Tips for choosing your wedding photographer

Posted by phildweddingphotography on December 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment

It’s one of the biggest days of your life and you are trusting that a selection of service providers are professional enough to meet your requirements. These days, you’re likely to have found them on the internet rather than through a personal introduction. So, what can you do to improve the chances that your decision was the right one?

What every photographer should have, regardless

Here’s a list of the absolute minimal essentials for every wedding photographer. Make sure these are in place and, if appropriate, that they will still be in place at the time of your wedding.

A portfolio of images showing the quality you can expect to receive, all taken by the photographer you’re wanting to book.
Backup equipment capable of photographing the entire wedding should any piece of equipment fail.
A contract or termsÂ & conditions which you agree to.
Adequate insurance to cover any unforeseen accidents or issues.

Personality counts!

People photography is very dependent on personality. Landscapes will not react to a photographer who has a bad attitude, but yourselves and yourÂ friends and family most certainly will! Your photographer should not take over the day, but have the confidence to take charge and the time management skills to allow your day to run smoothly.

You’ll also see your photographers’ personality clearly in the style of theirÂ photographs. Do they like odd angles, or simple pictures? Do their photographs look tender andÂ gentle, beautiful, full of fun or quirky? How do you want to be represented?

Most important is that you get on with your chosen wedding photographer. You will be letting them into your life and you should enjoy their company, to some extent at least. This is especially important if they are covering your whole day from preparation to the first dance.

Photographic quality

It’s true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there are still some tell-tale signs to look out for too.

Be particularly careful of photographers who have “over-exposed” the wedding dress. You can check this on the photographs yourself by looking for large areas of the dress that are completely white with no detail left. See the example below, which has been deliberately overexposed to show the difference. Look especially at the veil, which has no detail left in the overexposed image.

Overexposed wedding photograph example (c) phildweddingphotography.co.uk

Also be careful of trees which look like they’re growing out of the backs of heads or bits of limbs that are chopped off, leaving the photographs looking incomplete or confused. Ensure that the photographs look like they are all acceptably in focus.Problems in these areas are signs that the photographer is not particularly experienced or doesn’t have an eye for detail.

The best way to check photographic quality is to compare a number of wedding photographers against each other. Have a good look through their portfolios. Does the photographer demonstrate enough talent in the various parts of the day, from preparation, through the ceremony and into the evening? Winter weddings are a particularÂ challenge and I would always ensure a photographer can demonstrate all sections of the day competently, if you are getting married at this time of the year.

You should judge a wedding photographer purely by what they canÂ demonstrate the ability to deliver. Long years of experience don’t necessarily produce fantastic photographs and less experience doesn’t necessarily produce poor photographs.

A few final tips

You should ensure that your chosen wedding photographer is the same person who will arrive at your wedding. Some photographers are agents for other photographers.
Ensure you understand clearly what is being offered as part of your package and that is stated in writing.
You should find out how long it will take before your photographs are ready.
The photographers equipment is important to a point – especially withÂ higher end photography -Â but you shouldn’t be overly concerned about image resolution. Most photographers will have kit which is suitable for producing good prints.

I hope you have a fantastic day with your wedding photographer