[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Your wedding is one of the most memorable times in your life. \u00a0Many people spend months planning out every single detail; where to hold the ceremony, who to\u00a0invite, what colors and decorations to choose, the list goes on and on. \u00a0And choosing vendors for your wedding can sometimes feel like a shot in the dark. \u00a0You read reviews, ask friends for referrals, compare prices and services in order to find the best fit for you and your future spouse. \u00a0But when it comes time to select the best wedding photographer, where do you start?<\/p>\n
I think most people follow a similar pattern, they search google for local photographers, check out\u00a0their online portfolios, read the reviews, and of course check their prices. \u00a0I don’t speak just as a photographer, when I got married I did the same thing. \u00a0After my husband and I married, we traveled to\u00a0California where we hired a local photographer to take some pictures of us on\u00a0the beach, and of course we were interesting in finding the best photographer. \u00a0His portfolio pictures were good,\u00a0and his prices were\u00a0in line with the local competition so we gave him a call. And over the years thru my own\u00a0experiences, I began\u00a0to notice certain trends and thought I\u2019d share some of my insights I\u2019ve learned along the way.[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Consistency” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]This is the first thing I look for. \u00a0Even an amateur photographer will occasionally\u00a0capture a picture that looks nice. \u00a0But when you hire a wedding photographer you\u2019re not hiring someone to \u201cjust take pictures\u201d, you should\u00a0hire an experienced professional that will capture the emotions of your wedding thru pictures. \u00a0Of course, all photographers will put their very best work on their portfolios. I\u2019d be wary of the photographer that has very few pictures posted. Look for consistent quality, whether it\u2019s online or thru the printed albums. This is the only way to ensure that YOUR pictures will be just as good as the pictures you see in their portfolio.<\/p>\n
Take a look at the graphic below which illustrates my point.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”1249″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”yes” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large” style=”vc_box_shadow_3d” qode_css_animation=”element_from_right”][vc_column_text]The blue and orange lines represent 2 photographers of different skill levels. On the left side is a measure of the quality of the pictures, measured across 10 different shoots. The photographer represented by the blue line has an average quality of 7.9 whereas the photographer on the orange line has a quality average of only 4.2. Notice that there are 2 occurrences where the lower rated photographer scored better than the higher rated. Which one would you hire?<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Technique” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]This is one of the next things I look for. This is probably my biggest pet peeves with those who claim to be a \u201cprofessional\u201d making amateur mistakes. And we\u2019re not talking about style here, that\u2019s individualistic. Technique refers to things such as how the picture is \u201cframed\u201d. Is they subject\u2019s legs or arms incorrectly cropped? Of course, some images are intended to focus on certain areas of the body more than others, but there are a few basic techniques to follow. Take a look at the image below. The green lines indicate areas where it\u2019s generally acceptable to crop a portrait, the red shows areas where it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”1256″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”yes” img_link_target=”_blank” qode_css_animation=”element_from_left” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]I won\u2019t delve\u00a0too much into all the nuances of\u00a0technique as there are literally hundreds of books written on this subject, and this isn’t intended to be a tutorial, however I can\u2019t write\u00a0about technique without at least touching on\u00a0lighting.[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Lighting” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]All professional photographers realize the important of proper lighting. Look at the portfolios and notice how they use lighting, are their pictures bright which create a light and airy feel, full of bold colors, or dark and moody. Each one of these can be used to portray a certain style. And depending on your venue and the time of your ceremony, this could impact your decision. If you hire a natural light photographer to photograph a wedding in a place that\u2019s dark and without windows, then you\u2019ll want to make sure they understand how to select and use artificial light.<\/p>\n
[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”yes” img_link_target=”_blank” qode_css_animation=”element_from_left” img_size=”large” image=”1282″][vc_empty_space height=”32px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Composition” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Composition<\/u>\u00a0refers to how the picture is set up. It means looking around and noticing everything. There are entire books written on this subject. Patterns, symmetry, depth of field, textures and other elements can contribute to composition. When you look at portfolios ask yourself if all the photos are taken from the same perspective and angle. How does the photographer make things more interesting?[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”yes” img_link_target=”_blank” qode_css_animation=”element_from_left” img_size=”large” image=”1299″][vc_empty_space height=”32px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Cost” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]<\/u>The last thing I\u2019ll touch on is cost. When choosing a photographer\u00a0make sure you understand exactly what you are buying<\/u>. Are you getting a print release? If their fee covers only the session itself, and you\u2019re not getting a print release, you\u2019ll want to understand how much the actual pictures themselves cost. Consider exactly what you\u2019re wanting and ask the photographer to price out those options so that you can do an accurate comparison. Does the photographer keep the digital negatives should you decide to purchase them later? Many photographers offer package deals where they offer albums, photo books and framed pictures as part of the package. If you need something other than what\u2019s included in their package, then ask if they can design a custom package for you and give you a quote beforehand you sign a contract with them.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”32px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your wedding is one of the most memorable times in your life. Many people spend months planning out every single detail; where to hold the ceremony, who to invite, what colors and decorations to choose, the list goes on and on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n