1. How experienced is the photographer?
“You don’t know the power of experience until you have experience”

A seasoned photographer:

• Knows all the key moments in a wedding is vital, to ensure no shots are missed
• Makes sure everything happens on time and there are no surprises
• Is able to help with the timeline to make sure the wedding day is fun and all shots are made
• Understands how to get amazing photos under any lighting condition
• Can provide a variety of albums, enlargements, parent books, etc… But it really doesn’t matter what you get if the images aren’t amazing. The most important factor when hiring a photographer is the skill of that photographer

You can have two very similar portfolios between photographers. The difference between a really solid pro versus an amateur is that the pro can get amazing images every single time. Not one great shot every few weddings. Education and experience are key components.

2. How experienced is the company?
“The longer a successful company has been in business, the more insurance you have “

• Even if you get amazing pictures, promises need to be met to ensure a great experience. For example. all images delivered on time. Albums delivered on time
• There needs to be a good backup system to ensure no images are ever lost
• There needs to be a backup photographer ready to go in case of an emergency
• Ability to help with your timeline, to make sure your photography wants are met
• There are no money surprises

3. Is there a solid second photographer?
“To be creative you need an equally qualified second photographer”

• Speaking as a photographer, the slower that you can shoot, the better the results. You can take time to frame your photograph to add interest, use the proper lens, have a good exposure and light. Of course, a wedding is very fast paced. So having a second photographer to cover the must-have pictures means that the first shooter can take a little more time. The end result is that the better the second shooter, the more creative the images will be
• A qualified second shooter creates less distraction, because you don’t have one photographer running around to get all of the needed shots

4. Do I get to keep my images?
“If you have your full resolution finished image files you can do anything”

• When you have your files, you can print images whenever you please
• You can email, Facebook, make slide shows, etc without continuing to pay every time you want to do something
• If the company were to ever go out of business, you would have your images
• It saves you a lot of money being able to print images yourself, or at least to have that option

5. How established is the photographer within the industry?
“If other vendors love the photography company, across the board, you know you are in good hands”

• The personal approach that the photographer takes with other professionals is a good indication of how they will treat you
• An established photographer will have comfort in almost any setting, and know how to photograph your venue from experience
• The better connected the photographer, the better their recommendations will be in your search for vendors