I know choosing a photographer can be overwhelming, and I’m here to help! These are my top questions to ask your wedding photographer before booking.
Can I see a full wedding gallery?
This is the most important question of all, and I’m rarely asked it! Seeing a full gallery from your photographer ensures they are competent throughout all parts of the day. Anyone can find one or two good photos from a wedding, but do you like the way the 798 other ones look? I’m always happy to share galleries from the same or similar venues to help you get a feel for what your photos might look like.
Can you comfortably shoot indoors?
You can plan basically everything at wedding, but the one thing you can’t plan is the weather. I’ve seen beautiful garden weddings get moved to hotel ballrooms. Or, maybe you’re getting married in a church, but the only photos you’ve seen from your photographer are on outdoor sunny days. Are they equipped to handle indoor events? Asking if they use off-camera flash might sound pretty technical, but really, it just establishes their comfort level with alternative lighting scenarios if the sun is no longer an option. I find that I’m personally much more creative when I have to think outside the box and can’t rely on natural light. I love any opportunity to use my very expensive flashes I paid a lot of money for! Haha. Here’s a great example of some photo magic on a rainy day!
Do you have back-up equipment and a back-up plan?
There are a lot of ways to ensure no image tragedies happen on the wedding day. I always carry two camera bodies, and have a variety of lenses in my bag in case one stops working. Most cameras have slots for two memory cards, and if your photographer isn’t shooting to both, that’s a red flag! Everyone has different methods for keeping your images safe, but make sure whatever that is gets communicated to you. Personally, I upload your photos to an external hard drive and Backblaze stores a duplicate copy in the cloud. I also always keep the originals on that second memory card until AFTER I’ve delivered them.
What will my experience be like?
Does your photographer get all up in your grill or do they hang back and document from a distance? Will they be busting a move inside the dance circles at your reception, or more of a wallflower? I’m somewhere in between… I do what I need to do to get the shot, but I generally try not to be a huge distraction on the wedding day. I know the day isn’t about me, after all! Also, personality is huge. Whoever you hire will be hanging out with you for the better part of a day! Having someone who can get along with your friends and family is key. I always say, “If I annoy you, don’t hire me!”
Will I have fun?
While this sounds silly, it is one of the really important top questions to ask your photographer before booking. Having your photo taken should not feel like a painful process! In my opinion, the whole point of a wedding day is to have fun and celebrate with your friends and family. My job is to help make that happen. Wouldn’t it be a downer if you have the time of your life for seven hours on your wedding day, but are totally miserable in the one hour you’re taking photos? I want my couples to enjoy the WHOLE day, not just part of it. I’ll always have jokes and puns and a smile on my face.
