Hi everyone! My name is Ella from Layla and Associates photography. I was asked this question from a future bride and thought it would be great to share the information with everyone here.
The question – I am looking for a photographer for my wedding but I am worried as some of my friends did not get what they wanted from their photographer. How to choose the right wedding photographer?
Well that is easy, choose me! 😉 I understand where you are coming from as I often have brides ask me questions like, are you sure the images are high res as my sister in law or whatever can’t print her pictures as they go all pixelated! My number one tip is to ask as many questions as you like and make sure you have your photographer explain their contract. Most photographers will not give you all of the images that they take on the day, you will receive a selection. We do offer all of our images in every single wedding package however I understand why lots of photographers refuse. It can be bad publicity for a customer to post a “professional” photo that has technical issues. However the reason I offer all images is because I trust my brides. I know that you want that random photo of your uncle laughing or whatever it may be, and I know you probably won’t print it, post it or add it to your album, some images like that are just nice to have, and I figure just because I don’t find it a great photo technically, it doesn’t mean you won’t love it. Make sure to let your photographer know if there are any particular photos you would love to get too!
Secondly there are a lot of photographers out there to suit all budgets. Please bear in mind that to some extent you get what you pay for. Granted there are some pricey photographers out there who may disappoint but generally if you choose a photographer that is too cheap chances are it will reflect in your photos. Make sure you look through their galleries, ask to see a whole wedding, edited images, unedited images all of it. Some cheaper photographers may be students or part timers doing what they love and they may even offer all of the unedited images to you. Make sure you check out their work though before you book them. Find out if they are experienced with lots of wedding or is there a gallery from only one wedding or even a wedding workshop! Make sure you meet with your photographer and not only feel comfortable with their ability but also with them. I have met some high end photographers (in another country mind you) who were not personable at all, and this can make it very hard to capture great photos if you look like you are uncomfortable! There is no right photographer for everyone, different photographers and different styles of photography suit different people, the main thing is to pick what is right for you.
So after you’ve narrowed your selection down, you will need to meet with your candidates before booking. Here are my top 10 questions you should ask when meeting with a potential photographer.
- How many images do I get with this package?
- Do I get the digital files and are they high resolution? And if they are not included can I purchase them separately and how much will that cost?
- How many weddings have you done?
- Can I see whole wedding? And edited or unedited photos? – note if they do not offer unedited photos they will probably not show you them.
- How much editing do you do, for example, do they batch edit all the images or will they remove blemishes etc on all the images?
- How do they back up your photos?
- How quickly will your photos be ready after the wedding?
- Do their photographers have a working with children check?
- Will it be specifically them photographing on the day?
- What are the hours covered and do you have the option to extend the hours on the day if things run late (and at what cost)?
Images by Layla and Associates
Ms Gingham says: I think these “interview” questions are so spot on! Everyone should make a note!
About Ella: My name is Ella and I am head photographer at Layla and Associates. I love photography and I love weddings! Our style is a mix of candid and posed artistic photos, the kind that make amazing artwork on your wall. We are very easy going which is great for our clients as they become very comfortable with us which makes for great pics : )
This is all great advice. A really good check list too.