How to Choose YOUR Wedding Photographer

DATE AVAILABILITY AND WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT ASSOCIATE TEAMS

There are a diversity of ways to find a photographer available for your dates. There are so many ways to find a photographer: scrolling your venue’s tagged images on Instagram, asking friends/family/wedding planner. So how do you know if the photographer is available for your date? Some couples explore Facebook groups by posting your dates or rely on their planning team to develop a short list for them.

If you’re working with a specific budget, some like to post dates and a budget range. Be prepared to get a tidal wave of comments from keen vendors. If you haven’t started a spreadsheet to explore and short list vendor options that feel aligned for you both, now is the time! Give yourself time to learn and explore and trust your instincts to lead you towards the right fit.

Unless you’re booking through a large company, with a team of associates to cover a diversity of dates, many photographers will have limited date availability. The busy summer months between June and late September only include sixteen weekends. It’s important to confirm who will be covering your ceremony, and their availability well in advance, so that you know you’re getting an wedding specialized and experienced pro.

As a word of caution, there are some associate based photography teams that quote below the industry average, and then subcontract the day of coverage and/or editing to newer photographers. Before you book, it’s important to request full galleries and portfolio from any associates that will be covering your wedding to guage their experience. Many of the companies offering full photo and video coverage around the $3,000 point and under in Western Canada send associates that are newer wedding photographers and videographers who are overseeing the editing to align with the art direction of their studio.

A timeless style that suits your vibe

Do you remember when black and white images with selective colour pops was the hottest trend in the early 2000’s? So do the couples that hired photographers for that editing style. While those images are surely still loved and inspire a good laugh, and we respect a few creative edits, we highly recommend shortlisting classic styles that are sensitive to your colour pallette.

If you’re hoping to have albums, prints or other wall art made up, know that some editing styles that look wonderful on Instagram don’t always translate well on paper. Photography styles that offer classic true-to life film elements (such as low contrast, light grain, clear highlights, and subtle desaturation) will look timeless as prints for years to come. If you’re curious about what products your photographer offers, ask your photographer to share some samples when you meet with them and what specs they export their work at. We always export at 300 dpi and render for matte paper.

Full galleries from real weddings

The truth is that your wedding day will likely have very different conditions and time constraints than many of the Pinterest worthy scenes you see online. There’s some important dialogue at the moment around how Instagram and Pinterest, and staging dramatic wedding scenes without price context that so many reflect a 100k budget, contributes to wedding dysmorphia. Attending workshops is crucial for professional development, and aligning a photographer’s portfolio with the clients they seek to serve, but it’s equally important to explore galleries from real couples to see how a photographer works under real life timelines.

Weddings are very different and time sensitive environments compared to typical photoshoot conditions. Be sure to seek out a photographer that can work quickly and artistically in diverse environments and lighting situations from start to finish. You’re welcome to ask to see imagery of weddings similar to what you’ve planned so that you can feel reassured that their editing style will flatter you, your colour pallet, style and venue and that your photographer has served other couples that feel aligned with how you wish to approach your day.

This is another great reason to book an engagement session with your photographer so that they approach your wedding portrait sessions and edits, well informed of what worked well during that first session.

Great answers to technical questions

After you’ve met your photographer you explore how they troubleshoot and safeguard your images.

Don’t be afraid to ask:

– if their camera(s) writes to dual card slots (a safety net if there’s a card writing error)

– if they use one or two cameras, and what they’d do if there’s an issue or malfunction with their primary camera body

– what their systems look like, including their back up workflow, image-loss risk reduction strategies

– if they include printing rights, web and high-resolution images in their coverage and packages

– how they ensure their artwork is going to print beautifully

– weather the images will be watermarked or if there’s additional costs

– if your gallery arrives fully edited and colour graded, or is it shot to JPEG and delivered without revisions

– how many images are typically included in their coverage (50 – 100 per hour is the industry standard)

– weather quotes are all inclusive of artwork and images or if those are purchased separately

– weather their quote is able to cover an associate of equal talent in case an emergency prevents the booked lead photographer from attending.

Contracts with clear timelines and deliverables

Make sure a contract is in place that details payment and delivery timelines. It’s common for up to a 50% deposit (non refundable retainer) to reserve a wedding photographer for your dates. The balance is typically due in full before your wedding day. Please never send money until a contract is in place and you’ve spoken to your photographer personally to confirm that they’re a legitimate business and entity. While the excitement is real when receiving a wedding gallery, it can take up to 10 week timeframe for 1000 image galleries to be hand polished and refined. Every photographer sets their own delivery time frames, but that should be communicated up front and be fully transparent. Many photographers can also offer payment plans as well leading up to your special day. Our studio also uses calendar invites to communicate projected delivery dates as your gallery is polished in the weeks after your wedding.

Consultation and coaching

There are many subtle and need to know logistics that help ensure the best photo coverage for your wedding. Ask your photographer if they provide any guides, resources, or coaching sessions to empower you with the knowledge needed before and during the ceremony to help achieve the best shots.

Licences, Insurance and registration

The line between artist and entrepreneur is one that many photographers walk carefully. Be sure that who you hire is fully insured and licensed to provide commercial photography services especially if they’re working out of state, province, or country. Destination wedding photographers can potentially be stopped at borders if they don’t have a valid work permit. So many destination photographers try to plead “vacation” at the border – and not all are successful.