Today's podcast is for Paige in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Paige asked me for some advice in choosing a wedding photographer. She's not the first person to have come to me to look for this advice. I've consulted many friends in choosing their own wedding photographer. So first of all, congratulations to Paige and Clint on their upcoming nuptials.
What I'd like everyone to know is that I've seen weddings from both sides. As someone who has shot a number of weddings, and also I've had to hire my own wedding photographer. So today, I'm going to walk you through exactly what to look for, and just as importantly, what to avoid.
Let's start with the most important determining factor: budget. If a photographer is outside your budget, it's a non-starter. But here's where people get tripped up. Not all pricing structures are the same. There are generally two approaches that wedding photographers take when pricing their services.
The first is the flat rate. They charge for a certain amount of time, deliver the images, and that's it. And this usually costs a little bit more upfront. The second way is a lower upfront fee. They charge less to show up, but they make money later on: prints, albums, and other types of upgrades.
So you need to ask yourself, do I want an album? Do I want prints? Do I want full resolution files? Or do I just want some images for Facebook? Because if you don't clarify this upfront, you may end up paying a lot more later, possibly double or triple what you thought you were going to spend.
One of the questions that people ask me is what should they actually get. Well, that really depends. It depends on what it is you want later.
Think about the largest size print you could possibly ever want. Is that a 16 by 20 or a 20 by 30? I don't know. But make a decision and then ask your photographer if the files they'll be delivering will be big enough to print the images to your desired size down the line. If you don't have this discussion and you have to go back to the photographer because they didn't give you a file large enough, most likely they will tell you that you will need to order that print from them, or pay more for access to the larger files.
Now, I'm not saying this is a bad thing. They created the image and they own the rights to that image. Absolutely, I would defend their right to charge you money for those larger prints. Remember, you paid a lower upfront fee, and this is where they can make some more money from you down the line.
Another thing that you want to ask your photographer is how many photos, more or less, are you going to get. You need to know that more is not necessarily better. If someone tells you they're going to deliver 3,000 photos, that's not a benefit. That's a red flag.
First of all, a good photographer edits their work. I tell photographers all the time, never show anything but your best work. And trust me, there are not 3,000 portfolio-ready images out of that shoot.
And furthermore, you don't need thousands of images and you certainly don't want to have to sort through all of that. That's what you paid them for. You also don't want them to be shooting that much either, and I'll explain that later. In my opinion, a strong delivery is under 1,500 images, preferably under 500. No one needs a thousand images of their wedding.
Generally speaking, most weddings don't have a thousand guests. And even if you did, you don't need a picture of every single person because you do not have a thousand best friends. So if they're handing everything over to you without first calling it, they're not doing their job.
The next thing you need to think about is post-processing. A proper wedding edit and post-processing for me usually takes about 30 to 40 hours. So ask the photographer, are the images fully processed or am I getting unfinished files? What you're establishing here is who is going to do the work, you or them.
Now, if you're paying $500 for an all day wedding shoot, yeah, you're going to do the work. 500 bucks is not enough for them to do the processing and the editing on this plus the shoot, just so we're clear.
Next, let's talk about style. This is huge. When you look at a portfolio, don't just scroll through it, study it. Ask yourself, do I like this style? Can I imagine these photos on my wall? Can I imagine myself in those photos?
Look at the lighting. Is it soft and flattering, or are there harsh shadows on people's faces? Look at skin tones. Do people feel natural or are they too red or too yellow? I've seen that a lot. Does the photographer handle different skin tones well?
Look at contrast. Pay attention to white wedding dresses and black tuxedos. These are difficult to photograph. Ask yourself, are there details in the dresses or is it blown out? Do the blacks and the tuxes have detail or are they black holes? This tells you how technically skilled the photographer is.
You also want to look at composition. This is where you separate amateurs from professionals. Watch for too much space above people's heads. I see this a lot. The top of the frame should be right over people's heads, generally speaking.
Give this a try. Cover the top of the image with your hand just above people's heads. If it looks better and you remove 20% off the frame or more, that's a problem. Generally, that's a sign of someone who's not spent a lot of time looking at their composition.
What about odd cropping? People's feet should not be cut off at the ankles and hands should not be cut off at the wrists.
Next, look at the mood. This is personal, but important. Is the work joyful, emotional, alive, or does it feel like a fashion shoot? Because I've seen a lot of wedding portfolios where people look serious and dramatic like they're posing for a fashion magazine. And I always think, it's a wedding. Shouldn't people be happy?
Now, if that's your style, great. Just make sure it matches what you want. For me personally, that's not my thing.
Another thing to watch out for are what I call cheesy shots. You've seen them: the groomsmen checking their watches, a fake kidnapping of the bride, the groom or bride pretending to get drunk because that's the only way they're going to show up at the altar. If you like that, okay, fine. That's on you.
But if you don't and it's all over their portfolio, you're going to be fighting the photographer all day not to do that. And you don't want to be directing your photographer on your wedding day. And to be clear, if you don't want these types of photos, you better make sure the photographer is aware of that and make sure it's in the contract. On the other hand, if this is the type of photo you want, make sure that's in the contract too.
As you review the portfolio, ask yourself, do they capture real moments? This is one of the big things. A strong photographer anticipates moments. They'll position themselves properly to capitalize on good light, and they capture emotions naturally. They're not just staging everything.
They're capturing the look between parents and the couple, reactions during speeches. What about the quiet in-between moments? Personally, I think this is where you find the most memorable photos.
Finally, personality. This can make or break your day. Now that you've narrowed things down, this is the final filter. Do you actually like this person? Because they're going to be with you all day, in your space, during emotional moments. It will affect your wedding experience.
I know someone who dismissed their wedding photographer in the middle of the wedding because he annoyed them so much. And three decades later, they still talk about it.
So when you meet your photographer, ask yourself, do I feel comfortable around them? Do they make me feel relaxed? Can I trust them to do their job? Ideally, your photographer should feel like a wallflower, present but invisible.
To sum up, choosing a wedding photographer comes down to three things. Do you understand what you're getting and are they meeting your budget? Do you love their work and do you like them as a person? If all three line up, you're in a great spot. If not, keep looking. There are plenty of photographers out there. You don't need to settle.