Your Photographer

Choosing Your Photographer

Congratulations on your engagement! Soon your big day will be here. So far, you have found each other, and most likely you have found the church, the reception hall, and the DJ or band. Now you need to find the photographer. Your photographer is said to be one of the most important professionals at your wedding. When the day is over and all gone, your photographs are all you have left to remind you of this very special, and probably the most important day in your life.

Make sure you get to know your photographer. Large Studios sometimes select from a pool of photographers whom you may never see until your wedding day. Your photographer’s style as well as his/her personality is very important. Is the photographer someone who will be relaxed and make you feel comfortable throughout the day? Remember that you will be spending all day with Your Photographer. Is the photographer someone you can tolerate all day?

How organized is the photographer? Make sure you discuss all of the events of your wedding day with your photographer. Does the photographer understand time management? Simple items like a checklist give an indication of how organized the photographer is. Organized photographers usually check out churches, reception sites and locations they are not familiar with before your wedding day. In addition, they will also attend the rehearsal. The purpose of attending the rehearsal is not just to be acquainted with the church, but to meet with the families and the wedding party as well.

Does the photographer carry back-up equipment? Make sure the photographer has not just a back-up camera, but extra flashes and batteries both for the cameras and flashes as well. In today’s Digital Age, make sure the photographer does not only have extra memory cards, but back-up storage devices as well.

Your photographer should be able to back-up all your digital photographs before leaving your wedding. With Digital Storage Media, you could lose all your photos if the Storage Media gets corrupt! Yes, this is true! Digital Memory Cards or Micro-drives can become defective!

Although there is software to recover lost image files, such software is not guaranteed to be one hundred percent efficient every time. Therefore, you may not always recover all your lost photographs.

Make sure your photographer carries extra Memory Cards, and some back-up storage medium like a Laptop, or a Digital Wallet. With a back-up storage medium, all your digital photographs will be backed up

Check with your photographer to make sure all your digital photographs are backed-up before he/she leaves your wedding.

Also, make sure that your photographer gives you a CD/DVD with the image files for all photos taken at your wedding. Today, some photographers will even put your wedding photos on the Internet

How will our Photographer react when things are not going too well? How will the interaction be with not just you, but also your family, your bridal party, your priest, your DJ/Band, your caterer and your video photographer? Wedding Photography involves not just photography but public relations as well.

Your wedding album should be a storybook record of events that happened on your wedding day. Your photographs should include a balance between formal (posed) photographs and candid photographs. The formals tell you who attended your wedding, whereas the candids speak for themselves: what happened at your wedding. When you look at the photographer’s portfolio, look at an entire wedding. This will tell you what the mixture of formals and candids is like. Will the photographer be willing to start at both the bride’s and groom’s house? A photographer who is prepared to start at any location you desire, and stay until the very end of your wedding will most likely capture all the events of this memorable day.

Remember, a good photograph is worth more than a million words. You will want to share your wedding photographs with not just your friends and present family members, but with your kids and grandkids as well.

Commitment

In a marriage the bride and groom are committed to each other.
On the wedding day, true professionals are committed not just to the bride and groom, but to their families and their guests as well.

As your wedding photographer," my personal commitment will ensure that your special day goes by as smoothly as possible."
I enjoy attend rehearsals. This is a great opportunity to meet the parents, the entire bridal party, and the Priest, (Pastor, Rabbi, Marriage Officer, etc.) as well.

I always carry back-up equipment. Every effort is made on my part to work with the other professionals and your guests as well.
To show the extent of my commitment, I will even stay to the end of your wedding.

Remember, "I am committed".

Maurice Mason,
Your Photographer.