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| the right wedding photographer |
November 25, 2011
Choosing the right wedding photographer!
Not to sound overly dramatic, but if you're a bride looking for a wedding photographer, this
could be the most important article you have ever read!
Have you ever walked into a car dealership to buy a car, particularly if it was your first time, and felt
like you had just walked into a lion's den? I know I have, and it can be very intimidating. You may
have an idea of what you want going in, but pretty soon they've planted so many different things in
your head, and talked about leases and interest and financing and blah blah blah that pretty soon,
your head is just spinning and you don't know what to think! I know that feeling ( although I'm much
better about handling it now! Yay Me! )
Okay, so the truth is, choosing a wedding photographer can be an experience very much like that
at the car dealership. Most brides kind of know what they want, and may have read some articles
filled with advice to ask this or be shown this, but the truth is that it is a very intimidating and often
overwhelming process...
So, seriously, here's the scoop. And, to be perfectly clear, this isn't an attempt by me to convince
you to hire me to photograph your wedding ( although coincidentally I do happen to meet all of the
qualifications I mention as being very, very important ).
To start with, let me dispel some very common myths that you may often hear as words of advice
from other brides in online chatrooms, etc..
could be the most important article you have ever read!
Have you ever walked into a car dealership to buy a car, particularly if it was your first time, and felt
like you had just walked into a lion's den? I know I have, and it can be very intimidating. You may
have an idea of what you want going in, but pretty soon they've planted so many different things in
your head, and talked about leases and interest and financing and blah blah blah that pretty soon,
your head is just spinning and you don't know what to think! I know that feeling ( although I'm much
better about handling it now! Yay Me! )
Okay, so the truth is, choosing a wedding photographer can be an experience very much like that
at the car dealership. Most brides kind of know what they want, and may have read some articles
filled with advice to ask this or be shown this, but the truth is that it is a very intimidating and often
overwhelming process...
So, seriously, here's the scoop. And, to be perfectly clear, this isn't an attempt by me to convince
you to hire me to photograph your wedding ( although coincidentally I do happen to meet all of the
qualifications I mention as being very, very important ).
To start with, let me dispel some very common myths that you may often hear as words of advice
from other brides in online chatrooms, etc..
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MYTH NUMBER ONE - Your photographer needs to be more than just a photographer, they need to be your most bestest friend.
Okay, this one truly drives me nuts probably more than any other, which is why I was a little sarcastic with the wording above. Look - it's great if
your photographer and you get along well - it's very important, really, and it's something you should look for. But your "most bestest friend"?
C'mon - you're going to see them once or twice or three times in your life, and that's about it. Seriously - find a photographer you like and
connect with, but please don't worry about them being your BFF. It's like your family doctor - find one who is good and professional and
knowledgable and who has a good "bedside" manner, but really... do you hang out or go out for drinks with your doctor? Of course not ( for
those of you who are doctors, please forgive me for that, but you are the exception, you know! )
Okay, so lose the whole "BFF" thing. I read that in Chat Rooms from zillions of brides who haven't even had their wedding yet, but are tossing
around advice that they're just not qualified to give. I very much enjoy establishing a very friendly relationship with all of my brides, and I remain
in contact with most of my brides for years after their weddings. But BFF's? That's not a priority, believe me.
MYTH NUMBER TWO - My photographer is new and not very experienced, but they're really good!
Yeah, maybe they are really good - I doubt it. But let's pretend that they are. Maybe they're a GREAT photographer. But that doesn't make
them a great wedding photographer. Not by any stretch of the imagination. If you follow professional photography forums, you'll find that about
90% of professional photographers won't go anywhere NEAR a wedding with a camera. A wedding is a unique photographic event and requires a
specialist - a specialist in wedding photography! It requires lots and lots of experience shooting weddings, not family portraits, puppies, children
and landscapes...
Let me put it another way, and I'm going to use the doctor reference again. ( Again, if you are a doctor, forgive me... )
You may have a great family physician that you just absolutely love to death. He or she is a great doctor, and you go to them every time you
have a cold or the flu or a broken finger, etc.
But WAIT! You've suddenly learned that you have a severe heart condition that requires immediate surgery! OH NO! Do you rush over to your
family doctor, ask them to grab their sharpest scalpel and get to work? NO, of course not! You go to a specialist. You go to a heart surgeon. You
don't mess around with something like that. You go to the very best and most qualified surgeon you can find! Well, I think we can all agree that
wedding photography is not nearly so important as heart surgery - but the point is the same!
