Questions to ask your potential wedding photographer

If you just got engaged, this whole wedding process is very new to you. You say, "What do I really need to know about my wedding photographer before hiring them?" Well, we've come up with a list of frequently asked questions that we don't mind answering at meetings and suggest that you ask your wedding photographer as well! Besides the obvious questions about their packages and contract, here are some good ones to ask and some of the reasoning behind it!

Photography Style:

·         Do you take the traditional family portraits? 

Lighting:

·         Are you solely a natural light photographer that uses available light or do you bring supplemental lighting for indoor locations?
Weddings often have very dim ceremonies or reception areas that require specific equipment to adequately photograph the event. Make sure your photographer has the equipment necessary for every type of lighting scenario. If the photographer is only using natural light and does not bring flashes, make sure they have the cameras and lenses to shoot in low light situations. 

·         Do you have lenses that can shoot at an aperture of F2.8 or lower?
This is a very basic photography question that should be answered with a YES. This insures that your photographer has adequate lenses to shoot in low light.

Liability:

·         Do you have a business license?
This shows that they are serious about photography and honest with their business.

 

·         Do you have liability insurance?
This is important because if one of your guests were to trip over a light stand or any photography equipment, your photographer should be covered so your guests aren’t stuck with the bill.  

·         Is your equipment insured? Are you a part of any professional organizations that offers liability coverage?

If any of your photographer’s equipment is damaged or stolen before your wedding, it can be quickly replaced through insurance and other professional organizations like Canon Professional Services, Professional Photographers of America, etc.  

·         How are the images handled after the wedding?

Is there an off-site backup of the images and are there redundant copies of the images on separate hard drives? Data backup is very important!

·         What happens if you get sick the night before our wedding, will you find a replacement or would you just cancel?
Being a part of a local professional photography network allows photographers to find a replacement with the same professional knowledge and artistic capability.  

·         Do you bring backup gear?
(extra camera bodies, memory cards, batteries, lenses, etc. )

Prints, Products & Albums:

·         Do you offer specialty print items like canvas gallery wraps and custom albums? If so, could I please have your price list?

·         Do you choose the photos to design my wedding album or do I?

Miscellaneous: 

·         Is photography your full time job? How many events do you shoot per year?

·         How far in advance do you book your dates for photography?

·         What are your professional credentials?

·         How long do you keep the photos after the wedding?

·         What will you be wearing to our wedding?

·         Can I see a wedding you’ve shot from start to finish?
Of course photographers are going to put the best of the best online and in albums, but you want to make sure you like all of the photos in between, too.

Pricing:

·         Besides the package price plus tax, is there a travel fee or any other hidden fees?

·         How much extra is it to bring a second shooter? 

·         Is your photography coverage an hourly rate? How much do you charge for additional hours? 

·         What happens if my reception activities go 15 minutes later than planned? Would you bill me for 1/4 of an hour?

·         Once we give our deposit and choose a wedding collection, can we still add things later?

{This post simply contains my own thoughts, ideas, and insights. Each photographer is different, and everyone goes about photography differently. This blog's content is copyright of Memory Montage Photography. Please do not copy or republish this text without written permission to do so. If you would like to share this post, please include a link directly to our blog's URL. Thank you!} 

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