What To Ask Your Wedding Photographer?
You are in the middle of planning your wedding. The time is running so fast since the day you have engaged. However, now it’s time to find the right photographer for your special day. Regarding the start of searching for the best artists, you should take a look at our article “How to choose a wedding photographer?.”
But this is only the first step. Such as it is crucial finding a wedding photographer, whom images you like, it is also important to get to know the person better, who you are going to trust capturing your special day. Moreover, you have to spend a certain amount of money. So you are expecting beautiful wedding images in the end for sure. In consequence, you want to rely on the quality of the photographer’s craft. Our goal is to help you to achieve a good feeling about your wedding photographer by asking the right questions.
“What to ask your wedding photographer”? We asked experienced photographers from our LOOKSLIKEFILM community to develop ten helpful questions for couples, who don’t know what topics could be important to discuss with your wedding photographer. In the hope that this article will help you, our pros are explaining why the following questions are essential to talk about.
„Does the photographer’s style and wedding photos match to what we are looking for?“
Sinead Dubeau: “A general question, you should think about in an early stage when it comes to wedding photography. Many couples have a budget in mind first and foremost, but it’s equally important to find a photographic style that you love as well. Keep in mind; these images are what you’ll have as keepsakes 20 years from now! Some questions you should be asking yourself are, are their images timeless? Does the style work with your planned color palette? Are they lightly or heavily edited, and will you be expecting significant retouching? Is their style consistent across their portfolio?”
www.sineaddubeau.com
„How does a typical wedding day go and how much time do you think would be best?“
Ashley Hayes: “I think this is an important question because as the wedding photographer we have a good idea of what to truly expect, like where we should spend the most time, or how much time we could keep as a buffer. I know brides are told to get a wedding coordinator and such, but really an experienced wedding photographer is just as good for helping create the perfect timeline.”
www.ashleyhayesphoto.com
“What is your workflow, and emergency plan for moments that could go wrong?”
Danielle Louise Carlson: “If the client has a better understanding of the entire processing and workflow from start to finish of everything there is no unrealistic expectation they may sometimes get, also a backup/emergency plan for every expected situation that could pop up and talking it out with them, eases any fears they may have.”
www.daniellelouise.com
„Do you have a plan if your equipment stops working or breaks?“
Tori Langen: “It is so important, in my opinion, to have backup equipment. I have known more than a few photographers (and clients) whose wedding photos stopped at a certain point during the day because of equipment malfunction. You can take the most beautiful photos in the world, but it cannot save you if this happens and you are not prepared.”
www.nativerose-creative.com
„Can we see a complete wedding gallery or two?“
Elizabeth Hoard: “Honestly anyone can get a handful of incredible pictures from each shoot they do, but what does the quality look like throughout the entire wedding day? If they are getting married in a church/inside location and the photographer shows off an outside wedding, the couple should ask to see similar work to the venue they are getting married in! I would also encourage couples to really focus on what images look like for the ‘boring’ parts of the day, as the family formals.”
www.elizabethhoardphotography.com
“What is your approach to take couples shots?”
Carl Whinnery: “If you’re expecting the photographer to take the lead and pose you, great, but they might expect you to take the lead and they are there to help. You might get frustrated at the number of poses and knee bends required for what feels like the same ‘bloody shot.’ So ask what they do for couples shots etc.”
www.ballandwolf.com
“What are your big goals when you are taking wedding photos? Hero shots or wedding moments?”
Paul Gargagliano: “A photographer, who is curious about these relationships and pays attention to the moments that tell their stories, will be able to make significantly more meaningful photographs that will stand the test of time.”
www.hazelphoto.com
“What do you think makes wedding photos great?”
Christopher Wallace: “Any photographer who has truly studied their craft will launch into a passionate description at this point. It will be all about the who, the what, the where, and the why. It doesn’t matter if you follow – you’ll see their eyes light up while speaking. Don’t you see it? Then you have to ask: If you have no passion for your craft – are the right photographer for me then?
www.chriswallacephotography.com
„Do you work off a shot list?“
Erin Morrison: “Great question! We certainly work off a shot list for family formals, but we do not work from a shot list for the rest of the day? Why? Because your wedding day is a unique experience that will never be duplicated. And why would you want it to be? Organic moments, real laughs, and big family hugs are not on shot lists.”
www.erinmorrisonphotography.com
„How many wedding photos are included in the package?“
Moriah Johanna Cummings: “This is super important as some photographers have a cap on the number of images they deliver, or individual packages include a set amount, and they will charge the couple more for extra photos. Some couples may find an amazing photographer for a great deal but may realize that it’s not as great as they thought because they received less than what they expected.
We never cap our images! We go through and delete the blurry, awkward faces, and duplicate pictures and deliver all of the rest of the images that are up to our high standards. For two shooters we tell our couples to expect between 40-50 photos per hour of coverage, but usually end up delivering between 70-80 pictures per hour. Every wedding is different and the type and timing of events throughout the day will affect how many images make it into the final gallery.”
www.moriahjaephoto.com
„What kind of person are you? How do you spend Friday nights? Favorite country and why? Do you sing and dance in the shower? What’s your favorite food? Do you fold or crumple your toilet paper? Favorite person in the world? What makes you tick?“
Maike Simon: “Next to all the professional questions about gear and quality, it is so important to get to know your photographer first! You have to make sure it is a good match! Trust me, when the photographer becomes your friend.. it will show off in the pictures!”
www.instagram.com/dwarsedingen
Eventually, all of the above questions should help you with what to ask your wedding photographer.
If you are lost in finding someone that you like, you might want to check out our “Photographers Near Me” list that hosts a lot of talented artists.
