Most of the time you have had years to choose your other half, but you have little time to choose your photographer. This is your first time getting married and you have no experience with marriage let alone wedding photography. A mountain of questions must come to you in time: How to choose it? How much does a photographer cost ? What style of photo do I want? So many questions that I will try to answer in this article.
HOW TO FIND A PHOTOGRAPHER?
The Internet is full of sites specializing in marriage, whether they are blogs, directories or articles. But not all photographers appear on blogs or magazines because it is not their communication tool.
So, to look for a photographer, I advise you to specify the type of photographers such as Melbourne Wedding Photographer. followed by the region in which you live such as "Sydney" or the region in which you live, takes place the marriage 3.
This will allow you to reduce the choice geographically as there is no need to hire a photographer in Sydney if your wedding is taking place in Melbourne. It will cost you more in travel, accommodation etc. And there is the possibility that the latter could not reach its destination because of a train sandstone at the last minute. It would be stupid.
WHAT STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHER TO CHOOSE?
It all depends on you, your taste and your theme. If you are doing a bohemian or country wedding, choose photographers who have this type of color panel. If your wedding is rather modern, choose photographers who take this type of photo. It would be a shame to have a photographer with a fine art style if your wedding is not in that style at all. When it comes to style, the choice is yours, but make the right choice!
HOW MUCH DOES A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER COST?
There, we fall into a whole debate. There is something for all prices, all statuses and all qualities.
You will therefore find photographers whose price fluctuates between 300 to 5000 dollars and more, it is normal, there is something for all budgets.
A word of advice, don't take the cheaper photographer who doesn't have a business and who does this every now and then on weekends, it's the best way to have failed photos.
Also, let's not talk about taking a friend's uncle or friend, because he'll give you back pictures that you won't like.
Being a wedding photographer is a special job. Wedding photographers have years of technical photo acquisition, the appropriate professional equipment (with a back-up camera, for example, etc.) and know all the techniques to take great photos.
So do not hesitate to extend the budget a little to take a quality photographer.
BUT HOW MUCH SHOULD PAY?
The average price of a photographer for a photographic coverage from noon to midnight is around 1500 dollars.
Keep in mind that this price is not for one day, it includes on the surface:
- The pre-wedding meeting
- The preparation
- The cover on the big day
- The post-production
- The delivery of the photos
But behind there is also:
- Tax and social charges (between 25 and 50%)
- VAT. (depending on the status)
- The cost of your equipment
- The various insurances such as RC Pro, Breakage / theft insurance
- His personal training
- The website
- The communication
- Marketing
- Accountant etc.
The list is very long. When we put the 1500 dollars in relation to all this, needless to say that the net profit is immediately very small.
DON'T OVERLOOK WEDDING PHOTOS
Know that wedding photos are all you have left of this year or years of preparation, all that you have invested in time and money. I would say that in the scheme of things, you have to choose the room, the caterer and then the photographer. Don't make the mistake of choosing the photographer last.
A tip, take a photographer in relation to the overall cost of your wedding, namely, at least 10%.
HOW MANY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS DO I NEED TO MEET?
After selecting about 5 photographers, contact them to find out their availability. Often, photographers are booked at least 1 year in advance. Then, make an appointment with around 3 photographers. You don't need to waste your time meeting more photographer if you've already scoured their website.
IS THE FEELING WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF YOUR WEDDING GOING WELL?
Besides the fact that he will immortalize your wedding, he will be constantly next to you, your family and your guests. It's always better to have someone nice by your side for one of the happiest days of your life. If you don't feel comfortable during the meeting, maybe consider changing your photographer.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER DURING YOUR APPOINTMENT
In a date, I advise you to ask some essential questions such as:
- DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN MARRIAGE?
It goes without saying that a photographer who does 15 weddings a year will be more comfortable covering your wedding than a culinary photographer who does a wedding occasionally.
HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME?
Do not hesitate to verify that your photographer has a business on sites such as société.com. This will save you a lot of inconvenience like a photographer who crashes you the day before your wedding or a photographer who has stopped his activity for lack of clients.
Know that 60% of wedding photographer close their business after 1 year? The more senior the photographer, the less likely he is to abandon you a few weeks earlier.
HOW MANY PHOTOS DO YOU DELIVER AND IN WHAT FORMAT?
Know from the appointment how many photos he will give you and in what format. Often the price will match this factor. Some deliver 100 photos in an album without a digital file, others deliver 800 digital photos with an online gallery for guests. Check this on the photographer's website, most of the time it is stated.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU CAN'T?
We must always plan for the worst and overcome any eventuality: illness, broken leg or other. Normally, your photographer should have a network of other photographers in case of impediment.
WHAT IS THE DURATION OF YOUR PRESENCE?
Most of the time, photographers work in the form of a package: 8am day pass (from 12pm to 8pm) and Evening pass (8pm to midnight). Outside of these hours, overtime generally applies. Know how to ask your photographer when he will be present, this will avoid unpleasant surprises.
HOW TO MAKE THE RESERVATION?
A photographer worthy of the name will establish a two-part contract that binds you to the conditions mentioned during the meeting. Without a contract, you have no assurance that your photographer will be present and you will not be able to turn against him in the event of a dispute. Always demand a contract or a written record.
CONCLUSION
Here we have the main questions to ask yourself to choose your wedding photographer. Of course you can ask him more ancillary questions like: "Do you work with flash", "Do you shoot in Raw or in JPEG", but the main thing is to have a photographer who corresponds to you in terms of style, budget and feel comfortable with it.
And yes a piece of advice, once you have chosen it, show it your confidence, your desire for it to be present. You can also pamper him during the wedding by offering him a coffee in the morning for example or by planning a table with the guests, these will be so many details that will allow him to feel considered. He will then take greater care to make you beautiful memories when shooting on D-Day but also when it is time to do post-production on your photos.