Choosing the right Photographer

By Steven Holmes
All photographs featured on this website where shot by our staff photographers and are copyrighted

One of the most important parts of your wedding and defiantly one of the hardest decisions for your wedding is deciding what photographer will capture the portraits that will provide generations to come with memories of your special day. Unless you have a close friend, who recently married that gives you a raving review of their photographer; you will have to rely on looking at a few portraits and asking a few questions to choose your wedding photographer.

While there is no exact formula for selecting, the perfect photographer; armed with the right information and questions you will be able to make an intelligent choice.

 Experience Level - Has the photographer photographed wedding before. If so how many and how many years of professional experience does, he/she have?  Photographers come and go and only those with a true God given talent will survive. While a fresh out of school photographer may be pretty good, and everyone deserves a chance, you have to ask yourself do you want to trust your wedding to a novice.

Meeting the Photographer – Typically a photographer meeting centers on a portfolio of photographs that the photographer has shot. When  looking at the photographers portfolio look for magazine quality in his/her photography and most importantly make sure it feels right to you. After all it is your special day and the only opinion the counts is yours.

When looking at the portraits and candids pay particular attention to those that were taken in low light surroundings. A good example of this is an older church or reception in a banquet hall. Even though the lighting in the church may be poor, the exposure should be clear, sharp, colorful, free of dust and free of graininess.

The exception to this is if the church of place of marriage prohibits flash photography. In this case, the only way the wedding ceremony can be photographed is with high-speed film or higher ISO setting on digital capture. Therefore, the image may appear grainy and if done in color the colors of the churches lighting will affect the colors of the image resulting in the colors may be off.

The next thing to do is look for details in the bride's dress. The brides dress should have details including lace, buttons, (see picture to left) and transparent sections should not washed-out by the flash. While you’re looking at the bride and grooms portraits see if you see the different shades of black, and even see the creases in the grooms tuxedo.  For the photographer to capture this kind of detail requires using expensive professional equipment, and professional labs for processing.

Has the photographer been published? Published work tends to give the photographer more credibility. Almost all photographers do some other kind of photography besides weddings. Ask to see the photographs other work including landscapes, commercial advertising, and journalistic assignments.

Talk to the photographer about the studio’s philosophy of shooting weddings, and the type of lighting they prefer.  Ask him/her how they are prepared for "Murphy's Law" situations.  Or to put it another way, do they have backup equipment and arrangements with another professional photographer should they be ill the day of your wedding.

Finally ask them what photographic style they use to photograph weddings

Photographers are passionate about their work and this spills over into the their style of photography. Each photographer will have a particular method he/she uses for recording your wedding and for the most part over the past few years two different style of wedding photography has evolved.

Photojournalistic vs. Traditional 

Traditional

Traditional photographers use a contemporary approach to wedding photography. The usually used a medium format camera and usually poses their shots for poise, smiles, settings and lighting.  In the hands of a master, these can truly be some unique portraits. The typical traditional photographer will usually take a few candids during the real ceremony, and then have the wedding party stay after the wedding for posed shots. 

Photojournalistic

Is a relatively new form of wedding photographic coverage.

Similar to the way a photojournalist covers an event this style of photographer covers a wedding as a news photographer would cover an event. This style of photographer will typically utilize modern professional level equipment and state of the art matrix fill flash to capture the mode and abeyance of the location you are married. This type of lighting is known for its contrast and colors of the natural lighting affecting the portraits. Yet when done by a professional photographer with years of experience these captured moments will not only capture the mode and abeyance of the natural lighting the fill flash will fill in the faces and wedding attire with a white light to maximum effect.

Personality –A good experienced photographer is patient, professional, friendly, and can always keep smiling regardless of the circumstances. Only this type of person can motivate a large group into a great group shot. A good question to ask yourself is, does the photographer make you feel at ease. After all, it’s your day, and you should not have to worry about personalities conflicts. 

Appearance – Yes, this too is important. You would not want Goober showing up to your country club formal wedding in washed-out blue jeans, sweatshirt and tennis shoes. The best way to determine this is at your meeting; determine if the photographer is well groomed and dressed appropriately for your meeting. Then ask the photographer how he/she intends to dress for your wedding.

Price Range – In Plato’s world money had no value. Everyone worked at their given profession for the pure joy of it. Unfortunately, that is not the case today and although the last thing you want to do when shopping for your all-important day is to choose a photographer based merely on the lowest price, the cost of your wedding photography must be addressed and this coast must fit into your overall budget. First, make sure you are only comparing photographers who have the same style of photography. (Photojournalistic or traditional)  Then if your favorite photographer is more expense than you originally planed to spend, you have to ask yourself is the captured moments of your wedding worth the extra expense.  After all when it’s all said and done the only thing that last you a lifetime is the portrait and candids of your wedding.  If there is just no way you can afford your favorite photographer look in to other areas, and see if there is some other area you can cut to makeup the difference?  A good example is at your reception is to offer a cash bar instead of an open bar.

Before you cut other areas, look one more time to make sure you have considered all the photographer in your area that offer the style of wedding photography you want. Then review their package that best fits yours needs. The choice may be confusing and even frustrating because no two photographers will offer the exact same packages. 

Regardless, make sure you understand what the whole package is going to cost including the enlargements and wedding albums.

Delivery - Some photographers are so busy that it may take months before you receive your proofs, and others will offer you 24-hour service. Instead of being surprised, its better to ask how long it takes to get your proofs back. And if your photographer tells you can have your proofs in 24-hours be leery. Do you really want one of the most important day of your life developed at a discount one-hour “mart” ?

Don’t settle for less - Be adamant that you’re wedding photography must be processed by a professional lab and if your photographer says he will give you the negatives to have developed wherever you want then be extra leery.

Professional Lab - A high-quality photographer is only as good as his/her professional lab. Some will try to skimp on this because professional labs are expensive and some photographs feel that it does not matter because they are just proofs. However, the negative and digital images are the foundation for all the portraits and candids, and if they are ruined, the essence of your day will be lost forever.

Proofs - Do you get to keep the proofs, and finally are they marked as proofs on the face the way why were when you took home your school proofs when you where in grade school.

Contract - Do you understand the photographers’ contract? Is it fair? Is everything spelled out including what is expected for deposits and payments? Does it have a clause dealing with cancellations and the photographer not being there? If you are not sure, ask your legal counsel.

Final Thoughts

While it is quite popular today to buy deposable cameras with the hope everyone will take candid pictures for you. The flash from those cameras may ruin the photographs being taken by the professional photographer. Before you spend the extra money for deposable cameras ask the photographer if he/she is going to take candids of those attending the ceremony and reception. Also, make certain that no one other than the professional photographer is photographing the posed formal shots. A stray flash can devastate your portraits.

About the author

Steven Holmes is the owner of SouthWind Photograph and also works for numerous publications as a photographer and writer.   If you have questions regarding choosing your wedding photographer, fee free to contact him at 9043 471 2906 or email with the hyperlink below.