Selecting a Wedding Photographer
It's your first meeting with a photographer - what questions do you ask?

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It's your wedding, your special day. It must be just right. Of course, you want your wedding photos to be picture perfect, so it's important to select a qualified and competent photographer. Knowing the right questions to ask makes it easy to select the photographer that's right for you!

Ask the following questions using these topics:

Experience
Qualifications
Photographic Equipment & Facilities
Doing Business the Right Way
Your Wedding Album
Comparison Shopping

If you still have questions, feel free to call!

Experience

How many weddings have you photographed?

Many amateur and professional photographers can create beautiful photographs. But photographing a wedding requires special talents that can be learned only through experience.

Here's an example you want your wedding photos to show lifelike skin tones, while at the same time you want the color and texture of the bridal gown and the groom's formal wear to be shown correctly. Typically, this photographic challenge must be accomplished under less-than-ideal lighting.

Few photographers understand what is required to solve this difficult photographic puzzle. Unfortunately, there are also time constraints and feelings to deal with. A wedding is an emotional time for everyone.

Your photographer must be comfortable working in this environment so that you get the best photos possible. Experience counts. The more, the better!

Have you photographed a wedding like mine before?

Special weddings require special planning. Will your wedding have important ceremonies that must be photographed? Are there special traditions that must be honored? Are there times when the photographer must not intrude? If so, make sure your photographer knows about these situations beforehand.

It's not necessary that your photographer share your customs, your traditions, or your ethnic heritage. However, if your photographer has never been to a wedding like yours, you need to spend extra planning time to insure that important moments are photographed.

In special situations, you might want to arrange for a friend or relative to be the photographer's guide. That way, you can be certain that all of the important people, and all of the special moments, are including in your wedding photos. A guide is particularly helpful if the wedding party or some of the guests speak a language different than the photographer.

Do you have references?

You can learn a lot just by asking. Your photographer should be willing to give you at least three references. If he's not willing or able to offer references, it is probably a big warning sign and you should steer clear.

References are worthless if you don't call, so call each reference. These will almost certainly be happy customers, so try to ask the kind of questions that can help you know how easy or difficult it is to work with your photographer.

Don't be shy. Ask for references.

What are your years of experience?

Years of experience can not only show proficiency, but can also result in a cache of resources. Over a number of years a photographer can collect many valuable resources and establish reliable business connections that they can pass on to their costumers saving them time and money.

Qualifications

What is your educational background?

There is no single right answer to this question, but there are a couple of wrong ones.

Let's look at the right answers first. Studying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography is a fine way to learn the art and craft of photography. A trade school is a good place to get started, and so is an apprenticeship with an experienced wedding photographer. Just make sure that your photographer has the experience to go along with her education.

Here are a few of the wrong answers. You should be wary of the photographer whose only experience is taking photos at a friend's wedding. At the very least, you'll need to examine this photographer's references and portfolio carefully before trusting him to photograph your wedding.

Another scenario where you should ask more questions is when your photographer claims to have been trained by a well-known photographer. Double-check these claims. Sometimes the training may be nothing more than a brief seminar where the well-known photographer spoke to a large audience. Or, perhaps your photographer worked as an assistant to the well-known photographer and has embellished that role into something grander. A phone call to the famous photographer's studio should quickly clear up any misrepresentations.

Are you certified?

Photographers who meet the highest professional and ethical standards can earn certification from one of several professional trade organizations. Professional certification insures that your photographer adheres to a strict code of business ethics, meets the highest standards of integrity, and is technically competent.

To become certified, a photographer must successfully complete a rigorous exam to evaluate the quality and consistency of his work. The photographer's work must be reevaluated periodically, and he must participate in continuing education programs to keep his skills updated.

Most people in the photography business are honest and reputable. Still, it's a good idea to double-check your photographer's credentials. Some photographers claim to be certified, but aren't. Ask for details. You can call the association to confirm your photographer's certification.

