What Should You Look For When Choosing A Photographer
6 Ginormous Mistakes couples Make when Choosing A wedding Photographer
Planning a wedding gets more complicated everyday.
There are too many voices out there offering couples advice on how to plan the perfect wedding. A lot of it is scary! There is so much misinformation out there. I can only assume that a lot of the articles we see are written by people with little to no actual wedding experience.
Today, I’m going to share with you 6 ginormous mistakes couples make when choosing a wedding photographer.
1. Choosing A Photographer Based on How They “Describe” Their Photography Style
I have talked a lot about this advice in previous articles I’ve written. This is definitely a huge pet peeve. Asking a photographer how they would describe their photography style does absolutely nothing to help you in choosing a photographer. And yet, almost every website offering wedding planning advice will tell you to do this. They will also tell you to research the different photography styles and hire a photographer that specializes in that style.
The information you find online about wedding photography styles is so inconsistent. One website will provide explanations for 8 different styles. The next will explain 11 different styles. The next has 6. There are only so many styles - it might be 11 or 13 or 17. Whatever it is, why doesn’t every website explain all of them? If style is such a critical decision, why aren’t they providing a consistent and all inclusive list?
The second issue I have with their advice, has to do with hiring a photographer that “specializes” in the style you like most. If you asked 5 photographers - all describing their photography style exactly the same - to photograph the exact same scene, wouldn’t you get 5 of the same or very similar looking photos?
Spoiler alert, the answer is no. Because all photographer’s styles are formed from how they were raised as children, life experiences, educational experiences, their use of light, etc… All of these things play a role in how a photographer views the world.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I agree that photography style is important. And I have a very top secret - almost classified - approach for evaluating photography style.
Are you ready for it? This is such a revolutionary idea it’s going to blow your mind.
Look at a photographer’s photos to decide whether or not you like their style.
You can’t say I didn’t warn you. I told you, my idea would be ground breaking!
All kidding aside, this is truly the best way of determining whether or not you like a photographer’s style.
Look at their images and ask yourself these questions:
How do the people in their photos look? Do they seem happy? Do they appear relaxed?
How well does the photographer compose their photos? Do they have an interesting look to them?
How well does the photographer appear to use light? Is it really harsh and unnatural looking? Can you even tell if there using additional lighting?
How do you like their editing? Are the colors vibrant and natural? Or do their photos look like something out of a sci-fi movie?
One last thought about editing. Always ask a photographer if the photos on their website are the same photos they delivered to their clients. There are a lot of photographers out there that don’t believe in or like editing, and their website images go through a much stricter editing process. It would really stink to get your photos later on and have them look nothing like the photos that won you over.
2. Price Focused
Photographers have contact forms on their websites so couples can submit inquiries and provide a little information about their wedding. This helps the photographer to have a little better understanding of what you’re looking for. You would be amazed at how many couples don’t provide any details and simply write, “Please provide me with your wedding package pricing.”
Some couples this question because they don’t know what they should be asking. But many couples ask this question because their first priority when choosing a photographer is price. I know what you’re thinking - “I have a budget and I can’t just hire any wedding photographer I want.” I agree. That makes perfect sense. However, if you choose a photographer based on price, I can almost guarantee you’re going to be very disappointed. You might find a photographer for $1,000, but when your photos are all dark and blurry, it will be the worst $1,000 you ever spent. Having a budget doesn’t mean you can’t choose decentphotographer. And, depending your budget, you may be surprised to discover that for an extra $500 or $1,000 you could have the photographer of your dreams. There are tons of ways to cut $500 or $1,000 from your wedding budget to get the photographer you really want. Most couples wish they had a smaller wedding. It’ pretty easy to cut just 5 people from the guest list. That would get you a quick $1,000.
The reason you can’t choose a photographer based on price is that you’re paying for their experience, expertise, creativity and personality. You get what you pay for. Hiring a photographer is very different than trying decide whether you should buy a cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. A photographer’s experience, expertise, creativity and especially their personality are critical to the success of your day. This person will be by your side the entire day. Try to imagine how miserable your day could be if there is something about their personality that annoys you. You would be surprised at how many photographers out there are rude and unfriendly.
[The Truth About Wedding Photography Prices]
3. Choosing A Photographer For All the Wrong Reasons
Choosing a photographer is a lot like dating. At first, you’re attracted to their beauty….in this case, the beauty of their photographs. But beauty alone is not enough. Dating doesn’t lead to a relationship if the other person isn’t a good fit you and you’re not a good fit for them.
We’ve all met people that are stunningly beautiful, but their beauty quickly fades when when we discover their personality is lacking. On the flip side, an average looking person suddenly becomes very attractive when they have a great personality.
The same principles hold true when it comes to choosing a wedding photographer.
You may love their photographs. You might even believe they are the most beautiful photographs you’ve ever seen. But what if their personality make you feel completely uncomfortable? What if they annoy you? Or their rude and unfriendly?
