Los Angeles Wedding Photographers Blog

Shopping for a wedding photographer is not like selecting a gown or a bridal bouquet. You can see something tangible before you make your decision,  but in the selection of your photographer, you’re often at the mercy of  your own intuition.  We have compiled a list of in-depth questions that you may want to explore to help select the photographer or studio who’s right for you. Think about them and get answers before placing your trust and faith in someone who might later disappoint you with results that are less than what you had hoped to receive.

Find a photographer

First of all, undoubtedly the best way a bride has to prejudge the competency of a wedding photographer is to have a recommendation from someone whose opinion she trusts. If she has more than one recommendation, that’s even better – especially if the same photographer’s name comes from different sources.

If the recommendations you are getting do not measure up to your standards, or they are just too expensive then it is necessary to put in the research online and at bridal shows to find your ideal photographer.

What’s their website like?

You can get a good feel for a photographers work and the professionalism and style of their studio by viewing their website.  These days, if a photographer has a poor quality website, the chances are that his or her attention to detail or sense of aesthetics are also poor.

Do they have a blog?

Make sure they have a blog so you can see all their up to date work – this is by far the best way to get a feel for the consistency of a studios work, and to tap into the personality behind the writing.  There are also usually comments under various posts, which will help you to gauge the general reaction to this studio’s work.

First contact

Once you have narrowed down your choice of photographers/studios start by asking the availability of the studio to cover the wedding on your specific date. If the studio offers a variety of photographers, make sure that their INDIVIDUAL portfolios are available to view – every photographer has a different style – some you’ll like, and some you won’t!  Make sure you firmly establish with the studio the name of the photographer whose work you admire the most, so there can be no doubt as to who will be the actual photographer that photographs your wedding.

Get a ball park on price

At this point save your time and the time of the photographer by getting a rough estimate of the costs involved. Find out  how the photographer feels about posed and unposed pictures and decide whether or not you agree or are interested in the studio’s philosophy of how the wedding photography should be conducted. That is – photojournalism, candids, portraits, groups, etc. Just one concept? A combination of several?

The meeting

An appointment should be made to meet with the photographer who will be assigned to your wedding, see his work and discuss the details. Without doubt, this meeting should include both the bride and groom. 

At that meeting the first assessment you should make is whether or not you feel comfortable in the presence of the photographer. If you’re going to spend a good part of the most important day of your life with this person, it should be someone with whom you know you’ll enjoy sharing that time. Then, take a look at the photographer’s work, which should generally be displayed within the Studios current line of albums. If you see a picture, or a series of pictures, that you really like, you should ask:

• Who are these people?
• Did you, personally, take these photographs?
• May I call or email these people for a personal reference?

After all, it’s one thing to see some beautiful pictures, but it’s equally important to find out if the bride and groom ENJOYED working with this photographer. It’s also a way of knowing that the photographs you’re being shown were actually made by the person you’re speaking to. You want to be sure that the work you’re admiring was made by the photographer who’ll be at your wedding.

For the most part, our clients questions pertain to prices, sizes and numbers in general. We’ve often felt that the reason for this is that they’ve never thought to consider some of the more important questions such as:

• How do you feel about the bride and groom not wanting to see each other before the ceremony?  What are the alternatives?  How will the various plans affect us on the day of the wedding?
• Do you have any goals for approaching each wedding?
• How long do you expect to be with us on the day of the wedding?  Beginning at what time? Until when?  Is there an extra charge if the wedding runs a little overtime?
• Whom would you include in the photographs?  Where and when would they be taken?
• What can I do to help you perform your duties to the best of your ability?

See a WHOLE Wedding

If you’re still interested in the photographer’s services at this point, I’d ask to see a complete coverage of a single wedding. That’s a lot more important than seeing a selection of beautiful highlights from many different weddings.

When looking through the album, evaluate the work by placing yourself in the position that this could have been YOUR wedding coverage. Ask yourself if the photographer has actually considered the individual characteristics and personality of each of the important persons in the photographs. Has the photographer caught
the individual’s actual feelings of the moment, or are these just pictures of people standing and looking self-consciously into the lens. Do they look natural? Or even better than real?

• How did you get qualified to take professional wedding pictures?  What kind of educational background and/or experience have you had in developing your techniques?  When and with whom was your technique last updated?

Get Specific!

Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Too often important details that you had never before considered come back to haunt you later:

• How will you be showing me the pictures for selection?
• Will you be helping me in the selection of the final pictures?
• How can people who live out of town be accommodated with ordering, paying and delivery?
• What are the costs of the various styles of coverage?  Are there different degrees of coverage?  What’s included in each?
• How much for the extras?  Duplicates? What is the cost of each print? Do you supply a DVD containing all the images?  Ask to see the specific style of album you will be receiving.  Are alternate choices available?  At an extra cost?
• What is your policy on retouching the photographs.
• What kind of time frame are you looking at for preparing the pictures for my selection?  Are you providing me with proofs, slides, or an online gallery, or what?  How much time do I have to make up my mind as to which pictures I want and how many? Are the proofs for sale?

Look to The Future

• How much money would you expect me to eventually spend before you think I’d be completely happy with my wedding coverage?
• How much money would you WANT me to spend in order for me to make it worthwhile for you to give me your full attention on my wedding day?
• How long have you been in the business?  How long do you plan on staying in the business?  In other words, what kind of guarantee comes with my hiring you and/or your studio?
• Do you do family portrait photography, so that we have a photographer that we know and like to document the growth of our future family?

Wrap It Up!

Finally, let’s consider a few topics of conversation that could/should help you make your decision.

• Do you have any particular philosophy about your approach to photographing weddings?
• What would you plan to do at my wedding that would make my wedding photographs unique and personal to me? — Can I tell you who I want in my pictures? — How will you find them?
• How can I be certain that YOU will be taking my pictures?
• With whom will I be dealing after the wedding?
• What’s your payment policy?   Do you give any guarantees on your services and photographs?

Be Prepared To Make A Commitment!

By now you’ve probably spent a good deal of time with the photographer. His time is money, the same as yours. Realize that in the long run someone has to pay for the hours each photographer spends as a consultant. Keep his (and your) expenses to a minimum by going to the meeting with the photographer prepared to leave a
 deposit to confirm the date. Before you do, however, you may want to assure yourself of a few more last-minute details.

Find out the photographer’s policy if the date of your wedding is changed and he/she’s not available on the alternate date. Find out, too, what the policy is for an unforeseen cancellation of the date. At this stage of the game, if you’ve really taken the time to get into some of the above questions, you HAVE to know whether or not this photographer is for you.

If the photographer IS for you, if the photographer IS available, and if you’re convinced that it’s worth the price…then make the commitment and rest assured that this is undoubtedly one of the best and most intelligent decisions you’ve made in planning your wedding!

How Much Should Pictures Cost?

It’s difficult to pay too much for something you really like. Yet, price is usually the one obstacle that prevents many wedding clients from selecting the photographer who undoubtedly could give them the best value for the money.

Quite often the difference between the price of the photographer you really like and one who you feel is “within the budget” is miscalculated.

When wedding plans come down to dollars and cents, it’s hard to keep spending a little more here…and a little more there. Of course…. there’s only so-much money available – yet, within the framework of the entire wedding day, it makes good sense to evaluate the money spent on photographs in relation to what’s being spent on flowers, food and music.

Although everyone knows that the pictures are the only thing you have after the moment has passed, some people still feel that they have to put the money “where it shows”.

Later, In the privacy of their own hearts, many of these people are often disappointed with photographic memories that give them nothing but heartaches…and there’s no remedy! You’re going to remember the wedding day through the eyes, heart and talent of your photographer. When making the decision as to who that photographer is going to be, realize that often you’re talking a relative difference of pennies! On the other hand, if you’re unhappy, regardless of the “good deal” you’re getting, you could lose everything!

What’s the “going rate” among wedding photographers nowadays?  The price difference is as great as the time, talent and technique of the studios being considered.

When considering the cost of a photographer, you may find that studios sometimes approach this matter in one or two different manners.

Whereas some photographers have basic “packages” of an agreed number of photographs for a specified dollar amount, other studios might have a predetermined charge for their services and allow you to buy whatever amount of pictures you want.
 There are, of course, benefits to all of these approaches. In the first instance you have a good idea right from the start how much money you’re probably going to spend…and you’re locked into that minimum. That’s a double guarantee, both for you and the photographer.

Studios that offer you what’s known as their a-la-carte system are taking a chance (along with you) as to how much money you’ll be spending.

The studio that offers you ALL the pictures may scare you at first with the high price, but you may want to know that up front and KNOW that you will not be spending more.

The bottom line, as you know, is not necessarily how much you end up spending on photographs. Instead, it’s how much pleasure you get from them over the years.
Wouldn’t you agree,  at a time as important as your wedding day, it’s better to invest a little more money for photography than you had planned…instead of a little less that you should?

Why risk your memories of a once-in-a-lifetime event on a gamble?

You’re going to be concerned with the price only one time…when you buy. You’re going to be concerned with quality forvever!