Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

What do you look for in a wedding photographer?

Hi brides! I want to know what YOU look for in a wedding photographer. Here's a few questions:

1) Do you look for lower-priced photographers off craigslist that will take photos, or do you look for higher-priced professionals that will create artwork?

2) What is the most money you are willing to spend on a wedding photographer?

3) Do you prefer that a wedding photographer have multiple packages with different things included, one base package with little included that you can customize and add items to and build the price up, or one high-priced base package that includes everything, but you can remove what you don't need for a lower overall price.

4) Is a DVD with all your full-resolution print-released images a must? Or do you prefer to let the photographer do the printing for you? If the photographer does not include a DVD, do you look elsewhere for a different photographer? How do you feel about photographers that have a lower base price (say $500 less than the competition) but will offer a DVD as an add-on for that same $500 extra.

5) Do you choose your wedding photographer based on their price and what they offer, or the quality of their photos and their personality?

6) Are albums important to you? Do you prefer that you buy the album from the photographer and let them design it, or do you prefer to just design an album yourself even if the quality is not as good? If album is important, do you want your photographer to include it in a package or would you rather add it on and select from various types of albums?

7) How important is a photographer's website to you?

8) What is your desired turn-around time? Do you prefer a photographer that will send you unedited/unretouched photos in a shorter time (say 1-3 weeks after the wedding) or a photographer that spends many hours editing and retouching every single photo, but might deliver the images to you longer after your wedding (maybe 2-5 months).

9) Would you be more willing to pick a wedding photographer that includes two photographers, over a photographer that works alone?

10) And overall, what's the three most important things you look for in a wedding photographer?

Re: What do you look for in a wedding photographer?

  • kaitlyn20kaitlyn20 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    1)I looked for what was in my budget but then ended up going out of my budget big time because the guy had lots of products to offer and hes good at what he does
    2) My budget was 1500 but i ended up with $4100
    3) Doesnt matter as long as he lets you customize it and do things on your budget
    4) We get a usb drive with all the photos with the rights to print up to 5 by 7 and then we have to buy through him which i dont mind cuz he does have some awemone connections when it comes to that
    5) all of them...our photographer is also really flexible with the payments letting us do them biweekly and also he goes out of his way to make sure he is making us happy (ie doing two engagement shoots for free in two different provinces

    6) we are getting one album from and thats because it has no spine in the book so it lyes completely flat on the table the albums ill give family will be done my self
    7) really imporatant it gives you a chance to see there work before contacting them
    8) Id perfer shorter but i want the best pictures so if that means alonger wait time so be it i think the wait time for my pictures is 2 months
    9) depends i was willing to work with just him but i ended up paying for an second photographer
    10) his experiance, personality, the quality of his work
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • edited December 2011
    1. we found a photography couple in NY who are both artists who compose their photographs.
    2. we are spending a total of $7,500 on photography and photography materials including albums, prints, thank yous, save the dates...etc. all coming from a plan i chose with my photographers.
    3. we picked a plan that included everything and found it the smart way to go.
    4. our photographers give ALL their couples rights to the photos they take on OUR wedding day. they pointed out the fact that we are already paying them to take photos, why would they not give the rights?? they do not charge extra.
    5. ultimately quality of work and when we met them their personalities won us over.
    6. getting 1 large album for us and 2 parent albums. i really wanted a nice way to preserve the memories. we are getting 3 cypress albums.
    7. the site is what sold us, we did not need to meet them in order to hire them. we were sold from the site...but when we met them it just made it better. so, the site was VERY important.
    8. we are getting completely retouched images in 2-3 weeks from our photographers. they are a smaller boutique style studio so they only shoot 1-2 events a weekend at most. the bigger studios take on more work and outsource so they fall behind on the work and need a bigger window of time to process.
    9. 2 photographers all the way. there is no doubt that 4 eyes are better than 2.
    10. quality of work, personality, and compatibility.
  • edited December 2011
    1) Yes, I looked (and found) my photographer on Craigslist.

    2) What is the most money you are willing to spend on a wedding photographer?
    $900

    3) I prefer package customization and a la carte options as our wedding will be very small and short.