Hey, if you want to go on Craig's List and find some college dude with a camera who says he'll shoot your wedding for $200 bucks, be my guest.
But don't start complaining when "this guy who seemed to be a really good photographer" ruins your wedding day memories. I've seen it
happen so many times it makes my head spin. Check any of the online wedding forums and chatrooms and you can read for hours and hours
about brides who got burned trying to save a few bucks or by trusting in the "natural" skill of their amateur friend.
I remember a Craig's List ad I saw one time where the groom was offering $200 to any amateur photographer to photograph his wedding and
then simply turn over to him the digital files, raw and unedited. This groom, by the way, was getting married at the Franklin Park Conservatory
- one of the single most beautiful locations in Columbus, and which is not exactly cheap. I couldn't believe it! They were planning to spend
thousands upon thousands of dollars to be married at the FPC, but wanted to drop $200 on some hack photographer to document the day in
pictures. UNBELIEVABLE!
MYTH NUMBER THREE - You need to find a photographer who will be there with you the entire day!
I'm very sorry to sound as though I do nothing but complain, but this one truly drives me up a wall!
Are you kidding me? All day? Why on earth would you even want them with you all day! I recall a photographer's website that claimed, "We'll be
there with you from the moment you wake up until the moment you leave the reception!"
WOW... Now that is a promise. Can you imagine rolling over in your bed, stretching your arms, opening your eyes to the morning light and
suddenly...
WHHHOOOOOOSHHHH! A huge burst of light like a Super Nova suddenly goes off in your face, blinding you for the next five minutes and
causing little green spots to dance in your brain for the next hour! Hey, the photographer was true to his word - there you were, stretching and
waking up from a night's sleep and BAM! they got that precious moment for your memory book!
Seriously?
Look. You don't need a professional photographer with you all day. Not even close.
Show me a photographer who promises to be there ALL DAY, and I'll show you an amateur hack.
Here's what is needed for a "typical" wedding...
1. You want them there when you're getting ready ( this is typically a very special and emotional time for the bride ).
2. You want them there to grab shots of the guys getting ready ( not so emotional, but usually funny - sometimes obnoxious... )
3. You want them there for the time leading up to the ceremony, the ceremony, and the formals.
4. You want them there for any other special time you've set aside for photography ( you know - the less formal stuff of the bride and groom
and/or the wedding party at some pretty spot )
5. You want them there for most, but not always all, of the reception.
6. You may want them there for the grand "send-off" if you're planning that sort of thing.
You want to know the truth about who typically offers ALL-DAY WEDDING COVERAGE ( literally no time restraints )???? Photographers who
don't have the talent or experience to book weddings on their own artistic merit ( i.e. newbies, hacks, and amateurs ), and so they offer
ridiculous things like all day wedding coverage, or stupid-low prices. That is a fact. And for all you hack photographers who are reading this -
you know exactly who you are!
6 -8 hours, maybe 10, is plenty enough time for most professional wedding photographers to fully and completely document your day. You will
almost NEVER need anything more than that, I promise you. Remember, practically every guest at your event will have their own camera or
camera phone and will be shooting pictures non-stop all day and all night long! And those things will be all over Facebook within minutes, if not
hours, of the wedding ending, and looooooong before you get your professional wedding pictures.
I've been to weddings where I spent the last 3 hours of the contract shooting nothing but very, very uninhibited ( hint-hint ) people dancing.
THREE HOURS OF THOSE NICE PEOPLE DANCING - and doing a few other crazy antics that would probably be best not remembered, on film
or otherwise! Do you really want to pay me for that, or would you rather just have various friends and family members catch those magical
moments on their cell phones and point-and-shoots? Seriously, think about it...
MYTH NUMBER FOUR - THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS OUT THERE, IT'S SO HARD TO CHOOSE!
There are a lot of great wedding photographers out there. But the fact is, 90% of the are part-time weekend warriors who have NO BUSINESS
even trying to photograph weddings professionally. When you know what to look for, it's not nearly so hard to choose...