You might also contact the Better Business Bureau in your area to make sure there are no outstanding complaints against your photographer. Check other wedding related associations in your area. Many associations operate by strict guidelines to assure the best possible service. Using these resources can save you considerable time and money.

Here is contact information for several professional organizations:

Professional Photographic Equipment & Facilities

What type of equipment do you use?

While some photographers might argue that this is the most important question to ask, it's not. If you think about it, it's a bit like asking an artist which brush he uses. It's the art that matters, not the brush.

That said, there are differences between professional-quality photographic equipment and consumer-grade cameras. When used by an experienced photographer, professional-quality usually results in better photographs.

Make sure your photographer is using professional-quality equipment. Beyond that, there is no reason to compare the brand of one photographer's equipment with that of another.

Instead, look at the results your photographer achieves. Results matter. Equipment doesn't.

Do you have backup equipment?

Murphy's law says that if something can go wrong, it will. When dealing with delicate professional photographic equipment, something inevitably goes wrong. That's why a professional wedding photographer always carries spare camera bodies, lenses, flashes and batteries.

You want your photographer to have a complete backup for every piece of equipment to be used at your wedding. We have all heard many horror stories of photographers loosing images from someone's wedding. In almost every case this is due to insufficient equipment or lack of backup equipment.

If the photographer is shooting digital, they should have enough compact flash storage (commonly called CF cards) to prevent having to erase and reuse any of them on your wedding day. They should also have a backup system in place that will allow them to immediately back up their digital files as soon as possible rather than waiting until they return to their studio. This further safeguards your images by having them immediately stored in two separate locations.

To further safeguard the images we capture on your wedding day, we do not erase the CF cards until we have examined each and every image thoroughly. This means maintaining enough cards to cover two events in a weekend if necessary. Our wedding images become are number one priority after your wedding, and are written to permanent DVDs within 48 hours.

Knowing that your photographer is properly equipped is much more important than knowing which specific brand of equipment your photographer carries.

Will you be using film or a digital camera?

While film can be scanned and transferred into a digital medium, shooting directly to digital does offer several advantages. Retouching a digital photograph, for example, is generally less time consuming, and therefore less expensive, than retouching a comparable film-based photo.

Many digital photographers do their own retouching, color and lightness correction, and color balancing, giving them more control over the final image. Digital photography allows a level of customization that might not be otherwise possible. Some photographers even include minor digital retouching in their fee. It is usually the more cost-effective approach.

Other advantages of using digital equipment include:

Do they have the proper post production training and printing facilities?

Again, many professional photographers are just now entering the digital age. Shooting digital is easy. Printing digital is not. Digital places more demands on the photographer’s technical abilities. It can take a year or more of experience and training to learn to properly expose and print a digital image with professional results. Many photographers just getting into digital are poorly trained or equipped to professionally reproduce digital images. This can result in the customer waiting months for delivery of finished albums or prints, or having to accept uncorrected digital files when the photographer can't deliver.

In either case, you will want to inspect your photographer's portfolio samples carefully to make sure they are of the highest quality. Look for things like sharpness, tonal range, color. If details in the wedding dress are absent, grain looking artifacts are present, color is flat, or skin tones look off color -- this could be an indication of outdated equipment or the photographer’s lack of proper training, equipment or experience to print the images.

What kind of film do you use?

If your photographer prefers to use film, there are many fine films from which to choose. However, only a few of these address the unique problems of photographing a wedding.

Unfortunately, consumer-grade films are not up to the task. Wedding photography needs a film that can show color, texture and skin tone accurately.

Professional films like Fuji NHG and Kodak Portra are designed to provide a higher quality of color saturation, exposure latitude, and fine grain. These films have a short shelf life and must be used while fresh. It won't surprise you to learn that these professional films are a challenge for an inexperienced photographer to use.

Who is going to process the film?