    4) Is a DVD with all your full-resolution print-released images a must? Yes

    5) Quality of product is key, but I was prepared to go without wedding photos if   unable to find a talented and affordable photographer. 

    6) Are albums important to you? No. 

    7) How important is a photographer's website to you? The quality of photos and personal narrative are important.  
    Having an amazing Flickr or blog is just as effective as a professionally developed website.

    8) What is your desired turn-around time? 2-3 months.

    9) Would you be more willing to pick a wedding photographer that includes two photographers, over a photographer that works alone?
    No.

    10) And overall, what's the three most important things you look for in a wedding photographer?
    Photographic skills, creativity and artistic vision, flexible pricing.
  • edited December 2011
    I'd hire a professional straight off the bat, either through referrals or bridal shows.  Then I'd compare the images and see which ones I like better.

    Craigslist isn't a bad choice if you're actually looking for HIGHER priced photographers there.

    Why?

    All the super low-priced ones have the same boring, underexposed images in their portfolios.  Some of them are even blurry, since they shoot in automatic instead of manual (as most professionals do).  They're probably nice people, but their work and inexperience just doesn't cut it for me.
  • edited December 2011
    how abot this all important inf. about wedding pictures

    http://www.wedding-photography-secret.com/
  • fallbride1109fallbride1109 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited December 2011
    1) I would never consider a photographer off of Craigslist but where I live there are great photographers in nearly every budget.

    2) What I spent - $4K

    3) One high-priced base package that includes everything, but you can remove what you don't need for a lower overall price.

    4) Is a DVD with all your full-resolution print-released images a must?  Absolutely.

    5) Do you choose your wedding photographer based on their price and what they offer, or the quality of their photos and their personality?  All of the above should be considered. 

    6) Are albums important to you? Yes.  Do you prefer that you buy the album from the photographer and let them design it, or do you prefer to just design an album yourself even if the quality is not as good? I did both but the one I designed was comparable to my photogapher's.  If album is important, do you want your photographer to include it in a package or would you rather add it on and select from various types of albums?  I prefer both as an option.

    7) Very important - it is your first impression.

    8) My photographer edited all my photos and still had the DVD to me with in a month and my proofs in less than 2 weeks.

    9) Two photographers was a must for me.

    10) 1) qualty of work 2) reviews/recommendations  3) wedding experience
  • edited December 2011
    1) I looked everywhere, asked for quotes adn finally went with the photographer I found on Facebook. She had a variety of amazing photos and was extremely reasonable

    2) $1000. That includes engagement/family picture shoot, 6 hours day of the wedding and print package (would be about $1300 in prints of the "a-la-carte" list)

    3) The package oprions were not a huge deal but the ability too adjust types of prints and numbers was a big plus.

    4) It is not a must but it is nice. I am getting a CD of proofs and may eventually pay for her to create a CD/DVD of just the prints that I truely love

    5)A little bit of everything. Her proce was great, she was not afraid of the challange of including children into the engagement and wedding phots, and was quick to reply to any communication. Professionalism, flexibility and creativity were the primary reasons for choosing who we went with.

    6) The albums are a nice plus. With our package, we will have a big album for us and smaller versions of the album to give to our parents

    7) Her facebook page let me see the type of photographs she tends to take of individuals and families. It also let me see how she uses the surrounds that she sets her subjects in. We are having an evening, outdoor wedding, so I wanted to see how she used light and nature to enhance and frame her subjects

    8) A quick turn around time is nice, but quality work is better. I have been pleasently surprised with the one week tuen around on the engagement shoot and she is expeccting a one to two week turn around for the wedding.

    9) The number of photographers was not important to me. Two is nice but not neccessary. Some of the ceremony shoots are actually better if they are recreated after the ceremony instead of trying to get them during the ceremony. Friends and family will be there and they will be allowed to take pictures throughout the event

    10) Professionalism in contact, creativity in photography, and flexablity in time and situations 
    Wedding Countdown Ticker PhotobucketPhotobucket June 2012 Siggy Challange - Shoes
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