EIGHT QUESTIONS YOU ASK A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE BOOKING?
You’ve done your initial search for a wedding photographer. You’ve seen several websites and reached out to a few people whose work you like the look of. Now, you are either corresponding via email or, ideally, over a call/Zoom to gather more details about who they are and to ask them questions about their photography coverage. But where do you start with questions? What matters most when picking a photographer? While some things come down to personal preference, there are some questions for which the answer greatly matters.
The following are the most important (and sometimes overlooked) questions you should ask a prospective wedding photographer.
DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE?
Why ask this? As a photographer, it is important to have equipment insured for protection against accidents or theft. From a client perspective, this is important because many venues require all vendors to be insured for their own protection. It also shows a level of professionalism that your photographer takes their work, and your images seriously
HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE/APPROACH TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Why ask this? Wedding photography is not only a big financial investment, but it is also the tangible takeaway from your wedding. It’s important to know a photographer’s work is a style you like and value! Also, knowing how they approach the day (are they directing, observing, super hands-on, taking breaks) impacts your experience of the day! See my blog about styles of wedding photography to learn more!
DO YOU HAVE A BACKUP CAMERA?
Why ask this? You want a photographer who is prepared for any worst-case scenario. A technology malfunction, surprise rain storm, or gear damage should NOT stop you from getting your dream wedding photos. Backup equipment should be an absolute requirement of wedding photography.
HOW LONG UNTIL I RECEIVE MY PHOTOS? AND HOW ARE THEY DELIVERED?
Why ask this? If you don’t ask before the day, you will definitely want to know afterwards. Most photographers will include this information in their contract. If it is not, be sure to ask for the timeline in writing in advance of payment.
I deliver images in an online gallery within 5-8 weeks, depending on the contracted hours, with a preview within 1 week of the wedding.
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A WEDDING?
Why ask this? You want a photographer who is planning ahead. They have a timeline they have shared with you. Have an idea of who needs group portraits, if not an outright list from you of people for portraits. They ideally will have been to your venue before, or made a plan to arrive early to location scout.
WHO OWNS THE RIGHTS TO THE IMAGES?
Why ask this? It is good to know what exactly your payment goes towards. Is it just the day of taking images, or is it the rights to each image? When you book with me, you have all digital and printing rights to the images from your day.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO MITIGATE THE LOSS OF FILES?
Why ask this? This one is sooo important! You want a photographer who has multiple systems of security to keep your images safe.
I immediately back up all RAW files onto an external hard drive. Then I back them up again on a second, working external drive. From there, I save all culled images to the cloud as well as a Lightroom catalog. I never delete an image from the original SD card until 1 month (minimum) after a gallery is delivered, and never delete images from the hard drives at any point.
CAN I SEE A FULL GALLERY FROM A PREVIOUS WEDDING?
Why ask this? If you inquired with a photographer, you probably like the work you’ve seen on their website or social media. It’s still good to ask to see a full gallery because it is representative of what you would receive. The format, the image number, the quality, the range. It can give you a sense of what the photographer values photographing during the day, and if that aligns with your goals.