The one-hour photo lab is cheap and fast. Unfortunately, these labs too often deliver inconsistent results. Worse, they are sometimes guilty of mishandling your materials, resulting in scratched or damaged negatives or lost film. That's not want you want for your wedding photographs.

While some photographers process their own film, most send their film to high-quality professional labs. The reason is simple. A good lab handles the film carefully and provides consistent results. You rarely see problems caused by exhausted chemicals or poor handling from these pro labs.

But high-quality service doesn't come cheap. Don't be surprised if these fees are significantly higher than the one-hour lab.

How many lights will you use on the wedding day?

A single light source mounted on the camera will properly expose a picture, but it tends to make your face look fat, flat and washed out. An additional light can alleviate this problem by putting extra light on one side of your face. This gives your face a more natural look and reduces the effect of dark shadows and backgrounds. The additional light can be carried by an assistant or mounted on a stand.

Do you plan to use any natural-light?

Natural light, either outdoors or from an open window, can give a very pleasant look when properly used. Your photographer may need special reflectors or light diffusers to effectively use this technique.

Do you have a portrait studio?

Or is there another location where portrait photos can be taken? This would be important to you if, for example, you want a formal bridal portrait taken before the wedding. You may also want studio photos taken to commemorate your engagement, or a casual photo of the bride and groom, or of the parents of the bride and groom.

Doing Business The Right Way

Will you provide a written proposal?

You could be disappointed if you learn an item you thought was included in a quote was really an optionally priced extra. A written proposal will avoid almost all misunderstanding between a client and a photographer.

Here are a few items that are sometimes overlooked, but should be specified in the quote:

Some photographers adhere strictly to the terms of the contract. Therefore, it makes sense for the proposal to specify the amount of time the photographer will spend at your wedding, the number of locations, the album size, the number of prints, and the types of photographs provided.

You might want to ask about the photographer's flexibility. Weddings often fall behind schedule. Sometimes a ceremony time may need to be changed. Ask if your photographer can work with you if there are unplanned scheduling or location changes before or on the wedding day.

Also, ask about costs or penalties for making a change to your order. Sometimes a package price does not allow for any substitutions. Make sure you know what is included and excluded in any package arrangement, and make sure you understand how extras are handled.

Get it in writing. It's the smart way to do business.

Who will actually photograph your wedding?

Would you be surprised if the photographer you hired sent an assistant or a subcontractor to actually photograph your wedding ceremony and reception? Then make sure you understand who will actually show up on your wedding day. Ask to meet them and see their portfolio.

Some companies use assistants or hire subcontractors to photograph your wedding. You might be shown portfolio samples of the studio owner's work instead of the actual photographer who will be present for your wedding. While this approach fulfills the studio's contractual commitment to photograph your wedding, it seems a bit misleading. Make sure your contract specifies which photographer will actually take the pictures on your wedding day. Is there a clause in the contract that allows the company to send a substitute photographer?

Tell me about digital/film media, image ownership and copyright releases?

Copyright is a property right. Under the Federal Copyright Act of 1976 (effective January 1, 1978 and amended when the USA joined the Berne Convention in 1989), photographs are protected by copyright from the moment of creation. In all cases, any photo taken by any photographer cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the photographer.

Many photographers either include a copyright release and digital/film media with their packages or the option to purchase a copyright release for one or more images. This allows the holder of the release to reproduce one or more images as defined in the copyright release.

If you plan to purchase the original media with a copyright release, inquire as to the format. If film, then you should receive negatives. If digital, then you will want high resolution JPEG and RAW formatted images.

RAW format is a camera dependent format created by the camera at time of capture. Most professional photographers use the this format for printing because it contains all the information needed for optimum reproduction. It also requires special software, training, and equipment.

JPEG format is a compressed universal version of the RAW format. This version does not contain all the information that the RAW format does, but it can be printed with amateur quality results by most anyone with a computer and printer. The ability to improve exposure, color, or make major modifications can be limited.

