As a past bride, I saw lots of checklists of questions to ask potential photographers and to be honest, most of the questions they tell you to ask are not really all that relevant, which is probably because none of the people who write them are actually photographers! Since engagement season (the holidays) is upon us I thought this would be a great time to share what I think you should be looking for when choosing your wedding photographer. Most of these questions assume the photographer has a blog and you’ve taken a bit of time to read up on them and familiarize yourself with their work:)
Do you love their style? If you find yourself thinking oh, I love this photographer’s work, but I wish she used more vintage tones in her editing or I really like this person’s style but I wish there were more fun, happy shots, that photographer might not be for you. You want to be able to trust your photographer (you’ll see this is a common theme) and their vision for your day!
Do you like them as a person? One of the reasons I blog so much is because I really want to give potential clients (and clients who have booked!) a chance to get to know me a little bit and decide whether or not they like me. After all, your photographer spends just as much (sometimes even more!) time with you than your groom does. I really think having great chemistry is an important component of a photographer/client relationship because people who get along, trust each other. That leads me to my very next question to ask…
Do I trust this person? Trusting your photographer is INCREDIBLY important. More than likely your wedding photographer has a lot of experience shooting weddings and knows what works best when it comes to schedules, timing, light, etc. You should trust that your photographer is a professional and will do a great job no matter what! If you don’t really trust them and something tells you that you shouldn’t, that’s your spidey sense talking! DON’T HIRE THEM…RUN AWAY WITH A QUICKNESS.
Experience level – How many weddings has this person shot? Actual wedding experience is something huge to consider when deciding on a photographer. You can study photography in books and even shoot your heart out, but weddings are very fast paced and can be unpredictable. The actual job wedding photographers do is an art form that has to be learned on the job. An inexperienced wedding photographer may not be able to handle all of the unexpected things that might come up.
When you ask how long has this person been shooting, also ask how long have they been shooting on their own? Lots of photographers second shoot TONS (and learn a lot doing so), but there is a big difference between being a second shooter and primary photographer…Second shooters don’t run the day, and are typically not in charge of setting up poses and lighting scenarios, so you may want to ask to see examples of a photographer’s work as a primary as well:)
In addition to asking how much experience the photographer has, also ask for some examples of times when things got really crazy and what they did! Ask what they do if it rains or if things don’t go as planned! You’re looking for someone who is able to be adaptable and roll with whatever a wedding day can (and will!) throw at them.
Before I move to my next point, I think it’s important to add a little disclaimer here: Just because a photographer may not have much experience under his or her belt doesn’t mean you should not hire them at all…it just means you REALLY have to trust and get along with that person because since they don’t have a lot of experience to show, you’re rolling the dice on how things will turn out. I can’t say you shouldn’t hire someone who is not experienced because if it weren’t for a few sweet and trusting brides giving me a chance when I was first starting, I wouldn’t be where I am today!
How involved is the photographer in wedding preparations? By this I mean, will your photographer be helping you to come up with a timeline that works to best maximize your time with them? Will they be working with you to make sure that you get the most out of your photography experience? One of my favorite parts of my job is helping brides with things like this and giving ideas or tips on wedding related things! If you are looking for a more hands off photographer, I might not be your girl. But if you are looking for someone who will help you throughout the process, I might be a good fit! This is why this is a great question to ask!
Do they have backup gear? A lot of photography checklists say you should ask a potential photographer exactly what gear he or she shoots with. I’m a firm believer that photography equipment is just that…equipment and you are hiring the photographer because of their talent, skill, and artistic eye, NOT because they have a nice camera. Obviously it’s important that if you are investing into a professional photographer, they aren’t shooting with a Rebel they bought at Sam’s Club (not trying to be a hater), but I think its MUCH more important to ask if the person has backup gear rather than what specific camera body and lenses they use.
To summarize, there are lots more questions that you can (and should!) ask potential wedding photographers, but in my opinion, these are the most important! Wedding photography is very much built on relationships, so trust is key when choosing someone you’d like to shoot your wedding!
awesome post, girl!!!