Here's a scenario ( with a little added drama for fun! )... let's say you have this friend who is an accountant. He also has a hobby which is
photography. He loves to go out on weekends and shoot landscapes and birds and children at the playground, and he's even taken some great
shots of his family, and maybe even yours, posed on the couch or playing baseball. That's great. That's what 90% of all AMATEUR
photographers do.... and there is nothing wrong with that.
But weddings are something entirely different. It is so much more than just pointing a big camera at something and clicking the shutter!
It's about knowing exactly which lense and which settings to use for which purposes, and being able to anticipate that ahead of time. That is
something that cannot be taught, or read - it comes only with experience. LOTS of experience.
It's about having good, expensive cameras lenses that can zoom and focus in a fraction of a second, and have apertures that go to f/2.8 or even
f/1.4 that can get the shot in even the dimmest light. I'm talking about photography equipment that cost many tens of thousands of dollars!
Very few amateur photographers can afford that type of equipment.
It's about having full sets of back-up equipment ready and on-hand so that, should there be an equipment failure of any kind, the photographer
won't miss a beat, or a magical, once-in-a-lifetime moment. I had a camera freeze up on me one time just as a bride and her father were
entering the sanctuary and I was able to instantly grab my other camera and didn't miss a thing.
It's about having professional photographer's insurance, so that should something go tragically wrong, it can be handled by the photographer.
Here are some examples:
Photographers with proper insurance can:
1. Pay to have the images salvaged from a damaged memory card. This can be very expensive.
2. Cover the damages should they accidentally trip and ruin your $1000 wedding cake.
3. Pay the $20,000 hospital bill when one of their 700 degree studio lights burns a child's arm - if they don't have insurance, that child's parents
may come after YOU since you're the one who hired the amateur photographer without insurance. How would you like that little bill? And how
many "weekend warrior" photographers do you think actually have insurance? My guess? About 1 in 1,000,000? Maybe? And did you know that
some churches and many reception venues will not even allow photographers on their premises unless they have insurance? It's true. They know
the risks and don't want to be burned - why would you want that risk?
Okay, so I covered some of the most common myths. Now, bear with me just a bit longer please. You know all those lists of questions that all
the magazines have that give you great advice on what to ask photographers when you're interviewing them. Well, those are all fine and good.
Really, they are.
But here are just a few more questions you need to ask, and also some follow-up questions, and a few things I like to call "disqualifiers". Oh, and
I'm only going to cover those questions that aren't typically covered by wedding magazines and things like that, typically because the wedding
magazines don't really want to throw out the "really hard" questions to you that may scare away many of their advertisers. It's really all about
the money, right?
Here are the three "juicy" questions that will help you sort out the hacks, wannabes, and pretenders from the real ones...
QUESTION ONE - HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER ( let them answer, and then... ) AND ARE
YOU REGISTERED AS SUCH WITHIN ( your respective state ) BECAUSE I INTEND TO CHECK WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S
WEBSITE TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE IN FACT A LEGALLY REGISTERED BUSINESS, AND WHEN IT WAS THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID
THAT? ( you can actually easily research that... it's super easy and it will absolutely scare the "pretenders" to death )
This is important. Be sure to ask them to write it down on paper and give it to you so that they cannot deny it later.
Believe me when I say that they're ready for the first part of that question. They already have a number in mind that they're gonna tell you when
you ask them how long they've been in business. But they're not ready for the second part and if they're lying about their experience, they're
gonna not know what the heck to say to that part - they're not planning on you asking that!
Most amateurs and hacks typically will grossly exaggerate their experience, assuming that you won't ever really check up on their claim. If you
do catch them in a lie, be prepared for their retort to be something like..."Well, I did shoot lots of weddings for a while until I was sure that I was
good enough to go pro, and then I registered my business with the state..." or some other lame excuse.
Oooh I'd like to be a fly on the wall watching their face when you ask them that one...
If you get them on that one, they should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!
QUESTION TWO - DO YOU HAVE A FULL SET OF CAMERA GEAR TO SHOOT MY WEDDING ( let them answer, and then... ) AND DO YOU
HAVE A FULL SET OF COMPARABLE GEAR FOR ANY ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER YOU MAY BE USING ( let them answer, and then... )
AND DO YOU HAVE FULL SETS OF BACK-UP GEAR FOR BOTH YOU AND YOUR ASSISTANTS SHOULD THERE BE AN EQUIPMENT
FAILURE OR OTHER UNFORTUNATE MISHAP?