Some photographers, commonly known as "shoot and burn" photographers, offer to photograph your wedding in digital and deliver the images in JPEG format. This may be a cheaper route to go, but keep in mind that now the burden shifts to you to find a way to accurately and professionally make prints from your wedding day images. If the photographer significantly under or overexposes the images, uses the wrong color balance, or has focus or other technical issues, the burden is on you and not the photographer to try to make acceptable prints from poorly captured images.

Post-production of digital images requires hundreds of hours of technical training along with expertly calibrated equipment. Quality results are also highly dependent on the quality of the captured image. If the photographer is delivering finished prints and albums to the customer, the photographer knows that lighting, exposure, composition, and camera settings must be near perfect to produce quality prints.

Are the photos in your advertising materials taken by you?

Companies like Marathon Press, Art Leather, Leather Craftsmen, Fuji, and Kodak sell wedding brochures that feature photos by nationally known photographers. A studio might use these generic brochures and silently imply the photos are their own. Some would-be photographers have been known to use another photographer's images on their own website.

Don't assume that your photographer took the photos appearing in brochures or other sales literature. Examine actual samples of your photographer's work before making a commitment.

Do you require a written contract or agreement?

After interviewing photographers, reviewing portfolio samples, and getting written quotes, it's time to contract for the services of your favorite photographer. A contract confirms the date, times, locations, price, financial arrangements, special services and all deliverables. Your contract should identify any items that are subject to change, and how changes are handled and priced. Also, your contract should identify which photographer will actually photograph your wedding and stipulate cancellation or inability to deliver policies.

Always get a written agreement. It helps you understand exactly what you're buying, and it helps avoid future conflicts. A contract protects your rights as well as the rights of the photographer.

What are the financial terms?

Your photographer expects to be paid, usually in advance. An initial payment or retainer will be required to secure the photographer for your wedding date. You should expect this retainer to be up to 50% of the total contract. Without the retainer, your photographer is free to schedule another wedding for your date. Don’t be afraid to ask for flexibility if cash flow is a problem. Most reputable photographers will gladly setup a payment plan, but in most cases, the remainder of the photographer's fee will be due before the day of the wedding.

What happens if you cannot fulfill your obligation?

Ideally, the photographer should supply a professional replacement photographer, with your consent. Otherwise, you should expect a full refund of any monies paid.

What happens if I need to cancel your services?

When you contracted for services, the photographer had to turn away any other requests that would conflict with your wedding date. If you cancel, depending on the circumstances, you may have to forfeit your retainer. Additional cancellation penalties may apply, and you may be required to reimburse for any expenses incurred on your behalf. In some cases you may be able to get a refund if the photographer can rebook your date with another customer.

If you have any concern that your wedding could be cancelled for any reason other than change of heart, most wedding professionals recommend securing wedding or event insurance. Many insurance companies offer a special rider that can be added to your home owner insurance policies, or you can purchase the insurance through another company like Fireman’s Fund. In most cases, it not only covers losses of retainers, but losses due to accidents, and losses for failure to deliver from any of your wedding vendors.

How long will you store the negatives or digital media?

If your photographer does not provide safe, long-term storage, ask if you may purchase the negatives or the digital media up front or at a later date.

Comparison Shopping

Do you feel comfortable with your photographer?

It's worth the effort to spend extra time with your photographer before the wedding day. Meet more than once if necessary. Here are some things to ask yourself:

Take your time. Don't be pressured. You're making a large investment, and you won't be able redo the wedding if you're unhappy with the photography. If you are not comfortable with a photographer, he's/she's probably not the right one for you.

What is your photographer's style?

There are several approaches to wedding photography. While it's more a question of style than quality, the images resulting from each approach are dramatically different.

Portrait-style photographers rely on selling prints. When people pay by the print, they often shy away from less-traditional images. This is why the portrait-style photographer tends to shoot only traditional, posed images. Those images tend to sell.

The Creative Arts Style
This is an increasingly popular approach to wedding photography that blends contemporary photojournalism with traditional wedding portraiture maintaining a very natural look.

