Today, we share with you some questions you can and should ask when hiring your wedding photographer. Choosing the right wedding photographer is a very important task! They will be the person who spends the most time with you and will be the only vendor with whom you will maintain a relationship even after everything is over.
When meeting with your image team, you should ask the right questions so that you can make good decisions and avoid regrets later on.
Remember, your wedding photos are for a lifetime!
1 – What is your photography style?
It is important to understand your photographer's style to see if their personal preferences and creative vision align with your own.
Some photographers have a more classic and traditional style, while others have a more modern, updated, and creative style. Make sure to look at the portfolio to get an idea of the photographer's style and whether their taste aligns with what you're looking for.
For example, at Boris the Cat, we have developed over the years a mixed style, where we combine the authenticity and storytelling of wedding photojournalism complemented by the elegance of the Fine Art editorial style, always with a simple, elegant, and timeless touch.
Check out our portfolio.
RED FLAG:
The definition of each professional's personal style is a task that requires a considerable investment of time and a lot of reflection. We are talking about years, not days, until a professional finds his personal style and can express it confidently in words.
If the answer to your question seemed inconsistent, evasive, uncertain, or replicates, for example, what you have read elsewhere, it is a sign that the photographer has not yet reached professional maturity.
2 – How many years of experience do you have?
Experience is very important!
Like in any job, the more experienced the professional, the less likely errors are to occur. Their technique becomes more refined, and they can more easily handle any unexpected events that may happen during your wedding day, dealing with them naturally and never allowing them to compromise their work or even let clients perceive any difficulties.
We could say that up to 5 years, we are talking about apprentices.
From 5 to 10 years of experience, we are talking about someone with some experience and already with solid knowledge in the field. Colleagues with more than 15 years of profession enter the status of 'Masters' and are ready for any challenge presented to them.
At Boris the Cat, Miguel, our lead photographer, started photographing in 1988 and turned professional in 1999.
Know more about us.
3 – What is included in the quote? What extras might be charged?
Make sure you know exactly what is included in the quote.
Pay attention to the included coverage hours and whether they will be sufficient; if they deliver digital files or if there is an extra cost for that; what printed albums you are entitled to, etc.
It is very common, especially in low-cost photographers, for the final cost to end up being more expensive than hiring an experienced and prestigious professional. Often, it seems like the packages include everything and more, but then you are charged extra for, for example:
- Overtime charges from certain hours,
- Very high travel expenses charged within a very short radius,
- The albums included in the packages are from poor quality /dignity and with only a few pages, forcing you to make upgrades that will significantly increase the initial quote.
- You will not be given all the photos in digital format, requiring an extra payment to have them all;
- Only a limited number of photos are edited. You will have to pay an extra for the remaining ones to be edited...
It's important that you stay informed about what the quote includes and what are the extra options.
Get to know our prices..
4 – Can I have access to 2 or 3 galleries with complete and recent works?
Seeing, appreciating, and evaluating a gallery with all photos from a wedding is the only way for you to get a real, approximate sense of what your wedding's final work will be like.
It is very important that you see complete works and, preferably, recent ones.
Seeing only a portfolio with beautiful photos from a selections of multiple weddings... like an Instagram feed... is not enough! Anyone can take beautiful photos!
Observe instead:
- Are all the important moments captured?
- Does the overall work exhibit harmony and is it pleasant?
- Are the colours of the photographs pleasing to you and consistent across multiple photos?
- Can you find imperfections in the backgrounds of the photos, such as trash cans, too many electrical wires, litter on the ground, ... etc.?
- Can you perceive a coherent story?
We at Boris the Cat, on our portfolio page, we present a selection of beautiful photos, and right below, you'll find galleries with (almost) complete works of various weddings and pre-wedding couple photoshoots. Whenever we have the opportunity, we provide access to private galleries where all the images delivered to that client are stored.
RED FLAG: A professional who refuses you access to complete galleries either has something to hide or lacks confidence in their work!
5 – Do you work alone or in a team?
Quantity is not equal to quality.
There are colleagues who do excellent work and prefer to work alone, while others prefer having a team to ensure the capture of various moments.
At Boris the Cat, we prefer working as a team. Each of our team members specializes in certain areas, some focusing more on directing the couple, others on capturing action shots... This way, our clients get a body of work that combines different perspectives, complement each other and bring value to the final work.
However, it's also common for Miguel to photograph weddings entirely on his own when the specificities of that wedding don't justify the presence of anyone else.
6 – how many persons are in the team, and who is the lead photographer?
If the photographer works as a team, inquire about the composition of the team and who the main photographer is. More importantly, make sure you're talking to the one who will be the main photographer on your wedding day!
Photographing weddings involves a significant human and social component. Only by feeling comfortable and establishing a connection with your photographer can the result be truly excellent.
On the other hand, no two people are alike, and no photographer can replicate what another photographer does. If the work presented to you is done by someone who will not be present on your wedding day, we would say that something doesn't add up!
In Boris the Cat, we provide a highly personalized service, and therefore, the person who will always speak with is Miguel and it will always be Miguel who will be with you on your wedding day.
7 – What is the team's working dynamic on a wedding day?
