What to look for in a wedding photographer?

[Minges14]

Fairly new to the forums, so i'm not sure if this would be the right place to post. I've read into some threads about people starting out with wedding photography and everything that comes along with it. That being said, I am in no way looking to start making money with photography, I use it as an occasional hobby.
So here is my question, I'm getting married in October 2012 and am starting to look for a photographer. What exactly should I be looking for? The hotel where the reception is has recommended a photographer and I got talked into going to a bridal show this weekend in Virginia (where the wedding will be) where I assume a few photographers will be offering services. Should I be concerned with their equiptment or just with a portfolio? What other things should I consider when selecting someone? Thanks for the help.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by Minges14

Fairly new to the forums, so i'm not sure if this would be the right place to post. I've read into some threads about people starting out with wedding photography and everything that comes along with it. That being said, I am in no way looking to start making money with photography, I use it as an occasional hobby.
So here is my question, I'm getting married in October 2012 and am starting to look for a photographer. What exactly should I be looking for? The hotel where the reception is has recommended a photographer and I got talked into going to a bridal show this weekend in Virginia (where the wedding will be) where I assume a few photographers will be offering services. Should I be concerned with their equiptment or just with a portfolio? What other things should I consider when selecting someone? Thanks for the help.

Focus on thier portfolio and experince not the equipment. Although most wedding Photographers Exspecaly at Bridal shows have decent equipment.

Some good questions:
1. Do you provide digitals, and at what quality?
2. How long does it take to get my images after the shoot?
3. Do you provide a second-shooter?
4. Can I see all the photos or an album from a single wedding?

Red flags:
1. Obvious use of forward facing flash
2. All the photos are from one or two weddings
3. Bad or over-use of post-processing
4. No website (facebook and flickr don't count)
5. Pushy sales tactics
6. No candids or un-posed images

Gear usually isn't a big deal...I've seen bad photographers with good gear, and vice versa. And you can usually figure out the gear from the photos. Very low DOF...probably uses primes. Soft lighting in dark places...external bounce flash. Hard shadows behind subject...on-camera flash (Red flag!).

Originally Posted by bhursey

Focus on thier portfolio and experince not the equipment. Although most wedding Photographers Exspecaly at Bridal shows have decent equipment.

Red Flag: He uses an 8-year-old camera.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Red Flag: He uses an 8-year-old camera.

Hey... thats just plane mean... The 20D produces wonderful images and I have not had a single complaint by a client. :P Newer bodies just have much more flexibility. I could pull off a portrait shoot with my Nikon FM2n even But not a wedding. I actualy carry a film camera and some film for a back up pf the backups backup at weddings. Who know we could have a EMP pulse.

Originally Posted by bhursey

Hey... thats just plane mean... The 20D produces wonderful images and I have not had a single complaint by a client. :P Newer bodies just have much more flexibility. I could pull off a portrait shoot with my Nikon FM2n even But not a wedding. I actualy carry a film camera and some film for a back up pf the backups backup at weddings. Who know we could have a EMP pulse.

Red Flag: He uses film.

[bhursey]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Red Flag: He uses film.

No im a real man its all 100% manual. I mainly use it for my fine art thats it.

Ok back to the subject. I think what Ryan listed is acurate and a good starting point. One thing to add is to get to see what type of personality they have and if it meshes as some one who you would like tow ork with and spend your specal day with. That is a very imprortant aspect I think people miss.

[Niresangwa]

Originally Posted by Photoboothguy

Some good questions:
1. Do you provide digitals, and at what quality?
2. How long does it take to get my images after the shoot?
3. Do you provide a second-shooter?
4. Can I see all the photos or an album from a single wedding?

Red flags:
1. Obvious use of forward facing flash
2. All the photos are from one or two weddings
3. Bad or over-use of post-processing
4. No website (facebook and flickr don't count)
5. Pushy sales tactics
6. No candids or un-posed images

Gear usually isn't a big deal...I've seen bad photographers with good gear, and vice versa. And you can usually figure out the gear from the photos. Very low DOF...probably uses primes. Soft lighting in dark places...external bounce flash. Hard shadows behind subject...on-camera flash (Red flag!).

This is a pretty good approximation...

as far as the gear, the brand isn't so much a big deal rather than their capabilities in adverse conditions, which you should be able to tell from the portfolio.. esp low light, and how they would handle bad weather.

ask for a copy of their blank contract, and make sure you're clear on everything they have in there.

ask who their back up is (not whether they have one, find out who.

ask for a couple of client-references, or access to a 3rd party review section.

also remember that though you may feel like October is a ways away, it's really not and many of the better photographers will be booked already, so don't put all of your eggs in one basket...contact a few, and when they say they're booked, see if they can give you recommendations.

[Minges14]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[LinaInKorea]

I am also planning a wedding and looking for a photographer. The suggestion about looking for an album in it's entirety is great. I saw websites for several photographers that seemed wonderful! Then I would do some digging, and find albums that people would post on forums. When I saw the albums, I knew the photographers had only posted "lucky shots" on their sites, and the rest of their photos were terrible quality!