Choosing a Wedding Photographer

// Clients

November 30th, 2010 Leave a comment

There is more to choosing a wedding photographer than just the photos that they show you. Yes, it is a big part of the decision making process and may give you an indication of what you can expect for your wedding, but there are other things that you should also consider before booking a photographer for one of the biggest events of your life.

When talking to couples who are in the process of choosing a wedding photographer, we like to refer to the Three P’s – portfolio, product and personality. We suggest that they consider all three areas when deciding on their photographer. The importance of each will vary for each couple, depending on what they want out of their photography, but they should all be considered just the same. Wherever a couple’s preferences are, these considerations generally happen in this order:

Portfolio

This is by far the easiest and most effective way of narrowing down your selection of photographers. We say this because within a few clicks you will know whether or not you like a particular photographers work, simply by visiting their website. If the images that you see on a photographer’s website do not impress you, then do not consider them. It’s not to say that their work isn’t any good. They could be an amazing photographer who captures beautiful moments, but their style of photography or the way they process their images may not suit you. Let’s be honest, it’s impossible to appeal to everyone. We know that while our clients at Studio Con Brio love our work, there are others who don’t (albeit, a minority). It’s a matter of personal preference. The market has never been more saturated with professional photographers, which means that you are almost guaranteed to find your preferred style of photography. It’s just a matter of browsing through a copious amount of websites until you find it.

Notice the word ‘photography’. Your preferences so far will be based solely on the photo (photography) and not the person (photographer).

You should expect to see the best of a photographer’s work on their website. A website is an online studio that is always open to the public and should be treated as such by every photographer. For this reason, you should get a fairly accurate idea of a photographer’s standard of work from their website. If you find a photographer who doesn’t have a website or cannot show you an online portfolio, then you need to ask why.

Product

If you are satisfied with a photographer’s portfolio, meaning that you have found a photographer who’s work you like, then it’s time to consider how their work (to be read, your photos) will be presented. There is a wide range of photography related products on the market and an infinite number of ways for photographers to present your photos, which makes this consideration the most difficult of the three to judge because comparing the different products on offer from different photographers can be a challenge.

The first thing to do is to get an idea of what you want from your wedding photography. Do you want an album? Do you want photos that you can hang on your wall? Do you want digital files that you can post online? These are the things that you need to consider before visiting your chosen photographers because it will help you to compare the products that you are interested in (and ignore the products that you aren’t). Some photographers do not offer albums, while others do not offer packages without them. Some photographers do not offer the digital files, while others do (and the price of these files can vary greatly between photographers and studios). The best and only way to make a decision on the products being offered is to visit the photographer. And not just one. Visit as many as you can so that you have something to compare against. Even if you manage to narrow your selection down to one photographer based purely on their portfolio, it is still a good idea to visit other photographers. This will only help to confirm your decision and ensure you are choosing the photographer most suited to you, not just based on the products that they offer, but also their personality. This leads us to the next consideration.

Personality

Some would say that, of the three areas mentioned in this article, this is only the second most important area to consider when deciding on your wedding photographer – with the photographer’s work being the first. We don’t agree. At Studio Con Brio, we believe personality to be the most important consideration, but this has a lot to do with our style of photography. There are photographers who lack certain people skills and who don’t come across as “friendly” but who are totally capable of creating stunning images. Technically and artistically they have the skills, but they fail to make the couple comfortable in front of the camera. With the exception of your bridal party, your photographer will spend more time with you (or around you) than anyone else at your wedding. If it’s someone that you are not comfortable with, this can have a dramatic affect on your wedding day. It’s important that you are relaxed (well, as relaxed as you can be on your wedding day) and not distracted by a photographer with a conflicting personality. That’s why we believe it’s important that you like, and are comfortable with, your wedding photographer – both on a professional and personal level. We are not suggesting that you have to be best friends with your photographer, just comfortable with them. The more comfortable you are with your photographer, the more comfortable you will be with them taking your photo. The end result of this will be better photos and are more enjoyable time for you.

Making a decision

Every photographer wants to show you their best, whether it’s an album from their ideal wedding or a series of images from their favourite location. However, it’s important to know that a photographer’s standard of work is consistent with their best and that you can expect to get the best from them on your wedding. By considering a photographer’s portfolio, product range and personality type, you will get the opportunity to measure a photographer’s ability to deliver their best for your wedding. When you meet with a photographer, ask to see a sample album or showreel from a single wedding with complete coverage. It’s easy for a photographer to show you a selection of their favourite photos from a number of weddings, but the moments in between those photos are just as important. How a photographer captures these moments is critical because it measures the consistency of their work. By considering all three areas mentioned above, you will be in a better position to properly evaluate a photographer’s standard of work and suitability to you.

If you consider all three areas and you find a photographer that meets all your requirements, it will make your decision a lot easier. If the number of suitable photographers is more than one, then the final consideration will most likely come down to price. Price could have been included in this article as the Fourth P, but we feel that it deserves an article all of its own. Your wedding is one of the biggest events in your life, and as such, your memories of it should be captured to suit such an occasion and not limited purely on price.

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