Congratulations! You are now engaged and it is time to start planning the wedding. You are probably wondering what questions to ask your wedding photographer.
Before asking any questions, I recommend meeting or speaking with your photographer. Remember, your photographer will be with you the whole day, from the moment you start getting ready until you are dancing the night away at the reception.
1. What’s Your Photography Style?
Most photographers do a combination of photojournalism and portraits. Some do exclusively portraits or photojournalism. Photojournalism style wedding photography means the photographer will not give direction, but will take unposed photographs. Traditional style wedding photography means there is an emphasis on portrait photographs. A traditional photographer may stop you as you are walking down the aisle to get that perfect pose.
Modern photographers typically do a combination of traditional and candid photos. For example, they will take candid photographs of you during the ceremony and at the reception, but will give clear directions during the formal photo session to make sure you get nice photographs with your family, wedding party and loved ones.
Have a look at Courtney and Riley’s wedding to see a combination of candid photos and formal group portraits.
How Do You Edit Your Photos?
Some photographers, like myself, use a true to colour editing style. I have seen many editing trends come and go, and true to colour is the safest bet for making sure your photos look timeless in twenty years. There was selective colouring in the early 2000s, as well as blue and brown filters (that made your photos look like a blue and white or brown and white, as opposed to a black and white). Then came the yellow filter trend, that many photographers now refer to as the “peed on” look, because all the photos had a slightly yellow tinge.
Do You Have Backup Equipment?
Every professional will have a backup camera in case the primary one fails. This happened to me once, in the middle of a wedding. The motor on my camera died and I was not able to push the button to take another photo. I pulled my backup camera out of my camera back and the couple had no clue that my other one died.
Do You Have a Backup Photographer You Can Call in Case of Emergency?
We have more than one photographer at Rabbat Photography, and we can call on them if needed. I know a lot of wedding photographers I can call on should the unexpected happen.
How Do You Store Our Images?
Hopefully, your photographer doesn’t just photograph your wedding and delete the memory card. I have had clients whose weddings I photographed 10 years ago contact me to ask if I still had their photos as they had lost them. I store images on external hard drives and I also back them up online in case my place catches fire or I have another emergency. I highly recommend that you backup your images offsite and on external hard drives as soon as you receive them.
What Do You Typically Wear to a Wedding?
Wedding photographers usually dress up in either a suit, a dress or a collared shirt with dress pants, but some will wear jeans. This is a good question to ask if you do not want your photographer wearing jeans.
Why Are Wedding Photos So Important?
Your wedding photos (and wedding rings) are the only thing you have left after the wedding. Once the vows have been said, the food and cake have been eaten, the guests have gone home, and the day is done, you will have your memories, but will you remember them in fifty years? Your mind will take some photos, but your photographer will take photos of things you may not realize happened, like your guests interacting with each other, the way your spouse smiled at you as you said your vows, or the way your best friend cried during your speeches. Maybe you will make a tradition of looking at your wedding album on your anniversary each year, or maybe you will have children and they will want to see your wedding photos.
Tell Us About Yourself!
Another important consideration is that your photographer will be with you the whole day. Make sure you like them!
What Do You Think of Shotlists?
If you want your photographer to capture mainly candid photos, they will not be able to do this if you have a shot list for every hour of the day. If you want to make sure nobody gets forgotten in the group photo session, it is a good idea to have a shot list for grouping, but if you present your photographer with a shot list, like “Canopy before ceremony, photos of hanging baskets, photo of me walking down the aisle,” it can be harder for them to look around for the special moments that are happening and are not on the list and as a result, they may miss some of those (whereas most professionals will automatically take all of those photos without looking at a list).
