Overwhelmed with options and don’t know how to vet through a ton of photographers?

Don’t know what questions to ask?

Or what you should be thinking about?

I gotchu. These are quite a few things for you to ask potential photographers so you can cut through the clutter and find someone you truly love that will capture your day in the perfect way YOU.

Tivoli Italian Villa San Diego Wedding Photographer — Tivoli Italian Villa Wedding Photography @parallel33photography

#1 Are You truly a Good Fit for each other

This is #1 because it should be the most important thing when hiring a photographer. It’s so much more than pretty pictures.

Yes — much more important than how much they charge, what their photos look like, how many reviews they have, who referred them, and how many awards or followers they have.

Photographers don’t usually just show up on your wedding day, take pics, and leave. There’s soooo much more interaction than that, and it could quite literally MAKE or BREAK your wedding. I’ll spare you the sad stories I’ve heard of people who hire a photographer cuz their work is good or they had good reviews, and then the couple end up hating their entire wedding because their photographer wasn’t the right fit. Every time they look at their photos, the day is tainted with bad memories. I do NOT want that for anyone on their wedding day.

Here’s the deal. It’s a relationship. And just like any relationship, there’s someone for everyone.

Lemme scream it from the rooftops: THERE IS SOMEONE FOR EVERYONE.

You’re gonna spend more time with them than your own spouse on your wedding day!

So don’t settle. Listen to your gut. Go with someone you literally are jumping up and down to hire, because that’s what you deserve! And you will NEVER regret spending more $ or whatever when you hire someone you truly vibe with.

Here’s how to see if they’re the right fit:

you are quite literally obsessed with their work and their style of shooting
you love how they describe themselves on their site
your consultation felt more like a coffee date with a friend than a business meeting
you tooooootally vibe with what they offer
you ask them the questions in this blog and it all comes back feeling really good
your gut is like “YASSS”
you even see yourself being friends with your photographer after the wedding
your fiancé(e) would be comfortable with them
they listen to you empathetically
do an engagement session with them. Was it a dream come true?
you love their editing and they are consistent with their editing
you trust & have confidence in them to take care of you and make decisions for you when you’re not there to make them (cuz this happens on wedding days!)

Screen Shot 2020-04-23 at 11.13.11 AM.png — SoCal Orange County Wedding @parallel33photography

#2 how hands on are they?

Every couple is different and everyone has different needs for how hands-on they want their photog to be. I mean this in a number of ways. Ask them how hands-on or hands-off they are in terms of:

Planning — how much do they help you with beyond just strictly taking pics?
Creating timelines — do they help you in this way or no?
Communication with your venue or other vendors — do they build a relationship with your team beforehand or do they just show up day of?
Communication with you — do they book and ditch you until the week of the wedding, or will they periodically check up on you and give you lots of guides, helpful tips, etc. as you’re planning? Do they respond within 72 hours?
How they guide your posing — do they literally give you no guidance so you can have 100% candids, do they pose every single thing to a T, or do they provide helpful prompts so you “know what to do with your hands” but still capture the candid, in-between moments?
How they interact with guests — do they ignore them and focus on you, or do they prefer to get to know your family/friends?
How they get your family together for photos — are they assertive and directive when needed or do they let you take the reins?

Constance + Gudni pt 2-45.jpg — Iceland Wedding Photographer @parallel33photography

#3 What’s their portfolio ACTUALLY made of — Real weddings vs. Styled Shoots

Many photographers nowadays hide behind a pretty instagram feed and a few great “hero” shots on their website. Just because they have taken a few good photos in the past does NOT mean they are good at capturing your entire wedding. Wedding photography is it’s own animal and isn’t for the weak.

This is something photographers try to keep hush hush. 🤫 So I’m spilling the beans for you… because I know SOOO many couples who hired the photographer with the best website/Instagram and the actual wedding photos turn out to be garbage!!! Why is that?

It’s because their website might be full of only styled shoots.

A styled shoot is basically a fake wedding that vendors put together to show off their creativity and create portfolio work. They’re great and serve a purpose (I do it too!), but they can be deceiving.

Because duh… anyone can make professional models, an insane background, a couture dress, and bougie props look fancy and perfect.

This is another reason to ask photographers for multiple full galleries. Ask them to send real weddings they primary shot at.

When people don’t have a bunch of full, beautiful galleries, it means they have only shot these fake weddings (professional models, unlimited budgets, no actual guests involved, no time restrictions, etc. not reality). and it could mean they have no idea how to direct people, shoot in ugly lighting, use flash, able to shoot in the dark, or handle the stress of a real wedding. Steer clear!!!

Real elopement at sunset cliffs in San Diego, CA

#4 What’s their portfolio ACTUALLY made of — Real weddings vs. second shot

On another note, when photographers are building up their portfolios, they often will second shoot at weddings for other photographers. Meaning they are the assistant photographer. Which is totally fine and everyone does it!!! But if you’re looking to hire an experienced professional, make sure the galleries they send you are not weddings they second shoot, because although it can be helpful for telling what style of editing they may have,

it doesn’t show their creative skills or ability to capture moments well. Because they might be just copying what the main photographer did.

If you don’t have a budget for an experienced photographer, you can hire someone new/beginner who may have second shot at a bunch of weddings but never primary. You should still consider the fact they likely don’t know what they’re doing. See below for more info on price averages so you know what I mean.

Screen Shot 2020-04-23 at 11.14.48 AM.png

#5 How do they shoot throughout the day?

Just because they are really good at taking pics of the bride(s) and groom(s) does NOT mean they’re gonna capture your whole wedding well (hence, look at the whole galleries).

During different parts of the wedding day, photographers have different ways of approaching taking pictures. You don’t need to be the expert in knowing what’s “right” or “wrong” here, but it’s always good to ask so you get a feel of how they shoot.

