How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Everyone is chattering out there on the inter-webs these days about Wedding Photography and Wedding Photographers. But I am here to help cancel the noise and lean in to what truly matters when choosing a Wedding Photographer!
Your wedding photos are priceless.
They are forever and they will always be the love story you told during your time.
Let’s jump right in!
Make sure you love your photographer’s work. Ensure you’ve seen plenty of examples of what their photos look like. Everyone’s work is somewhat evolving (if they’re learning an progressing as an artist) but generally the work should be a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of situation. Don’t forget to ask for ‘recent’ work examples and if they have any examples from the venue you’ve chosen.
Ask the photographer you’re considering to send you multiple full wedding galleries from past weddings they’ve done. This is important. Not only will this give you a great idea of how this photographer works from start to finish, and how they flow over the course of a wedding day, but it will also be a dead giveaway if someone is inexperienced or even worse, is a scammer.
Dream up your best personality match for your wedding day. If you end up being anxious or nervous, what kind of personality amplifies those feelings for you? What personality type soothes those feelings? Are you the kind of person that needs a drill sergeant that will take over everything the moment they arrive? Yell at the family members that need to be bossed around? Or are you the kind of person that needs a cheerleader, a laid back friend, and someone that will have your back and calm your nerves no matter what issues you face on your wedding day? (By the way, I’m the laid back cheerleader and friend type, always.)
Talk to your photographer. Over the phone, in person, via zoom.. whatever.. just talk with them. See how the conversation goes. Consider how your personalities align. If your partner can’t chat with the photographer as well, consider if your partner will like or dislike the kind of person they are. You can absolutely guarantee you will be affected by your vendor’s personalities on your wedding day. I promise.
Ask your photographer about back up equipment. If your photographer drops their one and only camera while at your wedding, and they don’t have a backup camera, what happens? A pro will always have lots of backups of every kind. Back up SD cards, backup cameras, backup flashes, backup everything.
Require that your photographer has an agreement of some kind. You should NEVER give money to someone that claims to be a Wedding Photographer but does not have an agreement. An agreement is to protect you, the client. The agreement is to list out terms that exactly match what you’ve already been told or what you’ve talked about. If there is anything you have questions about, you should ask before signing and definitely before payment.
When looking through a photographer’s work to see if that’s what you want, check for various lighting situations and that they can manage all types of lighting situations, even while moving.
Don’t sleep on photographers that have a lower following on social media or that have not photographed your particular venue. A new venue supercharges me, personally, as an artist. I walk into a new venue and I am born again!!! haha. Also, some of us really suck at screaming about our own talents all day long, and that’s okay, but it means we might not have the biggest cult following on planet earth. Followers = that account is good at marketing, not necessarily anything else.
Do research on photography types. Figure out which one you want for your wedding, and run with it. Research thoroughly (because anyone can say they’re any type of photographer. lol) and figure out what you LOVE. For instance, I do not do traditional photography. I am skilled at both natural light and flash, 35mm film (analog photography), unposed/candid/documentary photography, and I also love throwing in a touch of cinematic/storytelling photography and editorial posing.
If there’s any single time in your life that you should consider factors OTHER THAN your budget, and your budget alone, it’s this time. If you find a photographer that you really love, but they’re out of budget, let them know the budget you’re working with and ask them how you can still fit them into the budget you have. You can sometimes get away with less hours of photography coverage and lower what you spend. Ask your photographer for options or help with figuring out what to do. You should prioritize that you love the photographer you chose, and figure out how to make that person work over choosing someone else entirely. No two photographers work is alike and you just won’t find the same thing anywhere else. Most photographers would be willing to help you figure out how to stay within budget, I know I would!
“Ashley is the BEST!!! I am a wedding venue owner and I have seen hundreds of photographers. She is creative, her photos are always in focus (my pet peeve) unless it is intentional not to be, and she has a great eye for photography. Her couples are always happy with their gallery. We are always so excited when Seagle Photography is coming because we know we will be able to use her amazing photos for our own social media. ❤️ 100% recommend!”