When choosing a wedding photographer, it’s essential they have a great personality that meshes very well with yours. When this type of relationship exists, your photography will soar! It will allow you to form a mutually trusting relationship that engages you and lets your true essence come to the surface.
Sure, there are important considerations to be made when choosing a photographer - the number of hours of coverage, whether or not you will get the rights to the digital files, etc…, but all of these details take a back seat to the connection between you and a photographer. The other details can be worked out.
4. Using A Different Photographer For your Engagement Session & Wedding
You might be wondering why you need to use the same photographer for your engagement session and wedding. Isn’t the point of the engagement session to get some nice photos for your save-the-date cards?
The single most important aspect of wedding photography is the connection between you and your photographer. That makes the engagement session the second most important aspect. The engagement session is generally about an hour long and during this time you, and your photographer, will able to get to know each other a little better on a personal level. Additionally, you will learn a great deal about their work-style and they will learn about your “couple-style.”
The engagement session is also the perfect time for your photographer to learn about any bad habits you might have. Most people feel uncomfortable being in-front of the camera. This can lead to unflattering gestures. For example, some people want to tilt their heads backwards. A photo of someone’s nostrils is rarely appealing; therefore, your photographer will learn about these little issues and be able to correct them immediately to ensure the most beautiful photos.
The engagement session is the perfect dress rehearsal for the big day. It will also reduce your stress come the wedding day because you won’t be worrying about whether or not your photographer is friendly or helpful or fun. All of these fears will drift away with engagement session. You will know how to do everything and the photos on your wedding day will go much smoother.
5. Scrimping On Your Wedding Photographer
Following every wedding season, there are companies that survey couples to see what they liked and disliked about their weddings. I have personally paid close attention to these surveys for nearly 9 years. I’m still amazed at how similar the results of these surveys are year after year.
One of the top 5 biggest regrets couples have every single year is scrimping on their wedding photographer. An alarming number of couples say, “We wish we would have spent more money for a quality photographer.”
One of the worst decisions couples make every year is having a friend or family member with a “nice camera” photograph their wedding. This rarely ends well. I’ve seen a lot of stories about friendships and family relationships that been ruined over this exact situation. Most people don’t understand the pressures and skills required to be a good wedding photographer. I know professional photographers that have photographed weddings for friends or family members, and they vowed they would never do it again. They couldn’t believe how stressful and difficult it was. And these are good photographers. Asking someone you know to photograph your wedding because they like photography is a disaster waiting to happen.
The other big mistake couples make is trying to hire the cheapest wedding photographer possible. You will always find a photographer that will photograph your wedding for a cheap price. But the question is, should you?
When you’re planning a wedding, you’re bombarded with a lot of expenses. It’s very easy to sell yourself on going “cheap.” We justify it in our minds by telling ourselves we are doing the responsible thing. If your wedding photos aren’t a priority, then this might be a viable option for you. However, if your wedding photos have any value to you, you’re risking all of your memories. There are so many ways to cut costs on your wedding and reinvest that money into the details that matter most to you.
I like to suggest to couples, as they begin their wedding planning, to sit down in a quiet room. Imagine your wedding day from beginning to end. See yourself getting ready, at the ceremony, the reception, etc…Imagine your guests and really tap into the emotion that comes with the day. Now imagine the photographs you will want to have when everything is said and done. I call this planning your wedding backwards. I think it really helps us to understand what’s truly matters to us most.
6. Stifling Their Creative Freedom
A lot of couples hire a photographer and then hand them a packet of poses they got from Pinterest. Here are a few issues to think about if you’re considering this approach:
It’s Not All Real…
Pinterest can be a great resource. But it can also be dangerous. Pinterest is designed for inspiration, not replication. A lot of the photos on Pinterest aren’t from real weddings. They were created using models, elaborate lighting set-ups and the perfect location. It may have taken a couple of hours to create some of these images. A luxury wedding photographers don’t have on a real wedding day.
Which Photographer Should You Really Hire…
If you’re tempted to print out a packet of poses for your photographer, it might be time to rethink your decision. Hopefully, part of the reason you hired your photographer was because you like their creative photos, and you trust their creative vision. If you want them to re-create a bunch of photos from Pinterest, you would be much better off hiring the photographer that took those photos.
Without Trust, You Have Nothing…
Like any good relationship, without trust you have nothing. A lot of couples hire a photographer, but don’t trust their creative vision. They essentially try to direct the photographer and manage the photo sessions themselves. If you share these feelings, this is a sure sign you’ve hired the wrong photographer and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll never be happy with the photos.
A wedding is a big deal and of course you want everything to be as perfect as possible. However, it’s critical you let your photographer create if you want the best possible photos. Rather than giving them a shotlist of Pinterest photos, use Pinterest to make a mood board. Show your photographer your favorite photos so they can get a feel for the types of images that most appeal to you. You can let them know that you like this photo because of the pose or another photo because of the lighting. This will be a far more effective way of communicating your likes and dislikes.