Picking a Wedding photographer – Brides Beware

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

With the current surge in digital photography, countless individuals label themselves as professional photographers, despite having minimal experience. While I appreciate that many purchase affordable cameras and create accounts to showcase and sell their work, it’s crucial to exercise caution when selecting someone for your wedding photography.

Choosing a photographer for your special day’s cherished moments is paramount. Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event; the photography should reflect its significance. There are outstanding photographers in the industry, and I will show you how to find one.

Picking an Amateur to Save Money

If you choose an amateur photographer to save money, you should know what to look for and the risks of using their services. I mean no disrespect to these people at all. Everyone has to start somewhere. After all, we all need to get experience.

It shouldn’t be on-the-job training at your wedding unless you are fully aware that gaining knowledge is the purpose of the photographer creating your images.

I run Extra Eyes Photography and once had several professional photographers working for me. I sifted through around a hundred digital portfolios from aspiring photographers before discovering one that aligns with my high standards. I realize it might sound harsh, but there are many novice photographers eager for your wedding business who can’t deliver the quality you might expect.

I was surprised when I advertised for a professional photographer with at least five years of experience and a full-frame camera with various lenses. Instead, I received numerous resumes from people claiming to be professionals, but they were amateurs.

If you don’t care about the quality of the work or cannot afford a professional and want your day documented, by all means, hire someone for $500 for your big day. Just be careful who you hire, with or without experience. With some knowledge, you may be pleasantly surprised when using an amateur and save a ton of money. Or, you may not and be highly disappointed. Let’s review some things to keep the latter from happening, but remember, you usually get what you pay for.

Prices for Wedding Photography

You may notice many excellent prices today due to these amateurs flooding the market with lowball prices. This has forced the “true professional” to lower their prices to compete. I respect photographers who keep their prices high because they offer what amateurs cannot. These photographers have thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and spend a lot on advertising, insurance, marketing, printing, travel, and more. One reason you pay more for a professional is their overhead. An amateur has a very low overhead and usually very little equipment and schooling.

Personally, all of our company photographers started their training years ago, working in film photography. The photographer has done this for a living; they brand themselves professionally. As mentioned, I work part-time, so many skilled photographers take on weekend weddings to earn extra income. However, it’s essential to understand their capabilities.

This level of experience and dedication should be key to your decision-making process, ensuring you are working with a true professional. Here’s how to know he difference.

What to Look for in a Photographer

Initially, consider the cost and determine what fits your budget. You’ve discovered that prices can vary widely, ranging from $500 to $6,000 and more. This is where you can cut costs on your very pricey day. Why invest ten times more in photography for higher quality? The choice is entirely yours.

If you want images of your day that will take your breath away, you may have to spend at least a few thousand dollars. If you hire someone who knows little about flash, low light, perspective and editing, and may miss the significant moments of the day because they don’t have the proper training, you can save yourself a bunch and hope you get some lucky shots. There are professionals and amateurs out there who vary greatly in skill and equipment. You might consider the in-between—someone with good gear, experience, and a fair price.

Screening Photographers

When screening potential photographers, review a portfolio of wedding photography. Don’t look at landscapes and frog pictures. If you look at some photos of each wedding, you will know how much experience they have. They didn’t just do their sisters’ and cousins’ weddings and claim to be pros.

The more experience they have, specifically in wedding photography, the more extensive their portfolio will be. Also, look at their work—not something copied from the internet. Although it’s hard to tell sometimes, they should be able to supply you with a website, proof of books, or something to show that the work is their own.

Companies with Multiple Photographers

When working with a company that employs multiple photographers, ensure you review the portfolio of the specific photographer assigned to your wedding. Avoid evaluating company samples featuring ima es from photographers who might no longer be with the company. Additionally, examine the work of the backup photographer. If your chosen photographer faces an emergency and can’t make it, as your contract should specify, they’ll send a substitute. Knowing the identity of this backup photographer is crucial, and reviewing their portfolio when engaging with a larger company is vital.

When viewing the portfolio, look for crooked horizons.  A professional photographer will not have the horizon tilted in photos unless a few are done for artistic purposes. Some people do not see the crooked horizon unless it is pointed out. Look closely for this. It screams amateur. I do not hire anyone who sends a portfolio with crooked pictures.

Also, look at the images’ exposure. Most weddings feature a white wedding dress, and this classic choice can be easily overexposed if the photographer is not experienced. Remember that the $500 photographer will send you beautiful pictures with your white dress screaming brightness at you. Look specifically at the wedding dress and see if you can see every detail, or if details are lost because the whites are too bright in the photograph.

Hot spots are bright white spots on a dress or on people’s faces. A photographer who doesn’t understand how to properly use a flash will often create these hot spots, which indicates a lack of skill. I frequently see headshots with hot shots, and it makes me cringe.

Next, look for consistency of color, brightness, and contrast. Are the photos all even, or are they all over the place? Post-processing is a huge part of wedding photography; without the proper experience, the images will not look consistent. Some amateurs also lack the necessary editing programs and skills. Picture your album (no pun intended). Do you want one page to be lighter and more saturated, without balancing it with the picture next to it? Photographers can spend up to 20 or more hours professionally editing their photos. If they are not well-versed in white balance, the color temperature of the images may result in different colors. Have you ever seen a picture with a blue or green tint? The white balance was not set correctly.

