Choosing a wedding photographer is not a simple task, there are so many things involved that it is necessary to take special care to choose who will record one of the most important days of your life.
The emotion of a father who sees his daughter dressed as a bride for the first time. The bride’s entry from the groom’s point of view. The moment of the kiss. These are images of the wedding day that, without a doubt, we want to keep in our memory. Photography has this role of freezing moments, spaces, and being forever a resource that helps transport us back to a certain moment of time.
For this reason, choosing the professional who will record the big day is one of the most important decisions of all involved in the process of organizing a wedding. You might even say that I, as a wedding photographer, am suspicious of talking about this. It is true.
However, it must be agreed that this definition requires the establishment of a relationship of total trust between the couple and the professional who will be responsible for recording the memories of one of the most exciting days of life. Therefore, this choice is not even an easy task.
Therefore, as a professional in the field, I want to help you establish the criteria that need to be evaluated when hiring the person responsible for photography. See in this article the top tips on how to choose a wedding photographer
Look for the style you identify with.
This is the first step. It may be that you already have in your head some professionals that you admire, follow and enjoy their work. Or have had recommendations from friends, family and advisor(s).
But, do you understand which style of wedding photography you most identify with?
It may be something you didn’t know, haven’t noticed, or stopped to think about: there are many styles of wedding photography. I’ll explain the three main ones a little:
photojournalism
In this style, the photographer seeks to tell a story through photos, as in a report. Thus, moments, emotions and spontaneous reactions are captured. There are no photos posed. If you don’t like and don’t have the patience for the protocol of traditional photographs, this style can be a good option. This style, nowadays, is also called documentary photography.
Traditional/Classic
In the past, this was the standard style of wedding photography. Just think about your parents’ or grandparents’ album. They are elaborated, posed photos, in which there is a whole direction on the part of the photographer and his team. But don’t think that this is an outdated style, it is still one of the most requested. It’s classic and timeless.
Contemporary
It’s a style of photography in which more artistic photos predominate, with a magazine editorial tone, and it’s usually a record mixed with photojournalism. It’s nice for couples who enjoy a more artistic approach, creative concepts developed especially for the occasion and the uniqueness of unique and different images.
Keep in mind that many photographers don’t work with just one style. They usually incorporate all of them in their work, according to their references and experience. But it’s important to understand which style and type of record you like best.
Which Style of Wedding Photographer Should I Choose?
I particularly believe that a good wedding photographer has to know how to dose all styles. That for me would be the ideal photographer, the complete photographer.
A wedding is so rich in moments, details and stories that I would say that it is impossible for someone to be classified 100% of the time as a traditional photographer, photojournalist or contemporary.
I would say that if any photographer is 100% dedicated to a style, he is already outdated. Photography has evolved a lot in recent years and so have weddings, the way people consume photography has also changed.
Obviously many wedding photographers in Coimbatore will have a greater tendency for each style, but I repeat what I said a few paragraphs above, look for the complete photographer , after all in a wedding there is a time to have documentary photos, there is a time to have traditional photos and there are also the time for the photographer to explore his creativity.
You will definitely notice a greater trend for each style of photography in each photographer’s work, so it’s up to you to choose which one you identify with the most or consider the most important.
A tip I give to find out which style of photography you most identify with is to use Pinterest. Search for wedding photographs and save the ones you love and fill your eyes. The ones you imagine yourself in them. At some point you will notice a pattern and one or two styles will stand out. So you’ll understand what’s important to you in terms of marriage registration and have references to what you expect for your day.
If you don’t use Pinterest yet, check out this article I made to help you on how to use Pinterest to organize a wedding.
Set the budget for photography
To stipulate the amount that will be invested in the photographer, what I advise is that couples talk and discuss the importance of wedding photography for them. For many people it is primordial and extremely relevant among all aspects that involve marriage. It has immeasurable value. After all, they will be the memories of a very important day.
Know that there are different values in the market, different types of professionals, with little and a lot of experience. Understand that several factors influence the final result of the work, such as study, professionalism, sensitivity, experience and use of quality equipment. And that’s not cheap.
Value is different from price, which is why quality is sought after and be wary of very different offers from what is generally charged in the market. You may be “buying a pig in a poke” and remember that time does not return, so it is essential to know how to choose the right wedding photographer.
In the article I wrote about how much does a wedding photographer cost? I go deeper into this subject and give important tips that you should consider when setting the budget dedicated to your wedding photographer.
Search the market for wedding photographers
Once the budget is set, the next step is to research. Visit the websites, which usually have a lot of information and photos of past work. This way, you can get a quick sample of the photographer’s portfolio. In fact, a good professional will have an up-to-date and well-kept website. It’s a tip to avoid amateurs.
See the reputation, get recommendations from advisors, look for references, get feedback from other grooms. Analyze the comments on social networks and see how the professional (and his team) respond to customers to assess the service provided.
It is also important to understand, through the work presented, if the photographer is in your style and is in tune with what you want. Identification is critical. Good professionals are versatile and flexible, but it’s interesting to keep in mind that everyone has their own work style, which doesn’t always correspond to what you want.
Important tip when doing your research, beware of Instagram
It may sound strange what I’m going to say to you, but having a nice feed on Instagram is very easy , every photographer has the obligation to at least have a nice feed. But wedding photography cannot be reduced to just that factor.
That’s why I always say in my texts and directly to my brides, it’s extremely important that you see more complete wedding history, to see all the details of a wedding and get a better sense of that photographer’s style.
This you can check through a slideshow, a wedding album, an online gallery, or even through a blog post where the photographer publishes more photos of the same wedding.
Want a precious tip? When you see a photo you like, ask the photographer to see the full wedding of that photo.
Don’t be fooled by a cute Instagram profile.
Schedule meetings and clear all doubts
After a lot of research and after pre-selecting two or three favorites, it’s time to set up a face-to-face meeting with each of them.
The personal interview, among other factors, helps to understand if there is a connection between the photographer and the couple and thus establish a relationship of trust. Do you feel comfortable? Is there an ID? Is it in tune with what the couple wants for the marriage record?
Another purpose of the meeting is that all doubts are answered and clarified. Prepare a list of questions. Don’t be afraid to question. We photographers are aware that this is an extremely important decision and we are used to many questions. The important thing is not to have any doubts.
If you don’t even know where to start asking, I leave a suggestion for questions you can ask to assess and understand whether a particular professional will really be your best choice:
How is the work dynamic? How do you usually act?
Do you work alone or with an assistant?
Is there a “back-up plan” or plan B in case of any unforeseen events? How it works?
What is included in the price?
How is post-production? And terms and delivery methods?
How many hours of work are included? How long does the service last?
Do you have backup equipment in case something happens during the day?
In addition to the questions, I also suggest sharing references of images you like at the meeting so that he can get an idea of your vision and thus align expectations. Remember the tip on how to use Pinterest to organize your wedding?
Also ask to see finished wedding albums to check the print quality of the photos and assess the consistency of the work. This is very important.
Final tips on how to choose the wedding photographer
Another tip that helps to determine whether or not there will be affinity between the photographer and the couple on the wedding day is the scheduling/hiring of a pre-wedding rehearsal, or pre-wedding rehearsal as some say. So, in addition to getting to know each other better, intimacy is created and everything tends to flow more naturally. You will spend a day together before the wedding, which is interesting for a good connection.
Those are my best pointers on choosing the wedding photographer. I hope they help and if you still have any questions, feel free to ask me by sending me an email or a Whastsapp. It will be a pleasure to answer! Good luck!
