Selecting a Wedding Photographer
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1. Style and Quality of Photographs
2. Coverage of the Day
3. Presentation
4. Budget Calculator
5. A Quick and Easy Way to Find Your Wedding Photographer
There are three main factors that come into play when choosing your wedding photographer.
1. The style and quality of the photographs
2. Coverage of the Day
3. The presentation of your photographs
Style and Quality of Photographs
Many people think you have a straight choice between more formal photographs and reportage style. Formal photographs are considered to be more traditional and consist of various groups of people being brought together to have their photographs taken along side the bride and groom. Reportage photography is where a more relaxed approach is taken and the photographer is less obtrusive and spends his or her time mixing with the wedding party taking more casual and relaxed shots.
The fact is that the vast majority of wedding photographers employ a mixture of the two styles. Even photos that look to be taken by pure chance have often been set up by the photographer to look that way. Therefore the likelihood is that you will need to set aside time during the day if you want to create the best possible photographs.
The quality of wedding photographers varies greatly. This can be down purely to experience or to the ability of a photographer to "see" a great shot. Experience comes into play because of the varied conditions each different wedding presents to a photographer. Wedding photographers develop their art and skill over a period of time and in many situations there is no substitute for experience.
Another factor that can have a big influence on how the photographs will look is the quality of equipment in the photographer's bag. For example a top quality lens can make the difference between a stunning photo and a missed opportunity.
In order to judge a photographer it is very important to meet with them well in advance of your wedding. They should be able to show you at least one full album of a recent wedding. It is important to view a full wedding so you do not see a "greatest hits" book pulled together over 20 years.
A further reason for meeting a photographer before you book is it is so important that you find your photographer friendly and approachable. It is a disaster if you find out on the day you have chosen a miserable so and so! A meeting will also give you an opportunity to discuss your own unique requirements.
Coverage of the Day
For many people having a wedding photographer present for the service is sufficient. At the other end of the spectrum you will find much broader coverage. This includes the bride and possibly the groom getting ready, the wedding, the entire reception and even a pre wedding set of photos. The choice is yours and the majority of people settle on a compromise with coverage to suit their own requirements.
Fuller coverage often necessitates a second photographer. Many photographers will bring an assistant. The role of the assistant may include helping to arrange shots or to take extra shots.
One regular question put to wedding photographers is how many shots they take during the day. Although this is important to many people the quality of the photographs may well be more important to you.
Professional video coverage in addition to stills photography is becoming slowly more popular as well.
Presentation
There are a number of options when it comes to presentation. These include prints only, a traditional album, photos on CD, modern digital albums and additional options such as framed photographs, photos produced on canvas or using acrylics.
When deciding on how you would like your photos to be presented it is worth taking into account the following points.
1. If you request copyright of photos and a CD without an album you will be charged a fee for buying the copyright. This may be included in a packaged cost.
2. If you decide to create your own album it can be difficult to achieve the same quality available to a professional photographer. A large part of the reason for this is that many of the leading book manufacturers only sell directly to photographers. Although there are plenty of "print your own" options available you may find the printing and the book itself to be of lower quality than is available to your photographer.
3. It is not always cheaper to print your own albums. This is because photographers are offered significant discounts when buying books. Therefore even after their mark up is added it may still be cheaper than buying directly.
4. Designing an album is a skill. It may therefore be very difficult to replicate the quality produced by a professional album designer. Many photographers outsource this task to professionals.
My suggestion is to discuss presentation options with your photographer in just the same way as you would the style of photographs you are going to have taken. I would also suggest talking to more than one photographer to ensure you end up with the best possible set of photographs and also a style of presentation that is right for you.
If you are planning to put together your own album discuss this with your photographer first. This may be a task they are more than happy to pass over and they may be able to recommend albums and printing services to you.
Calculating Your Budget
There are no hard and fast rules for calculating your wedding budget. The table below is meant to give you a very rough guide as to what is available. It applies to all photographers and not just those who provide quotes through my wedding service. There is always the exception to the rule so you need to select your photographer carefully no matter what budget you set.
Photo quality
1 = Not too concerned. Just want a record of the occasion.
2 = Decent quality. Not necessarily the best, but a standard set of photos
3 = Good quality photo. Post wedding optimisation of photos to look their best
4 = Something different and unique for me. Photographer to add a bit of flair and imagination.
5 = Stunning
Presentation
1 = 40 smaller prints, no album
2 = Simple album
3 = Photos to CD and to buy copyright
4 = Modern, stylish album. Showing off photos in best possible way
5 = Modern album + parents albums + other ideas for presentation such as canvas and acrylic.
When
1 = Out of season, weekday
2 = Out of season, Weekend
3 = Mid summer, weekday
4 = Mid summer, Weekend
Coverage
1 = Quick registry office service only
2 = Church wedding service only
3 = Service + reception
4 = Getting ready, service, reception
5 = Getting ready, service, reception and pre wedding photo shoot
Suggested Budget
5 points and under = £250 - £500
6 - 10 = £501 - £1000
10 - 15 = £1000 - £1500
15 points and above £1500 and upwards
A Quick and Easy Way to Find Your Wedding Photographer
My Wedding Service makes it quick and easy for you to find a wedding photographer. All you need to do is provide me with basic details of your wedding and I will arrange for quotes to be sent to you. The quotes are usually sent out within one working day.
I have coverage from photographers in most areas of the U.K. Please be aware that I only have limited coverage within the £250 - £500 bracket. Therefore I would suggest only selecting this budget if all other budgets are outside of your price range.
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