Wait, you're not done with this one yet. As before, ask them to write down on paper exactly what equipment ( camera body, lenses, flashes,
etc. they have and intend to bring with them to your wedding ) If you're somewhere like a Panera or Starbucks, you may wish to offer to buy
them a cool drink at this point because if they are a hack or amateur or pretender, they're going to be sweating like a pig in July....
If they cannot answer Question Two to your satisfaction, they should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!
QUESTION THREE - DO YOU HAVE COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE COVERAGE?
This one is easy. They'll either stare at you with a blank look on their face as their brain races to come up with an answer that they think will
sound good to you, or they'll answer you right away with either a yes or a no. Whatever their answer, don't let up...
IF THEY SAY YES, ASK THEM TO WRITE DOWN THE NAME OF THE COMPANY AND/OR AGENT WITH WHOM THEY HAVE THEIR
INSURANCE. IF THEY CLAIM TO FORGET, ASK THEM TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU PLAN TO VERIFY THAT THEY
HAVE CURRENT INSURANCE - REMEMBER, THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S INSURANCE PROTECTS YOU! IF THEY SAY THAT THEY DO NOT
HAVE INSURANCE, THAT SHOULD BE AN EASY ONE. DO NOT HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO DOESN'T HAVE INSURANCE.
If they do not have insurance, they should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!
If I could sit there with you during the interview, I could point out millions more things that are somewhat more subjective, but which are sure
indicators of amateurs, hacks, and pretenders, such as images which are over or underexposed, or images where Photoshop was used to correct
a substandard image rather than to enhance a good image, etc. But since I cannot be there, I hope that the above advice will help you to sort
through the vast numbers of hacks and amateurs who have popped up in the last few years, claiming to be professional photographers.
Here's a final quick checklist, but this list is by no means exclusionary, so just use it as a guideline and you'll be glad you did....
1. Look for photographers who have at least 3 or more years experience shooting weddings full-time - the more experience, the better
2. Look for photographers who have shot at least 50 or more weddings
3. No matter how good the deal may sound, avoid any photographer who seems in any way evasive or dishonest - basically psychology tells us
that very few liars can tell a lie and look a person in the eye at the same time.... give it a try!
4. Be EXTREMELY careful of photographer recommendations from other brides in chatrooms. There is a psychological phenomena commonly
known as "reinforcement" wherein the individual ( in this case, a bride ) will exaggerate their value of their own choice of photographer as a
means of subconciously reassuring herself that she herself made the right choice. Ask any psychologist and they'll assure you this phenomena is
absolutely true. It is very common in chatrooms and very common with brides and you need to be very careful of this or you may be "burned"
by the same "photographer" that burns them.
Final Note: I am happy to help you with your decision, to the extent that I am able. If you're looking at a particular photographer's work and
would like me to give you my opinion of it ( please, photographers, don't pretend to be a bride to have me do this for your site ) from a strictly
technical perspective, I am happy to do that for you. Feel free to contact me any time for my opinion, if you should care to have it.
I could run down a list of "real" wedding photographers and "pretenders" in the Columbus area right off the top of my head.
Thanks for your time and good luck finding the perfect photographer for your wedding!
Maria
Okay, this one truly drives me nuts probably more than any other, which is why I was a little sarcastic with the wording above. Look - it's great if
your photographer and you get along well - it's very important, really, and it's something you should look for. But your "most bestest friend"?
C'mon - you're going to see them once or twice or three times in your life, and that's about it. Seriously - find a photographer you like and
connect with, but please don't worry about them being your BFF. It's like your family doctor - find one who is good and professional and
knowledgable and who has a good "bedside" manner, but really... do you hang out or go out for drinks with your doctor? Of course not ( for
those of you who are doctors, please forgive me for that, but you are the exception, you know! )
Okay, so lose the whole "BFF" thing. I read that in Chat Rooms from zillions of brides who haven't even had their wedding yet, but are tossing
around advice that they're just not qualified to give. I very much enjoy establishing a very friendly relationship with all of my brides, and I remain
in contact with most of my brides for years after their weddings. But BFF's? That's not a priority, believe me.
MYTH NUMBER TWO - My photographer is new and not very experienced, but they're really good!
