How To Choose A Wedding Photographer

You’ve done it! Yes, you’ve decided to get married and the long crazy train called ‘Wedding Planning’ has just started to roll. Dress, rings, cake, venue, celebrant, invitations, the list goes on. At some point amongst it all, you will no doubt consider the photographic aspects of the day.

How do you choose a Wedding Photographer? Here are a few tips from the inside:

1) Importance of Photography

How important is Photography to you? If the answer is "not very", then selecting a photographer should be very straightforward as the quality of the output is not going to make or break your wedding day. You are also probably not going to spend much time researching every option available. However, you will still benefit from following the tips below in terms of getting the most suitable photographer in Sydney for your needs.

2) Budget

First up is to establish the dollars that you have allocated to the Photographic elements of your wedding budget. Just as with any profession, fees can vary wildly from a few hundred dollars for the ‘shoot’n’burn’ weekend warrior to the full-time legends of the wedding photography world – think Cantrell, Ghionis, Buissink, Yervant, Ascough – any of the latter could run well into the five figures depending upon your requirements.

Secondly, be very clear on what you would like to include in your ‘package’ so as to allow you to make an ‘apples for apples’ comparison. Do you just want a copy of the images from the day or are you looking for an album? Do you want extra prints and parent albums included?

3) Apples for Apples

Be sure you understand the charging basis under which the photographers that you are considering operate. There is no point in trying to compare one package which includes a twenty-sided top quality album with one that includes twenty sided coffee table book as the costs associated with each are clearly very different. By the same token, even albums vary wildly in quality from highly crafted, hand assembled, locally produced to often inferior low quality overseas products.

4) Availability

Best advice here is simply to get in early. Many of the best photographers are booked over a year in advance. There is little point in drawing up a shortlist of unavailable photographers. Furthermore, few photographers will hold a date without a booking fee. My advice, therefore, is that once you have seen a wedding photographer in Sydney that you like, you really need to get their services for your day locked in with a signed contract and deposit to avoid disappointment.

5) Style

Some photographers follow a more traditional posed style of wedding photography whereby the day is highly directed so as to create every moment that is captured. Others are disciples of the more ‘Photojournalistic’ or candid style; the intent of which is to photography key events as they happen with minimal or no direction from the photographer. Both have their place and it is common to see some photographers mix a little of each into their work. Nor is there a right or wrong approach - it is a purely subjective choice for the couple to make based upon nothing other than personal preference. Be aware, though, that the more direction that there is on the day, the higher the awareness of and impact of the photographer on proceedings.

Finally, both bride and groom should ask to see some recent work of the photographer who will be shooting their wedding. At the very least this should be a complete album or two from recent weddings and not a mixture of images from different events.

6) Recommendation

I guess this is a bit like hiring a new employee. You have interviewed them, like their style and personality – they are definitely talking the talk. However, what is the reality of working with this individual? Nothing like following up on recent references to validate your gut instincts.

Of course you may well have arrived at a meeting with the photographer in question by way of a recommendation from a friend or relative. Again, this kind of information is valuable in helping you choose a photographer from Sydney Wedding Photography with whom you will be comfortable and confident with on the day.
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7) Professional accreditation

Again, just as when choosing the services of a number of other trained professionals, there are trade bodies that offer memberships those meeting certain criteria. Photography is no different. Take the time to find out who the relevant bodies are that operate within your particular location and bear this in mind when choosing your photographer.

8) Personality

Well this is final but probably the most important criteria from my perspective. Let us say you have found this amazingly talented photographer who is available for your big day and fits within your budget. Surely you should just go ahead and book him or her? Absolutely not! If you have not book yet, it is wise to go and meet them first. I have heard tales of couples booking a photographer only to find out on the day that the photographer that they had chosen had the most dominating and controlling style that completely took over their wedding day. Both Bride and Groom need to feel that they can work with the photographer and "click" with them. The other aspect to this is that not only is it a case of having to tolerate someone who is a major part of your big day but that your discomfort will shine through in the photographs. If you can not relax and enjoy your newly acquired marital status then that is exactly what will be captured on film.

My final advice on this point is that you absolutely must insist on meeting the photographer who will be shooting your wedding. Some studios will not allow this or will not commit to a particular photographer – I suggest you consider very carefully whether or not this scenario is one you are willing to accept.

I will finish this article with a brief true story: I recently met a lovely young couple that were looking for a wedding photographer to cover their wedding day the following year. They came down to the studio, sat down and promptly informed me that I was the eleventh photographer that they had seen! There is a moral to this story: having considered all of the above points and, in the words of one famous series of adverts, "Just Do It"! For more information on wedding photography you can visit: http://sydneyweddingphotography.com/.