Excitement is building because your wedding day is approaching. This is probably the first time that you've had the need to hire a photographer. You may work in the advertising or publishing field and have some notion of how to evaluate the quality of a professional photographer. If you're lacking that kind of knowledge then you'll have to wade into the eclectic profession know as wedding photography.
It's a daunting task distinguishing one wedding photographer from another especially if you don't have photo-editing experience. Finding the right wedding photographer for you can be as difficult as choosing a hairdresser. When choosing a hairdresser, you won't know the quality of their work for sure until they are done with your cut. The same thinking goes with choosing a photographer.
In our previous articles we showed you how to look at your own living environment and see what kind of art and photos you hang on your walls. You may have traditional or eclectic tastes or somewhere in between. You may be drawn to emotion or you may lean toward a more elegant look. It's all up to you. Once you've dialed into your style you have to pick a photographer to create wedding images for you.
But, beware. Budding, low-experience photographers can be pretty good at creating marketing copy and selecting only their best photos for their websites. They will tell you that they are "all about capturing emotion" or "delivering the highest level of service". Certainly they won't tell you that they started shooting weddings last year with a single consumer level camera and that, "hey, I did screw up one wedding but the couple didn't sue me".
If the photojournalism style is for you there are some things you should know about photojournalists. The true wedding photojournalist most likely worked for years in the publishing business. The sold photos to newspapers, magazines and online outlets where they had to present their photos to professional photo editors.
No one knows good photography like a professional photo editor. If the wedding photojournalist you're thinking of hiring has been published you'll know they passed the gauntlet of a pro photo editor. It's a sure sign that your photographer has the chops to create spontaneous wedding photos for you. Make sure you ask your potential photographer if their work has been published.
Also, ask your potential wedding photographer to see an entire wedding that they've shot. You'll want to see all the photos, especially the ones that were not in the wedding album. If your potential photographer hesitates to show you a full wedding, again, beware. Good photographers will have a preponderance of great photos from a single wedding. All the photos they show you should be well exposed and attractively cropped.
It is expensive to be a professional photographer. A real pro must invest in tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. And, they've spent thousands more on marketing, websites, pr and album development. So, the price a professional photographer charges can often give you a sense of their abilities and experience. It's impossible to stay in this business at bargain basement prices. If the photographer you're considering using is charging less than say $1,500 then you should be cautious.
Expect the best from your photographer and make sure they are confident in their presentation. A real wedding photographer will be happy to show you an entire wedding and the photos will all look great. You can ask your photographer for the names of former clients and they should share a few with you with no reservations. And, beware of photographers advertising unrealistically low prices. Low price is a sure warning sign.
It's a daunting task distinguishing one wedding photographer from another especially if you don't have photo-editing experience. Finding the right wedding photographer for you can be as difficult as choosing a hairdresser. When choosing a hairdresser, you won't know the quality of their work for sure until they are done with your cut. The same thinking goes with choosing a photographer.
In our previous articles we showed you how to look at your own living environment and see what kind of art and photos you hang on your walls. You may have traditional or eclectic tastes or somewhere in between. You may be drawn to emotion or you may lean toward a more elegant look. It's all up to you. Once you've dialed into your style you have to pick a photographer to create wedding images for you.
But, beware. Budding, low-experience photographers can be pretty good at creating marketing copy and selecting only their best photos for their websites. They will tell you that they are "all about capturing emotion" or "delivering the highest level of service". Certainly they won't tell you that they started shooting weddings last year with a single consumer level camera and that, "hey, I did screw up one wedding but the couple didn't sue me".
If the photojournalism style is for you there are some things you should know about photojournalists. The true wedding photojournalist most likely worked for years in the publishing business. The sold photos to newspapers, magazines and online outlets where they had to present their photos to professional photo editors.
No one knows good photography like a professional photo editor. If the wedding photojournalist you're thinking of hiring has been published you'll know they passed the gauntlet of a pro photo editor. It's a sure sign that your photographer has the chops to create spontaneous wedding photos for you. Make sure you ask your potential photographer if their work has been published.
Also, ask your potential wedding photographer to see an entire wedding that they've shot. You'll want to see all the photos, especially the ones that were not in the wedding album. If your potential photographer hesitates to show you a full wedding, again, beware. Good photographers will have a preponderance of great photos from a single wedding. All the photos they show you should be well exposed and attractively cropped.
It is expensive to be a professional photographer. A real pro must invest in tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. And, they've spent thousands more on marketing, websites, pr and album development. So, the price a professional photographer charges can often give you a sense of their abilities and experience. It's impossible to stay in this business at bargain basement prices. If the photographer you're considering using is charging less than say $1,500 then you should be cautious.
Expect the best from your photographer and make sure they are confident in their presentation. A real wedding photographer will be happy to show you an entire wedding and the photos will all look great. You can ask your photographer for the names of former clients and they should share a few with you with no reservations. And, beware of photographers advertising unrealistically low prices. Low price is a sure warning sign.
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Want to find out more about San Francisco wedding photography, then visit John Santoro's site on how to choose the best bridal photographer for your needs.
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