Q&A: What kind of questions should I ask a potential wedding photographer?
Posted by James on December 8, 2012 · 11 Comments
Question by *Expecting Another*: What kind of questions should I ask a potential wedding photographer?
I have no experience with photographers, and I really do not even know what the cost for a service like this would be. I feel stupid calling someone blind and not even knowing what to ask. Can anyone give me some advice on questions that I should ask a potential photographer? Also what a ballpark figure for a wedding photographer? Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by Flat_out_Bob
First for his portfolio you want to see his work.
Add your own answer in the comments!
i dont know but so many photographers now have web sites too so that is a good way to see what it typically costs and what some peoples work looks like. Just google it or something
Girl I am in that same position. But I agree with the other answer.. You need to know what there work looks like. Ask them what kind of pictures they take. When you choose someone though, don’t be afraid to let them know exactly what you want. I mean that is what your paying them for right?
http://www.weddingphotousa.com/questions.htm
Start by going to google:
Type in the city/state where you are located and “photographer”
Ex: Nashville photographer
It should bring up a bunch of hits (depending on where you live)
Sort through the ones u like (check out their sample images)
Most have wedding package prices listed on the website
This can get pretty pricey. $100- the sky’s the limit. I’ve seen $10,000 packages where the photographer travels to whereever you need them.
Most likely, professionals will charge 400-1000
Good answers so far. Definitely ask to see his/her work. Get some ideas from the web on what you may want…if they are not in his portolio, ask if he can do them.
Also, ask him about how many posed shots and how many candid shots he does.
One VERY important question to ask is how he works to keep the “flow” going…in other words, how quickly can he shoot some pictures between the wedding and the reception?
Again, have some idea of what you want…if you start looking at his portfolio and get starry-eyed, saying “I love that” or “I want that”–you will be looking at a HUGE price. He is like any other businessman and will sell you what he can.
Ask yourself this: In 25 years, at our Silver Wedding Anniversary party, what pictures will I want to look back on? What is important to me?
It’s your day…be a princess ….Good Luck!!!!
Photgraphers are all different and can charge pretty much what they like depending on what services you want. Some things to consider would be:
Time: work out how long you would like to have the photographer around. 6 hours will probably cover from the time the bride is getting ready to a bit of time into the reception including formal portraits and family shots. Less than that might only do the ceremony. If you know roughly how long you want them to be there you can compare for the same time coverage.
Their work: Try to see examples of their work. You need to know if the style of photos the photograper takes looks good to you or not. This can either be done over the net or at an appointment.
If there is a package: What is included. Sometimes you can be offered prints, enlargements, the digital files on disk so you can print when and where you like. This is useful because after you see a few in person you might find that for 6 hours coverage one person offers just the files on disk and a second person offers all the file on disk, an extra person at the ceremony, a full printed album and three enlargements for another $20.
The personality of the person taking the photos: If you don’t feel comfortable with the person behind the camera you may be pushed around all day forced to smile or laugh or stare meaningfully to your left creating stressed photos.
And last of all price: Can you afford the person? You can get someone who has been taking photos for years and wants to charge extra just for the sake of having experience or you can get someone with the same qualifications only they got them more recently for less and with more enthusiasm.
One person we saw had been doing weddings for 20 years and was charging $5000 for the same coverage his 2IC did for $2000 who had been doing weddings for 8 years. Same company same package same printing younger person behind the camera
There is a list of questions for photographers on the knot.com under photography. It’s pretty thorough.
Don’t forget to ask:
How many weddings they’ve shot?
What happens if they get sick?
What kind of camera they use?
How long until you get your prints.?
Do I get a computer disc of pictures? is it copyrighted?
is there a minimum package?
Do I have to buy an album?
Are you the only person I can get reprints from?
Do you offer a photo album online for friends and family to order from?
Do you offer a discount for friday/sunday?
I would really figure out what you want in a photographer before you interview anyone. What is important to you? how do you want your wedding pictures to feel. Find some examples in wedding magazines of what you like and brig it to the interview. Trust your gut. If you don’t trust them, move on!
Costs can really vary. I live in Metro Atlanta. Cheapest here is about $800 for no-frills service and goes up to over $10,000!
My engaged friend got a great photographer she loves who is nice and can meet her style for $1500.
