Tuesday, September 29, 2009

On Hiring A Wedding Photographer

For once, someone in the business of providing services to weddings that is NOT a photographer writes about what is needed when hiring a photographer to photograph your wedding. All to often, a writer who has no knowledge of what it means to be in the room for hours on end, behind the scenes, and so on, believes they have captured the essence of being a wedding photographer and what that means - and most importantly, what a prospective couple should look for.

Evan Reitmeyer writes on his blog MyDeejay.com, in an article titled Hiring a Wedding Photographer (928/09), about just what the bride and groom should be looking for, by not only asking photographers in the DC and Baltimore areas about what you should watch out for, but he also filters those answers through his BS-meter so that you are not getting marketing gobbly-gook, but rather, a real and thus very helpful answer.

(Continued after the Jump)

He gets good answers to these questions:
Why is wedding photography so expensive?

If a couple is on a specific budget, what are some ways they can get the most for their money?

Each photographer handles the rights to their photos differently. Can you explain the differences?
And poses these questions as well:
What are the differences between the major styles of wedding photography?

What exactly does “wedding photojournalism” mean?

How important is it to meet the photographer before you hire them?

How important is it to find a photographer that’s a good match in terms of personality, or is liking their photos enough?

Are there any advantages of digital photography over film? Are there any disadvantages?

How important is it for a photographer to be familiar with the ceremony or reception site?

What are the advantages of having a “second shooter” to assist the photographer?

Every couple has a “shot list” for family photos, but what are some unique things they can do besides that?

What’s the most efficient way to get formal photos completed before the reception?

What if the bride and groom really don’t want to see each other before the ceremony?

What kind of advice do you give to couples to prepare for an engagement session?

What are your thoughts on the current trends in wedding photography, and where do you see things going?
In addition, they include a good list of questions to ask a wedding photographer. Evan wrote a great piece - thanks Evan!

Please post your comments by clicking the link below. If you've got questions, please pose them in our Photo Business Forum Flickr Group Discussion Threads.

6 comments:

Craig Murphy said...

Very good article. Has anyone else noticed that the wedding photography industry has pretty much been taken over by women?

Wedding Photographer Italy said...

How important is it to meet the photographer before you hire them?

Well I shoot destination wedding of foreign couples that come to Italy for their weddings. It happens that I have only contact throuh email and I saw the brides and the groom half an hour before their weddings.
I believe that couples trust me for my pictures. You cannot take so many candid images if you are not polite and respectful. But it's clear that I would like to meet the couple before the wedding.

Well the entire article is really nice and interesting.

AdvRdr said...

re Craig

What does it matter if women are doing well in the wedding photography business, or even becoming the more dominate gender?

Why make such an observation? What does gender have to do with being a photographer Craig?

When I started in the news biz in the late 70's, women accounted for 10% of the photo staff. When I left the newspaper world in mid-2000, women accounted for 50% of our staff, and most news gathering staffs around the country.

I can tell you that many women photographer's come to the job with a greater sensitivity to their subjects, strong work ethic and willingness to learn and network. Many of the male shooters I worked with did not exhibit the same qualities.

I'd say the photojournalism world is a better place now that women have an equal footing. No doubt all photographic worlds are.

Craig M. said...

Your the one that's all bent out of shape. Not me. All I did was make an observation based on the number of women profiled in the piece and my own local observations lately. Trust me I have nothing against women.

AdvRdr said...

Hey Craig, no one is bent out of shape over something you posted. And if you didn't have an issue with women, you would not have made your original post. Popping a smoke grenade after the fact makes you look foolish.

Joshua Archer said...

John,

This was a great find and saved me answering loads of questions with one simple link. I found the content useful and varied.

Thanks for the post and continuing to encourage debate.

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