5 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer
There are endless options when searching for a wedding photographer. When you find one you like and want to meet with, it's a good idea to prepare some questions before your meeting. If you aren't a photographer, you probably wouldn't think to ask any questions about the photographer's gear or the tech aspects of photography. Aside from the standard questions about packages, pricing and policies, here are a few technical questions we think are great to ask while interviewing photographers for your wedding:
1. Tell me why you choose the equipment you use to take pictures.
Every photographer is different, and it’s often a personal choice of what they choose to photograph with. Whether film or digital, Nikon or Canon, it can be good to know what equipment you should expect to see on the wedding day and what your final images will look like.
2. Do you use flash?
Can you explain how you use it to light my reception? This is very important for venues that are very dark or don’t provide a lot of natural light. Your photographer will need to build in a few minutes into the schedule to set up their lighting equipment in your reception space. It can also effect the look of your photos.
3. Do you archive my wedding photos?
How long will I have access to them after the wedding? Technology fails. It’s important to know how your photographer backs up their files, and we always recommend making a copy of your wedding files to another USB or hard drive for your own safe-keeping.
4. How do you determine if a photograph should be in color or black and white?
This could be a technical or personal choice. Sometimes we photograph a scene, knowing that it’s going to shine in black and white. We consider the technical elements when editing your photos, like composition and lighting, and sometimes an image just reads better in black and white. Other times, it can just be a feeling that the moment captured lends itself better to black and white and the more timeless feeling that offers.
5. What’s the hardest type of ceremony to photograph?
Certain religions or venues have restrictions for photography during ceremonies. It’s important to check with your officiant before the wedding day on these restrictions. Sometimes, we are limited to photographing the ceremony from the back of the church. Other times, we are allowed more access, but need to stay off the altar. Jewish ceremonies have many cultural traditions involved, such as breaking a glass, and these moments are important for your photographer to capture. Know what kind of ceremonies your photographer is familiar with, and give him or her a heads up for any important aspects of your ceremony so they are prepared on your wedding day.
