15 Questions to Ask a Potential Wedding Photographer
Your wedding will be a huge life event, and you’ll want to capture every moment in wedding photos. So how do you find the right photographer? As you’re reviewing candidates, you’ll want to look for someone who resonates with your style and personality. Getting clear on what your wedding package includes, how long your photographer will stay, and when you’ll get your photos can help give you peace of mind. When you’re fully enjoying yourself, you’ll be sure to end up with beautiful wedding images of the celebration you can cherish forever. Here’s a list of questions to ask your wedding photographer to ensure they’ll be the perfect fit for your big day.
1. What’s Included in Our Wedding Package?
Wedding packages vary, so ask your photographer what their standard offering covers. If it includes eight hours of coverage, additional photographer, digital images, and prints, ask yourself if this is enough. Be sure to verify the specific details about who and what will be captured so nothing gets missed on your wedding day. You can often negotiate a customized or bespoke package that features the exact shots and add-ons you want.
2. How Many Hours Will You Stay?
Ask your photographer when they will arrive, start taking pictures, take breaks, wrap up, and leave. Have reasonable expectations. If you hire one photographer to work from dawn until midnight, the quality of your photos could suffer, especially if they have a busy schedule. The contract should spell out the number of hours the photographer will be on site. Work with the photographer to optimize the shoot and consider adding additional coverage to capture every moment of your wedding. Also ask your photographer if they are familiar with your wedding venue; photographers who are new to the spot may want to arrive early.
3. How Will the Day Unfold?
Your photographer should help you understand how they take photos throughout the day. This way, you’ll know when you need to leave your guests to take part in family shots and portraits and get a better idea of how your photographer approaches candid shots.
4. Will You Take the Pictures on Our Wedding Day?
It’s natural to assume that the photographer you hire will be the one who actually shows up to your wedding, but ask to be sure. Some professional photographers outsource work to helpers who replicate their style. Before you commit to your package, meet with your photographer to make sure you feel good about their approach, artistry, and vibe.
5. Do You Work With an Assistant and/or a Second Shooter?
Taking photos at a wedding is a big job, so some photographers have assistants who help carry and set up equipment and lighting. Others work with a “second shooter” who takes supplementary photos. This photographer might capture different angles of your wedding vows, your first kiss, the parent’s dance, and so on. Two photographers can extend coverage by taking photos in different locations at the same time and provide you with a backup in case of emergency.
6. What Is Your Working Style?
Since photographers have different working styles, you want to ensure that your photographer’s way of being is compatible with your setup. Some photographers will stay in the background to capture candid moments; others play a more visible and active role in shaping images. Be sure to discuss their need for personal space; it can be hard to work well when friends and family are standing around nearby, taking their own pictures. You can also ask your photographer if they work with heavy gear like lights and umbrellas, what backup equipment they bring, and what they do if their gear fails. If you care about their appearance, discuss how they will dress while they do their work so that they can be comfortable yet still fit in.
7. What Is Your Experience With Wedding Photography?
Even the most carefully planned weddings can be unpredictable. Experienced photographers are generally able to keep cool and make changes on the fly. Specialty photographers may prioritize quality over quantity, so the number of weddings they shoot is not the only measure of success. Some wedding photographers might specialize in smaller weddings while others might cover large events, so be sure that their expertise is well-suited to your needs.
8. What Is Your Backup Plan if Photographer Can’t Attend Our Wedding?
Accidents happen, and like anyone else, professional wedding photographers can experience emergencies that prevent them from doing their job on your big day. Ask your photographer what they can do if they are delayed or have to cancel at the last minute—can they have someone on standby?
9. Can We See a Sample Package of a Recent Wedding You Shot?
When you’re hiring your wedding photographer, ask to see full samples of their work that represent the entire package you’ll be getting. Your photographer’s visual style should resonate with your own aesthetic. If you want a high-end, avant-garde look or an editorial feel to your shoot, you might want to work with a fashion photographer. Seeing full galleries and albums will give you a comprehensive view of your photographer’s strengths. The shots on a photographer’s website and social media pages may not speak to the full range of coverage you’ll need. Ask to see a variety of images taken in different situations, venues, weather, and lighting conditions. This way, you can be sure that the style and content of your photo package will align with your expectations.
10. Can You Tell Us About Your Equipment and Editing Process?
When you’re thinking about what to ask a wedding photographer, be practical. Your photographer’s equipment, software, and editing choices will influence the look of the final images you receive. The lenses, format, and media your photographer uses and the way they edit in post-production will determine whether the images have aesthetic consistency. You might ask how your photographer approaches daylight, indoor, and night shots to get a feel for how the photo package will come together.
11. Do You Include Retouching and Corrective Services in the Package?
Most wedding packages will include basic retouching to remove strands of hair, shadows, and other imperfections. Ask your photographer what their editing process looks like and how many edited shots are included in a package.
12. How Many Images Will We Receive?
When you’re documenting your wedding, you want to capture the event from start to finish. It’s common to receive between 500-800 high-quality, edited photos, but before you commit, ask your photographer to be sure.
13. Do You Create Prints or Wedding Albums?
After your wedding, you’ll want to enjoy and share your photos, so make sure you understand what you’ll receive. Your photographer may offer high-res files, digital images, prints, physical or digital albums, or all of the above. Ask your photographer if they will design, lay out, and produce your wedding album or if they partner with someone who does this work. If you opt for prints or digital images, make sure you have the rights to reproduce them, share them, and create an album for yourself.
14. When Will I Receive Our Images?
Since most photographers work with digital and social media, they may send you a few curated, edited images, or “sneak peeks, a few days after your ceremony. This gives you a taste of how your photo package will look as the editing process moves forward. It could take days, weeks, or months to get your photos. Post-production involves selecting the highlights of your wedding, editing, and organizing your photo collection, so ask your photographer about their turnaround time. If they shoot digital images, you might first expect to see your photos in an online gallery a few weeks after the wedding. If you receive a link to your images, ask how you should preserve them for safekeeping.
15. Who Has Rights to the Images?
When you hire a photographer, ask how the images can be used. Some people want to keep their wedding images private; others want to show them off to the world. Most photographers will keep the copyright to the image but may grant you a personal use copyright so you can print, post, and share your images. Some photographers may want you to credit their work when you share it. You also need to ask how they plan to use your images—can they share them on their website or sell them as stock photos? If you want to publish the news of your wedding in a magazine or on a blog, will your photographer agree? Be sure about how you want your images to be shared with the world so there aren’t any misunderstandings.
For the Wedding Photos of Your Dreams, Contact Daria Koso
Daria Koso is a Miami-based photographer with years of experience in the wedding and fashion industries. To learn more about her high-style offerings, reach out today.
