Tips On Choosing The Right Photographer For You

What is your style? What is your vibe?

There are hundreds of wedding photographers out there and each photographer usually specialises in a style. Their style is usually an extension of their creativity and personality which means when you see a style that excites you, the chances are you may connect well with that photographer.

With an understanding of the style that you like and the types of shots you want for your photos, these tips will help you to find a photographer who may be able to capture and deliver the photographs that you imagined.

A tragedy would be looking at your photos after your wedding and notice that they look completely different to how you imagined.

Look for advice from the people you trust

Ask your friends and family for their advice and opinions on what they thought of their photographs from their wedding. Ask them if they would recommend their photographer? Did they like the quality of their images? What was their first impression of their photographer? Lastly, were they good value for money?

These questions will help you dig a little deeper into finding the right photographer for you. 

The Search for Inspiration

Pinterest is an amazing platform to find thousands of inspirations for your wedding day. You can begin by searching for general wedding photography images and click through the images that jump out at you. Take note of the language used to describe the style and vibes. As you begin to identify your preferences, you should use this to explore the photographers who specialise in these styles. 

Try these search terms:

• Rustic wedding photography
• Candid wedding photography 
• Black and white wedding photos 
• Wedding details  
• Bridesmaids photos

Instagram is another huge platform for wedding photography inspiration where you can search engaging hashtags and locations.

Try these hashtags:

• #glasgowweddings
• #scottishweddings
• #cityweddings
• #boclairhouseweddings
• #candidweddingphotography 

What goes into making great wedding photographs? 

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it” - Ansel Adams

The most important elements of making great wedding photographs is the ability to communicate with the viewer. It should be able to tell a story. Here are some of the most important aspects of taking great wedding photographs: 

• Composition 
• Display of emotion 
• Storytelling 
• Iconic moments
• Creativity 
• Attention to details 
• Unique perspective

Remember... the cake gets eaten, the flowers will die, but the wedding photos will last forever.

Wedding photography is a story of your day, capturing the smallest details and special moments from a new angle and perspective, slightly different from yours. You lived it, and afterwards you can view it, remember and re-live it. Furthermore, you can share these photos and memories with family and friends.

Your wedding day is a one and only and the only things carried forward from this is the marriage, the memories and the photographs. The flowers, the cake, the dresses, the table plans are all sentimental moments of your day and are what make your day that little bit more special, however the images your receive are a freeze-frame of time which will take you back and allow you to live moments and feelings again and again.

The wonderful thing about wedding photography is that you can re-live your wedding day over and over through the eyes of your guests and view those special moments from a new perspective. This is what makes wedding photography so important. 

Too little too late…

Weddings are expensive, and it’s only natural to consider all cost cutting options. You should take time to consider how important the wedding photographs are to you, and to the memory of the day.

It is important when you look at your budget that you look at the list of things you need for your wedding such as venue, flowers, catering, your wedding dress… and the list goes on. The key difference is that wedding photography is an investment of your special day which lasts a lifetime. Consider spending the money required to capture the quality of photographs that you imagined. 

The cost of wedding photographers varies massively and although it can often reflect quality, that is not always true. The value should be held not against the photographer but rather against yourself. If you do your research and find the photographer who will enhance your wedding, consider if that price is worth it to you.

Inexperience vs Experience

New photographers to the wedding industry tend to charge less to help build a wedding portfolio, whilst experienced photographers will have a wedding portfolio where you can browse through their previous work. A portfolio of weddings not only displays their work, style and quality, but it also extends to their experience. They have encountered challenges, learned from mistakes, established best practices and tricks to deliver the best service possible. However, don’t assume all experienced photographers remain passionate, and have not become complacent. You should be able to assess this from the portfolio and also during your consultation. 

It’s important to remember that everybody has to start somewhere, so whilst a relatively new wedding photographer may have a small portfolio, this does not necessarily mean they are not capable of delivering incredibly high quality work. Again, assessing the smaller portfolio, and asking them the correct questions during the consultation will help to determine your overall confidence in the ability of the photographer.

Here are some of the things to consider when it comes to budget and experience: 

Book 2 photographers instead of 1

Having a second photographer at your wedding can be great and reassuring to you on your wedding day. If you have a friend who may be inexperienced but is willing to shoot your wedding, give them the opportunity to do so, but having that second photographer will capture your day as you imagined. Some wedding photographers supply two people for the day. This may increase the cost, but will allow for quick moments to be captured from multiple angles.

Weekday weddings/off season 

Sometimes photographers run promotions and discounts when you book your wedding on a weekday or when you have an offseason wedding. This is the perfect opportunity to get a great deal on your wedding photography but also have an experienced wedding photographer capturing your day.

Location

Sometimes booking photographers who are not within your local area can be costly as it may incur travel expenses. Consider booking a local photographer who might be within your radius i.e. within 10-40 miles of your hometown. Or budget for the additional costs of bringing a further afield photographer to you.

Trust is the key ingredient to any relationship

I believe every couple think about what their photographer will be like before they meet them, but how do they know they can trust them with their wedding day? There is a reason why you chose them to capture the most important day of your life and here are the reasons why: 

First impressions

A positive first impression is an important start to building the relationship between the photographer and the couple. Once this is in place, it allows the couple to explore further the photographer and their services.  

Pre wedding consultation

Take that phone call to the next stage and book a wedding consultation with your desired wedding photographer. Consultations are great for spending time talking about your wedding details and getting to know one another. They are also a great way to build a connection between the photographer and the couple which will help make your decision that little bit easier. This is also a good opportunity to see their prints, wedding albums and physically hold and see examples of what yours may be like.

Photography list

When you have booked your wedding photographer and are no doubt over the moon that something else is ticked off the list, you may have a vision of how you want some of your images to turn out, but you are still going to have to put a lot of trust in your photographer. Building a photography list helps the photographer see your vision and takes less of the stress away from you on your wedding day. Helping the photographer to identify group photographs and any particular key moments will help to keep a schedule. A photography list looks this: 

• Bride and Groom and Brides Immediate Family
• Bride and Groom and Grooms Aunts and Uncles
• Bride and Groom with bridesmaids and groomsmen
• Groom’s surprise speech at the table  

Key Points

It is important that you make sure when you hire a wedding photographer that you are comfortable with them. Your wedding day is supposed to be relaxed and you want this with the photographer you book. This will help create those natural fun photos that will make any wedding couple feel at ease. 

I hope that these tips help you find the right photographer. If you have any questions related to your wedding and want to know a little more about me, don’t hesitate to get in touch.