We need advice for picking a wedding photographer.

Hi Everyone-

I a new member here and very excited about all the the stuff I have learned so far browsing the board.

We are about to pick our wedding photogrpaher.

We are looking for adive on picking a photogrpaher. What should we look for and lookout for? Of course we would rather have a dozen awesome shots rather than 500 lousy shots. What makes a good wedding photogrpaher? Is it more the subjects or the photograher?

Does anyone have any recommendations for the New Hampshire area?

Thank you.

Look at a few photographers...Check out their packages and their website...look at their testimonials...and ask your friends...these are obvious things...

Every wedding is special and different...you need to look for what is best for you and your wedding.

I think you will know when you talk with them also...you get a "feel" for the person and how they are.

I am sure you will get a ton more advice..but that is mine...

Thank you. So far we have met with 2.5 photographers. The first was film only, which was not a problem, but did not like her style. The Next we loved the professional presentation and commitment to excellence, but I wonder if that person will be able to loosen me up for photos. Then we met with the wife of the photographers partner. She was nice, but we still have not spoken with him as he is abroad shooting.

Do the digital negatives usually cost extra? Would you have the photographer make the album or buy one elsewhere? Is cropping the tops of heads off a technique for wedding photography?

Thank you

Rakefet wrote in post #2487974
Look at a few photographers...Check out their packages and their website...look at their testimonials...and ask your friends...these are obvious things...

Every wedding is special and different...you need to look for what is best for you and your wedding.

I think you will know when you talk with them also...you get a "feel" for the person and how they are.

I am sure you will get a ton more advice..but that is mine...

oh and our chapel have very low lighting. Should I be concerned if they have fast enough lenses and proper flash eqipment? One shoot with a 20D and the other might be a 5d, does the body make much difference for wedding shots?

Thank you

Don't bother concerning yourself with what equipment they have...just look at their shots/portfolio. I would rather have great shots from a disposable film camera, than crappy shots from a 1Ds Mk II or a $30,000 Hassy. It would be good to get an idea of what the shooting conditions will be (dark, flash allowed or not) and let them know so that they can be prepared...but a good photographer should find this out on their own.

It's really a personal decision. You will want to set a budget and think about what kind/how much coverage you want...then look for photographers who will fit those requirements. Maybe you will want a very expensive photographer to show up for two hours to get the ceremony and formals...or maybe you want two or three shooters for all day coverage.

That depends. If they sell you the digital files...you probably wont' buy any prints from them...so I would expect there to be a significant charge for them...either upfront in the package price...or as an add on. Some photographers don't sell the files at all...some include it with all weddings...some will sell them for a price and some might include them after you have reached a certain level of print sales.

Good luck in your search and congrats on the upcoming wedding.

The one thing I tell people first and foremost... find a photographer you can get along with well! Aside from each other, you'll likely be spending the most time with him/her so you'd best find one you can have a good time hanging out with. I'd choose a fun guy I can get along with over someone with more technical or artistic skill but a bore to be around. If you are relaxed and having a good time then great pictures will be the natural result.

For my wedding, I chose a guy who we hit it off with well right from the start. I didn't even completely like his photos. We signed on the spot and didn't even visit any other photographers. We had a great time and our photos turned out great, and are better than anything he showed us in his portfolio!

Hmmmmm......That is exactly what I am thinking. The one we are leaning toward was very nice, but a little more formal. I felt comfortable with her because she did tend to listen to us. Although I am not sure she will be making us laugh until our sides hurt.

I am glad I am asking this question here. It opens up a new prespective. We were getting caught up in the quality of the shots and artistic flare.

Thanks

picturecrazy wrote in post #2488422
The one thing I tell people first and foremost... find a photographer you can get along with well! Aside from each other, you'll likely be spending the most time with him/her so you'd best find one you can have a good time hanging out with. I'd choose a fun guy I can get along with over someone with more technical or artistic skill but a bore to be around. If you are relaxed and having a good time then great pictures will be the natural result.

For my wedding, I chose a guy who we hit it off with well right from the start. I didn't even completely like his photos. We signed on the spot and didn't even visit any other photographers. We had a great time and our photos turned out great, and are better than anything he showed us in his portfolio!

SKCIH wrote in post #2488457
I am glad I am asking this question here. It opens up a new prespective. We were getting caught up in the quality of the shots and artistic flare.

Thanks

Don't get caught up in the technical aspects, but do ensure that the 'artistry' and flare match your perceptions of how your day should be. If you want to have fun, don't choose someone whose work is all formally posed. If you don't want to spend a lot of time just having pictures, choose a PJ style shooter. If you want a formal record of who was there, look for good posing technique in a portfolio.

We can't change our personalities or our natural style. Hopefully though we can cope with any lighting / environmental situation. You should definitely 'feel' right around the photographer, cos you'll be around them a lot on your wedding day.

You need to consider the 3 major points:

Style: You need to look and his/her portfolio and love the work.
Cost: The pricing or packages need to fit your budget.
Personality: You need to like him/her cause you're going to be hanging out for 8+ hours on the biggest day of your life.

Don't go by web photos and small prints in a catalogue. Ask to see some 10x8s and 20x16s taken with the photographer's current equipment. Also find out exactly what the photographer uses.

My wedding photographer turned up with a Pentax dSLR and Quantaray lenses. Her photos look all to have been taken at 1600 ASA and they all have horrible colour balance and grotty grain-like artifacts. In fact, I was so disappointed that I scanned the 5x7s in and corrected the colour balance for most and converted the rest to b/w.

The photographer in question was cheap, from a small town and I hope that she now has learned to take better photos.

With regard to albums, look for someone who does flush mount albums. The old, matted albums are losing favor to the new flush mounts by companies such as Vision Art or Graphistudios. There are photographers out there who can do amazing things with an album like that.

ECHO lake is gorgeous for photos, but you need a 2 year wait to get all the approvals for it! (Throw in the subjects and a good photorapher and you have it made!)

You DID say New Hamsphire!
: )

Thank you for all the replies, this really helps us a lot.

My Fiance and I rented a Canoe on that lake the first summer we met.

marian wrote in post #2490437
ECHO lake is gorgeous for photos, but you need a 2 year wait to get all the approvals for it! (Throw in the subjects and a good photorapher and you have it made!)

You DID say New Hamsphire!
: )

Everyone has their own taste on many things. Cars, houses, etc. So images and image style is no exception. I am sure there are many good photographers in your area so first and foremost pick the style you like. Know what you want in the end... and album full of 4x6 prints, a 20x30 on the wall, a custom designed album sith composites that is a hardbound coffee talbe book, there are many products and most established wedding photographers will be able to deliver any of these but some will be better in particular areas.

Personality is important. The photographer can help set a mood for the day. If they are pushy and overbearing and constantly doing the poparazzi thing it can be annoying to you and your guests. Get some refereals. Talk to others who have used them to find out about this.

It could benefit you to pick one that belongs to a professional organization like PPA ( www.ppa.com ) as many of these organization will help you go after one of their members if they do something grossly wrong.

We have a local chapter of PPA here in Arizona ( http://wedding-photographer-arizona.com/ ) that has a nice web site that has a secion on how to pick a wedding photographer.

what style and budget do you have in mind? I can reccomend some depending on what you are looking for.