How to choose a wedding photographer … So something amazing has happened and you said yes! Now the mammoth task of planning a wedding begins. From choosing your wedding venue to writing up the guest lists there are lots important decisions ahead of you.
Your wedding journey will most likely start with where to hold your wedding. Its handy to know a rough idea of guest numbers for this.
Once the venue has been decided on a lot of couples start looking at wedding photographers. There are lots of things to consider when choosing a wedding photographer.
Do your research.
With such a wide range of choice of photographers you want to do your research. Fortunately these days its pretty easy to see photographers work. Many have instagram, Facebook, Tiktok accounts plus their web sites. Do a search and follow the photographers you like the look of their work.
Like your Wedding Photographer.
Your wedding photographer is one wedding supplier who spends the most time with you on your wedding day. Choosing a photographer you like to have around and you feel comfortable with will certainly help you relax when it comes to having your photographs taken. Communication between you and your photographer is really important. Back before I was a wedding photographer I was a bridesmaid for my best friend. I remember her saying how disappointed she was that the photographer didn’t get a photograph of her with her husband and her parents. Yes its possibly a pretty standard traditional photograph but the assumption that the photographer would take every photographed she would like without ever having a conversation is where this went wrong in my option.
Tip 1 || Write a list of the photographs you would like go into as much detail as you feel is necessary and remember you are hiring a photographer to capture the photographs you want.
Select your style
This is a very personal one. Every photographer has a different style. You could select 2 different photographs and they shoot the same wedding and the results will be different. Its very easy to look at social media and the current trend and love those photographs. But heres the thing wedding photographs are there for the long haul, not just a 5 minute wonder on a social media wall. Generations to come will be looking back at your wedding photographs. Just ask anyone who got married in the 1980’s and theres bound to be a soft focus filter photo somewhere within their collection!.
Tip 2 || Consider how you will feel looking back at your wedding photographs in 5, 10, 25 years and who you would like to remember in them.
Know the different styles
Like most industries the photography one has its own terminology! Here’s what we are talking about.
Reportage Photography || This is style is very documentary in its design. The idea is the photographer captures the moments of you day as they happen recording them in their natural style with little to no direction from the photographer. There are usually very few formal photographs or group photography. In a lot of cases the photographs are mainly Black and White in their final delivery.
Traditional Wedding Photography || This style by the very nature is formal in its delivery. The photographer will control all of the photographs and give you direction on how to stand and how to pose. The photographs would include group photographs as well as formal portraits. All of the photographs would be posed for the main part. These tend to be the photographs most families treasure as a wedding is usually one of the few times the whole family is together and dressed to impress.
Relaxed Wedding Photographs || The ability to be yourself in front of the camera is a great sigh you feel comfortable with your wedding photographer. The ability to ignore their presence and being yourself immersed in the magical moments of your wedding day is the key to the most natural and relaxed wedding photographs
Best times for Couple Photographs
Golden Hour Photography || This is more a time of the day for taking photographs that offers a very beautiful soft romantic light. The golden hour is the hour before sunset. The soft light offers a sunset feel and a beautiful golden glow to the photographs. It is my favourite time of day to photograph my wedding couples.
Night time Wedding Photography || Creating dramatic night time wedding photographs is alway my highlight of a wedding day. In some cases the venue has the perfect location for creating these magical moments other times its getting creative with nature. For these photographs to be successful your photographer will need an understanding of flash and have portable lighting equipment.
How do you want your photographs edited?
Photo editing || I could really write a blog post on just this alone but I will condense some of the points to consider. There are three main editing styles, Natural, light and airy & Dark and moody.
Natural || your photographs will look as close to the original scene as your eyes would have seen the colours and brightness on your wedding day.
Light and airy || Your photographs will look bright and light. The colours maybe slight less vibrant and whites tend to loose some of the detail, there are pro’s and cons to this the detail in your wedding dress may not show so well, the same is true of facial features so some fine lines etc won’t be so visible!!
Dark and Moody || As the name would imply the photographs are edited to a dark and moody feel and can look very dramatic.
Wedding Photographers Experience
How much experience your photographer has will most certainly be a point you want to consider. A photographer just starting out will most likely charge less than someone with years of experience. There is lots of pressure on a wedding photographer on a wedding day. From getting all the photographs you want within the restraints of the days timings. An experienced wedding photographer will usually be able to cope with every eventuality on a wedding day and take it all in their stride. Consider how comfortable you are with the experience your photographer has, we all had to start somewhere!,
Positive End to my post!
The great thing about wedding photography is a lot of photographers (like myself) combine many of my points above to create a full package for you. We tend to have an editing style so your photographs look consistent though out your set of photographs. Like myself many wedding photographers will mix formal photographs with the informal storytelling moments so you get a complete story of your wedding day.
0 Comments