Weddings

Increasingly this year I’m receiving more wedding inquiries even though I don’t advertise weddings.  I’ve really been on the fence trying to decide if I should get into weddings or not.  I have second shot a few weddings and love the challenge and fun involved.  If you are a bride, looking for a wedding photographer, here are a few things to consider when searching for your wedding photographer.  Remember, after the cake has been eaten and flowers have died, all you have left are your memories.

Here are my tips to help you find a better wedding photographer.

1.  Style - The buzz word “photojournalist” has been ever so popular for the past number of years however, don’t get hung up on the words.  The most important thing to do is look at their work and just find something that inspires you.  I belong to a couple of different wedding photography forums and you would be amazed at the talent in todays market.  School trained photographers or not, there are many talented people offering their services.  This part of the process is the easiest, just find something you like.

2.  A connection. After making a list of potential wedding photographers, you are going to want to meet with them face-to-face.  You may not realize this but when you select a wedding photographer, you are beginning a lifelong relationship with them.  The level of comfort you have with your photographer (and vice versa) is going to show in the final product and will make your big day go much smoother.  As you meet with potential photographers, keep this in mind.  Also, you definitely want to do an engagement session with your wedding photographer.  This allows you all to get comfortable with one another and the camera.  Usually engagement sessions are fun and the wedding day picks up where the engagement session left off.

3.  Equipment. A good wedding photographer should be using professional grade equipment.  Most will either be using Canon or Nikon.  Currently Nikon professional grade camera bodies are the D3, D700, D300.  Canon’s lineup is somewhat different; 1D Mark III or IV, 5D Mark II and 7D.  Anything else, I would be weary of and suggest running….far away.  Lenses are equally as important but I’ll spare you the confusion by trying to explain those here.  If someone has one of the above cameras, chances are they’ve also invested in professional glass.  In addition, a wedding photographer needs to have backups of their equipment.  This means two cameras.  Some photographers rent whatever equipment they are lacking.    If your wedding photographer doesn’t own backup equipment or isn’t willing to rent it, consider another photographer.  See Murphy’s Law.

4.  Due diligence. There is always a bad apple in the bunch so be sure to check out your photographer.  Google the photographers name and look them up on Facebook.  Ask the photographer for multiple (recent) references and actually contact them.  Chances are they will be more than happy to share their wedding day experiences with you.  Ask to view previous wedding clients galleries, because often times photographers will only show you their top images.  In the end, it’s your wedding and you deserve only the best but remember…you do get what you pay for.