Top 10 Questions When Choosing A Wedding Photographer
We asked local photographer Nick Sievewright, of Footprint Photography, what he feels are the key questions couples should be thinking of before engaging a wedding photographer. He came up with what we think are some really useful pointers.
"To help you get through the minefield of price, special deals and a host of other things to tempt you here are some “must ask” questions
1. Do you do this for a living? – many photographers (good ones included) have a full time job but if they were to make a complete hash of your wedding they go back to work on Monday knowing they still have a salary.
2. How many photographers will there be at my wedding? – we believe that 2 photographers is the minimum required to get all the photos of the day, one to photograph the bride getting ready and one to photograph the groom and the guests arriving
3. Are you insured? – a must have when you are considering who will shoot your wedding
4. Do you bring spare kit? – another must have – if you have the one camera, one lens person and something stops working then your wedding photography stops there apart from friends with iphones. You need to know that the photographer you book has spare cameras, lenses, flashguns etc so that if anything stops they can swap out and carry on
5. Do you have a website? – not a total necessity but a proper website with a relevant email address tends to feel better than a facebook page and a johnnyphotographer@hotmail address
6. Can I see examples of your work? – you really MUST do this and look at the brides and guests faces in what you see. If there is a pattern of the same faces showing up time after time it could be an indication of someone with only one or two weddings under their belt
7. Do you have any testimonials I can read? – another MUST – you have to look at what others have said about the photographer before you book
8. Can I see albums? – these are a great way of seeing the printed quality of the photographer’s work but look for albums that show a full wedding from beginning to end and not just a load of sample photos from different weddings. These are good to look at but a very average photographer will take some good shots and if put into a “catch all” album they can make you believe this is the normal quality and not just lucky shots
9. What do I get afterwards? – THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK!! – you have to bottom this one out at the get go. Many photographers will appear cheap but if you don’t ask the right questions you could end up paying through the nose after your big day. You must ask “Do I get all my images as hi-res jpegs without watermark?” Don’t get hung up on copyright, as long as you get full permission to share your photos with friends, family, social media etc that’s all you need
10. And finally . . . .- if things look too good to be true they usually are – would you buy a Rolex watch for £20 from a street seller in Cairo and believe it’s the real thing – probably not so apply the same thought process to your wedding photographer and you shouldn’t go far wrong."
Nick and his wife Anne offer free advice so if you have any further questions please do contact them at: www.footprintphoto.biz - studio@footprintphoto.biz
0114 205 5466 - 07964 10 9 8 7 6