Picking the Right Photographer:
Special Occasion
Photographs are Important. That's why you're hiring a
professional photographer and not doing it yourself, or asking your
neighbor or brother-in-law to photograph your event. When the sweet 16th
or Quinceanera is over, you'll look at the photographs to relive one of
the most important days of your lives. They serve as a sense of
heritage to generations yet to be born, and provide a sense of
connection with friends and family members who have moved far away, and
loved ones who have passed away.
The first thing to
remember when hiring a photographer is to look for quality and value and
not just the cheapest price. As with most things in life, "you get what
you pay for." The cheapest price may be fine for dishwasher since it
can be returned if its not what you wanted. But after the Wedding--
there's no "second chance" to redo the photographs of a lifetime, so
it's important to find the right photographer who will capture your
events right the first time.
A 1996 survey in Brides
magazine stated that 83% of couples were dissatisfied with how their
wedding photos turned out and of the service quality of the
photographer. With this many unhappy couples -- it seems that poor
wedding photographers are more the rule than the exception.
Common complaints among wedding couples were photos that
were out of focus or blurred, poorly lit, had people with eyes closed,
and that the photographer was simply "not around" to take photos at
important parts of the event.
While you need not hire
the most expensive photographer, don't just go for the
"cheapest"photographer either. Rather, ask several photographers to send
you their photo packages, and then compare them side by side to see
which photographers and which packages offer the most "value" for your
photo dollar.
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One big factor to consider is how much time or
"coverage" is included in the price. Many times a fee which looks higher
actually turns out to be cheaper (or a better value) in the long run,
because it includes more hours of coverage -- which end up being charged
as "overtime" in other packages. In order to make that calculation, you
first need to spend some time figuring out how long you will need your
photographer, and how long your event will actually run. That's
important, because just like you don't want your photographer leaving
early, you also don't want to pay for more coverage than you actually
need.
People very seldom complain years after their event that
their photo album is "too nice".
While it's relatively
inexpensive to have extra shots taken at your event,
it's virtually impossible to "go back" after
the event day is over.
So
you should first figure out "what you want" before selecting any
package.
Remember that Photographers are not
Mind Readers
While a photographer does his best to record your event,
if there are specific poses that you want photographed, or particular
family members or friends you want photographed, be sure to let the
photographer know this ahead of time! Preferably, you should have given
your photographer a "photo list" of which poses you want taken, and
which people you want photographed, before the event, so that nothing
will be left out. Some photographers have a very specific list of poses
that you shoot, others have a general idea that they go by, whereas some
"play it by ear". If you have no idea what you want your photographer
to shoot, then it really doesn't matter; your hiring someone, leave it
to them. But if you have a specific idea of what you would like your
wedding album to look like, which poses you want taken, and specific
family members you want pictures with, then it is important that you
inform your photographer of this in advance. Before you hire your
photographer, make a photo list of shots you would like taken. Sometime
before the event, go over this list with your photographer, and his if
he has one, to be sure that both you and he have the same thing in mind.
That's another good reason why you should get to know your photographer
before your event.
If you want coverage
before the ceremony, during the ceremony, and after the reception, be
sure to schedule the photographer to be there all that time. Most people
figure that they will have to be at their event much longer than the
guests will. Schedule your photographer likewise.
You may also wish to schedule family portraits before
your event (when people are still "fresh"), as this may be the only time
that your entire family gets together, for quite some time. If you do,
be sure to notify your photographer before he arrives at your wedding.
He may wish to bring special backdrops or different lighting, than if he
plans on only shooting candid event pictures.
You should also find out if the the photographer you are
hiring will be available in case you need him to stay later than your
originally expected. This is not uncommon, as events do tend to run
late, and while you may have to pay the photographer extra for the
additional time, it's good to know that the photographer would be
available, should you need him.
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Here are several questions to ask the photo studios that
you contact:
To begin with, who is actually photographing
your event?
In fact, is the photographer you've signed up
with even the same one coming to your event?
This
is an important question because many times a studio will employ
part-time or freelance photographers to cover multiple weddings booked
on the same day. The studio may show samples of the studio owner (main
photographer), but may end up assigning a part-timer with very little
experience. Or the studio owner may show you pictures that his studio
produced, meaning that he has taken the best pictures from all of his
photographers, but that does not mean that he or whoever he sends will
be able to reproduce the same quality for you. This does not necessarily
mean that the photographer they send won't be good. He or she may be an
excellent photographer. There is nothing wrong with a studio having
several photographers. But just to be sure you like the style of the
person actually taking your pictures, it may be a good idea to ask to
see samples of "your photographer's" work, besides the studio's, and
certainly to discuss the event with the actual photographer who will be
taking your pictures.
What type of equipment will
he/she be using?
Quality photographic
equipment is expensive, but together with the most important piece of
equipment (the photographers eye), good equipment (cameras, film,
lighting and backup equipment, just in case) does make a difference!
Cameras: Most really good photographers will shoot their
Weddings using Medium Format cameras, instead of just 35 millimeter, at
least for the "formal shots", if not for most or all of the wedding.
Why are medium format cameras so important?
