There are so many factors to consider when hiring a wedding photographer, and SO much of it is based on what you connect with and if you vibe with their style. That’s great and all, but there are some questions that you NEED to ask in order to be assured that you’re being taken care of. Here are some of those questions:
Can I see a few full galleries?
Everyone has a portoflio on their site, but guess what? That’s usually just the highlights from a gallery. That means that a complete gallery won’t necessarily have all of those super impressive shots you see all over their website and Instagram. By seeing a full gallery, you’ll get a taste of what kind of photos they produce and what to expect. It’s like seeing a full movie versus seeing a trailer!
What is your backup system?
Any professional photographer who gives a sh*t should have an intense backup system that ensures your images are safe. I, for example, keep my memory cards with my client’s images on them until their images are delivered. I also keep two hard drive copies and a cloud copy of the files for a set period of time to ensure that you get your images and they’re happily and safely stored by you.
What happens if it rains?
Yes, they should be able to deal with whatever rolls their way while shooting.
What’s your emergency plan?
If they can’t make it to your wedding for whatever reason (they get sick, family emergency, etc.) what is their plan to make sure you’re taken care of? They should have people they can call in a jam (or an associate photographer) and they’ll immediately come to save the day. These people should have similar shooting styles and the photographer will usually offer to edit these photos so you still are getting what you paid for.
Another thing that is commonly looked over is how your files are taken care of after the wedding. If they’ve backed up your images (great), but then something tragic happens and they can’t get the photos to you, do they have someone in place that can do this and knows how to access said photos if need be? This is commonly referred to as a “photo will” and it is highly recommended to hire someone who has one.
Have you shot a wedding similar to mine before?
Now, it’s not essential that they have but it does help. This is especially important to if you’re having a wedding that will largely take place during nighttime (requiring the photographer to most likely be proficient with flash). Ask to see galleries similar to the wedding you’re planning on having.
These should all be questions they’re comfortable with and can answer easily. With these questions and vibin’ with their personality and style, you’re bound to hire the right photographer *hint hint maybe me hint hint*…
Let’s talk so I can answer these questions for you.