Like the photojournalists' style, this approach conveys the mood and ambiance of the day. The photographs show the bond between family and friends, the warm feelings, the spontaneous emotions, and the expression of love.

This style also includes a variety of traditional wedding-day images, similar to those taken by the portrait-style photographers. For example, group portraits of the bride's family, the groom's family, and the bridal party are attractively posed. However, even when posing, this approach emphasizes relationships, and looks for a warm, relaxed, sincere appearance.

Which style is right for you?

There is no right or wrong answer. However, it's important that your photographer's style provides the kind of photos you want.

If you're hoping for a storybook wedding album that describes the mood and narrative of your wedding day, consider the Creative Arts' style. You will be delighted with our unique story-telling approach, and your wedding album will bring memories and joy for years to come.

How many pictures will you capture on the wedding day?

Portrait-style photographers tend to take fewer pictures. Their package prices are generally lower, but they often charge more for extra prints, enlargements, and additional albums. Package prices for photojournalist photographers are generally higher, but you typically get more images, especially candid shots.

Are your packages flexible?

Many photographers offer bundled packages to attract business. These packages often specify:

If you are considering a package deal, make certain that the package fits your needs precisely. If it does not, ask if there is any flexibility in the package deal.

For example, if your wedding runs a little longer than planned, will the photographer stay a little later? How will the additional time be billed? If you would like to have extra prints of one or two images, how will you be charged for those prints? If you decide that you'd like a few more pages in your wedding album, is it possible? How much will it cost?

Before buying a package deal, make sure it fits your needs.

How much time will you spend at my wedding?

Some photographers try to contract more than one event during a day. This could make the photographer unavailable for an unplanned schedule change. There may be additional fees if the photographer is required to stay beyond the contracted time or required to be available for schedule changes.

Do you have a sample of a complete wedding album?

Sometimes, photographers highlight only their best work by hand picking exceptional shots from many different weddings. What you need, instead, is to know that your photographer's work is consistently good throughout the course of a wedding.

Ask to see an album of a complete wedding. This will give you a better feel for the quality of the photography in many different situations.

How does your photographer's quality compare to other professionals?

Many photographers provide a portfolio on DVD or on postcards. This makes it easy to obtain samples from several different photographers.

Ideally, you should examine all of the portfolios at the same time, side-by-side. That way, differences will be easy to see, and you won't have to rely on memory.

Does your photographer offer a guarantee?

What happens if, years later, the photos fade or turn color? What happens if the album falls apart or becomes discolored? If you are unhappy with your album or pictures, how will the photographer make things right?

You should ask about a guarantee before signing a contract.

A few more questions to ask before finally selecting your photographer:

The Finished Product - Your Wedding Album

What kind of photo album(s) do you offer?

Look for a high quality album that carries a lifetime guarantee. Albums should be high quality, archival, and acid free. Ideally, it will be custom-made for you.

What is the quality and adaptability of the albums?

A forty-eight print/page album might appear financially attractive, until you consider the limitations. Is there an additional fee for adding more photos or pages if needed? What finish will the prints have? Can I arrange my photos in any size or quantity? Can I pick the images that will go in my album? Are you limited to certain sizes or number of pages?

How long will it take to deliver previews, prints and albums?

This will vary from photographer to photographer. You should expect a minimum of two weeks for previews. However, it may take up to 60 days to deliver all of your materials. Ask your photographer for an estimated delivery schedule.

How will I view my wedding pictures?

Will your photographer provide paper proof sheets, or will proofs be on photo CD, on video, on-line or will you be required to view them at the studio? Do I get to keep the proofs or must I return them? Will I have to make all of my decisions when I view the proofs or can I take them home with me? Is there an additional charge for proofs?

To receive a estimate now, submit information about your wedding by clicking here and we will contact you within 24 hours. To arrange a free consultation for a more personalized quote call us at (540) 722-9000.