| MissNowMrs |
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| MissNowMrs |
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After you have evaluated your notes and honed in on a few good prospects, it is now time to conduct in-person interviews. Therefore, contact 2-3 of your top prospects and set up an in-person interview so that you can further evaluate their skills.
During this interview, make sure that you visit their place of business, or at the very least, make sure they bring some recent samples. If the prospect seems reluctant to meet you at their home or place of business, you don't necessarily have to be leery.
They may be home based and simply not like clients meeting them at home. In this instance, you may want to meet them in a neutral place like a coffee shop, book store, park, or restaurant. Both you and your fiance should be present during this in-person interview.
Once you set up a meeting and the big day arrives, don't be afraid to ask them many questions during the interview. After all, the purpose of this information is to help you make a decision based on concrete information. Here are some questions you should ask:
Make sure that the professional you are interviewing will be the person attending your wedding and taking photographs. Make sure this is stipulated on the contract. There are some studios that add a clause to the contract that states they can substitute any photographer. If you are not comfortable with this clause, find another wedding photographer.
Discuss in detail what you expect from your wedding photographs and ask the photographer what style of photographs they specialize in. Some photographers are experts in traditional wedding photography, while others specialize in photojournalism, which is more contemporary and candid. You should hire a photographer that understands your needs and can provide the style of wedding photos you desire.
Photographic equipment will vary from one photographer to the next. Ask whether they shoot in digital or 35mm, medium format or large format. Also ask them to explain to you why they shoot in that method and to let you know why this format would be best for your wedding photographs.
Accidents happen and equipment breaks down. All worthy photographers carry backup equipment for such occasions. Make sure the person you hire does also.
If you prefer the artistic look of black and white, make sure the photographer you choose specializes in that type of photography. If you want both, ask to see portfolio work that is similar to your needs. You won't have to worry about this with photographers that shoot digital because any color image can be concerted to black and white, sepia, etc.
Make sure you know what is and isn't included in the package price.
Most high end studios offer some kind of guarantee that is generally in the form of a cost reduction if there are a great number of photos that are not satisfactory. Make sure this is written into your contract.
Obviously, more digital shots or more rolls of film translate into more wedding photos to choose from. All contracts should include a certain number of shots in the proof book. Just know that more photos means additional cost with film, but usually isn't an issue with digital. However, work this out with the photographer ahead of time.
The photographer you choose should be familiar with your wedding or reception location and should be able to suggest some ideal spots to take great photographs of your wedding party.
Any qualified wedding photographer should be happy to provide you with references from past wedding clients. Make sure you call them and ask them about their experience with the photographer at the wedding, and the quality of the photographs.
Some photographers are diligent about getting proofs back to you quickly and others take their time. If you have a deadline you are working with, make sure the photographer knows this up front, and if necessary, work that information into your contract.
Any photographer that asks you for 100% up front should be avoided. Any professional photographer will take payment in installments depending on how elaborate your requirements are, with final payment expected when you order or pickup the final prints.
If you are shooting outdoors, the photographer should have a back-up plan in case it rains or the weather is bad. At the very least, the photographer should be able to make recommendations based on his previous experiences and professional opinion.
Knowing how many weddings the photographer has worked and how long they have been in business gives you peace of mind that if you book them a year before your wedding and provide a cash deposit, that you will not get stiffed six months from now.
In most cases, especially if you are using traditional photography style, you will need to provide the photographer with a list of shots you want taken. Most photographers hate this because if they miss something on the list, they can be held accountable.
But that's the point, right, so that they do not miss anything you want! However, another approach is to discuss your shot list with the photographer, and if you are comfortable that your list is typically what they do, you can exclude this and save the photographer some stress. If not, make sure they have it listed in the contract. If you are going with a more candid photo style, the photographer may not need a list. Either way, you should make sure this is all discussed prior to signing a contract.
In addition to these questions, you might also want to ask a few offbeat questions such as, what was the worst wedding you have ever experienced and why? Have you ever had a difficult bride or groom? Do you think that you improve with each wedding? If so, how? A seasoned and experienced wedding photographer will have no problems telling you about the shooting process on the day of the wedding, how s/he will interact with your guests, and also offer you tips and hints on your hair, clothing, and makeup so that you can prepare for your big day.
While evaluating the answers to your questions, you should also pay attention to how they answer your presented questions. That is, do they have a positive and engaging personality? Personality is an extremely important characteristic for wedding photographers! After all, even if a prospect meets all other criteria and is the most celebrated and talented wedding photographer in the world but is difficult and rude to your guests, then he won't be able to get the right pictures. You'll be frustrated and so will your guests. Therefore, it is extremely important that your carefully evaluate his personality as well as his portfolio, skills, and expertise when you're conducting your in-person interview.
If the prospect seems at all irritated by any of your questions or is blunt with his responses, then cross him off the list right away. If, however, he seems friendly and communicative, then he may be the photographer for you. After all, your wedding pictures are an investment in your life's memories so you should only work with a pleasant professional who will treat you and your guests well!
