Help choosing a wedding photographer for the first time....
Choosing a wedding photographer is a bit daunting for couples if they haven't had to deal with choosing/hiring a photographer before.
As most people aren't really familiar with photography and only generally come across it in glossy magazines and newspapers it comes to no surprise that the average person isn't really in touch with truly appreciating photography as an art form or know what defines a good photograph from a bad one.
Here are some rules of thumb on how to choose the photographer that's right for you on your special day:
Style: When it really comes down to it you need to choose a wedding photographer who's style of photography you like the most. Whether you like contemporary, classical, reportage, artistic, high fashion....it is truly a very personal thing and a decision you need to make before you go through your list of photographers to contact. If you prefer the fly on the wall approach, with a storybook way of portraying the wedding then go for a reportage wedding photographer. If it's classical wedding photography you prefer then choose a wedding photographer that shows well balanced groups in their portfolios. (When I say 'well balanced' I mean of symmetrical appearance. Groups shots only look good if the subjects are placed carefully in the composition and can look messy if care is not taken)
Some wedding photographers have a flare for capturing groups with life & emotion, whereas others just shoot straightforward groups without capturing the moment and these appear dull and lifeless. So make sure they show you examples of these in their portfolios.
A good way of seeing a selection of high quality wedding photographers in one place is by going on a wedding photographers directory site like OnlineWeddings.co.uk and viewing the wedding photographers portfolios online before you approach them. If you like the idea of having a mixture of both reportage and classical wedding photographs then you will need to find a wedding photographer that is good at both. See an example here.
Whole Wedding Examples: You really need to see a whole wedding taken by a wedding photographer to see how consistent their work is. A lot of wedding photographers simply put a selection of their finest work on their websites so you need to ask to see a whole wedding if possible. I always show my clients the most recent whole weddings taken in my portfolio to give them a true taste of my work.
Personality: The personality of your wedding photographer is a crucial factor. A lot of people don't realise that a simple thing like how you get on with your photographer is just/even more important than the style of their work. You'll be spending a lot of time with them on your special day so you really need to make sure they fit in with you and your guests and make you feel at ease.
Quality versus budget: You don't want to compromise quality for budget. Set in your mind the most you can spend and let you wedding photographer know this amount. In general if you go for a wedding photographer that seems a lot cheaper than the rest of the high quality wedding photographers it's usually because the quality of their work isn't as good. Do you really want to sacrifice your wedding pictures when it comes to saving money on your wedding day?
Think about it...at the end of the day your expensive flowers will have wilted, your cake will have been consumed etc. but your wedding pictures will be around for a lifetime as a testiment to your wedding day. So many people make the mistake of going for the cheapest wedding photographers they can find and hope that just because they have pro digital equipment that they'll do a good job. This is NOT the case! Beware as there are a lot of cowboy wedding photographers out there that claim to be pro wedding photographers but only do the odd wedding every now and then and aren't experienced or creative in the slightest.
A good way of making sure the wedding photographer you choose isn't one of these 'fly by nights' is by asking to see whole weddings as discussed earlier. If they can show you at least one whole wedding and their work is consistant throughout then you can rest assured they are truly pro wedding photographers as their work speaks for itself.
I hope this article has been helpful to any wedding couples having trouble out there or are about to choose a wedding photographer in their first steps of wedding planning for the very first time.
Obviously if I can be of any more help or you'd like to check my availability for wedding photography in the London area please don't hesitate to contact me on imagecapture@mac.com. If you haven't already checked out my website you can do so here!
Good luck with your wedding planning!
Submitted by ImageCapture | Wedding Photographers in London, Wedding Photographers in Enfield, Wedding Photographers in Hampstead , Wedding Photographers in Wood Green, Wedding Photographers in Southgate and all surrounding areas.
