Finding The Right Photographer For You
Am I out of your budget? Weddings are crazy expensive and I totally understand.
For some dates, I can offer custom, reduced rate packages where I charge by the hour or by how many photos you will receive. If this is something you might be interested in, get in touch!
If I am still not right for you, here are some key things to look for in another photographer.
How much are they?
My prices are roughly mid range so if they are much cheaper then they may be somewhat inexperienced and often in this industry - you get what you pay for.
How many weddings have they photographed?
I am on well over 300 weddings now and can often predict moments before they happen. However, I wince to think of the moments I was often missing when I had less experience.
When I said above ‘you get what you pay for’ - finding out how many weddings a photographer has under their belt can make sure this doesn’t go the other way with you over paying for someone inexperienced.
Ask to see a full gallery
Sadly, photographers sometime advertise with photographs from ‘styled shoots’. This is where wedding suppliers come together for a planned photoshoot, often with models posing as the bride and groom.
It is a whole separate skill to make your or I comfortable for a photo than it is when shooting a model, especially during the intensity and time constraints of a real wedding.
Editing Style
Heavy, stylised, filter-like edits *might* look stylish at the time but can look dated after just a couple of years, forget 30 or more. I edit with a focus on enhancing natural colours and preserving natural skin tones to ensure that your photos will stand the test of time! Consider a classic style like mine if you want your photos to look good forever.
Personality
You need to ask yourself - ‘do I want to spend the whole day with this person and do they make me feel comfortable’?
Especially with the inevitable nerves of the day, if the photographer can’t make you feel comfortable then you may not look your best in photos. At worst, you may look at the photos in years to come and remember feeling uncomfortable.
This is why my approach is to focus on personalities by first prioritising the day and you having the best time before the photography element.
Is it their full time job?
If this is not their full time job, there is a chance that your photos may take longer to get back to you and may not get the attention they deserve.
This is absolutely not always true and plenty of fantastic photographers and videographers that I know also work a day job but it is something to keep in mind.
Always check that a photographer has:
• Public liability insurance
• A backup plan for if, for whatever reason, they can’t make it on the day
• A spare camera on the day
• An IRON CLAD (preferably 3-2-1) backup system for the image files
• A contract
• An active online presence (although give them a bit of leeway during the busy wedding season!)
• Plenty of positive reviews
Never
• Book a photographer without video calling them first
• Book a photographer just because the deal is too good to pass up
• Get in a friend who is a photographer but hasn’t photographed a wedding
• Rely on guests to get photos on their phones
• Leave disposables out instead of booking a photographer
• Book a photographer who simultaneously does videography (unless they have a separate person doing the videoing)