Wedding Portraits that Don’t suck

Face it every where you turn there is a professional photographer, or at least someone who claims to be.  When it comes to your wedding how do you prevent a disaster when it comes to your wedding photos?  Below are five tips to help you choose a photographer that will create images that will last as long as your marriage, and a few generations longer.

1.  Don’t hire your best friend or family member to photograph your wedding
Why?- Its simple, if they are that good of a friend allow them to be part of the wedding as a bridesmaid or groomsmen not the photographer.  Ask yourself this question- “If my friend or family member made a mistake at my wedding, could I ever forgive them?  What would the relationship be like after a mistake.  Mistakes happen at weddings, from camera failures, to lens failures, to lost memory cards, or crashed hard drives.  Don’t ruin a perfectly good relationship unless the relationship wasn’t worth much in the first place.

2.  Don’t let your wedding be “The first” wedding for your photographer.
Your wedding is not the place for a photographer to learn what they are doing.  A good wedding photographer has probably been doing this for years with all the experience to go with it.  A newbie will be too worried about his/her shutter speed or aperture to worry about you and your family.  Experience brings with it adaptability and creativity.  The experienced photographer will know how to deal with any situation your event presents to him/her.  If they have been doing it awhile it means they haven’t made too many mistakes and have probably been referred to you by a very happy couple.  What determines if a photographer is experienced.. Their work.  If you only see the same one or two brides throughout their entire portfolio they probably only photographed one or two weddings.  Ask questions when you talk to them, check their references.

3.  Don’t hire a professional who doesn’t use professional lighting
Professionals photographers make a living by repeatedly creating great product that you would love and cherish a lifetime.  One tool that a professional uses is off camera lighting.  Flashes and other off camera lighting give images depth and consistency that natural lighting can’t.  Professionals understand how and when to use natural lighting as well as flash, but they use flash for all the really important photos.  This includes the reception. So when you ask a photographer if he/she uses flash and they tell you no, or its the one built into your camera, you are probably better off hiring your family member with the same camera.

4.  Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the photographer
On your wedding day you are more likely to spend more time with your photographer then you do your husband/wife!  You better like the photographer otherwise its going to be a long day.  The best way to do this is meeting with your photographer face to face or at leas over the phone.  There are many inexpensive photography companies that have up to 10 photographers that you won’t get to meet till your wedding day.  The only person you should wait to meet on your wedding day is your spouses extended family, and you might want to skip a few of them.  If your photographer pushes your buttons in the meeting, don’t hire them.  They will more than likely push your buttons on your wedding day when you don’t need it.  Get to like your photographer.  They have great ideas and like to help.  An experienced photographer can help you plan your day, and know solutions to problems that arise because they have been there before.  The newbie will still be trying to figure out what setting to put his camera on, so he/she will be of no help.

5.  Don’t try to do everything Do it Yourself
When it comes to printing your own wedding photographs, you should get the help of the photographer who took them.  Professionals usually care more about the quality of the print then the Minimum wage employee behind the Print & Go counter. Ask questions about what you get after the wedding.  Professionals will explain everything and help you decide on the best product for you and suggest the best possible solutions for your memories.  A good photographer will sort and adjust the images to provide you with quality images on a disc for you to have.

Please don’t hire a photographer that will leave you in tears or provide you with more stress than your future new family members.  Its not always a good idea to save money on photography.  The photos will be the only thing left after 30 years, because the cake will stale, and your flowers will wilt along with your memory.  Your wedding photos will refresh your mind and heart about the joy you experience on your wedding day.

For more information about how not to make a mistake when hiring a wedding photographer feel free to call us at 616.897.5606 or contact us at info@modernphotographics.com