Choosing the Right Photographer
This blog has been all about my own images and clients, sharing behind the scenes of what I do and photoshoots that I do. But I'm so excited to also make it a space filled with resources for you, whether you are planning your wedding, prepping for your first family shoot, or just want to become more informed about what goes into giving you the best photos possible.
With that in mind, choosing the right photographer.
It's a daunting task, especially if you aren't me and therefore don't follow a billion photographers on instagram. Or even if you do, there's a ton of photographers out there and it's a challenge to find just one to capture your wedding perfectly.
It is so important to choose the right photographer. They are going to be the one person with you during the wedding, from those nervous getting ready moments, to the intimate first look and teary eyed ceremony, and all the happy and quiet and joyous moments in between.
It's just as much about personality/shooting style as type of work. I always encourage my clients to meet with me, either through a coffee date consultation, engagement shoot, or skype or phone call, depending on where in the world they are.
For me, I love to be in the background as much as possible. I'm a naturally quiet person and use that to my advantage to hide in the corners and shadows and capture the funny, special, and quiet moments. It also puts people who are afraid of the camera at ease because they won't notice me making candid shots during the event. It's the biggest compliment to me when someone comes up and says, "I didn't even see you during the ceremony!" I do my best to be sneaky so that guests aren't disturbed. At the same time, I'm not afraid to get the shot. I move people quickly through group portraits, and I help my couple if they don't know how to pose.
I also love the candid photos, so while I will direct some posed shots, I will mostly encourage my couples to just be themselves and enjoy their time together. My shooting style is more documentary, but with an editorial finish (ie. I shoot documentary, but it looks more editorial. That comes from my style of editing and processing the images.)
And obviously the type of work is important in choosing a photographer. Their tones, composition, and lighting styles are important to consider. Do they like more blue and yellow tones in their photos? Do they shoot dark or light? Are they a natural light photographer or use equipment? Each photographer will look at a scene and interpret it differently.
For example, this summer I second shot a wedding with Eden Willow Photography. Their photo is on the left, mine is on the right.
Their style is light, with slightly more yellow tones. Mine is darker, with more pink tones.
Here's another example, from a styled elopement shoot I did last summer with Grace Adams Photography. Here's her photo:
And here's mine:
That's just two examples of the different ways photographers can approach a scene. There's so much to consider when picking your wedding photographer. But above all else, you should feel confident that they will capture your day in a real and true way, to the best of their abilities, and with love.