Believe it or not, one of the most important people in a wedding (after the bride and the groom) is the wedding photographer. This is simply because of his/her challenging yet beautiful responsibility of capturing a million memories from the big day. Needless to mention, photographing an entire wedding comes with its own share of meticulous planning, execution and an overall consistency. Keeping that in mind, it is essential to ask the right questions of your wedding photographer to ensure your lifelong keepsakes are the possible quality. Here are a few questions we recommend exploring…
What’s your style?
Have you ever wondered how you would like your wedding to be remembered as? Are you picturing a myriad of candid shots or a truly artistic theme altogether? Perhaps even a documentary style for a truly historic event. For a wedding photographer, it is essential that you ask about his/her style of photography before confirming the deal so that you are both on the same page about the overall theme.
Post processed or au naturel?
Asking your photography studio about their picture editing proficiency and preference is a good way of understanding the output you are looking at. While tweaking the colour balance and other editing essentials can help enhance image quality often, some photographers also offer to first show their clientele all the unedited photos before cherry picking the good ones to work on.
Show me the money?
Getting a good sense of the fees charged by the photographer is helpful in revisiting your budget as well as exploring the package deals on offer. Of course, the fees charged by a photographer is usually a reflection on how experienced they are. Discussing the payment options with your wedding photographer helps you understand whether a deposit is required prior to the wedding, or whether the amount is to be fully paid before/after the photographs are shared with you. Last but not the least, it is also recommended to ask your wedding photographer about their turnaround time in sharing the photographs, to not only better plan your wedding financials but also to ensure your expectations are realistic.
Do you specialize only in wedding photography?
Having a lucid understanding about the photography studio and its team does nearly half the job of arranging your wedding photography. We recommend asking the studio about their field(s) of expertise to get a sense of how much time and effort will be invested in the wedding shoot. In this case, we don’t recommend getting a jack of all and master of none.
How familiar are you with the wedding venue?
The more familiar a photographer is with the wedding venue, the better it is for you in terms of getting some quality shots. Wedding photographers who have shot at the same wedding venues previously have an upper edge in planning the entire shoot and making use of their time and effort in giving you some amazing pictures.
How many photographers do you plan to use during the wedding?
On face value, this question might seem a little silly. But it is, an “essential” to ask your wedding photography studio about the personnel they plan to deploy for the wedding. This will attest to effective coordination of the shoot. Additionally, inquiring about backup photographers in the occasion of an emergency is a handy question to ask as well.
What can you tell us about the on-ground photographer’s attire, equipment and a basic understanding about the culture type of the wedding?
Generally, wedding photographers prefer an attire which lets them blend among the rest of the crowd at the venue. This is an age-old trick they use to effectively capture an assortment of candid and natural shots from the wedding. In terms of shooting equipment, it really helps asking the photography studio about it in advance so that any extra arrangements can be made prior to the wedding, to avoid last minute chaos. Another important and equally unique question we recommend asking wedding photographers is to test their understanding about the culture and ethnicity of the couple getting married. This extra awareness can go a long way in prioritizing the relevant shots.
Will you be posting photographs from the wedding on your website, social media or any other platform for advertising?
Privacy is key in any business and it holds true for wedding photography too. While most studios seek permission before using a few wedding shots on their own portfolios for advertising, there is no harm in confirming the same to avoid backlashes later.
Needless to mention, the above are just a handful among many insightful and useful questions we recommend you keep in mind before consulting a wedding photographer. We don’t have to remind you how a picture is worth a thousand words, especially when you know that there are going to a million more memories awaiting you on one of the happiest days of your life.
A big thank you to www.ateiaphotography.com.au who helped us point you in the right direction to get the best from your wedding photographer.
