Photographers Styles

mrssamuels51

Hi All-

I thought I would ask all you brides to be and get your opinions. I am clueless when it comes to photographers styles. My finance and I are planning a Memorial Day weekend wedding for next year and our colors are navy and white. I keep getting asked what kind of style photographs I am looking for. I want something modern but elegant. I am not into the rustic, country look. 

Any suggestions for what I should be asking for, or what exact style photographer I need?  Our budget is $2500-$3000. Our wedding will be in Syracuse, NY if any of you have photographer suggestions in the Upstate, NY area.

Thank You! 

JoanE2012

Try posting this on your local board.  Go to the right side of this page, under Choose Another Board, click the drop down and select Local Wedding Boards, then go.  A list of all the local boards will pop up and you can select the one closest to you.  Here is the upstate NY board:

http://forums.theknot.com/categories/local-wedding-boards_new-york-upstate

Good luck!

Weddinator

Do web search in your area. Vendor list on theknot is quite limited: only who pay hundreds of $ every month are listed here, and these paid placements doesn't necessarily mean great photography. Combine Google search and Facebook. Study photographers' portfolio images carefully. Pick photographers whose style you like and contact them. 

emmyg65

I can't tell you what you should ask for, because style is subjective. Personally, I wanted someone with:

1. a pretty traditional processing style (no filters or anything on the photos)

2. a casual, fun, photojournalistic shooting style (minimal posed shots, capturing the wedding as it happened)

3. A wedding philosophy that aligned with ours and a personality we enjoy (you spend so much time with your photog that it's important to like them)

As far as deliverables, I wanted eight hours of coverage and the digital files of all our photos with a personal use release. We ended up with a package that also included an engagement session, photo booth, and second shooter. Here are some really useful articles on choosing a photographer:

http://apracticalwedding.com/2014/02/choosing-a-wedding-photographer/

http://apracticalwedding.com/2012/08/how-to-choose-a-wedding-photographer-lighting-composition/

http://apracticalwedding.com/2012/09/choosing-a-wedding-photographer-different-styles-of-wedding-photography/

http://apracticalwedding.com/2012/10/how-to-choose-a-wedding-photographer-part-iii/

Ven&Radio

After I booked my venue, I searched for "wedding photos <venue>".  I was looking for decoration ideas, but it actually gave me alot of exposure to photographers in my area.  I ended up booking one of the ones I found that way.  Once you get an idea of the style you prefer, meet with a couple of people.  Ask to see at least one full set of wedding photos before booking anyone.  The galleries posted online are going to be the best of the best of their work.  Seeing one (or more) full sets of a real wedding will give you a better idea of what to expect for your wedding.