After a successful wedding fair at Frensham Ponds hotel on Sunday, I was asked the question – How do you choose a wedding photographer if you haven’t had a recommendation?
This is a great question for couples looking to choose a photographer. With the competition so fierce in the industry now, it must be very hard to decide who makes a good wedding photographer. My tips are:
1. Choose someone who you get along with, as they are with you for most of the day, and you won’t get good, natural results if you don’t like them!
2. Depending on how important the photography is for your wedding (and it should be high on the list, as it is the main reminder you will have of the day), will usually determine you budget and often experience of the photographer. Most bridal magazine recommend 10% of your overall spend.
3. Make sure you see photographs of at least one whole wedding to show how the photographer has interacted with people and how they have arranged any group shots (I’ve seen some dreadful ones)! Are there any awkward poses of the bride and groom or are photographs taken in full sunshine? Sometimes it is unavoidable, but most good photographers will choose a shady spot or shoot into the sun so people are not squinting and any detail in the dress is not lost in bright light.
4. Find a photographer that can shoot well in the style you prefer – look for variety. Some photographers specialise in candid style photography, some want traditional, but I find most people prefer a mix of both.
5. A professional photographer would normally edit, colour correct and enhance your photographs as standard. This part of the job is hours of work (unfortunately), but provides the couple with a variety of high quality images. It isn’t about the quantity of images – more the quality!
6. Most professional photographers will be able to offer you a range of presentation products after the wedding. I think this is important even if you decide on a DVD only initially. I can almost guarantee that most people will put the DVD/USB away in a safe place and then realise sometimes years later that it would be lovely to have a special album for their children/grandchildren to look at!
6. Lastly – make sure your photographer has professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance in case any thing goes wrong! It is always wise to check if they have back up equipment too, as electronic equipment can go wrong even for the best of us!
Hope this helps when you are comparing photographers. Attached are examples from recent rainy weddings. Believe me when I say I had to deal with thunder and gale force winds…! Thank you to my fab couples for being so great!
