This is a post I wrote last year about how to go about choosing a wedding photographer. I got a lot of response to the post before, so I figured it would be a big help in “engagement season” for those of you who are currently shopping around. These are my thoughts, both from my experience as a wedding photographer an as a bride, on how to find the photographer that’s a great match for you.
There’s a certain kind of person that is my ideal client, based on what I offer and what I value. So here are the things that I think everyone should consider when shopping for a photographer, and a few things I think you should worry less about.
Important: Style
The style of a photographer affects everything. One photographer may pose you as a couple before taking shots and the other may document you interacting with each other from a distance. There are “traditional†wedding photographers, there are wedding photojournalists, there are those who process their photos in a muted-color, very “Martha Stewart†style and there are some who love the edgier look of a high-contrast photo. These styles and many, many more exist out there. There is no right answer. The right answer for you is the photos you like the most. If you see a photo on a photographer’s web site that you think you’d hang on your wall, that’s a good sign they’re a good fit for you.
Important: Personality
It’s true that on your wedding day, you’ll probably spend more time with the photographer than you will with your new spouse. So it’s pretty darn important that you get along.
Pick someone you’d be friends with otherwise, someone who gets you and who you don’t mind spending lots of time with. If you feel uncomfortable around them, head for the hills. This chemistry between photographer and client really is key – key to great pictures (no one looks beautiful when they’re tense!) and to happy, drama-free memories of your wedding day.
Not-so-important: Experience
I am not arguing that experience doesn’t matter. It does matter. But sometimes clients put too much emphasis on this when searching for a photographer.
You absolutely need a photographer who knows their equipment inside and out and has photographed weddings before. But they needn’t have been shooting weddings for years; in fact, I know some really talented photographers who are in their first or second year in wedding photography. Sometimes they have the freshest ideas, and they haven’t gotten too comfortable in their routine.
Not-too-important: Equipment
Sure, you don’t want to pay someone good money, then have them show up with a dinky point-and-shoot camera. But one of the overarching truths of photography is this: a camera does not make a photographer. Many wedding couples think that since their Uncle Bob bought a big honkin’ SLR, that he’d be a good candidate to photograph their wedding. But they’d most often be wrong. A good wedding photographer is someone who can take a stunning picture with a Polaroid camera if they need to. The tools help, but it’s the photographer’s eye you’re paying for.
In the end, it’s going to come down to what’s important to you and what you really want from your wedding photographer. Sit down with your fiance and discuss these factors before you start shopping, and you’ll know what you’re looking for once you get out there. Good luck!
