gone into it. And functions well when browsing through. With the number of sites up and running at the moment, it’s impossible to expect no other webpage to look like theirs. So just make sure you can see it’s been well designed and fits their work. That’s a good indicator that this is a page that they’ve set up themselves.

Reviews

Googles review system can be handy for finding a photographer but not perfect. Not everyone will have reviews set up to offer. And due to the nature of freelance work, it can often be hard to get it working. They’re also hard to verify. But take into consideration any obvious negative reviews and take time to read them. Also, scan through the positive ones. Do they all sound strikingly similar? Almost as if the same person wrote them. Or is every account a new profile with no picture and very generic names. These can both be indicators that the reviews are fake and that you should stay away.

Testimonials

These follow almost the same rules as reviews do. The only difference being these are normally posted by the photographer themself. So none will be negative. Typically, these are accompanied by photographs from the couple. Pay attention to whether the testimonial lines up with the image. Details such as location can be a giveaway. If they do not correspond this could mean either the picture or the testimonial has been taken from another site. Which is an immediate reason to leave.

Cost

Make sure to research roughly how much the photography for your wedding should cost. This will depend on time, season and location amongst other things. If the photographer shows rates on their website take a moment to calculate what yours should come out to. Then ask for a quote. If the number they give is drastically higher or lower than expected then steer clear. They’re either ripping you off or they know they can’t charge much for what they do. Newer photographers may have lower rates but often these will be displayed on the site as a selling point. As long as there is a strong, genuine portfolio on the site then going for a new photographer is great. It keeps costs slightly lower and offers them a chance to improve their skills and their portfolio. On the topic of cost, pay attention to any contracts and fine prints. Don’t get caught out with hefty deposits or hidden fees because you signed without reading.

Portfolio

The portfolio is inarguably the most important aspect to consider. This is where you’ll see, not only the quality of their work but also what style they work in. Even a very strong photographer may not create images you personally enjoy. Spend time looking at the array of photos to find the one perfect for you. Of course, if you see an image on multiple photographers page then keep away. If you can tell who it genuinely belongs to, like with a watermark or if one of them have more photos of the couple in their portfolio. Then report the other image. If not then it’s best to simply steer clear of both for safety.

Tone

How they sound on their site is important. Make sure they sound friendly and kind. That they sound passionate about what they do. And stay away from anyone sounding arrogant and defensive. No matter how good their work is. There’s no joy in working with an unkind photographer. A nice album will not make up for them ruining the wedding experience on your special day.

Contacting

Every photographer should have multiple ways of contacting them. And this is by far the easiest way to find the photographer that’s right for you. Depending on personal preference, there may be a chat or email option before a phone call is set up. This means that a time can be arranged when both parties are free for a phone call. It also helps the photographer avoid wasting time with offers that they don’t want to take.

Pay attention to whether they are polite and how prompt they are at responding. As well as this make sure they aren’t vague or avoidant when asked important questions. Above all, they should be eager to call and discuss the quote in detail. Keeping things via email can make it hard to fully understand what you want from the photographer. Which could lead to the shoot not going as planned. Once on the phone, it’s clear how someone is coming across. They should be polite and asking for exact details of what you want.

For photographers with a studio, they may leave details for an in-person visit. Or forgo the call completely and opt for a face to face appointment. Whichever they choose, ensure they are taking interest in what it is you want and are clearly taking time to understand your needs. This is the key part of them getting your shoot right. Don’t feel like just because they’ve given you their time that means you have to go with them for your wedding shoot. If they aren’t right for you then keep looking. It’s your wedding.