How to choose a photographer: Industry insiders share tips
A photographer has the power to capture your day, freezing memories in time. The responsibility is real for these pros! Choosing the right one comes down to connection, communication and consideration of style. Let’s make this decision easier for you with the advice from industry experts…..
“The journey to find the perfect wedding photographer begins with establishing a connection. It is essential to select someone whose artistic vision aligns with yours and whose presence brings comfort and joy to your day.”
Bernadetta Kupiec
Photo: Lewis Membery
“Make sure you connect with the person you will be choosing, not only with their work but also with their personality. La Lista carefully handpicks their photographers so you definitely don’t have to worry about the quality of your images. However you don’t want just pretty pictures, you want pictures that bring back all the feelings of the day.”
Josephine Elvis
How to figure out what style of photography is for you?
I think a lot of the time it is instinctive. The photography style couples go for often matches their personal style, approach to their wedding planning and overall aesthetic. However this doesn’t mean you should make this decision on a whim!
Think about how you want your wedding photos to look and feel. Do you want them to be more editorial and stylised, more fun and candid, or more glamorous and cinematic?
What kind of editing style do you like; bright and warm, natural and timeless or more dark and moody? Each photographer has their own editing style, so make sure you consider the tones and textures of their work as well as what they are actually capturing.
Beth Butler, La Lista’s ‘photographer guru’
“A gallery full of happy and meaningful imagery will only come from a photographer that has taken the time to get to know you and your family.”
Lewis Membery
Photo: Olly Knight
“It is always a great idea to check through a photographer’s full galleries as opposed to just the highlights on their Instagram page. Is their style and editing consistent and do they deliver a full gallery to the standard you’d expect?”
Beth Butler
Your fav style and photographer on the La Lista Directory?
There are so many amazing photographers on our directory (go and see for yourself) so it is extremely tricky to pick a fave. I am loving the more editorial and timeless photography styles at the moment. There are two Italy-based photographers I am fan-girling right now who have recently joined La Lista; Samantha Riveccio and Irina Eller.
Beth Butler
Samantha is an Italian photographer destined to make waves. Her work is romantic and nostalgic with an editorial twist thanks to her background in fashion. Samantha shoots on film (as well as digital) which adds even more depth and texture to the memories she captures.
Irina has a contemporary fine art style with an editorial edge. I love the clean look of her images and her timeless and natural editing style.
“Do you want something that is stylish and “in” right now, or something that will last the test of time and be timeless. Make sure you know the style you want, but also make sure the photographer knows. If there isn’t communication then you may be disappointed with the outcome.”
Lewis Membery
Favourite photography moment?
I love the confetti shot. It’s just an absolute classic - the photo you will likely have framed and up on the wall at home. All of those ceremony nerves have dissolved, you’re now officially married (!!) and you’ll soon have a glass of something cold in your hand. The confetti shot really captures the joy of the happy couple and the love of everyone around them.
Beth Butler
Photo: Alex Wysocki
“Do not FOLLOW TRENDS. It’s not big news that right now editorial/vintage is a vibe, but it’s not mandatory that you should hire a photographer with that style just because it’s trending on Pinterest. Try to find what catches your eye, do you prefer more colorful pictures or maybe more dramatic colors? ”
Samantha Rivieccio
5 Steps to choosing a photographer
1) Recommendations.
2) Research online. Some photographers will only show a handful of images or some images might have been taken in artificial settings (like a styled shoot) so you want to see several real destination weddings that they've worked at. Imagine how they'd shoot your wedding.
3) Style. Trends do come and go though so ask yourself if you'd be happy with your wedding images in 5-10 years time. I prefer to capture the genuine moments between people at weddings and not set anything up.
4) Connection. Do you click? Do you like them as a person? You'll be spending a lot of time around your photographer on the biggest day of your life.
5) The Offer. Do they cover the whole day or part of the day? Would they be willing to capture the arrival party or the pool party the day after the wedding? Do they create a wedding album or are the images digital download only? How long will you wait for the images to come through after the wedding?
Olly Knight
“If you’re planning a wedding after sunset/ indoors with no natural light, you would want to know that the photographer has experience with night shots.”
Charlotte and The Weddings
Photo: Antonia Katerina
Be wary of photographers that haven't shot weddings abroad and are looking to expand their portfolio by offering a really discounted rate. Experience of overseas weddings is really key with all the travel involved.
Olly Knight
The Questions to Ask
Ask to see an example of the agreement after your first meeting before proceeding.
Do they bring back-up equipment?
What do they do to make sure the pictures are as safe as can be until delivery?
Do they have public liability insurance?
What does the photographer need from you to make the work as easy as possible, so that they can deliver the best pictures?
What excites them about shooting your wedding? Is it the fact that it is intimate and they love smaller weddings? Is it that the party is your main focus and they absolutely love capturing party shots? Is it that this particular venue is meaningful to them?
What do they do outside of photography - build a connection.
Make sure they have solid experience traveling for work.
How long have they been a wedding photographer?
You might request to browse complete galleries of recent weddings.
Understand their familiarity with your venue - its spaces, lighting and ambiance can be essential.
Delve into their stylistic approach, workflow, and whether they are shooting both digital and film.
Check if they can customize the package for you, the length of coverage and extra costs that might arise, such as for additional coverage or travel.
Do they cover the whole day or part of the day? Would they be willing to capture the arrival party or the pool party the day after the wedding?
Do they create a wedding album or are the images digital download only? How long will you wait for the images to come through after the wedding?
