Top Ten Things to Ask Your Photographer Before You Hire Them Part 1

“Time is the most underestimated part of your day. How it’s managed can have everything to do with the experience you take away.”

Table of Contents

What is their style?
Available date or dates?
How many weddings have they photographed?
What is included?
Can you walk us through your process on the wedding day?

“I wish you had photographed my wedding!”

We have learned a lot from our clients and capturing their wedding days, over 350 of them. As photographers we take our craft seriously while simultaneously having the time of our lives. We have heard comments from guests more times than I can remember, “I wish you had photographed my wedding!” While we take this as a huge compliment it also makes us sad. It tells us that there are people who do not appreciate the job or put noticeable effort and care into photographing someone’s wedding day. Maybe they appear fine on paper and can get the job done but fall flat when it comes to delivering a memorable experience and or final product for their client. But we can tell you that the experience should be top priority and the quality of work should be too.

Your wedding deserves to be photographed by someone who:

is nice and easy to work with, who is willing to listen to what you want and need.
understands what photos are important to you.
knows their equipment well enough to work it in any environment. Who can take a great photo even if it’s rainy or overcast or things are moving quickly.
And quite honestly, a person who gives a shit about their job.

Here is a list of questions to help you find that person for your big day and not feel like one of these people who wished someone else photographed their wedding.

“We love to curate a collection that will speak to the couple in the way they would like to feel their wedding day.”

1. What is their style?

This could be a loaded question and sure, some of it shows in their work. There are many styles of photography, and some come with some pretty rigid rules around them. For example, if someone says they are a natural light photographer this means they use only available light to create their images. Natural light photos are beautiful, however, if you are getting married in a dark, dimly lit castle with only hints of natural light you will want to find someone with experience in off camera flash (OCF).

Another great example of a style that has strict rules is Photojournalism. This truly means the people only observe your day and capture as it happens. Making no changes to any scenario or guidance on posing and can even restrict how they will edit your photos. Again, some amazing stuff happens when you let it happen and this genre of photography is quite impressive, but it must be in line with what you want from your day and how you want to be interacted with. Photojournalism means that if the couple is not together throughout the day you may find candid shots together a rarity.

Noah and Jules have always operated as a blend of styles. We like to curate a collection that speaks to the couple the way they would like to see it. Going from formal, traditional, candid and our specialty the wild and artsy stuff. Big grand photos with lots of life and movement are our favorite. We, however, do it all and we crafted this from the beginning as we learned that most couples wanted a mixture of things. They wanted the day captured honestly (as photojournalism implies) but they also wanted guidance on what to do with their hands, how to pose, and someone to rally the family for those treasured smiles into the camera photos with every member of their family. And it was important to us to capture the traditional with a side of candid artsy fun, so those in between moments don’t go left uncaptured.

You’ll hear the phrase documentary a lot in this industry and that’s because it lightens up the reins on photojournalism while still capturing the true moments of the day.

When you ask this question, listen to how they respond, do they get excited about their style? Do they know what kind of style? Do they explain how their style works and can you see yourself in it?

2. Available date or dates?

This one feels like a no brainer. It’s important to ask because sometimes you contact a big studio that farms out to other photographers. Some make this known and others do not. So, if they are available make sure you ask if they will be the ones photographing you on your wedding day. If not, then who? This comes in handy later when you talk about image quality. Not all eyes and skills are created equal.

Noah and Jules is a mom and pop shop, and we (knock on wood) have never missed a wedding at the same time. Jules had some babies and stepped out for a handful each time and there’s been the occasion of serious illness and death in the family, but otherwise Jules and Noah are your people!

3. How many weddings have they photographed?

This is a tough one. A photographer could have photographed 1000 weddings. This does not make them the best. It does however tell you they have real world skill and experience. In the wedding industry right now, we have what are known as styled shoots. These are a wonderful way to have a great time creating with other vendors and are generally super creative. There are typically models and not real couples as the ones being photographed and the scenarios are set under perfect circumstances. The issue this creates is a false sense of security. The photos are beautiful, but can they be replicated in real wedding day fashion? If you can create amazing images under the unknowns that often arise with a wedding day while smiling and keeping everyone happy then you’re a real pro.

4. What is included in your wedding photography package, and are there any additional fees to be aware of?

What is included? This is important to find out up front. Every photographer will have a suggested list that includes hours of coverage, deliverables, and time frames for completion. What if they charge more for the location of your wedding? What if they only do 8 hours and not 10 like you might need?

“Time is the most underestimated part of your day. How it’s managed can have everything to do with the experience you take away.”

5. Can you walk us through your process on the wedding day?

Sometimes people see an image and assume they know how it was taken or think this incredible photo probably took 3 minutes. When in reality it took 20 minutes and you didn’t allot for that in your timeline.

Time is the most underestimated part of your day. How it’s managed can have everything to do with the experience you take away. It’s also important they pay close attention to what you want as a couple. What things, people and moments are important to you and how much time does your photographer need to give those things the quality and care of photography.

Please see our blog about hiring planners. They are wonderful keepers of time and incredibly helpful stress reducers. (Planner Blog Post)

It's also important to know if you can rely on someone to help if a situation gets tough or if they simply watch the wheels come off the bus. I say this slightly laughing, but seriously. I hope no one in our industry would ever watch the wheels come off the bus. It doesn’t hurt to ask though! We have had many situations where the couple needed a little extra help catering to certain personalities I.e. late bridesmaids, ripped groomsmen pants, a traffic jam that ate up far too much time, spicy mother-in-laws and the list could go on. We have been used as excuses more than a few times. If it helps ease your mind so we get to see you smile and enjoy your day, then we do what we can.

Top Ten Questions Part 2 Coming soon!