You Get What You Pay For: The Value of Selecting a Seasoned Wedding Photographer
I’ve worked with a lot of photographers over the past ten years and sifted through hundreds of galleries. As a wedding planner, I actually care as much about your photos as you do. Trust me, these photos are sometimes all I have to show for a year’s worth of design work, so I happen to notice when the quality of an image doesn’t quite deliver.
We live in magical times, and technology has turned us all into modern-day magicians empowered with high-tech smartphones and endless filter apps. But here’s the thing: when it comes to your wedding, there’s a big difference between taking a good picture and capturing the entire essence of a live event. Remember, weddings are not staged photo shoots where you can hit pause and adjust for angle and lighting. There is a running timeline with moving characters, scene changes, and plot twists. Your photographer has to be experienced and ready for whatever unfolds on your big day.
The best photographers are ultimately storytellers. And how they retell the story of your wedding day through their photos will play a big role in how you remember your special day. Obviously, skill, personality, and artistry are important qualities of a good photographer, but when it comes to hiring a photographer for your wedding, experience matters most.
Photos by Cory Ryan Photography at Laguna Gloria. Cory has 15 years as a professional photographer. Notice the variety of beautiful images captured during the day, at dusk, and the evening!
Quality over Quantity
When scouting out a photographer, you’ll no doubt find yourself running package price comparisons and trying to determine the best bang for your buck. It’s tempting to go with the photographer who offers more time and product at a lower rate. Kind of a no-brainer, right?
Understand that, side by side, the newer, less seasoned photographer will always offer the better rates. They might even offer something like a full day of service for your wedding day plus 4 hours for rehearsal dinner. If you haven’t done a wedding before and you don’t have a schedule or timeline yet, this might sound ideal.
Before you take that leap, consider the fact that if you hire a more skilled photographer, you might not actually need a full day worth of photos. Photographers who really know their stuff, know that they can get everything they need in 6-7 hours. And keep in mind, wedding photographers work really hard. They are usually running around sweating and literally stretching, resting, and hydrating during breaks. It’s no slouch.
If you fall in love with a photographer that you can't afford, I say skip the late night snacks and big sparkler exit and let your photographer cut-out early. I mean, c’mon… how many photos do you really need of your friends and family sweaty and drunk on the dance floor? At the end of the day, I’d rather put my money on somebody who has been in the industry for many years and captured hundreds of weddings. Put it this way, I’d rather pay $5,000 for an incredible photographer’s smallest package than an inexperienced photographer’s full-day package with all the bells, whistles and add-ons.
Photos by Jenny DeMarco at The Driskill Hotel. Jenny has been photographing weddings for over ten years and is a favorite among wedding planners. Her skill and technique with lighting ballroom weddings is unparalleled.
Look Through Full Galleries
Alright, so how are you going to distinguish an experienced photographer from one who is just breaking onto the scene? It can be tricky to nail down exactly what you want, especially when you don’t really know what you’re looking for. Clearly, every photographer is going to put their best work forward on their website or blog. You’ll need to really get in there and get your hands dirty. Make sure you look through every single photo of an 800 photo gallery. Set aside some time, sit down with a beverage, and get to work.
When deciding on the right photographer for your wedding day, here are a few important points to keep in mind:
Consider Your Setting: Having a ballroom wedding? Look through galleries from other ballroom weddings. If you're having a barn-style wedding, ask for samples of barn-style weddings. Better yet, ask to see galleries from events that took place at your actual wedding venue or similar venues. This will give you the closest idea of what you can expect from your final product. You really should be able to ask for 5 galleries of the type of wedding you’re having. If they can’t give you samples of that, they just haven’t been around long enough.
Look out for Fair-Weathered Photography: I’m sorry to have to say it, but the weather might not be perfect on your wedding day. Anyone can get a killer image of glammed-up adults posing in perfect “golden hour” light. Look for photographers who have shown their chops on bad weather days. If they can nail a first kiss shot in a lagoon when it’s raining, they’ll not only nail the first kiss photo at your perfectly lit sunset ceremony, but they’ll be able to take whatever nature throws their way and turn it into a work of art. Experienced photographers will know to plan accordingly for the weather, and will often bring their own clear umbrellas for you!
When the Sun Goes Down: If all the images turn black and white the second the sun goes down, be sure to question that. Did the couple request it, or is it because the photographer isn’t as skilled in working with complicated lighting? Some folks really like black and white, and that’s totally fine. I just bring this up because I have found that a pattern of resorting to black and white often points to something other than stylistic expression. It can indicate lack of experience with receptions or dark room lighting.
You’re Not A Model: Or, heck, maybe you are… I don’t know. But chances are, you’re like the rest of us who really just want to look our best in a photo. We’ve all picked up some tricks along the way… we know what angles highlight our favorite (and maybe not-so-favorite) features. We’ve mastered our best selfie angle, right? But, remember, you’re not going to be posing for pictures all day. Like I said before, this is a live event where you’re going to be doing real life things like laughing, talking, crying, hugging, kissing… and dancing. It’s one thing to capture a perfectly stylized bowl of fruit and signature cocktail. They are inanimate objects. What you want is a photographer who “gets it” when it comes to highlighting humans in their element and in their best light. A great photographer will pose you artfully, build your confidence, and make you feel beautiful in front of the camera.
Photos by Lindsey Thorne Photography at The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum. Lindsey has had a camera in her hands for the last 20 years, and it shows. These images are gorgeous from a technical perspective, but they also capture tons of personality and joy!
In Summary
My point is this: just as taking pictures doesn’t make someone a photographer, being a good photographer doesn’t necessarily make someone a wedding photographer. It’s a craft all its own; one that requires a level of skill and intuition that can only be refined through experience.
When it comes to selecting a wedding photographer, I promise, experience really does pay!
Girl, you got this! XO
Ren Newey