Yeah, maybe they are really good - I doubt it. But let's pretend that they are. Maybe they're a GREAT photographer. But that doesn't make
them a great wedding photographer. Not by any stretch of the imagination. If you follow professional photography forums, you'll find that about
90% of professional photographers won't go anywhere NEAR a wedding with a camera. A wedding is a unique photographic event and requires a
specialist - a specialist in wedding photography! It requires lots and lots of experience shooting weddings, not family portraits, puppies, children
and landscapes...
Let me put it another way, and I'm going to use the doctor reference again. ( Again, if you are a doctor, forgive me... )
You may have a great family physician that you just absolutely love to death. He or she is a great doctor, and you go to them every time you
have a cold or the flu or a broken finger, etc.
But WAIT! You've suddenly learned that you have a severe heart condition that requires immediate surgery! OH NO! Do you rush over to your
family doctor, ask them to grab their sharpest scalpel and get to work? NO, of course not! You go to a specialist. You go to a heart surgeon. You
don't mess around with something like that. You go to the very best and most qualified surgeon you can find! Well, I think we can all agree that
wedding photography is not nearly so important as heart surgery - but the point is the same!
Hey, if you want to go on Craig's List and find some college dude with a camera who says he'll shoot your wedding for $200 bucks, be my guest.
But don't start complaining when "this guy who seemed to be a really good photographer" ruins your wedding day memories. I've seen it
happen so many times it makes my head spin. Check any of the online wedding forums and chatrooms and you can read for hours and hours
about brides who got burned trying to save a few bucks or by trusting in the "natural" skill of their amateur friend.
I remember a Craig's List ad I saw one time where the groom was offering $200 to any amateur photographer to photograph his wedding and
then simply turn over to him the digital files, raw and unedited. This groom, by the way, was getting married at the Franklin Park Conservatory
- one of the single most beautiful locations in Columbus, and which is not exactly cheap. I couldn't believe it! They were planning to spend
thousands upon thousands of dollars to be married at the FPC, but wanted to drop $200 on some hack photographer to document the day in
pictures. UNBELIEVABLE!
MYTH NUMBER THREE - You need to find a photographer who will be there with you the entire day!
I'm very sorry to sound as though I do nothing but complain, but this one truly drives me up a wall!
Are you kidding me? All day? Why on earth would you even want them with you all day! I recall a photographer's website that claimed, "We'll be
there with you from the moment you wake up until the moment you leave the reception!"
WOW... Now that is a promise. Can you imagine rolling over in your bed, stretching your arms, opening your eyes to the morning light and
suddenly...
WHHHOOOOOOSHHHH! A huge burst of light like a Super Nova suddenly goes off in your face, blinding you for the next five minutes and
causing little green spots to dance in your brain for the next hour! Hey, the photographer was true to his word - there you were, stretching and
waking up from a night's sleep and BAM! they got that precious moment for your memory book!
Seriously?
Look. You don't need a professional photographer with you all day. Not even close.
Show me a photographer who promises to be there ALL DAY, and I'll show you an amateur hack.
Here's what is needed for a "typical" wedding...
1. You want them there when you're getting ready ( this is typically a very special and emotional time for the bride ).
2. You want them there to grab shots of the guys getting ready ( not so emotional, but usually funny - sometimes obnoxious... )
3. You want them there for the time leading up to the ceremony, the ceremony, and the formals.
4. You want them there for any other special time you've set aside for photography ( you know - the less formal stuff of the bride and groom
and/or the wedding party at some pretty spot )
5. You want them there for most, but not always all, of the reception.
6. You may want them there for the grand "send-off" if you're planning that sort of thing.
You want to know the truth about who typically offers ALL-DAY WEDDING COVERAGE ( literally no time restraints )???? Photographers who
don't have the talent or experience to book weddings on their own artistic merit ( i.e. newbies, hacks, and amateurs ), and so they offer
ridiculous things like all day wedding coverage, or stupid-low prices. That is a fact. And for all you hack photographers who are reading this -
you know exactly who you are!
6 -8 hours, maybe 10, is plenty enough time for most professional wedding photographers to fully and completely document your day. You will
almost NEVER need anything more than that, I promise you. Remember, practically every guest at your event will have their own camera or
camera phone and will be shooting pictures non-stop all day and all night long! And those things will be all over Facebook within minutes, if not
hours, of the wedding ending, and looooooong before you get your professional wedding pictures.
