With so many photographers, options, prices, and opinions, how do you ever pick a photographer?
Here are some articles I’ve written for other magazines and blogs on that very subject. It should help you weed through the tactics photographers use to lure you in, so that you can find that genuine artist that is skilled, prepared, and will do an amazing job for you.
How to Pick a
Wedding Photographer? (Part 1)
Question: “What Should People Be Looking for in a Wedding Photographer?”
I take this subject seriously because weddings matter and photography at weddings matter. There are few buying decisions in our lives that actually can cause life-long regret, and wedding photography tops that list. You may spend a lot of money buying a bad car or even a couch that isn’t comfortable, but the problem is solved once you get rid of it and replace it.
But when it comes to wedding photographs, they can only be done once. People who have made a poor decision in this area will lament even 50 years after their wedding and will still hold regret. I’ve found that if one bride doesn’t hire me, it’s usually her regret afterwards that gets her friends to hire me. If a mother of a bride comes in with decades of regret from her own wedding, that feeling is usually enough for her daughter to spend the extra money to hire me.
(Read entire article…)
How to Pick a
Wedding Photographer (part 2)
Are there currently trends in the styles of photographs that couples want? (Vintage, Black and White, Journalistic). About how often are these changing?
Yes there are always new trends, and these trends are changing even faster now with blogs and facebook. Trends start with a great image from a great photographer, and then it gets copied all over the place. Some photographers will even do the same shoot over and over again, using the same exact locations and props which I disagree with.
In my opinion, a good image tells a story about the people in the image. Every part of the portrait should be there on purpose. The location, the background, the lighting, the style, the pose, the effects – everything should be on purpose and should work towards the image. You shouldn’t do something just because you saw it somewhere and liked it. You should instead get great images that others want to copy, rather than copy other people.
(Read entire article…)
How to Pick a
Wedding Photographer (part 3)
What is the basic equipment a professional wedding photographer should have in order to produce professional quality images? (Cameras, lenses, lighting) Is there any way for a potential client to ascertain the preparedness of the wedding photographer in terms of equipment without asking for an equipment list?
A professional needs a lot of everything. Most wedding photographers sadly only have one camera and one flash, and even one small computer to do all thier work. Sadly many even borrow or rent their one camera when they need it. Do not hire this person!
It’s not your job to turn your once-in-a-lifetime wedding day into a service project to help a new and broke photographer. You need a pro who knows what they are doing and has the equipment to accomplish anything that may happen on your day.