What are the most important Wedding Photographer Tips? First, understand that wedding photography is an investment. Everyone you know will look at your wedding images- probably online and in an album. Your children will look at your wedding album someday! This is a very important part of family history, and you can’t call “do-over.” Saving five hundred dollars on photography so you can have fancier centerpieces won’t make sense in the long term. The quality of the images and how they are presented will last a lifetime, and you’ll never regret spending enough to do it right.
If you don’t have good reasons to trust your wedding photographer, you won’t be able to relax and enjoy your wedding day! Some of the following tips are related to trust as well. Make sure you feel comfortable with the company you choose.
2. Budget is always an issue, whether your budget is large or small. A good company should be able to provide you with good quality and have flexible packages to suit most budgets.
3. An Engagement Portrait session is a great way to develop a good relationship with your photographer. You’ll not only spend some time together and begin a working relationship, but you’ll see some results: that should help you develop some trust in his/her skill and creativity.
4. Personality is very important. After all, you’ll spend a lot of your wedding day together. If you don’t enjoy your photographers’ personality, you haven’t found the right person to photograph your wedding.
5. Ask about experience. Your wedding photographer should have many years experience from dozens or even hundreds of weddings.
6. Find out what professional organizations they belong to: membership in professional organizations are a good indication of the photographers’ dedication to his/her craft, and most professional organizations emphasize ethical business practices.
7. How about back up? Does your photographer have plenty of back up equipment on your wedding day? Ask how your wedding day digital image files are backed up.
8. Photojournalism or Portrait Style? You may have a preference for candid “in-the-moment” shots, or prefer the more classic, elegant posed images. Whatever your preference, look for two photographers working together- one photojournalist and one portrait artist. The fact is: you need both. A single photographer can’t be in two places at once, and you need a balance of both styles to really tell the story of your day. Many photojournalists can’t or don’t use advanced lighting techniques or don’t know how to pose. You need these skills if you want great looking group shots, and beautiful romantic images with great lighting.
9. Look for great lighting and composition. Do the images look well composed, with directional lighting like you would see in a painting? If the images look like what your friends take with their phone- run away.
10. Ask to see whole weddings, not just “best of” collections. Great photographers tell wedding stories from beginning to end.
11. Look for beautifully designed, high quality albums. Are the pictures arranged in an artistic way? Does the album tell a wedding story beautifully and with impact?
12. Finally, make sure you can communicate with your photographers. They should be friendly, open, and good listeners. This is your day and your opinions and wishes should be heard and respected. If your photographers meet all these criteria, you can relax: you’ve made a great choice. Now you can look forward to having fun on your wedding day!
Northstar Photography provides expert wedding photography to Farmington, Farmington Hills, Novi, Northville, and surrounding Michigan cities. Call us today (248) 850-2486 for more information.
View some of our wedding photography galleries:
[See image gallery at northstarpad.com]
