How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer
10th July 2012
So you are embarking on one of the most important journeys of your life and want to capture your special day on film in the best way possible. With trends in photography changing all the time and digital cameras becoming more and more usable it is very hard to make a choice. There is however a distinct difference between someone who can operate a camera and a professional photographer and there are many factors to consider when making your decision.
Price can be a big element, however, you will only get one chance to get the shots you are after and there are so many other things to consider in making sure that you capture as many special moments as possible, sometimes you get what you pay for so it would be good to do some exploration before you make your final commitment.
Once you have decided on your budget you will want to look into their experience - is photography a hobby, something they do in their spare time or is this a business, perhaps they have been recommended to you by a friend or someone who has seen their work, referrals are a great way to ensure peace of mind, knowing that someone has themselves had a good experience.
At this point you will want to check their website; if they have an online library then you can browse through that to make sure you are happy with what you see and the style of their work.
Before you meet your photographer think about the type of wedding photos that you would like to see, maybe you would like some fun shots or particular frames, portraits or angles that you have seen elsewhere, you can put together a list of questions to ask about different style shots along with some formals and perhaps both in black & white and colour. All of these things will become apparent when you view the portfolio of the professionals that you meet - after all the proof will be in the pictures!
Make an appointment to meet some of your favourites and have a look through their portfolios, you will soon be able to make up your mind and tell if the shots they have produced previously will suit what you are after, they may also be able to recommend someone for a wedding video if you would were considering moving footage for the day.
Personality can play a huge part and some companies or individuals will allow you to pay a small fee or certainly it can be included in your package to have a pre-wedding shoot - this is a great way to get used to a photographers style and to get a feel for how they work, you can also have a few test prints made up so that you can check you are happy with how the final product will look.
Be mindful to consider the location - for example of you are getting married in Sydney Harbour you may want to search for a 'wedding photographer in Sydney' or if your wedding is in Melbourne then search for a 'Melbourne photographer'. Perhaps you are having a destination wedding in Las Vegas or in an exotic location, if that is the case then you may want to check if your resort organises the photography for you as part of a package or if this is something that you will need to arrange yourselves.
Time will also be a very important, finding out how long the bridal photographer will stay for on the day, whether they will be there when the bride is getting ready and to meet the groom at the ceremony, plus will they stay for some reception shots after the actual wedding - all valid questions prior to the event.
How long will the production process take too, once the day is over how will it work from there, will you receive proofs to choose from on a disk or printed versions, how many shots can you have as part of your deal, then will it take several weeks or several months for the albums to be completed?
There are so many important questions and ideals to consider when choosing your wedding photography so allow youself a good few months if not longer to decide before your big day.
Plus, you will want to find out if you can get hold of digital copies so that you can send them to the Coolaz team to print on your Coolaz Wedding Stubby Holders - the perfect thank you gift to send to your guests after the event and with a photograph of the happy couple too, a wonderful keepsake for all of your friends and family.
Good luck finding the perfect photographer for your wedding!
- Gemma
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