5 Ways to Find An Excellent Photographer for Your Wedding
Wedding photos are the best souvenirs on your wedding day. They capture the best and most heart-warming moments on your very special day, and you can look back on them for many years to come.
Of course, you want all of your wedding photos to be perfectly shot and composed so you would have good photos to show to your children and even grandchildren someday. That’s why you need to be meticulous and set high standards when choosing your photographer for professional wedding photography.
5 Easy Ways to Find An Excellent Photographer for Your Wedding
To help you sort things out, below are five easy ways you can hire an excellent photographer for your wedding.
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Decide On Your Style
In the vast and varied industry of professional wedding photography, how would you choose the best one for you? The simple answer is to screen them. One of the most important considerations in choosing your photographer is when you have a distinct photography style in mind. From here, your choices would be trimmed down by many, as you only pick those photographers that mesh with the style that you prefer.
One thing that will help you decide on your style is to gather a collection of wedding photos from the internet by browsing photographer portfolios of weddings they had shot in the past. Choose the ones that appeal to you. Through this gallery of inspiring images, try to analyze the common things among those photos that made you like them.
For instance, they can be a classic style of photography, a formal pose, or maybe a very elegant feel. Discuss with your partner which styles you will feel comfortable with on the day, something that suits your personalities and meets all your aesthetic preferences.
I personally get comments on my own photos where I like to bring the mentality behind my award winning landscape photography into my wedding photography thereby capturing not only the couple, but also the venue which they had spent hours agonising over beforehand!
You don’t even have to limit yourselves to just one style! Many photographers out there are flexible enough to use different techniques for a wedding shoot and creatively put them together in one album. Your wedding photos will be a collaborative effort between you and your photography team, so make sure to emphasize the exact aesthetic that you want to achieve!
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Do Your Research on Potential Photographers
After deciding on a specific wedding photography style, you now have only a few photographers to choose from. Take a close look at each of them by browsing their social media pages and official websites. Look through their wedding albums to have an idea of how they capture moments, especially those that are really special to you.
Of course, the photos on full display are their best shots and poses. How about what their previous clients say about them? You should also consider reading customer reviews from reliable sources like ABIA to understand the kind of service they’ve given other couples and events. There may be red flags that you can spot on these reviews that will help you decide easily.
Based on these reviews, what do you think of them now? Are they responsive to queries? Do they deliver as promised? Do you like the way they interact with their clients? Knowing these things, you get a better picture of what services you can expect during your shoot.
Another important factor you should take into account are industry accreditations. Being a photographer does not simply mean someone who owns a camera – however, unfortunately a lot of people seems to think so! There are organisations which can help you find an excellent photographer for your wedding like the AIPP.
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Take a Close Look at Previous Work
As mentioned in the second tip, you are free to look at potential photographers’ galleries on their respective websites. However, you should not base your decision solely on their featured albums. What you should do is to ask these photographers for at least a full wedding from one of their previous clients. This will give you a clear picture of what kind of product they deliver. If you see the same quality of images as their online galleries, it means they are genuinely excellent photographers!
A smart idea is to ask your prospective photographers for photos similar to the wedding theme or venue you will have. For instance, you are having a garden wedding. Ask for a wedding album from a previous client that also had a garden themed event. This way, you know exactly what to expect to see for your after-the-wedding photos.
Aside from that, you should also look at each of their photos with a critical eye and be keen on details. Look at the couple’s photos. Does it portray intimacy between them? How about the lighting? Are they too flashy or dim? Take the time to look through the pictures of the couple’s guests, too. Do the photos portray festivity with the subjects projecting emotions—feeling happy, touched, sad, and joyful? These many factors will ensure you will make a thoroughly informed decision in the end.
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Assess Their Personalities and See If They Match Yours
It is also essential to work with people you like. Having a good relationship with your photographer will help bring out the best in you during your many shoots. The feeling that you are comfortable posing in front of them and doing as the photographer says makes the job easier and produces better results.
You need to know if your photographer is someone you can comfortably work with. You can easily sense a certain rapport during your conversations. When you give suggestions, how do they respond? Does your photographer look excited and happy when you describe your vision of the photos? Do they insist on what they want or respect what you prefer? Are they always on time?
Look for a photographer with a good demeanour and excellent social graces, someone assertive and who gives instructions respectfully. The photography team should be the friendliest you’ve ever met as you will be smiling all day long during the shoot. Can you still smile when you feel annoyed or embarrassed by your photographer? Of course, you wouldn’t want to work with someone you don’t like.
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Weigh Pros and Cons and Choose the Best Offer
This is the time when you put all considerations together and weigh each critical element—proximity, price, package inclusions, and value for money. For instance, you may be confused between choosing a photographer near your area for offering a good set of inclusions in the package and the one that provides the same but at a lower price. You also need to know if photography teams in different territories will ask for additional payments on top of their standard rate in the form of an out-of-town fee.
You may also get offers that go the extra mile by including special effects, additional coverage, or even discounted engagement shoots. Compare their rates and determine which one falls within your budget range. While investing in wedding photography is a good move, spending too much on it is not very practical. You’re better off spending your money on a honeymoon trip or furniture upgrades when you move into your house together.
Choose a package that will cover your wedding day, starting from your preparation up to the last minute of your reception program. Consider the number of good photographers in the team. Is there just one? Some offer two or more excellent photographers to cover your event. Of course, having two is the better option as you get two creative minds and twice the coverage.
When you choose the best photography team, you are assured of quality wedding albums that capture the best moments of your wedding day and memorabilia that will last for ages. It’s essential to do your due diligence and find a team you can trust and work well with – so hopefully this short list of things to think about to find an excellent photographer for your wedding will help!
Save your time with your search to find an excellent photographer for your wedding and check out SvenStudios. SvenStudios is ready capture your best smile and emotions throughout your big day. We offer professional wedding photographer solutions to capture your special moments as a reminder of your big day’s love story in the most natural way. Give us a call today!