Besides the portfolio make sure the photographer understands what type of pictures you want, when and where they will be taken,how many hours is he charging you for, is there a travel charge, do they only do stills or can they do natural poses, do they offer videography,will they take pictures before the wedding (as when you are getting ready)do they prefer to take the portraits before the ceremony or just afterward, are they willing to take photos at the reception,and how many photos are in your album,do you have to pay for extra shots,do they give you a smaller album along with the larger one?
i actually met with a photographer tonight for my wedding. They should pretty much explain everything to you, their packages, give you examples of their work. Make sure they show you the albums that they do and see if it is what you are looking for.
-Is he/she going to have an assistant photographer? You want to make sure they have a helper to get really good shots because they can’t be everywhere at once.
-Of course you need to ask about prices.
-Ask how many hours they are going to dedicate to your wedding, if they are able to meet you places to take pictures, etc.
– The timeline of when you are going to receive their pictures.
-If they provide parent albums or are they extra and how much.
When you sit down to meet them, they should have some information for you too look at and you will just think of questions as they go along.
Ive met with 2 so far and the main packages were $2,800 and the most expensive is $3,600. We are going with the most expensive because of everything it includes and we are setting aside a large part of our budget for this because its one of the most important things to me. But it all depends on what you feel you want to spend on the pictures. Another photographer, her cheapest, basic package was 3000, then 4000 then 5000, which i thought was kind of crazy. But then a friend of ours who does photography would only charge us $800. A lot of it depends on the photographers experience.
The majority of the websites I’ve visited have been between $1,500-3,500. It’s unfortunatly pretty expensive, and all depends on your budget.
Make sure you meet with a few people though and give yourself options!
Hope that helps. Good luck!
You want to get multiple reference names and numbers. Call at least 5 or 6 to see how they felt about the way the photographer conducts himself, how the pictures turned out. Look at all of the photographer’s work that is offered. You need to figure out if you want black and white, color pictures, or both. Is there an extra cost for this? How many hours do you need them. Is there a cost for going over the package hours (if you paid him for 3 hours to take all photos but the wedding started late and you cannot get all photos that you want so can you pay for extra time if need be).Do you want to have pictures at the church then at an additional place i.e. park, lake etc, if so any extra cost. Do you have to pay for drive time, dinner at the reception? How many rolls of film do they use per package, or is it unlimited. Check the packages for hidden cost like albums, negative storage, al a cart pictures. How long do you have to order picture, do they keep negatives. Is there a minimum cost for an order? Also most important I think is can you buy the negatives and how much. Get this written in your contract. Don’t forget to read all contracts carefully and ask question or change things in the contract if you disagree. Never go with someone for the lowest cost. TRUST YOUR GUT!!!
The best thing you can do in this situation is do some research beforehand. Check out photographer’s websites in your area & compare how much they charge to the quality of their work & what all is included in their packages.
Andi had some good questions to ask, here are some more:
The basics include:
-How much they charge
-Do they offer various packages in different price ranges
-Are they a traditional wedding photographer or have a more photojournalistic style (*photojournalist style is less posed & more creative; capturing moments as they happen; more candid). Youcan usually tell this by looking at some samples of their work yourself.
-How long will they be at the ceremony & reception? Do they charge extra per hour if you go over that set time? (*Unlimited time is best, after all, what happens if the limo is late & your photographer leaves before capturing your grand exit??)
-Is there an engagement session included?
-Do they charge for travel time to/from the wedding?
-How many shots do they usually take at a wedding? If they use digital (most do) it could be anywhere from 300-over a thousand shots. (These will be narrowed down to the best ones, photographer’s choice.)
-How many prints will they give you? Do you order them separately?
-How can friends/family order prints?
-Do they have a background with graphic design? (This is used frequently in digital phot’y for image enhancement/conversion, & trasferrence to black & white, sepia, etc.)
-Ask for info on their photo albums.
-Where did they train? Are they self-taught?
-Ask how long they’ve been in photography & how long they’ve been specifically shooting weddings/
-Ask for references. You can contact previous clients for info.
You need someone who you feel comfortable with, so definately set up an appointment for you & your fiance to speak with him/her in person & see more of their work.
When I met up with the first photographer we interviewed, I had a list of ?’s to ask & he answered all of them without me even having to ask. Remember, they are selling their services to you, so they know what information you need to make the decision of whether or not to hire them.
Always interview at least 2-3 so you can compare them & decide which is best for you.
I know this is alot of info, but I hope I gave you an idea of what to expect. You can go on theknot.com & search photographers in your area. This is how I found mine & he’s fantastic. Here’s his website, if you’d like to look to get some more ideas of what to expect.
http://www.mikemoonstudio.com/