"Choosing Your Photographer" Lesson #6

So you are looking for a photographer for one of the most important days in your life. What should you expect from them?

I was just browsing one of the photographer forums that I belong to and one lady posted something that I thought would make an interesting and timely entry for my blog.

She related a very recent story that the bride and groom had met with her and looked over all her sample photographs, albums etc. Now I have highlighted those words because they will become significant. They booked her. She knew the family and gave them a 50% discount...Oops, first mistake.

Fast forward to the last couple of days. The wedding has been over for more than 2 months. The album is completed...I might add, with selections made by the bride and groom and enlargements printed and delivered (enlargements selected by the bride and her family...duh).

She has just received an email from the bride and her mom telling her they are very disappointed in the "style" of the photographs...(HUH??) and, they want their money back.

This makes absolutely no sense to me since:

1. They reviewed her work before they signed-up;
   
2. They viewed the images after the wedding to make their selections;
   
3. They get together with the photographer to plan and design their album;
4. Photographer delivers their album and other photographs;
5. TWO (2) months later they EMAIL her to say how disappointed they are.

Unfortunately, some brides and their moms pull this to get part or all of their money back. I have heard it done so many times. They want to keep the pictures and album, but they want all their money back. But anyway, I want to address what I call the real secondary issues.

They had more than adequate time to evaluate the photographer BEFORE they even signed a contract. Even more time to, at least mention something, after the wedding, and additional time while they were designing the album and ordering prints...

Now, I will say that I can photograph 2 weddings at the same location and they will just turn out different. A lot of it is the personality of the bride and groom, the setting, or really, who knows what it is? They just "look" different.

Some weddings are more emotional while others are...well...no one really cares. Unfortunately, that emotion can get translated into the photographs. It happens all the time. Those that are magic, make it worth everything to me.

So, this is a very red flag going up for me. They want something for nothing. How many other vendors have they done this to?

The bottom line here is not to wait until everything is done, to voice a concern.

While looking at a photographer's samples, ask them if they have photographed your location and if yes, can you look at some samples from there. If they haven't, look at their overall style. Is it something you like? Do you have special requests? Tell them. Look at their website. VERY IMPORTANT! I have recently seen some photographer's websites that literally look like a 12 year old put it together. Great photographs on a website can give you a idea of how good the photographer is. Ask them if those photographs are standard for their wedding photography.

A photographer's style will hopefully just get better over time, so asking if they have photographed a specific location may not reflect any improvements in the photographer's work NOW.

When looking for your photographer, remember their time is NOT just the hours of the wedding day. For me the number of hours for every wedding, can be well over 200+.

All of the engagement photos, final fitting, bridal showers, tux fitting, pre-wedding shots, ceremony, reception and after wedding post processing, WebShow design and Album Showcase design involve a significant amount of time. Plus there is the issue of retouching and enhancing every photograph used in the WebShow and Album Showcase.

I had one fiance tell me he thought the pricing was way out-of-line for a couple of hours work...thus, a little education into the facts-of-life began.

Ask questions before you commit to anything. I am just going to throw this out there for giggles, READ THE CONTRACT. Asking relevant questions shows me you are concerned about your wedding photography and that you are NOT just looking for some "snapshots" of your wedding. A relative can get you some snapshots. Hopefully, I can give you a lasting memory.