How to
select your wedding photographer in 10 easy steps?
1. Determine what
your Budget will be. Most photographer fees, including prints, albums, etc.
typically approximate about 12% of an entire wedding budget. This allows you to
quickly remove candidates that you cannot afford.
2. Decide what style
of wedding photography you prefer. Are you looking for a traditional approach
with mostly posed images? Or do you prefer lots of candid shots in which the
subject may not even know he or she is being photographed? Do you like the
glamour approach of fashion photography? Would you prefer a photographer who
combines all of these styles (a contemporary, freestyle, artistic, documentary,
photojournalism or eclectic wedding photographer)? Whew who knew there were so many!!
3. Decide what level
of service you want from your wedding photographer. Do you only need
photographs of your ceremony so having just 1-4 hours of photography may be
enough for you? Other couples may prefer a complete package that may include a
pre-wedding engagement sessions, rehearsal dinner photographs, bridal portraits
and newlywed photos.
4. Decide how many
images you would like from your wedding celebration(s). Some photographers
may provide you with fewer than 100 images to remember your wedding day by.
Higher-end photographers often capture thousands of images (generally from
1,000 to 3,000) for you to keep forever.
5. Figure out how
much time and expertise you have to process your images yourself. Many brides who
choose photographers that only give them a disc of their images (no album,
prints or other items) find that they lack the time, software or knowledge to
create their own albums, properly edit the photos (crop, color correct, etc.).
Often, years later, these couples just have a stack of dusty, cheaply processed
proof photos or photos on a disc that are not being lovingly displayed as a
reminder of the wedding day.
6. Decide how you
will use your pictures. Do you plan to purchase just an album for yourself, or
also canvases and pictures for your walls, prints to give to friends and
family, or even put the images on stationery, invitations, calendars, mugs,
T-shirts, and magnets?
7. Determine what
form of your pictures you will want from your photographer. Just purchasing
the prints is sometimes economical if you do not want an album. If you expect
to need a large number of prints, it may be better (and faster) to purchase the
negatives from your photographer and have the copies made privately, at your
leisure. If you plan to use the images in numerous creative ways, or want to
post them to a website or include them in a screen saver, you will probably
want to receive the digital photo files directly from your photographer via the
Internet or on a CD-ROM.
8. RESEARCH,
RESEARCH, RESEARCH photographers. Remember hiring a wedding photographer is one of the first things
you should do, because the best professional photographers book their schedules
a year in advance. If you want outstanding pictures, start searching for your
photographer when you have decided on the date. A wedding photographer's peak
season is Saturdays during the spring, as this is when many couples get
married. If you will be celebrating an "in-season" wedding, book your
photographer at least six to twelve months in advance. Word of mouth is usually
the best referral; ask your friends, inquire at bridal shops, florist, baker,
and wedding planners and with the management of the ceremony and reception
sites you have chosen. Also browse bridal websites for information and links to
photographers that work in your area. Peruse their Web sites to begin
eliminating candidates from your list. Consider how well they perform in
different settings/environments. For example, if you are throwing a beach
wedding, it makes sense to find a photographer who is stronger in filming
outdoors. Think about the tone
that you want your photos to express.
9. Interview each
remaining candidate on your list by phone. Make sure to ask if
they are available on your chosen date, how much experience they have, whether
they specialize in weddings, how soon after the wedding you can expect your
prints or disk, and how long they keep the negatives.
10.
Make appointments and meet with each finalist face to face. After narrowing
your selection of wedding photographers down to about three, make appointments
to interview the candidates. Go to
these meetings with your spouse-to-be if possible. Ask for a copy of their
standard shot list (if they use a shot list which most experienced wedding
photographers do not as they have well-memorized all the shots they need to
get), and ask questions. Likely,
the photographer will have two or three wedding albums available for show. Make
sure you see at least one album of an entire wedding, from start to finish.
After examining all of the photographer's work closely, request to see another
set of photographs from a recent wedding. This will enable you to see both his
best work-from the pre-selected albums-and her average daily work. First, examine the basics of the
pictures-such as color, clarity, exposure, graininess and composition. Then
determine the photographer's style; does she shoot photos that are adventurous
and unique or are they standard and ordinary? This will also help you decide
which style you prefer. Really pay
attention to the photographer's ability to capture the emotion of the day. Does
it appear that he/she has the personality to make his subjects comfortable and
happy? Or is he/she the type of photographer that seemingly takes pictures
without much passion. Come away
from the interview knowing the quality of the photographer, his overall style,
and if she will adjust her style to your individual taste. Lastly notice how
polite they are. Ask yourself, “Is this someone I will want to be around when I
am stressed, exhausted, dehydrated, overheated, and ready to faint in those uncomfortable shoes?”
11.
Determine
Costs and Sign the Contract
Be sure to book your photographer for the date of your
wedding immediately, make sure you read over the legal details of exactly what
you will get before signing the contract. This ensures that you know exactly
what type of service and what package of photographs you will be getting. Then make sure that the photographer
you want is the photographer you will get at your wedding. Some larger companies
may do a bait and switch. This means communicating with the photographer about
the details of the event, when and where the ceremony will be held as well as
the reception and what types of photographs you want. In all, the contract is in place to remind both you and the
photographer of the services you agreed upon.
In following these simple steps you are certainly on your
way to hiring a photographer who meets your needs and to receive a wedding
album to treasure for years to come.
To see more visit Ventura Wedding Photographer
To see more visit Ventura Wedding Photographer
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