The 5 tips on Choosing Your Wedding Photographer
You’re looking for your wedding photographer, but you’re not sure how to choose one. Everyone seems to have a camera suddenly and is claiming to be a photographer. So, how do you find the right photographer for your wedding day?
There are several factors to take into consideration when choosing your Raleigh wedding photographer. We’re going to use these to determine what kind of photography you want/need for your wedding day.
The 5 tips on Choosing Your Wedding Photographer
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1. Style & Aesthetic
Four main factors define a wedding photographer’s Style: the type of camera they shoot with, their editing style, the lighting they use, and whether they capture images more documentary or editorial.
Camera Gear
If a photographer is shooting with a film camera, there will be a more timeless look and feel to the final images, and there will be a grainy feel to the images since the film will be captured and then scanned to create a digital file.
If a photographer is shooting with a DSLR camera (more commonly used) there will be more diverse outcomes with the images they create. The digital photos will be crisper and in focus without the graininess that film photos have.
Editing Style
This is where you get the major differences between wedding photographers in style. When you look through your options make sure to take into consideration how that photographer is editing their photos, if the photographer is editing in a particular style that’s how your photos will be edited as well.
These are some of the most popular edits out there. Take into consideration what you like, not just now, but what you’ll enjoy for years to come. What could you see yourself posting over and over again throughout the years? What would you enjoy printing to put on your walls?
Lighting
Using flash for photos gives an entirely different feel then naturally lit photos.
Documentary vs. Editorial
The difference between these styles is that documentary is photojournalism; there aren’t any poses besides the ones naturally happening by the subject.
Above is an example of a documentary photo. Two boys preoccupy themselves while waiting for their family photo to be taken at a wedding. Similar to a documentary photo are candid photos. Candid photos is under the documentary umbrella.
If you desire candid or documentary photos, it is important to remain in the moment and not rush the day or moments that you’re in, so that your photographer can capture the photos you desire.
Below is an example of Editorial style
Editorial is elegant, posed; it takes the photographer’s expertise and knowledge to create the poses. It also takes time for the creative freedom to be expressed. An experienced photographer will have a running list of poses memorized to use when there is limited time in a wedding day.
2. Personality
The vendor you spend the most amount of time with, besides maybe your wedding planner, will be your photographer. You’re going to want to at least get along with your photographer!
Do you want your photographer to be more direct and louder? Or do you prefer a quiet, stealthy photographer? Do you want your photographer to be the life of the party, or one that feels like a friend, or would you like them to be the person who stays calm and carries on regardless of what’s going on?
The best way to figure this out is to hop on a video call with your photographer before booking and get a feel for whether they’re the right fit.
Want to figure out if I’m the right fit? Fill out a contact form HERE and receive an immediate email with my pricing and a link to book a call.
3. Pricing
Pricing is about budget, but it’s also about priority. It’s important to create a wedding budget so you know what you can afford. Within that budget, though, what do you prioritize for your wedding day?
For some couples, it’s food, others it’s music, but for most it’s the photo and video because after the day is done, that’s all that’s left to look back on your day.
4. Reliability
I’m sure you’ve heard the horror stories: “photographer deletes wedding photos”, “bride hates her photos”, “photographer doesn’t show up for the wedding”, or the unfortunate “we hated our wedding photos”.
I’ve heard it all. And my heart aches for the couples that don’t want to look at their wedding photos or don’t have wedding photos to look at!
On more than one occasion, I’ve had friends and couples say after the fact, “Moira, I wish we had just hired you or another professional photographer, because I don’t really like my photos.”
A few things you can look for are the reviews about a photographer on their Google listing or on Facebook.
Another part of reliability is how your photos are kept. A professional wedding photographer should have dual slot cameras and a means of backing up their photos after the wedding.
5. Experience
This will vary by photographer, but your experience with your photographer will typically be more hands-on at the very beginning of booking them, quieter during the planning process except for a few questions here and there, more hands-on again in the months leading up to your wedding, and of course, very involved day of your wedding.
To figure out what to expect with your photographer, you can take a look at what they offer in their packages and see what their reviews are saying about what kind of experience they’re offering their past clients.
You should ask what their process is like. For questions to ask your wedding photographer, click HERE.
To see my answers to these questions, you can check out my FAQ page HERE.
This concludes the 5 tips. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or message me on Instagram
Do you want me to be your Raleigh wedding photographer?
Inquire with me to begin planning your photoshoot today and we’ll plan your photoshoot together ⬇️
Hi! I’m Moira Grace, and I’m the photographer who took all of the photos you see in this post.
Click HERE to begin booking me for your wedding or photoshoot!
Want to see more photos? You can check out more HERE, or click one of the icons below to follow me on social media ⬇️
I’m a wedding and portrait photographer in Raleigh, North Carolina, available for travel all over the world!
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