Guide as to how to select a good wedding photographer and what to avoid

What’s the one comment we hear from almost every bride? “The wedding day flew by in a flash.” That’s why it is so important to ensure that your wedding photographs truly capture this once-in-a-lifetime day.  Long after your confetti has been swept away, your wedding photographs will be the best reminder of your memorable wedding moment, and your wedding album will be treasured for years to come.   If you’re not happy with the end results, it is very difficult if not impossible to re-create wedding photos after the event.  It is essential to empahsise that not all professional photographers are the same.

You want a wedding photographer who has excellent skills to ensure the photos are neither under or over-exposed.  He should also be an expert with lighting as in retaining the ambient light at your venue instead of introducing artificial lights that are too strong that will kill the atmosphere altogether, and appear somewhat clinical in your finished photos. A good professional photographer must also be an expert with composition, has design skills and creative flair.  This is important especially if you are after more imaginative photos, rather than having the same old wedding images at every wedding.  You want your wedding to stand out and be unique from other weddings that the photographer has photographed, so go for the more creative wedding photographers who can combine both creativity, lighting and spontaneity to produce stunning results that are different for every wedding.  You do not want a photographer that stays with a set formula at every wedding all because the photographer knows it works and considered a safe way of working.  There are reportage photographers out there using the same formula at every wedding e.g. take the bouquet from the same angle, same style and angle when taking the cake shot, same approach for covering bridal getting ready, and so on.

What you see is really what you get.  Start by looking at photographers’ websites online to get a feel for his or her work.  At the very least, look at three to four full weddings.  If the three to four weddings has very much the same approach and style, i.e. the angles, composition and lighting are all very much the same in all the weddings seen on his portfolio, it is probably best to stay away and to start looking at another photographer’s site.  If they are different, look again at the imagery they create, and see how the lighting and composition appeals to you.

Spontaneous moments are great images to capture, and most photographers are now providing this relaxed form of photography but you should ensure that the photographer captures the peak of the expression.  Avoid photographers that show subjects in mid-speech, take wide angle view of a group of guests where there is absolutely nothing happening as such shots could easily be taken by Uncle Martin with his brand new digital camera from Jessops!  This style of reportage photography is more difficult than it looks, so find a photographer with lots of reportage experience by looking at several of his weddings online, and judging his skills to capture the spontaneous moments at their peak. Lighting and composition must also accompany the moment.  Consistent shots captured this way with full regard for these criteria will ensure this is the right photographer for you. 

Do not look at just their greatest hits gallery where the photographer will only showcase his or her best images.  For reportage style photography, it is even more important to look at several complete online wedding albums to ensure the photographer uses creativity at every wedding, and each wedding looks different  The photographer only gets an instant to capture a pose, so if they’ve got it wrong, the moment will be lost forever.  A special moment is not just about someone laughing but covers all types of emotional moments.

Most reportage photographers today will also provide you with some posed photos, quite often they are requested by the couple for their families.  For these posed shots, your photographer should have a little art director in him or her, coaxing the best performance from you, your family and guests but he should help people to look relax and look natural.  Again, look at the online galleries to see this is the case.

And don’t forget the smaller details of the day sometimes ignored by wedding photographers.  You have spent a lot of time, energy and money on your wedding, it would be a real shame if there were no record of the beautiful results of favours, placecards or centrepieces.

Pricing – Be very aware of photographers who do not stay through to your first dance.  Some photographers will only stay up to the time when you start your wedding breakfast, and then offer extended coverage.  There is nothing wrong with that but the amount charged thereafter comes at an alarming high rate of often £125 per hour or some even higher.

Albums – If these are included in the package, ensure you get at least 80 photographs.  It is difficult to have a good effective storyboard of your day with less than 80 photographs.  When comparing prices, you may find one photographer’s album package more attractive than the competitor. You should not compare prices until you are certain that you have evaluated other factors as constant e.g. the style, composition, lighting and the ablity to capture images at the peak of expression. Then, and only then, can you compare prices. Ensure you do not have to purchase additional images after the wedding, hence paying a higher rate for each additional album page and the initial collection offers you at least 80 photographs. 

The Album design – Ensure that photographers offer you the choice of images that are designed and mounted in the album. It is your wedding, an all important day in your lives,  and it should be your choice as to what stays and what goes.  We are aware that some guests or individuals are probably not as important as others, and likewise you may prefer some expressions and not others.  The photographer should not be making this decision for you. We suggest that you avoid the photographers who provide you with a complete album and not giving you any choice.