4 Important Questions To Ask Wedding Photographers At Meetings

So you’ve narrowed down your list of photographers to meet. Now what? There are lots of good resources on the Internet that list important questions you should ask. Here are a few more that I’d like you to add:

1. Can I see a few complete galleries from weddings you’ve shot?

This is the most important question that people forget to ask. Most people ask for images taken from the same venue as they have instead. Not that asking that is pointless. It’s just that, unless those photographs were taken in the same time of year as yours will be, with the same lighting conditions as your wedding will have, the photos you’ll get will look different.

As I have mentioned again and again, Photography literally means writing with light. It’s up to the photographer to interpret the light that’s given to them and work with it. Some photographers work better in natural setting (i.e., no use of flash). Others are studio photographers who are great with using controlled lighting. In wedding photography, especially if you live in a place where you’re at the mercy of what Mother Nature provides you like Canada, you do want a photographer that can do both.

You’ll want a Natural Light photographer who’ll be able to cover your reception once it gets dark if the reception coverage is important to you. You’ll want a Studio Photographer who’ll know how to deal quickly with intermittent sunny/cloudy conditions, which can be really be a PIA.

The best way to see if they can deal with difficult lighting situations is to ask for several complete wedding galleries. Ask for weddings taken in sunny days, cloudy days, rainy days. Weddings outdoors, wedding indoors. Weddings where the situation will be similar to yours (i.e., if you’re having a winter wedding, ask for a gallery from a winter wedding they’ve shot, you get the idea.) You’ll get an idea of how your wedding photos will turn out by going through a few of these.

2. What is the turnaround for your images?

Each photographer is different so there’s no right answer here. But at least you’ll know what to expect. You’ll know to run the other way though if they tell you it’ll take them more than a year to edit your images. That’s, uh, waaaaaay too long, in my humble opinion.

3. How do you choose a Second Photographer?

Some photographers (like myself) prefer to work alone and that does not hinder them from covering a wedding well. There will be instances though where it would be recommended to hire a second photographer, whether it be for logistical or cultural reasons, so it’s good to ask how they’re chosen. Because, and I hate to say this, there are those that offer two photographers in their collection but in reality, only one of them is competent. The “second photographer” can be somebody who’s just starting out so you may or may not end up with their photographs in your gallery. Or worse, the “second photographer” is just another dude with a camera.

At least in my own circle of professional photographers, we make sure that our second photographers are well, professionals. There’s no point hiring a second photographer if I can’t use their photographs anyway, you know what I mean?I think it’s only fair for couples to know.

4. How much time do they need for each portion of the wedding day?

The worst thing you can do to your photographer is to give them 20 minutes for portraits and expect them to complete your list of 100 “must-have” groupings. Girl, that just ain’t gonna happen.

My point is, we can’t do our job if you don’t give us time. Each photographer works differently so ask them how much time they’ll need for each portion of the day. And with that information on hand, you can then decide how many hours you need to hire them for. And if it fits your budget.

So there you go! Hope this article help! Please let me know your thoughts on the Comments Section below!