Wedding Photography Tips Interviewing Photographers
Questions to ask your Photographer
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What is your photographic style?
This can be one or more of the following: traditional, photojournalistic, posed, candid, artistic, documentary.
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Are you the actual day-of photographer?
If not, can we meet with the actual photographer? Should / Can you meet the assistants also? Some wedding photographers will sell you on them and send someone else to cover your wedding.
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Do you shoot in black and white?
If film, do they shoot in black and white? If digital, do they keep the orignals in color and do black and white in post-production? See this article on black and white digital photography.
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What is your experience with wedding photography?
How many weddings? How many years? Have you shot at our location? If so, what are the special photographic conditions of our location? Have you done a wedding similar to our size?
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Will you have other weddings that weekend?
How will that affect our wedding? If you at the tail end of a weekend (Sunday after Saturday and Friday weddings), can your photographer handle that? Some photographers do not have the physical or emotional endurance.
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Can we get negatives or digital negatives?
How long after the wedding date (get this one in print)? Are they full resolution files?
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What kind of equipment do you use?
Are there tripods? Wires? Can people trip? Is it obtrusive? Ask about the quality of the cameras, lenses, and lighting. This is to just roughly gauge their understanding of equipment. I can deconstruct most of my own photographs, telling you the light settings and lens I used.
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Are you insured?
This is just a measure of their professionalism as a business.
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What do you do in case of emergencies?
What if the photographer is ill or cannot make it? Do you have backup equipment? Do you backup photos (for digital photographers)?
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Can I see an entire wedding?
This allows you to see the consistancy in one day (as opposed to only having a few "keepers" from each wedding).
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How much is overtime?
Can they work overtime if asked to?
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How are you dressed?
Are they presentable. I've seen photographers show up in gray t-shirts and black lace tank-tops (not guys).
Now ask yourself these Questions
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Do you like the photographs you see?
The best measure of taste is whether you like the image or not. Technical aspects to watch for include:- Blown out images (no detail in the whites, especially bad if in the faces) and underexposed images (too dark)
- Bad framing. This is subject to taste, since an oddly framed photo can be a style of itself.
- People look natural in the photo. This means it is either candid or the photographer is good at making people feel comfortable in front of the camera
- Lighting. Is the lighting harsh and unflattering on the people? Is there an annoying shadow on the wall behind them? If shot in sunlight, do the people have too much contrast?
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Do you understand the contract?
Don't be afraid to take it home and have an experienced father or uncle take a look. The contract is ultimately what matters if you go to court, not the spoken words at the meeting.
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Can you be with this person ALL DAY?
Having a photographer that you do not get along with will drive you insane. They are the vendor you will be surrounded by the most, so make sure that they will add to your day instead of taking away from it.
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Thanks a bunch! Oh yeah, go ahead and give me feedback on unanswered questions or if this article needs help.