When choosing the photographer who will document your wedding day, you want to make sure that the person you choose is legit and reliable in addition to taking beautiful photos. It's so important to ask the right questions! I know, I know. You may be thinking, "but Cassie.. I don't know anything about photography! How am I supposed to ask the right questions?!" I've got you covered, pal! Here are some tips and questions to ask to help you make sure you're choosing someone you can depend on!
Research, Research, Research!
First and foremost, be vigilant in doing your research! Don't hire someone just based on an aesthetic Instagram profile. Keep in mind that as you're looking at Insta you're only seeing a handful of images from each wedding or session. Be sure to look through their websites and blog posts for a more full view of a gallery. Or, better yet, ask to see some of their full wedding galleries! Make sure that the person you hire is experienced, reliable, and that you absolutely love their style of posing AND editing.
Some things to think about with editing;
- When looking through a photographer's work, do you like the way that greens and blues look in their photos? (Sounds silly, but this is important!)
- What editing style do you personally gravitate towards? Light & airy? Dark & moody? True-to-color? (If these words mean nothing to you, be sure to Google them for samples!) Do their edits align with what you want?
- When looking through their galleries, think to yourself - "Would I be happy if this is what I received?"
Their Experience:
It's important to know how experienced your photographer is. Do they have 100+ weddings under their belt, or are they just starting out? Have they mainly photographed weddings as a second photographer or have they been a lead photographer as well? Are they a legitimate wedding photographer or just a person with a nice camera? Do they have reviews from past couples that you can read?
One question that couples often ask is "have you photographed at my venue before?" And while I do think it can be helpful if they have, don't be deterred just because they haven't been to your venue yet. There are SO. Many. Venues. out there. It's impossible for even the most experienced photographer in the world to have been at them all! As long as you're hiring someone who is experienced, they'll be able to adapt to your venue.
Photo Safety:
Be sure to ask your photographer how they'll take care of your photos. Do they only have one camera body with them on your wedding day or do they have a backup? Do they use a camera with dual card slots so that they automatically have two copies of your wedding images as they're taken? (Please do not hire anyone who doesn't!) Are they making multiple back ups of your photos after the wedding in case their hard drive crashes?
My Answer: These photos are how you will forever remember your wedding day, and that is not a responsibility I take lightly! I take multiple precautions to ensure your wedding photos are safe in my hands. I always have multiple lenses with me on your wedding day, as well as a backup camera in case something goes wrong with my primary. When photographing your wedding, I am always using cameras that shoot to two memory cards so that I automatically have a backup of your photos. When I arrive home after your wedding, those photos are immediately transferred to my primary hard drive and backed up onto my secondary hard drive. The memory card goes into a fireproof box where it will stay until your gallery has been delivered. In other words; if the memory card is corrupted, I have another one with your images on it. If my hard drive crashes, there are two other back ups. I promise to guard your photos with care.
What if there's an emergency?
Photographers are human, too, and though no one wants to miss a wedding they've committed to, sometimes life happens. What's important is that the person you hire has a plan for what happens if they are unable to make it to your wedding.
My answer: Most of my couples book wedding coverage with myself and a second photographer, meaning that if I have an emergency come up on my end we will already have another wedding photographer ready to go for your day. If I were to get sick, injured, or have a family emergency keeping me from being at your wedding, I would immediately begin reaching out to my network of wedding photographers to find an associate photographer who would step in to photograph your day. The associate photographer and the second photographer would both photograph your wedding as planned and then give me the SD cards used. The same backup protocols mentioned above would take place, and I would still be the person editing and delivering your wedding gallery. TLDR; If I have an emergency come up I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are in good hands on your wedding day. I will not leave you hanging!
Photo Delivery
It's important to understand your photographer's post-wedding work flow. Editing wedding galleries takes a lot of time and care, so just be sure that you and your photographer are on the same page as far as the timeline for receiving your full gallery goes.
My answer: My couples receive their photos in two parts! A sneak peek and then the full gallery.
- Sneak Peek: You can expect a sneak peek gallery within 3-7 days of your wedding! You are welcome to share your sneak peek gallery with your family and friends! I will also send the gallery to your other vendors (unless you ask me not to). If your other vendors reach out to you for photos I would ask that you refer them to me rather than passing on the link.
- Full Gallery: Your full gallery will be delivered no later than 12-16 weeks after the wedding. You will again receive a link to an online gallery with everything in it, which you are welcome to share with friends and family. You’ll also receive a USB with all delivered images. The online gallery will be available to you for 24 months. I highly, highly recommend making multiple physical and cloud-based backups of your wedding images! You can’t be too careful with your wedding day memories!
Photo Editing vs. Retouching
Every photographer is different when it comes to editing. Be sure to find out what edits are standard for them and what is considered "extra." Photo editing and photo retouching are two distinct services that often get confused! And again, be sure you love the editing style of the photographer you hire to begin with!
While editing enhances the overall look and feel of the photo, retouching focuses on detailed, precise changes to specific elements within the image.
Photo Editing includes:
- Adjusting lighting, contrast and color balance
- Cropping, resizing and rotating images
Photo Retouching involves:
- Removing blemishes, scars, or wrinkles
- Smoothing skin or hair
- Removing objects or people from the background
- Advanced manipulation of the images
For me: Every image I deliver will check the boxes under the "photo editing" category. I will typically retouch at least the portraits from a wedding day, but it just depends on the image and the level of retouching required. I will always try to be as thorough and detail-oriented as possible with galleries, but when editing hundreds or thousands of images it is easy to miss things! If you go to print a photo and realize there’s something that you’d like retouched first, you’re welcome to reach out to me to request additional edits. I can make additional edits on 20 images with no additional charge, and after the 20 there is a fee for extra retouching. At the end of the day, I want you to LOVE your photos, so I am always happy to fix things if I can.
Final Thoughts
Lastly, make sure your personalities click! Your wedding photographer is often the person you spend the most time with on your wedding day, so just be sure you like them, haha! Be sure that you're able to meet your photographer in person or through a video call (or at least a regular phone call) before you sign any contracts. Which, speaking of, your photographer should ALWAYS be sending you a contract which you should review carefully!! That is so important!
For me: I always start every journey with a new couple by meeting them through a video call (or in person if they're local to College Station!) to get to know each other, talk about the wedding, and answer any questions they may have.
The parties on my wedding photography contract will always be myself and both the bride and groom. Even if a family member will be the one paying for photography services, the contract will still be with the couple because this is *your* wedding and these are *your* photos at the end of the day, regardless of who pays for them. Your wedding is booked with me after the contract has been signed and the non-refundable initial payment has been made. The initial payment will be 33% of the total balance. The remainder of the balance is due 30 days prior to the wedding. If desired, we can also set up a payment plan prior to signing the contract. Accepted payment methods are by ACH transfer through your HoneyBook invoice or check.
