Choosing the right photographer can be daunting, but it really needn’t be difficult.
Choosing a photographer for your wedding can seem quite daunting, but it really doesn’t have to be. It’s a huge benefit to be able to view the work of photographers online but the choice can seem a little overwhelming.
If you have found a style that you like, make an appointment to go and see the photographer, look at some sample albums and have a good chat. Visiting a good photographer should be a really enjoyable part of planning your wedding.
Formal / informal, posed / unposed, traditional / modern?
Most couples have an idea of where they would like to pitch this – you can get a good feel for the flavour of a photographer’s work by seeing his or her work online.
Some photographers work in a mainly posed and formal manner. Obviously you will need to allow more time on the day for this. At the other end of the scale some photographers are almost completely hands-off and shoot from the sidelines – something that only a very few photographers can manage successfully. You can see from the photographer’s samples whether you feel this works or not. Most photographers work is successfully positioned somewhere on a sliding scale between the two extremes. You could also see this in terms of actual impact of the photographer’s presence on your day.
Do we need two photographers?
There’s something of an overlap here with the previous section in terms of the photographer(s)’ impact on the day. If you like the photography to be more discreet then obviously the number of photographers will be a consideration. If you place more weight on more comprehensive coverage, then you might consider choosing someone who offers two photographers.
One thing to remember here is that no two photographers are the same, and that goes for photographers working together as much as anyone else. Chances are that the assistant photographer will produce work that is not of the same style as the main photographer.
Personally I prefer to do all the photography myself. I like to be quite discreet during the day and I insist that all of the photographs that are supplied to clients are to my standard, rather than that of an assistant. But everyone has differing views on this!
Value for money.
Obviously cost is always an important decision when choosing a photographer, but unfortunately it’s not always that simple! Often “cheaper” photographers may seem to be a good idea, but many part time photographers will just take photographs on the day and then throw the straight-from-camera files onto a disc for you, charge a substantial sum of money for just one day’s work and then walk away.
Choosing a Peaks and Dales member for your photography means that you will receive a whole lot more for your money, including a great deal of time spent after the event making sure that your images are processed to a very high standard. This really does make a world of difference to the final result.
Choose someone you get along with.
It’s important to feel comfortable with your photographer on the day. Arrange to meet the photographer before making your decision and spend some time with them. It’s also a great idea to have an engagement shoot to help you feel relaxed in front of the camera before the day. Having a photographer with a great personality can enhance your day and make the photography really fun.
If you’d like to have a look at some of my work, you might like to start with this blog post showing some favourites from 2013: http://johnmottershaw.com/blog/favourite-wedding-photographs .
Don’t forget to have a look at the websites of the other Peaks and Dales photographers as well!