Either before or immediately after your question and answer session, ask to evaluate the prospect's portfolio. When you look at the pictures, take your time and really pay attention to detail. You need to evaluate it with a fine toothed comb. Pay special attention to the look, style, and feel of the photographs while asking yourself a few important questions:
Next, you will want to inquire about what type of equipment they'll utilize if hired. For instance, do they use digital or film? 35mm or medium format? What type of cameras do they use? Do they use a backdrop for portraits?
To help you understand the answers you'll likely receive, here is a brief explanation of the various types of cameras that photographers utilize:
First of all, you should know that although new digital cameras look like the 35mm cameras of the old days, they are actually more like little computers that give the photographer a new range of opportunities.
However, along with these opportunities come a few new problems, and the world of digital photography requires the photographer to understand all the ins and outs of their equipment to get the perfect shot every single time.
Second, digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes however; the ones used by professional wedding photographers resemble 35mm SLR cameras in both size and appearance. One positive attribute about digital capture is that the photographer gets instant feedback with each picture taken.
Although the photographer won't necessarily need to check every picture that was taken, it's good that they can make periodic checks and get instant feedback. For instance, some lighting conditions present unique challenges that are sometimes difficult to expose properly. However, when a photographer quickly glances at the camera after the shot, they are able to obtain immediate feedback so they can make any necessary changes to get a great shot. In addition, photographers are able to check whether or not the subject has blinked without waiting to get the pictures developed. No more wondering, "Did I blink?" Instead, the photographer can simply check the camera's LCD display and take the shot over if someone blinked.
Another advantage is that when lighting conditions changed, the film photographer would have to switch the roll of film in the camera to get the proper exposure under the new lighting conditions. For instance, when outdoors the proper film speed would be an ISO 100, but inside the church under the low lighting conditions a faster film speed would be required. In these conditions ISO 800 or ISO 1000 is needed. In contrast, for the digital capture, the photographer would simply need to switch the ISO settings in the camera. This is much more convenient and cost effective than dumping a roll of film that may or may not be all used up just to put in higher ISO film.
Now that we've discussed the positives, let's discuss the negatives. One major negative is that that digital is not as forgiving as film when it comes to getting the right exposure. You see, film has much larger exposure latitude which allows more room for corrections of over or underexposed pictures. The lab technician does this in the darkroom. Digital has much less room for such exposure errors which means that the photographer has to be near "dead on" with exposure. However, shooting with the camera in RAW mode versus JPEG can give the photographer most flexibility with exposure.
Now that you have a better understanding of digital cameras, let's discuss film cameras. 35mm film cameras are still used by some professionals and amateurs alike. Like digital cameras, there are advantages and disadvantages of film cameras. We'll now discuss the disadvantages. With the 35 mm format, the equipment is cheaper for the photographer, but it is also less flexible and more time consuming. For example, once the photo session, portrait sitting, or wedding has been shot, the photographer must send the films off to processing labs to have your proofs printed. A few weeks later, you are then able to review the proofs and choose the ones you would like to have printed. The request is then sent back to the lab to have your final photos printed which can take several more weeks.
Another disadvantage to hiring a professional that uses 35mm equipment is the limited ability to alter, retouch, or manipulate the photos. Basically, what you see is what you get.
Let's now discuss medium and large format cameras. They are superior to digital SLRs in image quality but not as portable or flexible, and are out of the price range of most wedding photographers. Medium and large format digital back attachments come with image sensors up to a whopping 39 mega pixels and can cost over $30,000. These cameras are usually found in the hands of commercial photographers and used for billboard advertisements and high end fashion magazines.
Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in still photography. This refers to film that is larger than 35 mm but smaller than large format. The term also refers to the type of camera being used. This format offers much higher image resolution and is most often used by professional photographers as opposed to amateurs. In new medium format digital photography, medium format refers to cameras that are adapted from the medium format and retrofitted with digital backs which incorporate sensors that are 24mmx36mm or larger.
With an increased film size, the image resolution is much better, which is perfect for oversized enlargements or prints that are crisp and clear. While large-format film used in view cameras offer the largest film size and optimal resolution, the medium format camera is more versatile and convenient due to its smaller, more portable size. Medium format is still considerably more expensive than 35mm and digital cameras and developing is costly so this should be considered when choosing a professional photographer that uses medium format equipment.
Using a view camera, large format photography produces the best image resolution and is ideal if you want large poster sized prints of your photographs. Whereas a 35mm camera uses 1"x1.5" negatives, a large format view camera produces negatives that measure 4"x5", making the image that much more superior in quality. Keep in mind that the higher the resolution, the more expensive the photography will be. If you absolutely need huge prints, this format is well worth the extra money.
Choosing a camera is a photographer's personal decision. Prices can start out around $300 for a film body, $1000 for a digital body, and can go upwards to $10,000. High quality pro lenses start out around $500 and up. There are several companies that are constantly jockeying for the number one spot. Nikon, Canon, Fuji, and Kodak are the main ones that target professional photographers. But the specific tool that a photographer uses is a minor compared to how skilled the photographer is at using the equipment, and how well he or she sees beautiful moments and can capture it in an artistic manner.
The next thing you'll need to evaluate is the prospect's contract. Ask them to give you a copy of the agreement to review at a later date. The agreement should contain the fees that you'll be expected to pay and when the monies are due. It should include the following: