VLV Photography

I’ve been meaning to do a post like this for quite some time and I just had a wild hair to do it today.  There are so many things to consider when planning your wedding and one the largest investments you’ll make on your wedding day is the photography.  So how on earth do you sift through all the prospective photographer’s?  Well, that’s a loaded question and the best way I can answer it is by answering as best I can from a photographer’s perspective.  Basically, you need to approach it as if you were going on a first date.  And photographer’s and clients meeting is a lot like dating…..funny, but true.

I think the easiest way to choose a photographer is by word-of-mouth.  Just like you listen to your girlfriends about a guy to avoid, you would listen just as equally if it were a photographer.  I, personally, would more likely hire a clown for my kids’ birthday party or choose a primary physician based on a referral.  A personal experience of someone close to you, whose opinion you value and trust should definitely be worth something.  Think about how many times you’ve tried a new recipe based on what a friend said.  Granted, taste buds are all different, as well as opinions, but a friend will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly.  When you’re investing the amount of money it takes in a wedding photographer,I’m sure you’ll sleep more soundly knowing that photographer received a seal of approval from someone you trust.

Okay, so that photographer you love has received good marks, but do you like their work?  The best way for you to know what kind of product to expect is if the photographer has a website.  In this day in age, if the photographer doesn’t have a website, that’s a terrible disservice to themselves.  Every photographer that is charging should have a web presence.  And I don’t mean some free website that anyone could get, slap some pictures on there and then charge $300 for a disc full of images.  Although, I charged $350, I believe, for my first wedding and I made it CLEAR AS DAY that I had NEVER shot a wedding before.  The bride & groom were willing to take that chance based on the work I had been producing at the time and it changed everything.  I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.  Wow, was I nervous though!

 Anyway, all photographer’s start somewhere but I would be leery of a photographer who charges so little because really….that barely covers my cost for insurance of my equipment for a year.  I, on the other hand, was very open and honest about my experience for that wedding and the following two weddings.  It’s kinda like that old saying “how am I suppose to get experience if no one will hire me to get me experience?”  If you’re willing to chance your once-in-a-lifetime day on someone because you have faith in them, great-but know the risk when things don’t go quite as you planned or hoped.  Expectations can be quite misunderstood if both the photographer and the client aren’t on the same page.

So-web presence…I’m jumping around, I apologize.  You should really love the photographer’s work.  And I would think the photographer’s website, in most cases, would probably be the reason you inquire in the first place {second to word-of-mouth}.  Aside from the photographer’s work, it is a photographer’s hope to be able to “click” with their clients and vice-versa.  If personalities don’t match, it could really create some discomfort later.  I personally love it {and I’m sure most photographer’s do} potential clients call inquiring about  photography services, rather than just an email.  That voice to voice communication really helps build that trust relationship, helps the photographer get to know their client, and can be sure all questions are answered appropriately.  There have been times a client will call to ask a question and then we end up talking for a 1/2 hour about anything and everything!  It’s always nice when clients can become friends.  I feel that if I can build that trust and friendship relationship, your engagement session {or even portrait session} will be that much more relaxed and oh so much more fun!   This also applies to dating right?  See the resemblence?

Okay-so we covered 1. how you heard about the photographer, 2. web presence, and 3. personality.  Let’s move on to 4. performance.  As I  mentioned, word-of-mouth is huge for photographer’s and I personally love referrals.  That alone tells me that I’m doing something right.  Don’t hesitate to ask a photographer for personal references, just as you would a daycare provider that you’re interviewing.  I send out surveys with my clients’ orders, with the hopes that I will hear a response about what I did right and what areas need improvement, as well as opinions about services/products I offer.  I value my clients’ opinions and have built my business model around what my clients have expressed they desired.  Another resource for referrals would be any other vendors that worked the same wedding.  I, personally, need to do a better job at paying attention to these other vendors as it’s always nice to be able to support and recommend other small businesses to my brides.

Now to tip #5. Experience.  I touched a little bit on this, stating I charged $350 for my first wedding.  Granted I had zero experience and charged accordingly.  I really had no idea what to charge.  I quickly learned though that photographing a wedding on your own is A LOT of work, a marathon really.  I’ve often considered adding a second shooter but there are so many details to be worked out doing such a thing that the thought seems overwhelming to me…moreso than just shooting a 12 hour day by myself! lol!  But really, you want to see the photographer’s portfolio and also ask a lot of questions.  I’m surprised when I meet with brides and they hardly ask me any questions.  I think I do a pretty good job of explaining things before they even get the chance to ask but certainly I don’t think of everything.  I love questions and encourage them.  If a photographer you’re interviewing seems like they’re hiding something, they probably are.  Just like that boy/girl you’re on a first date with….listen to your gut instinct!  You’ll know when something doesn’t feel right.

OH…..#6. Price. DA-DA-DAH!  So….”you get what you pay for” often rings true in most situations and is unusually true for wedding photography.  Now the couple that I charged $350 to were very pleased;  however, now-3 years later, although the images weren’t terrible, I know now how I “sucked” back then and there would be no way I’d put those in my portfolio.  That’s what’s beautiful about experience…like a fine wine, it just gets better with time.  I certainly have not reached my full potential, I know this for a fact, and probably 3 years from now, I’ll probably say the same thing about my work now as I do about my work 3 years ago today.  But if you choose a photographer that has next to zero experience, and worse of all, they didn’t share that with you or you didn’t ask, it very well will not be good.  You will NOT be happy.  Ten years from now, the photos you bought will be there on your table or on your wall to remind you of the other details that might otherwise be forgotten.  Do you really want to be reminded of the photographer you failed to ask….”so how many weddings have you done?”  If their portfolio is impressive but the answer is 5 weddings, then you’re still taking a chance but at least you know there’s some solid delivery there and probably some referrals.  I say this because I’ve had brides take that chance on me based on my work and I’m forever grateful to them.  On the flip-side, if the answer is 10 but their work is shady, images are out of focus, etc…I would give that photographer a second thought.

Finally #7.  Communication.  Finally, you’ve chosen your photographer and you’ve booked with him/her.  It is very important to communicate what you like, what you imagine, and what you expect.  Photographer’s are not mind-readers and although you probably chose that photographer for their particular style, etc….you should go one step further to insure you get the best possible photos.  I personally encourage my clients to take pictures of surroundings of a location {this helps inspire me}, and I also like to know personal details of how my couples met etc. as knowing this information can also help inspire me.  I encourage my clients to be just as much a part of the experience and share their own thoughts and ideas as well.  If it helps, tear out photos in magazines if you’re looking for a specific kind of shot or email samples of what you like.  Visual communication helps feed the creative process and help make your photos that much more personal to you. 

So to recap;  the key points to think about when choosing a wedding photographer {and this can also apply to portrait photography as well}….

1.  Consider how you heard about the photographer.

2.   Do they have a web presence?

3.  Do they have a personality that would enjoy being around?

4.  Performance-do they have referrals?

5.  Experience-how many weddings have they done AND does the work they produce show that?

6.  Price-you get what you pay for.

7.  Communication

Phew!  I hope this was helpful and I can’t believe I finally got this written!  It’s been a long time-a-comin’!  If you have any further questions for me, just call or shoot me an email!  Like I tell all my clients-call if you want, but I can’t guarantee I won’t have screaming children in the background! lol!

If you liked this article, click “Like”, share it, or better yet-leave a comment telling me so!  And finally…thank you to all my couples for the opportunity to be a part of your lives and for putting your trust in me.  I can’t thank you enough!