CHOOSING A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
By: Philip Matthee Photography
Western Cape Wedding Photographer
Most things you need for your Special Day you can buy and choose beforehand i.e. invitations, Wedding cake and the Wedding dress. Choosing the Photographer is bit more tricky, because you have to put your trust and faith in the hands of an almost complete stranger, who has to Capture your Wedding and ultimately provide the only keepsake of your special day – your Wedding Photo’s.
Fortunately there are a couple of things you can do beforehand to ensure that you choose the right Photographer – resulting in beautiful, tangible memories from your wedding day.
CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER
The best way to find the Perfect Photographer for you is word of mouth - to look at Wedding Albums of people you know and trust and speak to them about the experience in terms of the Photographer. Other good sources include websites, magazines and Bridal Exhibitions, but remember that the Photo’s shown in any Marketing Strategy, is only a small selection of the Photographer’s best work, but it is a good starting point.
Once you have narrowed down the field, start to contact the Photographers and set up meetings with those who will be available on your wedding day and fall within your budget. If at all possible, both the Bride and Groom should attend the meetings, because one of the most important aspects is that you need to feel comfortable with the Photographer. Since your time and that of the Photographer is limited, make sure that you have your questions well prepared and ask them to bring their portfolio, Samples of Albums they supply and an example of a Complete Wedding. This should be sufficient to give you a very good idea of their style and quality of work. Relating to the style of work and the Photographer is two very important aspects when Choosing a Photographer.
TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS
For most people “good” Photography is merely that which has aesthetic appeal. Here are some technical aspects to consider when Choosing your Photographer:
Is the Photographer using a digital camera or film? Most Photographers use digital as it is more immediate and post-processing can be done with great results.
If a digital camera is used, enquire about the following:
- What is the resolution of images that will be provided? You should go for at least 8 Mega pixels – this is sufficient for A3 enlargements and smaller. Higher Mega pixels does not mean you will get a better quality image, unless you plan on A1 enlargements and bigger.
- Does the Photographer use a SLR (single lens reflex) camera with interchangeable lenses – if not – do not even consider using him/her.
- Is the shoot in full quality mode? This is important to ensure high picture quality.
- Is full resolution images included in the package or do you have to pay extra for it? This is important if you are going to do your own reprinting and enlargements afterwards.
- How many photos can he/she take on the day – given the size of the memory card/s? 8 Gigabyte is an acceptable norm or otherwise they have to be able to download the images on a portable hard drive.
If he/she is using film – consider the following:
- Is Professional Quality film used?
- How many Rolls of Film will be shot on the day of the wedding?
- How many will be full color, black & white and sepia?
- Are you provided with the negatives afterwards for reprints or do you need to pay extra for them?
General considerations
- Does the Photographer have back-up equipment?
- Does the Photographer work alone or does he/she have an Assistant – this could be important should something unforeseen happen and your Photographer cannot make it on the day. It also gives you a wider range of Photography as no two photographers are the same.
- Is Photography his/her full time job or is it part-time. As a general rule the full time Photographer is a saver bet.
- How many hours of Photography are included in the package? When will he/she arrive and when will he/she leave? This is very important as you need to ensure that all the special events are captured and that you allow enough time for the Photo Sessions – light is very important. During the summer time the Wedding can start as late as 17h30, but during the winter it should not start later than 16h00 – it gets dark earlier and therefore limits the time you have available for your Photo Shoot.
- How many Photos will you receive and in what format?
- Determine what is included in the Wedding Package and what are excluded i.e. travel costs, Albums/Storybooks etc.
DECISION TIME
Once you’ve chosen a Photographer – ask for references and get permission to phone the couples. When contacting them – ask whether they enjoyed the Photo sessions and whether they were satisfied with the end result. If you are happy with the results of the above survey and the feedback from the references, the most important question remains to be answered: Are you comfortable with the photographer? If not – you need to look further.
These points should give you a good head start, but remember to relax and have fun on your Wedding Day. Important as well, look after your Photographer – give him/her something to eat and seating at one of the tables. Photography is hard word, with long hours. Also – a Happy Photographer takes nice pictures and helps to add to the sparkle of you Special Day!
   
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