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How to choose a Wedding Photographer.

How to find the right Photographer for your needs.
If you’re tempted to appoint Uncle Tom to photograph the wedding because he thinks he’s the next David Bailey, think twice.While it may be pleasing for the budget your risking loosing all your memories of one of the biggest days of your life. Finding a professional wedding photographer with a good track record and a great approach who is an expert with lighting and composition and who’ll take the best pictures possible on this once-in-a-lifetime day is something you should consider very carefully.

Where to start.
Think about the style of photographs you want. Whether you’re after traditional posed pictures or a more natural reportage style, you want to ensure the person you choose is professional, proficient and perfect for your needs. Hell be sharing your big day with you so you want someone you and your family / friends will feel comfortable with. You can find photographers through personal recommendations, wedding fairs, the Classified sections of You & Your Wedding, hotel managers, Yellow Pages, internet forums and local newspapers.

Traditional or Reportage / Wedding Photojournalism?
This will depend on the type of pictures you want. Reportage photography also referred to as wedding photojournalism has become more popular in recent times as it captures the moments of the day naturally.

Make sure you find a photographer with creative flair and plenty of experience in this style. If you come from a big family and it’s important to have some group shots of you all to keep your parents happy then you may want to choose someone whose portfolio is full of lots of traditional posed photography and formal line-ups.

Combining wedding photography styles.
Many couples want a mixture of posed and reportage photos but it’s not necessarily that easy. Traditional photographers might not be skilled at reportage photography, and vice versa. Discuss your needs with the photographer before you make a decision They may be prepared to incorporate both styles to include some formal line-ups as well as more natural shots.

Checking if your Photographer is any good.
Look at albums of different photographers as you narrow down your search. The sign of a skilled photographer is consistently good photos from one wedding so make sure their portfolios aren’t full of single shots from 25 different weddings. If they’re skilled at high-quality portraits and traditional wedding photography you should be looking at good lighting, impressive background settings. With reportage photographers it’s really important to look at complete albums from other people’s weddings. Anyone can get a couple of natural shots, but it takes real skill to capture the magic of the entire day this way.

I personally always tell brides to look at complete weddings and when I meet them for the first time I always offer them a choice of complete weddings to view on my laptop.

Other things to look for.
Confirm your photographer is covered by professional indemnity insurance in case something goes wrong with the camera or the film gets lost or damaged. This insurance doesn’t cover the style of the photographs so it’s imperative you discuss this with your photographer before the wedding day.

Make sure you talk to the photographer in person, as you want to make sure you feel comfortable with them and feel sure that they have a good attitude. It’s important that they are experienced with weddings and can deal with highly charged emotions (and members of your families!) with ease and charm. The best wedding photographers will treat your day as a special event rather than just another job and will endeavour to capture perfectly the magic of your wedding day on film.