Are you looking for a photographer and don’t know where to start?
Here’s how to choose a wedding photographer. It may seem obvious, but the photographer and videographer are the people you will share many hours of your most important day with, so choosing the right supplier is your first mission.
You should be happy to have chosen them and not others. Empathy is really a fundamental element. Think how relaxing it can be to entrust your photographic/videographic service to two people who can put you at ease. Another fundamental thing is to understand that each photographer has their own specialization.
There are those who specialize in the food industry and those for newborns, those who prefer glamour and fashion, and those like us who love weddings.
We specialize in wedding photography, we are destination wedding photographers and videographers. But how can we distinguish a good wedding photographer from an unprofessional one? We are sure that the first thing you do is go on Google and search for a series of keywords that help you find the right photographer for you.
You will look for it by including the country where you will get married or at least the region or an area not too far from where the wedding will take place among the words. Well, this is one way, but it’s not the only one.
There may be photographers much further away from the area where you will celebrate your wedding who are much better and more experienced. For this reason, don’t be fooled by the mere geographical location of the wedding photographer/videographer. Once you have started the search, what should you focus your attention on the most? For convenience, I will list you the fundamental points step by step.
It’s, therefore, possible to add more services too.
Quite often these are requested as not every couple considers them at the beginning.
Let’s go through these by order.
Portfolio
One fundamental thing when searching for a wedding photographer or videographer is to look at the works presented in their portfolio.
Don’t limit yourself to just one photo per wedding. Those who only publish a few photos do not necessarily have the ability to provide a professional product.
One photo out of 800 is a reductionist way to evaluate the work of a professional, isn’t it? So if you want to delve deeper, search the website thoroughly, look for more photos of the same wedding, or try contacting the photographer to learn more. Photographic Style
In addition to the photographer’s specialization, which I mentioned earlier, analyze the works presented on their website carefully.
When looking at the photographic and videographic gallery, try to understand if the style the photographer/videographer uses is in line with your expectations. Try to understand what you are looking for: reportage, glamour, a refined style.
And if the photographer is in line with your tastes, then write to them to see if the date you have chosen is still available. But before proceeding to send an email, there are still several things to consider.
Reviews
In my opinion, this is the most important thing to look for on a wedding photographer’s website. Imagine having to buy a product on Amazon, I know that the first thing you do is look for reviews at the bottom to understand how other customers have found it.
Reviews are the most important testimony to understand if what you are looking for is not just a pipe dream. That’s why you should look for this section on the website.
Would you entrust your wedding photography service to someone who has no reviews? I wouldn’t, and I’m sure neither would you.
Getting to know the photographer
Now that you have clarified more about the photographer/videographer, you are able to move on to the next step: getting to know the photographer.
Today, we are very fortunate; technology helps us to overcome any distance barriers.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, it is important to get to know the photographer because they are the person you will spend the most time with on your wedding day, and if their personality is not what you expected, how will you spend time with them? Empathy is important, and I believe that having a sunny and expansive person by your side is beautiful, if that’s what you’re looking for.
What I mean is that getting to know the photographer is important to understand if the person behind the work is exactly who you want to have next to you to tell your love story.
Booking your photographer
Here we are! We have managed to find our photographer. We like his style, we have built a rapport with him, and the package we have chosen is suitable for us.
Now, what’s left is the actualization of everything through a booking and a contract. Insist that there is a contract between the parties that protects both you and the photographer, of course. Demand to know every detail because not everything said through email, Skype, or even in-person conversations may have legal value.
Everything that the chosen package includes should be clearly stated in the contract, as well as the hours of work the photographer will do that day, any possible extras, or even how they will deliver the material to you. All of these are points of a final step that perhaps is much more important than all the chatter made so far.
