I often attend photography seminars to keep up to date on technology and to further my craft. Here I'm attending a CAPiC seminar on colour management.
This article is focused on wedding photography, but it applies to any type of photography where you’re interacting on an active level with the photographer, not only as the client, but also as the person in front of the camera.
Ok, so let’s get down to business.
We’ve all seen wedding images. What sets images apart or photographers apart?
If you’re a couple soon to wed, what’s your criteria for choosing a wedding photographer? What do you ask yourself? Wedding photography is much more than just photos.
There are certainly things to educate yourself with, such as the photographer’s reputation and professionalism, business ethics, turn-around time, customer service, products & services, backup camera & lighting gear, etc.
Your wedding day is one of the most important days in your life. So it makes sense to not take chances when choosing your photographer.
When couples ask for help in deciding, I tell them what I feel are the three most important things to consider:
Work: When you look at the photographer’s images, do you connect with them? How do they make you feel? This is probably the most important. Try to articulate what it is that is making your toes wiggle. Can you envision yourself in the images? If so, that’s perfect because the photographer will most likely document your wedding the way you see in his / her portfolio.
Personality: Personality is the 2nd most important thing to consider. Your photographer will be around you, your family and friends all day. If you don’t like your photographer (and visca versa!), then it’s not a good match. Out of all your wedding vendors, the service provided by your photographer is the most intimate, so you’ve got to like each other. Open up. Get to know one another. When you meet or chat on the phone, do you get a feel-good feeling?
Price: The price has to be both realistic and within your budget. Figure out what is important to YOU with respect to YOUR photography. Do you want a fine-art album keepsake to pass on to future generations? Do you like a combination of photojournalism and art? Newlyweds-to-be sometimes say they had no idea how much professional photography costs, and therefore didn’t budget appropriately. The bridal magazines, newspapers and websites often provide unrealistic expectations, so it’s very important to be aware of this. In the end, the price has to be right, but not the primary deciding factor. Pricing is complicated and there are numerous reasons why photographers charge what they do (and that’s a whole other article).
I hope this was a useful read. Take care and bye for now : )
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