I've been to weddings where I spent the last 3 hours of the contract shooting nothing but very, very uninhibited ( hint-hint ) people dancing.
THREE HOURS OF THOSE NICE PEOPLE DANCING - and doing a few other crazy antics that would probably be best not remembered, on film
or otherwise! Do you really want to pay me for that, or would you rather just have various friends and family members catch those magical
moments on their cell phones and point-and-shoots? Seriously, think about it...
MYTH NUMBER FOUR - THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS OUT THERE, IT'S SO HARD TO CHOOSE!
There are a lot of great wedding photographers out there. But the fact is, 90% of the are part-time weekend warriors who have NO BUSINESS
even trying to photograph weddings professionally. When you know what to look for, it's not nearly so hard to choose...
Here's a scenario ( with a little added drama for fun! )... let's say you have this friend who is an accountant. He also has a hobby which is
photography. He loves to go out on weekends and shoot landscapes and birds and children at the playground, and he's even taken some great
shots of his family, and maybe even yours, posed on the couch or playing baseball. That's great. That's what 90% of all AMATEUR
photographers do.... and there is nothing wrong with that.
But weddings are something entirely different. It is so much more than just pointing a big camera at something and clicking the shutter!
It's about knowing exactly which lense and which settings to use for which purposes, and being able to anticipate that ahead of time. That is
something that cannot be taught, or read - it comes only with experience. LOTS of experience.
It's about having good, expensive cameras lenses that can zoom and focus in a fraction of a second, and have apertures that go to f/2.8 or even
f/1.4 that can get the shot in even the dimmest light. I'm talking about photography equipment that cost many tens of thousands of dollars!
Very few amateur photographers can afford that type of equipment.
It's about having full sets of back-up equipment ready and on-hand so that, should there be an equipment failure of any kind, the photographer
won't miss a beat, or a magical, once-in-a-lifetime moment. I had a camera freeze up on me one time just as a bride and her father were
entering the sanctuary and I was able to instantly grab my other camera and didn't miss a thing.
It's about having professional photographer's insurance, so that should something go tragically wrong, it can be handled by the photographer.
Here are some examples:
Photographers with proper insurance can:
1. Pay to have the images salvaged from a damaged memory card. This can be very expensive.
2. Cover the damages should they accidentally trip and ruin your $1000 wedding cake.
3. Pay the $20,000 hospital bill when one of their 700 degree studio lights burns a child's arm - if they don't have insurance, that child's parents
may come after YOU since you're the one who hired the amateur photographer without insurance. How would you like that little bill? And how
many "weekend warrior" photographers do you think actually have insurance? My guess? About 1 in 1,000,000? Maybe? And did you know that
some churches and many reception venues will not even allow photographers on their premises unless they have insurance? It's true. They know
the risks and don't want to be burned - why would you want that risk?
Okay, so I covered some of the most common myths. Now, bear with me just a bit longer please. You know all those lists of questions that all
the magazines have that give you great advice on what to ask photographers when you're interviewing them. Well, those are all fine and good.
Really, they are.
But here are just a few more questions you need to ask, and also some follow-up questions, and a few things I like to call "disqualifiers". Oh, and
I'm only going to cover those questions that aren't typically covered by wedding magazines and things like that, typically because the wedding
magazines don't really want to throw out the "really hard" questions to you that may scare away many of their advertisers. It's really all about
the money, right?
Here are the three "juicy" questions that will help you sort out the hacks, wannabes, and pretenders from the real ones...
QUESTION ONE - HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER ( let them answer, and then... ) AND ARE
YOU REGISTERED AS SUCH WITHIN ( your respective state ) BECAUSE I INTEND TO CHECK WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S
WEBSITE TO ENSURE THAT YOU ARE IN FACT A LEGALLY REGISTERED BUSINESS, AND WHEN IT WAS THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID
THAT? ( you can actually easily research that... it's super easy and it will absolutely scare the "pretenders" to death )
This is important. Be sure to ask them to write it down on paper and give it to you so that they cannot deny it later.
Believe me when I say that they're ready for the first part of that question. They already have a number in mind that they're gonna tell you when
you ask them how long they've been in business. But they're not ready for the second part and if they're lying about their experience, they're
gonna not know what the heck to say to that part - they're not planning on you asking that!
