Interviewing potential wedding photographers can be a daunting task, regardless of your interest in hiring the SophterLight Wedding Photography Team or another studio. To help you understand wedding photography and what is important when considering photo vendors we have created this list of questions to help you get started in finding the perfect photographer for you on your wedding day.
1. What is your primary style?
This is perhaps, the most fundamental question and should be high on your priority list as it establishes a if your expectations can and will be met by a particular photographer. Obviously if you expect high art photography and you align with a traditional photographer your apt to be disappointed in the results. The more you understand and articulate your desired results the better your ability to vet your photographer effectively. SophterLight Wedding Photography is a fusion of styles: we primarily practice a photojournalistic approach with elements of fashion and artistic styling to provide a diverse yet synergistic visual diary of your day.
If you are seeking photojournalism, make sure you read our section titled “What are Wedding Photojournalists” in order to ensure you are actually getting a photographer that specializes in this area.
This is perhaps, the most fundamental question and should be high on your priority list as it establishes a if your expectations can and will be met by a particular photographer. Obviously if you expect high art photography and you align with a traditional photographer your apt to be disappointed in the results. The more you understand and articulate your desired results the better your ability to vet your photographer effectively. SophterLight Wedding Photography is a fusion of styles: we primarily practice a photojournalistic approach with elements of fashion and artistic styling to provide a diverse yet synergistic visual diary of your day.
If you are seeking photojournalism, make sure you read our section titled “What are Wedding Photojournalists” in order to ensure you are actually getting a photographer that specializes in this area.
2. How many weddings have you shot, and have you shot ones similar to mine?
This is a good question to understand how much experience your photographer has in general. Years can be somewhat misleading as a barometer for experience since some wedding photographers may work part time, and only shoot a few weddings a year. They may they have five years of experience, but in that time they may have only booked ten weddings each year.
This is a good question to understand how much experience your photographer has in general. Years can be somewhat misleading as a barometer for experience since some wedding photographers may work part time, and only shoot a few weddings a year. They may they have five years of experience, but in that time they may have only booked ten weddings each year.
3. How many other events will you photograph the weekend of our event?
Larger studios with multiple master photographers such as SophterLightWedding Photography will often double book dates since we have the resources. in contrast, smaller studios may plan multiple weddings on a weekend with limited resources. Imagine a single wedding photographer shooting two or three weddings on a single weekend. The attention to detail and client service would suffer. Our Photographers never shoot more than one event per day, thus providing a keen focus on you.
4. Do you require a contract and are the services to be provided clearly outlined?
Many studios don’t create contracts for their wedding photography clients. You should require a contract from your photographer that details what services they will be provided, pricing, termination resolution terms, etc. A contract is created for your protection, and for the wedding photographer’s protection. It is best to hire a photographer that will create a contract with you, and be wary of photographers that “don’t typically create contracts for clients.”
5. What happens if the photographer is ill or can't make the date due to unforeseen issues?
While it is unlikely that the photographer happens to get ill on your wedding day, there is still a chance. It is crucial that the photography studio does something to take care of the situation in case of these situations. SophterLightWedding Photography has three exceptionally skilled photographers that will take over in case someone is ill or other unforeseen circumstances arise.
6. Do you have insurance?
Professional wedding photographers should have the proper insurance for their business. Insurance protects the photographer against equipment theft, but more importantly it provides liability protection too. If a wedding photographer does not have insurance, it should raise a red flag.
SophterLightWedding Photography carries general business, equipment and liability insurance.
7. Does the package I am interested in include an assistant?
If your wedding has 50 or more guests, you should step up to a package that has an assistant photographer. There are many moments when a single photographer cannot possibly cover the event effectively alone. There is no way to capture the first kiss, and at the same time, turn around and get the tear in your mother’s eye.
8. Does your studio allow me to choose a certain style of post production?
Another factor to consider in your final imaging is the style of post production that the studio employs. If you are unclear about post production and what it means please don't hesitate to ask. Be extremely careful, as many studios don’t post produce your images; instead they may offer you unfinished straight-from-the-camera files. In this situation, you may be saving a buck, but it is quite a project to articulate a final product you're simply not receiving a finished and professional product.
SophterLightWedding Photography offers a Post Production Catalog. While we specialize in minimalist post production techniques, we allow each and every client to select which styles of post production they like.
9. Will you color correct my images?
Color correction is the most basic post production that should be done to every single image.