Because they create negatives that are nearly 3 times
larger than 35 mm cameras -- so the enlargements and prints from these
cameras are nearly three times as clear and as sharp, as those from 35
mm.
Next the lenses for these cameras are manufactured to
extremely high quality standards -- so the color saturation and the
image resolution are much higher than typical 35 mm cameras.
Finally, only professional photo finishing labs can
process this "larger format" film -- meaning that the quality of the
proofs and prints is likely multiple times better than 35 mm prints from
a typical 1-hour lab.
Because medium format
camera systems cost several thousand dollars, some photographers try to
get away with just a 35 mm for the entire wedding, hoping that no one
will know the difference.
In truth, 35 mm cameras
are fine for smaller shots (up to 5 x 7), which will probably comprise
the majority of your candid photos, but if you are wanting larger
pictures (8 x 10 or 11 x 14 or larger) for your album, or to hang on the
wall, or studio quality portraits of your wedding, than the difference
in quality can be quite noticeable.
What about digital?
Digital
cameras definitely have their advantages. The biggest advantage with
digital is the immediacy of seeing your proofs, either "on line" or via a
laptop computer at your event. This is something many consumers like
(in our immediate gratification generation), saving you the time that
you might otherwise wait for proofs to be ready. Digital is especially
advantageous for the photographer who saves the hundreds of dollars it
might otherwise cost to process and print your film onto prints. With
digital, you just select your chosen photos from a digital album, and
only those have to be printed.
However, taking a picture
digitally does not in and of itself create a better picture. Nor does it
create a worse looking picture. The rules of good photography apply
regardless whether you use film or a digital sensor to record your image
(though the metering may change slightly).
Also like film, where larger negatives produce better
looking enlargements, with digital photos, the more "megapixels" you
have, the better your image turn out. This is especially noticeable with
large pictures. At the same time, digital cameras are constantly being
improved. Ultimately image quality depends mostly on the eye of the
photograher, not the equipment.
What type of Lighting does
your photographer bring to the event?
The
word "photography" means "drawing with light". Having good lighting is
important for without good lighting -- there CAN'T BE good pictures.
Because the lighting at most reception halls is too dark for good
photography, the best way to insure great photography every time is by
having the photographer bring in studio quality portrait lighting,
instead of just relying on the camera's flash.
With
the newer faster professional films on the market, and the powerful
flashes most photographers have attached to their cameras, umbrellas or
soft boxes are rarely needed for the candid reception coverage, however
umbrellas, softboxes, reflectors or some other source of secondary light
is still recommended for portrait quality "traditional family poses".
Reason being that that by utilizing two light sources, the photographer
is able to control the "shadow detail" of the portrait, so that the
subjects will look three-dimensional and lifelike. It is this "shadow
detail" in fact, that differentiates a studio quality portrait from a
flatly lit snapshot. Reflectors, umbrellas or softboxes also allow the
photographer to "diffuse" or soften the light so the subjects look
better on film.
If you event is large and indoors, in a not
very bright room, you might also ask your photographer to bring
additional "slave" lights to illuminate the background behind the people
who he/she is photographing. That way, you lessen the chance of your
pictures looking like they were photographed "in a cave", meaning that
while the subject of the pictures look great (since the cameras's flash
hit them perfectly) the background -- people behind the subject - are
extremely dark. Digital cameras are generally more sensitive to light
than are film cameras and for that reason, the size of the lights may be
smaller when using digital than with film. Still, the basic rules of
good photography have not changed.
Another important consideration is
choosing a photographer is deciding which style of photography you are
looking for.
Traditional photography consists of formal or staged
poses of the family etc. The second style of event photography is
what’s popularly known as Photo-Journalistic coverage. PJ photography
intends to document your event in much the same way as a photojournalist
goes about an assignment.
The PJ photographer,
rather than taking portraits and staging photo’s, tries to blend in to
the scenery and record events “as they happen”, in a more candid and
less formal manner than with traditional photography, often without the
guests even realizing that they are being photographed. Many
photographers offer a combination of traditional and candid coverage.
It is always a good idea to first decide which style of
photography you are looking for, and then discuss it with your
photographer, rather then just hiring someone to take your pictures
“their way”, without specifying what exactly it is that you are looking
for. Most people want a combination of traditional poses and PJ event
coverage, however if you don't let the photographer know what you want,
you run the risk of purchasing a perfectly good set of photographs, but
not at all what you wanted.
What
about the photo package itself?
What exactly are you
getting for your money? Some photographers offer smaller proofs at a
lower price, some offer to give you or sell you the negatives but leave
you in charge of enlarging the prints; while other photographers offer
higher priced packages which may include 8 x 10 enlargements, 11 x 14
enlargements, and fancy albums. Many photographers also offer parent
albums, with additional photos for the parents, grandparents, or other
relatives, at prices far below what it would cost to have the same
pictures reprinted separately.
If all you want is one set
of small pictures, then the less expensive “proof” package are probably
ideal, but if you truly want a spectacular album with portrait quality
prints and larger enlargements to hang up on your wall, then the larger
packages will usually pay for themselves both in time and money,
compared with doing it all yourself.