How to Choose a Wedding Photographer - by Ashton Lamont
Download a printable version here (Adobe Reader required free from here)
Long after the food has been eaten, the flowers have wilted, the DJ has packed up, the dress has been stored, and you have returned from you dream honeymoon, you will appreciate the homework you did now to ensure that your wedding day memories are kept vivid by gorgeous professional photography.
This checklist was compiled by Ashton Lamont with the help of members of a private online community of professional wedding photographers based chiefly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It comprises the questions most frequently posed by prospective clients. Its not in order of importance and not necessarily reflective of your own priorities. But it should help you to remember to check the points that matter to you.
- Experience: How long have you been in business. How many weddings have you personally shot as the main photographer. Do you belong to any trade organizations and why.
- Sample photographs you have shown us: Were these shot by you. Be very specific in your questioning. In the UK a number of studio and franchise businesses supply their photographers with idealised sample images featuring professional models. Some wedding album manufacturers supply similarly "setup" images. Some photographers buy images from picture agencies with which to promote their business. Some even steal images from others websites (please notify us if you recognise an Ashton Lamont image on another website, it happens more than you might think!). Insist you see examples of complete wedding days - not just a "greatest hits" compilation. Again, some images may have been taken whilst the photographer assisted as a “second shooter” under the direction of a more experienced professional and may not be repeatable on your day.
- Equipment: What kind of equipment do you use. Do you shoot film or digital - does it even matter. Do you have backup equipment (e.g. do your camera bodies write to a 2nd memory card simultaneously). Do you offer black and white and other effects. What extra lighting do you use.
- Preparation: Do you visit the ceremony/reception location before the wedding day. Do you go to rehearsals.
- Execution: What is your “style” of photography. What parts of the day do you cover and for how long (e.g. bride and helpers preparing at home, arrival at the wedding venue, the ceremony, formal group and individual shots, bride and groom at local beauty spot, reception). Will you be the person taking the pictures. Do you have assistants. How many pictures do you take – and how many pictures do I receive for approval. Will you accept suggestions for certain poses and shots. When can we take the formal photographs before/after the ceremony. What happens if a particular picture doesn't come out. Will you go off site to shoot formals. What if I need extra time on the wedding day. What happens if it rains. Do you restrict guests taking pictures. What do you wear. Do we feed you.
- Costs and Payment: What are your fees, when are they due, and what do they include. How much is the deposit. What payment methods do you offer for the package and for reprints. Refund policy on retainers and deposits. Does it cost extra for album design or is that included. How much are extra prints and reprints. Do you offer off-season or weekday or short-notice discounts. If I don't want something in your package do I get a discount. What do you charge to travel. Are there any extra fees (either on top of listed package prices or that come up after the wedding). Can I pay you after the wedding. Do you sell the negatives and the high-resolution digital files. My parents want to pay for part of the photography – how is this done as the contract is with me.
- Afterwards: Do you offer a website gallery and online proofing. For how long does the gallery stay online. Do you do proofs in print. How long do proofs take. What albums do you offer and how long do I have to choose my album and reprints. Can I design my album layout. How long does my album take to produce. Do you offer parents albums. For how long do you keep the negatives and digital files. Can you supply a CD of the pictures. Do you offer a DVD slideshow.
- Sundry: For how long can you keep a provisional date open. Do you offer engagement portraits. What happens if you get ill. My reception site requires that all wedding vendors carry their own insurance. Do you have insurance and what type of policy is it. If disaster should strike what is your policy on re-shooting.
And be aware that:
- Recommendations from venues: Some venues recommend photographers on the basis that a fee is paid by the photographer to the venue either directly or through advertising in their inhouse wedding guide. You may wish to treat such recommendations with caution as they are unlikely to have anything what so ever to do with competence in photography, and to establish that any fees will not be passed on to you.
- Website presence: Sophisticated websites can be purchased from designers for just a few £, and populated with images purchased from agencies, stolen from other photographers, or obtained from shooting a handful of weddings for friends. All so that the "photographer" appears more experienced or competent than he actually is. If your photographer cannot show you dozens of great complete weddings you may not wish to be his guinea pig on your wedding day!
- "Award Winning" & "Qualified": There are several thousand "awards" made each year in the UK, many classes of which have less than a handful of entrants. Qualifications other than from universities and colleges are unregulated. Caveat emptor - buyer beware - do your research.
In the UK there are three trade organisations catering to wedding and social photographers:
The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP)
The Master Photographers Association (MPA)
The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP)
You may wish to visit each website and make your own assessment as to the difficulty of achieving their qualifications and their relevance to your requirements. - Videography: You may have noticed that some photographers refuse your booking if you plan to have videography. This is because there can be conflicts of interest where stills and video are shot at the same time; there can be insufficient space, and video equipment by its very nature can be attention grabbing and intrusive, thereby severely compromising your stills photography. Problems may be compounded since most UK videographers are hobbyists inexperienced in shooting weddings. If you plan to have video you should exercise the same care as when researching your stills photographer.
E_C_rtjJmk9=&e-
