HOT TOPIC:Photography WHAT IS THE STYLE AND APPROACH OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER. Have a really good chat either on the phone or in person with your prospective photographer. Are they very relaxed and calming, are they controlling, do they take charge of the whole process or take direction from the bride and groom, are they flexible and adaptable should the weather not be favourable? You spend a large portion of your day with this person/people, having someone that you feel at ease with can make the whole experience so much easier. A good photographer will be mindful of the time, will have discussed a time sheet with you prior to the wedding day which you can relay back to your stylists to help the process run as efficiently as possible, and above all, be fun, charming and enjoyable to be around – this also makes for totally ‘real’ candid pictures! DO THEY HAVE A PARTICULAR ‘STYLE’ OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOW DO THEY PRESENT THE FINAL PICTURES IN TERMS OF THEIR PERSONAL STYLE. We live in a stylised and filtered world these days and whilst you might love the idea of having finished pictures that encompass this, just be mindful of trends. It’s not a bad thing, just something to be aware of so you always look back at your pictures with absolute adulation rather than an air of tiny regret. Most couples prefer the idea of having very natural reportage pictures and there’s a skill to people watching and being aware of a moment that could arise. Some pictures, although may look totally candid, can in fact be manipulated/set up without it being obvious. This is all done in such a way to create an emotional response, giving you captivating pictures. You also need to check if the photographer edits the pictures and if so, to what extent. Some people may have a desire for fully airbrushed magazine-style pictures however, these often come across as ‘obviously’ airbrushed. I’d suggest this is possibly not how you want them to look as you will know it’s not reality. That said, the skill of being able to tweak a picture through editing and enhancements in order to encompass the natural beauty, whilst not even being aware that it has been retouched is of great benefit. My suggestion to clients is to keep the album pictures as timeless as possible so you appreciate them just as much in years to come. WHAT’S INCLUDED IN PACKAGES, WHAT’S THE CHARGE, HOW LONG ARE YOU THERE FOR, HOW MANY PICTURES DO YOU TAKE ON THE DAY, IS THERE A LIMITATION OR DO YOU JUST KEEP SHOOTING AND SHOOTING, HOW MANY PICTURES ARE WE LIKELY TO RECEIVE AND HOW LONG BEFORE WE SEE AND RECEIVE THEM? THESE ARE ALL GOOD QUESTIONS TO ASK. One of the biggest questions of all (and normally the first question) is the price. It’s totally understandable that everyone has budgets they need to calculate and set in place and as such, would need to ascertain how much a supplier charges. Prices are of course, not always equal and whilst in general you would expect this to denote the skill level and years served within the industry, this is not always the case. I’d suggest enquiring with maybe two to three photographers of differing price levels so you can see what you are getting different for your money. You may strike gold with the first one you see and feel totally at ease with them, love their work and find the price to be within the level you felt you could justify. Whilst cheap doesn’t automatically mean substandard, there may be underlying reasons why a supplier is cheaper. Have they been in the industry for long, do they have a kit bag of equipment deemed There are many questions that could and should be asked or at least, to make yourself aware of. Some of these could really help make your choice a lot clearer and some are purely academic and will likely never be an issue but knowledge is always a powerful ally. When hiring a photographer, what key questions should we be asking? Photographer Jason Little says... 92
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