Where to start and what to ask...
Choosing a photographer is one of the most important decisions you have to make about your wedding day. Your photos last well beyond the day of the wedding, and serve as a lasting keepsake. Therefore, get the best photographer that you can.Start by getting recommendations from your relatives and friends. Research online and through local ads.
Meet all photographers personally for a private wedding consultation. Compare them based on the questionnaire below and your personal feeling.Here are some important questions to ask when interviewing candidate photographers:
• How long have you been a photographer and is this your full-time job?
• Are you the wedding photographer who will actually take our pictures?
• Do you have a back-up plan in case you can't make it to our wedding?
• What kind of equipment will you bring with you? How intrusive will lighting, tripods, other equipment or assistants be?
• Do you have backup equipment?
• Do you use film or digital camera?
• What’s your photography style? Posed and formal, relaxed, photojournalistic, creative, artistic, candid, traditional?
• How many shots will you normally take?
• What kind of input can we have on the direction of the shots? Can we give you a shot list to work from?
• Do you offer a CD of the full-resolution images? Are they raw shots or contrast/color-corrected, cropped and sorted?
• Do we have the right to reprint, reproduce, and share our photographs?
• Do you include any enhancements (black and white, sepia, special effects). If yes, how many?
• What types of wedding packages do you offer and what do they cost?
• Are you willing to work within my budget? What suggestions do you have, given my needs and budget?
• What is your payment schedule and cancellation policy?
• When will the prints or CD be ready?
• Do you provide an online access to our photographs?
• How long does it take to produce the final wedding album?
Remember to book your photographer early, as good ones fill their schedules months or even years in advance. Experienced photographers are well worth the investment. They help you and your guests feel comfortable while capturing the magic of your day exactly the way you imagined. Luck!