SophterLightWedding Photography color corrects every single image from your wedding in order to make sure each and every image is a professional quality product.
10. What kind of equipment do you use? Do you have backups?
Our studio uses top quality camera bodies (5D Mark iii) along with the finest quality "L" series lenses from canon. Click here to see exactly what’s in our Photography Toolbox. Make sure your photographer has at least the following items along with backups. If they don't have redundant equipment you could end up with half of your weddings images lost due to a camera or lens break or malfunction.
We have prepared a list of must have equipment that we believe a professional wedding photographer should have. This is a bare minimum list, so be EXTREMELY wary of any wedding photographer that doesn’t have these items.
Primary camera body
Secondary camera body
Lenses (these are must have lenses)
On camera lighting
Off-camera lighting (for large dance floor type scenes)
More>>
Larger studios with multiple master photographers such as SophterLightWedding Photography will often double book dates since we have the resources. in contrast, smaller studios may plan multiple weddings on a weekend with limited resources. Imagine a single wedding photographer shooting two or three weddings on a single weekend. The attention to detail and client service would suffer. Our Photographers never shoot more than one event per day, thus providing a keen focus on you.
4. Do you require a contract and are the services to be provided clearly outlined?
Many studios don’t create contracts for their wedding photography clients. You should require a contract from your photographer that details what services they will be provided, pricing, termination resolution terms, etc. A contract is created for your protection, and for the wedding photographer’s protection. It is best to hire a photographer that will create a contract with you, and be wary of photographers that “don’t typically create contracts for clients.”
5. What happens if the photographer is ill or can't make the date due to unforeseen issues?
While it is unlikely that the photographer happens to get ill on your wedding day, there is still a chance. It is crucial that the photography studio does something to take care of the situation in case of these situations. SophterLightWedding Photography has three exceptionally skilled photographers that will take over in case someone is ill or other unforeseen circumstances arise.
6. Do you have insurance?
Professional wedding photographers should have the proper insurance for their business. Insurance protects the photographer against equipment theft, but more importantly it provides liability protection too. If a wedding photographer does not have insurance, it should raise a red flag.
SophterLightWedding Photography carries general business, equipment and liability insurance.
7. Does the package I am interested in include an assistant?
If your wedding has 50 or more guests, you should step up to a package that has an assistant photographer. There are many moments when a single photographer cannot possibly cover the event effectively alone. There is no way to capture the first kiss, and at the same time, turn around and get the tear in your mother’s eye.
8. Does your studio allow me to choose a certain style of post production?
Another factor to consider in your final imaging is the style of post production that the studio employs. If you are unclear about post production and what it means please don't hesitate to ask. Be extremely careful, as many studios don’t post produce your images; instead they may offer you unfinished straight-from-the-camera files. In this situation, you may be saving a buck, but it is quite a project to articulate a final product you're simply not receiving a finished and professional product.
SophterLightWedding Photography offers a Post Production Catalog. While we specialize in minimalist post production techniques, we allow each and every client to select which styles of post production they like.
9. Will you color correct my images?
Color correction is the most basic post production that should be done to every single image.
SophterLightWedding Photography color corrects every single image from your wedding in order to make sure each and every image is a professional quality product.
10. What kind of equipment do you use? Do you have backups?
Our studio uses top quality camera bodies (5D Mark iii) along with the finest quality "L" series lenses from canon. Click here to see exactly what’s in our Photography Toolbox. Make sure your photographer has at least the following items along with backups. If they don't have redundant equipment you could end up with half of your weddings images lost due to a camera or lens break or malfunction.
We have prepared a list of must have equipment that we believe a professional wedding photographer should have. This is a bare minimum list, so be EXTREMELY wary of any wedding photographer that doesn’t have these items.
Primary camera body
- Lowest Level Professional Body – Canon 40D or Nikon D300
- Highest Level Professional Body – Canon 5D Mark II or Nikon D3
Secondary camera body
- At least a Canon 40D or Nikon D300
Lenses (these are must have lenses)
- Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS USM (or Nikon equivalent)
- Canon 24-70mm F/2.8 L USM (or Nikon equivalent)
On camera lighting
- Canon Speedlite 580EX II (or Nikon equivalent)
Off-camera lighting (for large dance floor type scenes)
- Canon Speedlite 580EX II (or Nikon equivalent) w/ Pocket Wizard Trigger
- Full studio flash w/ Pocket Wizard Trigger (or equivalent)
More>>
