Photographer, where to start?!

I'm not sure I fully understand the question... Do you mean what thing next or how to find a photographer.

its easy really just not quick. Research which photographers serve your area, or ask who friends used at their local weddings, look at their online portfolios and decided if you like them. Pick about 6 or so you like and email asking for a quote!

I'm not sure I fully understand the question... Do you mean what thing next or how to find a photographer.

its easy really just not quick. Research which photographers serve your area, or ask who friends used at their local weddings, look at their online portfolios and decided if you like them. Pick about 6 or so you like and email asking for a quote!

Mainly this "ask who friends used at their local weddings" recommendations are always the best.

Bruce

Just try and narrow down what type of photos you like. You might like a traditional approach, a more documentary approach etc. You can shop ANYWHERE in the UK. Most will travel. I also go abroad for weddings so don't feel confined to your area. Most importantly, look at their work. Look at full galleries and you will know when you see one you love!

If the question is for a recommendation for a photographer, then I'd say take a look at Nicola from Daffodil Waves photography.

She'll get lots of recommendations from girls on here... Take a peek, you'll not be disappointed! She shot my wedding in 2011 and has got better ever since.... I want to get married again just for her photos!

http://www.daffodilwaves.co.uk

Shes also a supplier on this forum so I'm sure when she finds this thread she'll say hello!

xx

Bless you Jen, thank you. Must have been writing at the same time! ?

Have you decided a budget? There are wedding photographers for all budgets. I bet if you look hard enough you'll find someone to do it for free.

What I would also do before you go hunting for a photographer is spend a bit of time on Pinterest looking at the types of wedding photographs you love.

Pick say half a dozen you really really like. Why are they your favourite? Are they big n bold with dramatic skies? Or they natural, fly on the wall shots? Maybe they're vintage looking? Basically what I'm trying to suggest is find the style you like before looking for a photographer who matches your style.

Otherwise you may end up going all bog eyed on the Internet with so many to choose from. And if you go to wedding fayres your eyes will glaze over looking at album after album.

Once you know what you like, it will be much easier to narrow down photographers. We're everywhere. Google, Facebook, Wedding fayres and of course Hitched!

Whittle down your list to a select few then get in contact. Check they have your date available and are within your budget (roughly). Arrange to meet them.

During your meeting make sure of three things.

1) Always look through at least three full albums from start to finish. Never book a photographer based on a few hero shots from a portfolio. You need to know the likely final quality of your photos, not some carefully selected shots that don't represent a full day. Are you happy with this quality? Photographs are the main way you will remember your big day. Don't scrimp on this area! Really...I'm not just saying that because I'm a photographer. My last bride regrets only booking me for half a day after she got the photographs back from her friend with a DSLR. I've seen them and have been spending time fixing them.

2) What happens if he/she is ill/unavailable to cover your wedding. It happens, we're only human. More importantly how do they handle it. Do they have local contacts who can step in? Or will they just cancel with little/no notice?

3) Contact details. Phone number, address. Sounds silly this but tonight I've been helping another bride track down their photographer who hasn't delivered her photos from her wedding in August and has essentially disappeared. If in doubt, meet them at their home/studio address.

Lastly do you want an album? I always supply high resolution images on a disc with all my packages but check your photographer is offering that. Some do not and prefer to sell albums only.

Hope that helps

I would say spend a lot of time researching, look at their blogs, websites etc to get a feel for their style to see which suits you both best. Draw up a short list and then meet them in person, we met one who's work we liked but he didn't have a great attitude so I didn't think I'd feel great having him around on our day. I fell in love with our TOGs as people not just their work which meant I felt more relaxed around them.

Also decide exactly what you want, it might be a cd with all your images, album, photo book etc. I got myself in a bit of a state just before my wedding as I suddenly decided I wanted all images on disc which is something our tog didn't offer.

Sound advice from Martin C and I would respectfully disagree with the advice that personal recommendation is the way to go. By all means use personal recommendations to add to your shortlist but it is important to shop around online and see what catches your eye.

Unless you have huge confidence and faith in the way your colleague made his/her choice then any personal recommendation based solely on the work of one photographer and with no comparison to what others would have done is really of limited value !

All my humble opinion of course !

I am at this stage now!

My venue has recommended me a couple of photographers so we looked at them online and their style of photographs/portfolios and have booked to meet with one this sunday!

I am also going to a local wedding show in a few weeks and intend to see who is there, if i like them/their style of photography and then potentially go and have a meeting with them too.

I have a rough budget in mind, but I also think that you cant put a price on photographs. One thing I would look out for is whether you get the original images or not. For us this is really important!

Hope this helps x

Hi SB. When you say original images, what do you mean? Before they are edited or just without watermarks?

Sorry, i didn't explain myself well! The images after they have been edited. The photographers we have looked at supply them on a usb stick so that we can either give a copy to friends and family to print or we could have ones printed onto a canvas etc, or use on facebook and other social mediums.

We found that some photographers only give you the hard copy wedding books and if you require extra images you have to contact them and pay an additional cost for each image.

I want to be able to print the images as and when I require them to put in frames round our house etc!

That's OK ?. Yes good idea to check that. You don't want to get them and then realise they are low res on your USB.

This is a question that gets asked a lot so I put a lot of the usual responses in a blog post here:

/tips-for-couples/uncommon-advice-for-choosing-a-wedding-photographer/

It covers some of the more uncommon things that are overlooked when people go looking.

Personally I would say spend as much as you can on a photographer and don't scrimp as they provide something you will have after the day is over. I also recommend someone you get on with as you are putting alot of trust in them. Research is key and looking at as many pics as you can of someones work to give a you a clear idea of their style and whether it fits in with what you are looking for.

If it helps I definitely recommend Nicola of Daffodil Waves. She is shooting our wedding in May and we had an engagement shoot with her last year. Her work is beautiful and she made me feel very at ease in front of the camera when I was nervous.

xx

Research a few photographers whose style of work you love, you may not know what sort of style you'd like so I'd definitely say to have a look around as you can have a traditional reportage type vs a documentary photographer or perhaps someone who offers both a mix of both posed and candid work. Look in depth at their photos and then I'd say to definitely arrange a meeting with them as you want to know you can click with them and feel relaxed with them - they're going to be with you the whole day after all!

Good Luck!

Most people find me via search engines. Search for photographers around the area where you are getting married and get a feel for the sort of style that you like. Shortlist a few photographers and meet with them and check that you get on with them, look through their work, see if you can "see" them there on your wedding day.

I hear that couples meet with three photographers on average before making a decision. I've so far met with one. With a second lined up. However, when I put the question out to my brides, most of them said that I was the only one they met-with and then booked me!

Obviously budget is a factor too, and I wrote a short guide here related to that. I hope you find it useful.

https://www.jeffsham.co.uk/2013/04/how-much-should-you-pay-for-a-wedding-photographer

I've put a guide to this on my site you can take a look at which should help.

http://www.onelittledaisy.co.uk/Wedding.pdf

cheers

Joe

Use common sense, build a short list, check out their websites, meet them in person, look at example wedding shoots then make your call !

Don't get into stereotypical thinking. A studio/shop/gallery is irrelevant to wedding photography so stay focused (see what I did there ?!!!) on what really matters ..... the images and the photographer !