Most amateurs and hacks typically will grossly exaggerate their experience, assuming that you won't ever really check up on their claim. If you
do catch them in a lie, be prepared for their retort to be something like..."Well, I did shoot lots of weddings for a while until I was sure that I was
good enough to go pro, and then I registered my business with the state..." or some other lame excuse.
Oooh I'd like to be a fly on the wall watching their face when you ask them that one...
If you get them on that one, they should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!
QUESTION TWO - DO YOU HAVE A FULL SET OF CAMERA GEAR TO SHOOT MY WEDDING ( let them answer, and then... ) AND DO YOU
HAVE A FULL SET OF COMPARABLE GEAR FOR ANY ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER YOU MAY BE USING ( let them answer, and then... )
AND DO YOU HAVE FULL SETS OF BACK-UP GEAR FOR BOTH YOU AND YOUR ASSISTANTS SHOULD THERE BE AN EQUIPMENT
FAILURE OR OTHER UNFORTUNATE MISHAP?
Wait, you're not done with this one yet. As before, ask them to write down on paper exactly what equipment ( camera body, lenses, flashes,
etc. they have and intend to bring with them to your wedding ) If you're somewhere like a Panera or Starbucks, you may wish to offer to buy
them a cool drink at this point because if they are a hack or amateur or pretender, they're going to be sweating like a pig in July....
If they cannot answer Question Two to your satisfaction, they should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!
QUESTION THREE - DO YOU HAVE COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE COVERAGE?
This one is easy. They'll either stare at you with a blank look on their face as their brain races to come up with an answer that they think will
sound good to you, or they'll answer you right away with either a yes or a no. Whatever their answer, don't let up...
IF THEY SAY YES, ASK THEM TO WRITE DOWN THE NAME OF THE COMPANY AND/OR AGENT WITH WHOM THEY HAVE THEIR
INSURANCE. IF THEY CLAIM TO FORGET, ASK THEM TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU PLAN TO VERIFY THAT THEY
HAVE CURRENT INSURANCE - REMEMBER, THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S INSURANCE PROTECTS YOU! IF THEY SAY THAT THEY DO NOT
HAVE INSURANCE, THAT SHOULD BE AN EASY ONE. DO NOT HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO DOESN'T HAVE INSURANCE.
If they do not have insurance, they should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION!
If I could sit there with you during the interview, I could point out millions more things that are somewhat more subjective, but which are sure
indicators of amateurs, hacks, and pretenders, such as images which are over or underexposed, or images where Photoshop was used to correct
a substandard image rather than to enhance a good image, etc. But since I cannot be there, I hope that the above advice will help you to sort
through the vast numbers of hacks and amateurs who have popped up in the last few years, claiming to be professional photographers.
Here's a final quick checklist, but this list is by no means exclusionary, so just use it as a guideline and you'll be glad you did....
1. Look for photographers who have at least 3 or more years experience shooting weddings full-time - the more experience, the better
2. Look for photographers who have shot at least 50 or more weddings
3. No matter how good the deal may sound, avoid any photographer who seems in any way evasive or dishonest - basically psychology tells us
that very few liars can tell a lie and look a person in the eye at the same time.... give it a try!
4. Be EXTREMELY careful of photographer recommendations from other brides in chatrooms. There is a psychological phenomena commonly
known as "reinforcement" wherein the individual ( in this case, a bride ) will exaggerate their value of their own choice of photographer as a
means of subconciously reassuring herself that she herself made the right choice. Ask any psychologist and they'll assure you this phenomena is
absolutely true. It is very common in chatrooms and very common with brides and you need to be very careful of this or you may be "burned"
by the same "photographer" that burns them.
Final Note: I am happy to help you with your decision, to the extent that I am able. If you're looking at a particular photographer's work and
would like me to give you my opinion of it ( please, photographers, don't pretend to be a bride to have me do this for your site ) from a strictly
technical perspective, I am happy to do that for you. Feel free to contact me any time for my opinion, if you should care to have it.
I could run down a list of "real" wedding photographers and "pretenders" in the Columbus area right off the top of my head.
Thanks for your time and good luck finding the perfect photographer for your wedding!
Maria
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