It is important to inquire about how your photographer plans to capture all the important moments of your wedding. Try to understand if they have an organized, professional, and well-defined approach to do so. Ask about the team's workflow, whether they work discreetly to capture moments naturally or if they are more interventionist, requiring more attention from you and your guests. Try to understand what each team member does, when, and why.
RED FLAG: Hesitations in the response or the old "we work as inspiration strikes" may indicate a lack of experience or a lack of habit in preparing and planning each job in advance.
8 – How much time is needed for a couple's photo session on the wedding day?
Knowing how much time is needed for a couple's photo session on the wedding day is crucial if you want to have more elaborate and carefully crafted photographs.
Knowing how much time is needed will help you plan your timeline wedding and ensure you have enough time for all you have planed.
9 – How many photos do you deliver in the end?
Make sure to find out how many photos the photographer typically delivers.
Having an idea of the expected number of photos ensures that you have reasonable expectations and are satisfied with the coverage provided. It's a good practice to discuss this with the photographer beforehand to avoid any misunderstandings later.
For example, we don't like to work with restrictions and we ensure to deliver all the necessary photos to tell the story of our clients' wedding day. Although we don't have a fixed number, our clients can expect around 80 to 100 photographs for each hour of shooting.
10 – Do you create printed albums? What is the design process like?
If you want to have a beautiful and magnificent printed album (which we highly recommend!), inquire if they provide this service and ask to see examples. Make sure to find out if you will have the opportunity to modify the design and make customization suggestions to the album project before printing.
Examine the sample albums closely! Check if they are of high quality, with good finishes, and if they are perfect. Ensure they are of a size that suits you, and inquire about other options and a variety of covers to choose from.
RED FLAG: The best album binders exclusively collaborate with professional photographers. They do not work with the general public and, therefore, restrict access to their products to amateur photographres in general..
11 – What is the delivery timeline for the final work?
Make sure to find out the delivery time frame for the final work to ensure you will have your wedding photos in a reasonable amount of time.
For example, we guarantee the delivery of all edited work within 1 to 2 weeks after the wedding. In case our clients order an album, we need an additional 2 weeks for its printing.
RED FLAG: If you are given very long deadlines with various justifications, it may indicate that the photographer is not dedicated full-time to photography, or that they may have difficulties in their workflow, or even that they have so much work that they cannot respond in a timely manner.
12 – What is the team's backup routine?
Here we enter a more technical and behind-the-scenes aspect but of vital importance!
Make sure the photographer has a systematic routine of backups to ensure that your photos are safe at all times and not at risk of being lost!
No photographer is immune to accidents or malfunctions that could lead to the loss of all their work. However, we can and should do everything possible to minimize this risk.
Usually, amateur photographers and colleagues in the early stages of their careers, due to a lack of training and often negligence, neglect to implement a secure and well-established backup routine in their workflow.
Due to a lack of awareness of the risks of equipment failure and, motivated by the low prices they charge, they often lack the capital to invest in a secure process with computer equipment and cloud services that would allow them to have, at all times, at least two backups of your photographs in different locations.
We confess ... we are a bit paranoid about this issue!
Accidents happen! ... and the last thing we want is to finish a wedding and lose the collected material. To prevent an irreparable loss, we make sure to have a well-thought-out and super secure backup routine.
Even while we are shooting, we can ensure that at any moment we have at least one copy of your files! Once we return to our studio, we make backups to 4 different locations, with two of them being off-site on a cloud service.
13 – What does the second photographer?
What is the added value that the second photographer brings to the final work?
If the photographer works with a second photographer, ask about their role on the wedding day and how it contributes to the final work.
There are many misunderstandings about the second photographer in this matter!
For some couples, it may make sense to have a second photographer for logistical reasons, such as when the bride and groom are getting ready at considerable distances or when they prefer to have a second photographer dedicated to each side of the family.
Again, quantity is not equal to quality.
For us, it makes more sense that the second photographer is someone who can independently photograph the wedding. In other words, a photographer with training who can bring a second perspective to complement the work of the main photographer.
14 – Do you limit the number of weddings per year?
Some photographers may impose a limit on the number of weddings they photograph annually, as is the case with us.
It's important to understand whether there are limits or not, as this will have a direct impact on delivery times, attention to editing, and availability to serve you (before and after the wedding).
Many colleagues photograph as many weddings as they can in a year.
We limit ourselves to about 18 to 22 weddings per year.
This way, we can ensure that each of our clients receives a high-quality experience and enjoys a memorable wedding day with everything they deserve!
Unfortunately, we cannot photograph the weddings of all the couples who contact us, and we choose to work only with couples who fully identify with our style, values, and way of being.
15 – On the wedding day, will you exhibit and sell photographs?
Some colleagues offer the option to display and sell photographs to your guests on the wedding day.
This can be an interesting service if you want your guests to be able to buy photographs from your wedding. However, it's also something you may not want, and it's important to ask in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises!
At Boris the Cat, we prefer to fully dedicate ourselves to our clients and their celebration. We choose not to have anything that could distract us from what is truly important!
However, in exceptional cases and always at the initiative of our clients, we may provide this service, but we never fail to alert them to the potential issues that may arise.
In conclusion, these are some of the questions you should ask your wedding photographer when hiring them.
Before committing, make sure to obtain clear, detailed answers that are provided with confidence, allowing you to make your final decision with certainty.
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