What To Ask Your Wedding Photographer | Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

PITTSBURGH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

WHAT TO ASK YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Okay, so chances are you are quickly researching your favorite vendors shortly after that ring is on that pretty finger of yours.  It’s super exciting but SUUUUUUPER overwhelming.  I mean, there are SO many vendors to choose from.  So where do you start and what do you ask?

We are going to talk about photographers here, well, for obvious reasons 😉  Your photographer is going to follow you around the ENTIRE day and will be with you until the end.  And when I say until the end – I don’t just mean the day of.  Your photographs are the ONLY tangible item that you have left after the day is over.  You ate all the cake, drank all the wine, danced to all of the songs, and the dress is now hung.  You long to re-live that that day again.  How do you do it?  Photographs.  So I mean it when I say it – your photographer is with you FOR-EV-ERRRR.  So choose wisely.

Okay – sorry.  Didn’t mean to get all heavy there but the pressure is on to find YOUR photographer.  I spoke a while back about NOT BEING A GOOD FIT.  What photographer talks about not being a good fit with a client?  You might be thinking – doesn’t she want to book every wedding?!  Well, no.  Your wedding, whether I am photographing it or not, is super important to me and so you really need to be connecting with your photographer of choice and you should be wanting the same things for the day.  If you don’t feel a connection with him or her, or they aren’t going to photograph the day the way that YOU feel comfortable with, well, then move on.  There’s a ton of us here and I promise you, you’ll find your fit.

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

So to get to the dang point of this here – what questions should you be asking your photographer?  You can go on websites like The Knot, Wedding Wire, even Pinterest to get a list of questions.  You’ll have questions like:  What kind of camera do you use?  Do you bring extra batteries?  Snooooooze fest!  Okay, yes, you obviously want your photographer to bring extra batteries and extra equipment, but if you don’t know what a Nikon d750 is, then why are you asking about it?!  I once joked when asked that question and said I bring my Iphone with me.  Thankfully, they enjoyed the corny response and booked me.  Oh come on, we need to have some fun here!!

So here they are.  Here are my top three questions to ask your photographer to ensure you are booking with someone you can connect with;

WHAT IS YOUR EDITING  STYLE?

I love dark and moody photos.  I love those artistic edits.  Do you see them anywhere on my site?  No.  I love light, I love clean and classic photos.  I want to love my photos today and love them 20 years from now.  Will the editing still be relevant and will you still love it for  years to come?  There are all different styles of editing and they are all beautifully different.  Ask yourself that.  If you really feel like that dark and moody editing will still look great on your walls in 20 years, then GO FOR IT!  If you prefer clean and classic, then go that route.  My advice is to make sure also that the editing is consistent.  A wedding gallery should flow.  I personally don’t mix editing.  I’m all clean classic color, and clean classic black and white.  The only hazy images you will find is if we were blessed with a gorgeous sunset that day.

HOW WILL YOU PHOTOGRAPH MY DAY?

You will want to find out if your photographer will follow you around, quiet in the background, documenting the moments as they happen or if your photographer will create scenes and scenarios.  Will your photographer direct your shots all day long or will he or she take action in the background? What will your portrait time look like? You will want to decide if you want your portraits to be super posed or really natural and laid back.  The way your wedding day is documented will tell the story of the day and will showcase your love and personalities together. You will want to be sure that your photographer will compliment what you envision for the day.  Let me repeat …. what YOU envision for your day.

WHY DO YOU LOVE WEDDINGS / WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY?

Do you want someone that is all business or someone that is purely in love with weddings?  There are wedding photography studios that will send out a photographer for the day, will document and send off your images and never look at them again.  You also have self-owned photographers (such as myself), who pour their heart and soul into your wedding day and cannot wait to share the images with you.  Ask your photographer what they love about weddings.  What made them get into wedding photography? Is there a story there?  Does that story resonate with you and is it something that you connect with?

CAN YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?

After asking these questions (and maybe others if you wish), there is ONE more important question that you must ask.  This question is not for your photographer, it is for YOU. You must ask yourself this very simple, but very critical question:  Do YOU like him/her?  Do you like his/her personality and is it similar to yours?  Do you like someone who is all business or do you like someone who can literally blend in with you and your bridal party and have a blast?  This goes back to what I mentioned in the beginning of this article. Your photographer will not only be with you for the entire wedding day, but also for years to come, each time you pick up your wedding album.  So once again, choose wisely.

Did you like what you read in this article and want to learn more?  Contact me below or reach out to AmandaBriscoPhotography@gmail.com and let’s talk more about your wedding day!