When you are planning your wedding, one of the most important decisions you will make involves photography. Your selection of a photographer is going to have a direct impact on the photography results. Choose without careful consideration and you could be left with hundreds of bad pictures. Choose your photographer with care and you will ensure that your wedding photographs are exactly how you picture them in your mind – perfect, beautiful portraits capturing the emotion of the event. The following ten items should be on your “must discuss” list of things to talk about with your photographer.
1. Type of equipment being used – you want to make sure your photographer uses professional equipment, not something you can pick up at your local Wal-Mart. This is your wedding and you deserve high-quality pictures taken by high-quality equipment.
2. Staff – you need to know who is going to be taking the actual pictures. A great interview with a photographer will do you no good if their assistant ends up being the one taking the shots. Discuss who will be taking the pictures and the experience of all involved.
3. Sample pictures/albums – ask to view samples of other wedding shots. Good photographers will have plenty of samples, including complete albums, to display their work.
4. Archiving – find out if your photographer offers any archiving services. This is important if you ever lose one or more of your photos to damage. Archives will make it possible for you to get reprints.
5. Quality guarantees – Discuss the quality of the photos, including the development process. You want to make sure that your photographer offers some sort of guarantee against fading and other flaws.
6. Other guarantees – Your satisfaction should be the priority. Make sure your photographer is prepared for the unexpected, such as emergencies, equipment failures, etc. What guarantees are in place to ensure that you receive the pictures you were promised?
7. Experience – Discuss the photographer’s experience. While you might pay a lower price for a new photographer, you want to entrust your wedding photos to someone with a proven record of success.
8. Pricing – Find out the cost of the photos and any extras. Get specific numbers so that you will not be shocked by a large bill later.
9. Time-frame – Talk about the amount of time it will take from the day of the wedding until you have your proofs. Be
sure and discuss how long it takes to receive your final pictures once you have selected your proofs.
10. Artistic style – Discuss the photographer’s personal style. Is she a traditional photographer that sticks to the general poses?
Is she a creative thinker that will have your wedding party posing in non-traditional ways? Finding the perfect photographer means asking the tough questions. Choose the photographer that fits your needs and you will have wedding pictures that you will cherish forever.