For example, I approach family photos in a very directive manner.

This is because most of my couples ask me to be really assertive with their families so we can get family pics done in a timely manner. It can be like herding cats! So I get people standing where they need to & not waste precious sunlight. I am the oldest of 7 siblings, I have 9 grandparents, and an overall huge fam, so I know what needs to be done to wrangle people when they’re not paying attention.

BUT on the contrary, when I’m taking pics during the reception, you better believe I’m dancing with your grandma and crying at the toasts with you.

During pics of you and your honey, bridal party, and groomsmen photos, I’ll be playing music, laughing along with you, and give you lots of candid prompts to get you feeling in love and bringing out the authenticity of your relationships. This is the time I want to be relaxed and full of joy and love. Cuz that’s why we’re here, right?!

#6 Posed vs. candid

Before you look at any photographers, ask yourself if you prefer more posed or more candid images.

The answer to this question should guide you to photographers you might vibe with.

Some photographers like to tell you exactly what to do with your hands, they place you in a certain position and focus on the overall look of the image so it looks like a dramatic, beautiful shot.

On the other hand, there are some documentary style photographers that want everything to be 100% genuine. Fully candid, no posing involved. This usually means you won’t get any direction at all and you may need to be open and willing to be comfy in front of the camera. They capture the in-between, super natural and candid moments that can’t be forced or duplicated.

Other photographers (including myself) are a mixture of both.

In terms of “posing,” I take a more natural approach. I like to call it “prompting,” because it’s not really posing at all. It’s more like “make a fart noise in her ear” and I’ll capture the in-between moments when you’re laughing together hysterically. It’s about facilitating natural moments of romance and fun so you two are paying more attention to each other in the moment than you are the camera.

My couples say they love my work because it’s candid & natural, and because I make the “awkward” couple comfy and looking like pro models.
They hate “overly-posed” pictures and want the ones where they’re laughing or kissing; feeling like truly themselves and their relationship is shining.

It’s all about what you know you need in front of the camera and what kind of look you’re wanting.

unposed candid natural wedding photography joshua tree socal wedding elopement photographer — “Unposed” candid prompting

#7 Do they charge hidden fees?

Ask them about their deposit — how much is it? Do they offer payment plans?

A normal thing is a 40 or 50% nonrefundable deposit when booked (plus a contract— see #8). After that, some photographers offer payment plans… but beware!!! Ask them if there’s an extra fee for payment plans (cuz there might be). There also might be a credit/debit card fee, so just ask!

Ask them if they charge for extra edited images or printing rights. The worst would be if you had your wedding and they made you pay more money to be able to print them on your own or if they didn’t deliver the amount of edited pics you thought you were getting.

Do they charge travel fees? How much? If you need to reschedule your date, do they charge a rescheduling fee? Just make sure you get all those things out of the way so you can come up with a final price number that won’t go up.

FYI, photographers rarely sell unedited or RAW images, so best not to even ask. We have many reasons why this is and I’ll spare you that explanation. But just know that’s not a thing or even an option. That’s why it might be important to you to find out how many photos they deliver (see #9).

#8 Are they actually a legal business?

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. I could write novels about all the times I’ve heard people hiring friendors (friend + vendors) or photographers who look like they have it all together and… don’t. And I’ll spare you the time to say those stories don’t turn out too good for the couple.

One thing that is suppppper important to ask of any vendor is are they licensed and do they have liability insurance. If they don’t, move on. Trust me, you don’t want to hire someone who isn’t doing things legally. Also, make sure they have a contract so you are on the same page and you’re protected in case something happens! Even more than that, but if they do something wrong, you might have to pay $$$ for it.

Simply ask them for a copy of their liability insurance listing your venue as additionally insured. You’ll likely be required to send it to the venue anyways!

#9 How many edited photos do they give you?

Most photographers can’t really come up with an exact promised answer… I’m here to tell you that’s okay and why. It all depends on the number of hours you book them, how much time in the day you actually allot to photography (meaning are people just sitting around or are there exciting or interesting things to cover every second?), and what style of photography they have.

In a nutshell, it’s hard to place a number on it. Because some photographers promise 1200+ images, but they all might be straight up crap. Or a photographer might promise 300 images, but every single one is gonna be a stunner. It all depends on whether you care more about quality or quantity.

But I can tell you what I do with my couples… If they hire me for 8 hours and it’s a normal wedding where things are happening all the time, then I usually promise my couples ~500 photos, but 99% of the time, I give them between 800-1200 images fully edited because I believe every photo should be of great quality, but I don’t want to withhold beautiful images from them that might matter a lot to them.

#10 PHOTO IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR MEMORIES

You've heard me say it and I’ll say it again.

When your wedding day is over, what remains?

The half eaten cake in your freezer, a dirty dress, wilted flowers, and your photos!!!

What will you remember in 10, 20, 60 years?

Not much, unless you have photos that take you back to those exact moments and send a rush of joy down your spine because you’re reliving the magic of the day.

You know what grows in value over time as your memories fade and your marriage grows?

Your photos!!!

Any good investment costs quite a bit of money. I won’t lie and say it’s not cheap. But you need to hire a qualified professional who knows what they’re doing. Someone you trust is going to do the best job. This is not something you should skimp or take a risk on. As time goes on, the photos will only go up in value, or down in value, if you don’t get a great photographer.

It’s not about finding 3 photographers you like and then picking the cheapest one.
Your memories are worth more than that.

Couples tell me if they could go back in time, they’d spend THOUSANDS more on photos and less on trivial stuff that doesn’t give back after their day is done. They’re PRICELESS.

I hope this blog was helpful, gave you lots of good questions to ask potential photographers, and reminded you of how important and critical it is to picking the right photographer and the best investment for your memories.