How to Choose a Wedding Photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer can be one of the most important decisions for your wedding day. After your celebration, you will have your memories and your images to look back on. Here are the top 10 things to consider when looking for a wedding photographer:

• STYLE. Choose a photographer whose style you connect with. There are many different styles of photography to choose from. It is important to pick a style that resonates with you. Ask yourself if you feel a connection with the images. Do the images inspire you?
• CAPABILITY. A good wedding photographer should be able to capture all aspects of your wedding day and capture them well. A good photographer can photograph your Portraits, Group Portraits, Photojournalism (Candid, Reportage), and Details. You can usually judge a good wedding photographer by viewing their portraits, as a good portrait photographer has the ability to direct and create images that express the true chemistry between a couple.
• ART. An image can be broken down into 3 details: Composition, Lighting and Gesture. A photographer should be able to artfully compose an image and ‘see’ and recognize good light and how to optimize the light to make you beautiful. A photographer should be able bring out gesture – in portraits – an expression that is honest and sincere. The human eye can easily discern whether or not a portrait looks over posed. You want a photographer that can bring out a natural and honest moment.
• FOCUS. A photographer needs to be focused throughout the wedding day. There are a lot of things going on throughout the day and a photographer needs to be able to see through the distractions, observe and capture intuitively wants going on in front of them.
• EXPERIENCE. A good wedding photographer needs experience to handle stress during a wedding day. Even the best planned weddings get delayed and the photographer has to capture the important moments throughout the day.
• FEELING. In the post production/editing process, the photographer should be able to edit their work so that the best images tell a beautiful story of your wedding day. Editing is an art in itself and good photographers will deliver a beautiful edit of your wedding. The photographer should also be able to express the feeling of the wedding day in the colors of the final image. Subtle changes in color can change the mood of the image.
• ALBUM. Photographers want to show their best work on their Websites, Blogs and Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, etc.). I always recommend viewing an entire wedding album to give you a good idea of how the photographer captured the wedding day. You want to make sure your photographer can capture every aspect of your wedding beautifully and pair the images well together to tell your wedding day story.
• DIRECTION. A photographer needs to be able to give good direction. Good portrait photographers need to be a able to direct people to bring something out of their subjects and onto the image. All portrait photographers are photojournalists to some degree, but not all photojournalists can photograph portraits. A couple needs a photographer that can tell them what to do during the portrait session so that they can capture a beautiful moment with all fine details aligned. A good photographer knows what looks good.
• PERSONALITY. I highly recommend having a conversation with your photographer. They are usually with you throughout the entire wedding day and you want a photographer that you feel comfortable with. A call will help determine if you connect with each other.
• DEDICATION. Wedding Photographers need to be consistent with their work day in and day out, under pressure, and under various weather and lighting conditions. They need to constantly improve their craft so that their work stays modern yet also have a timeless quality.