I try to shoot the image to perfection in the first place, so I do not spend as much time editing. This is what I teach photographers to do. Editing is something to consider when evaluating the price. Will your photographer spend 8-12 hours with you on your day and 5 to 15 hours editing for $500.00? Most likely not.

Examine the overall images. Did the photographer capture the father kissing the bride’s cheek as he gave her away, with a tear in her eye? Did they get her in the car outside the church with genuine emotion on her face? Ensure each album features the highlight moments. Look at the overall appeal and composition of the image. Are all the photos visually pleasing? Did they get everything in the portfolio that you would want? Take a moment to examine the details.

The key point here is to review several wedding album portfolios thoroughly. Don’t just ask to see a few shots. One can do a wedding and get five or six great shots. Look at the whole album; if they have a website with all the photos posted, that would be even better.

Photography Gear

Be aware that good equipment does not necessarily make a good photographer. And yes, Years of experience do not necessarily create a good photographer either! I hired a photographer with 30 years of experience when I was new in the business, and I am sorry to admit he botched some of the pictures. Luckily, it was only the white balance that I just mentioned. The people were all yellow! This is corrected in post-editing, thank goodness.

Having the proper equipment and years of experience are only essential foundations. Do not assume that means the photos will be good. I discovered that they can do 30 years of lousy photography.

The Camera and Lenses

Always ask if they have a backup camera. Every photographer should have one. A k if it is a full-frame camera. Using someone with a non-full-frame camera is acceptable, but using an entry-level amateur camera is not. I would not hire someone to work as my second shooter unless they have a full-frame, professional-level camera.

Since we don’t expect you to know the type of each camera, and we can’t list them here, please ask for the kind of camera and research it online. If you look up the camera price on B&  Photo, you will see the camera cost and know that this is an amateur camera. If it is $2000 and up, you’re in good shape. My camera bodies cost approximately $ 500 to $4,500 when new, and each lens is around $ 2,000 to $ 3,000. I have six lenses. Although some amat urs have a lot of money to spend on equipment, they often lack the knowledge to utilize it effectively. If the camera costs $699   and the lens costs $349.00, you know it’s an amateur camera and an amateur photographer. You can also find camera descriptions online.

You want to ask about lenses. A professional will have a bag of lenses. Most will be 2.8 lenses, which are the best for weddings. Again, ask for a list of equipment and Google the information. You are in good shape if you have several 2.8 lenses. Anyone who has spent over $ 1,000 on these lenses will most likely have a full-frame camera to accompany them.

You may be taking a risk if someone has one lens and it’s not a 2.8. You should not pay more than $500, if that, for someone who does not have the proper equipment. I would not use them if they do not have a zoom lens. I have had people come to me with a camera and the lens that came with it (kit lens) and call themselves professionals. This is unacceptable in any way to produce high-quality photography. The kit lens was an 18-55mm f/3.5 aperture, not for a full-frame camera. It is an entry-level, absolute beginner’s lens.

Ask if the price includes a second shooter. I personally always have one for several reasons. I am always outside the church with the bride. My second shooter is inside the church, or vice versa, to get her entering the doorway and coming down the aisle. How hard is it to be outside, capture special moments before entering the church and rush to the front of the inside to adjust the camera settings and capture that most memorable moment? Very!

A second shooter can catch some things that may be missed. We can’t be in two places at once. What if there is an equipment malfunction at a unique moment? Yes, it happened to me once. My flash suddenly stopped working, which is rare, but it does happen. I ran to my equipment bag and changed to another flash while my second shooter covered the moment. It’s also a good idea to see the work of the second shooter beforehand. It may cost you a little more money, but most professionals rarely shoot without a second shooter.

Contracts and Proof of Insurance

A pro will have insurance and print an insurance declaration page to send to the wedding hall. An amateur will not. This will cover legal matters should they arise and clarify precisely what you expect and what is included. You should also provide your photographer with a schedule and a list of “must-haves”. Several online lists you can print and review. You must have the necessary shots for the photographer before you can give them a deposit. Since each bride may have a different idea of who, what, where, and when to shoot, your list will ensure the photographer knows exactly what you are looking for.

Don’t hesitate to request contract changes regarding essential issues you want to add or modify. Be sure to initial next to the change and retain an original copy. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

There are many photographers out there with different experience levels and different types of equipment. Now that you know what to look for, y u can decide which photographer to choose and how much they are worth paying.

RED FLAGS

• Using a camera that is not full-frame or lacking an understanding of its significance.
• Having a limited selection of lenses.
• Portfolio images with tilted horizons (unless done for artistic purposes).
• Portfolios featuring incorrectly exposed photographs.
• Portfolios are missing key moments.
• Insufficient portfolio samples or a lack of verification of ownership of the images.
• Inadequate references.
• Operating without a second shooter.
• Absence of formal training.
• No website presence.
• Lack of advertising efforts.
• No printed marketing materials.
• Absence of general liability insurance.
• Lack of formal contracts.