Questions to Ask Your Photographer

During your selection process, you will need to know what questions to ask your potential photographers to best judge whether he or she is the right photographer for your wedding event. Below are some questions to ask your most potential photographers.

Will you be the photographer actually shooting our event?
Some larger studios have several photographers that they work with, and the one you are talking with might not necessarily be the one who will be at your wedding. If this is the case, (a) make sure that the portfolio you are looking at are works of the photographer who will show up at your wedding to take the pictures and (b) insist on meeting the person who will be and ask him/her the following questions.

Is ours the only wedding you’re shooting that day?
You want to make sure that your photographer will not be in a hurry to leave for his next wedding photography appointment or come late because the earlier appointment lasted longer than he anticipated. You want her to devote all her full attention to your wedding.

Do you bring assistants along?
You want to make sure how many photographers will be in your wedding and if their fees are included in the price.

How do you charge for your time? Will you be able to shoot the bride and groom in their prewedding preparation areas?
Find out if the photographer charges flat fee for the entire event or by the hour. If hourly, ask what additional fee will be charged for additional hours before or after the event if needed.

Would you describe your style as traditional, photo journalistic or both?
You want to make sure that he has the style you want for your wedding pictures. Look at his portfolio if he is truthful about his photographic style .

Do you shoot digitally or with film? What type of camera do you use?
This will give you a feeling of his experience and skill. We talked about the types of cameras in our previous post. If you miss “Finding the Right Wedding Photographer”, read it here .

Will you have backup cameras on hand? What happens if the photographer gets sick?
You want to make sure that your photographer is ready for unforeseen events and that you are assured someone will be covering for him in case he will not be able to make it due to illness. Make sure you found out about the backup photographer. You should also feel comfortable working with the backup photographer.

Do you charge extra for color correction and touch-up services?
Some photographer do not charge extra for these services, but some do.

Will you charge extra for travel expenses or is it listed in your package price?
You want to make sure that there are no “hidden” costs in the package price.

Have you worked at this (your) event locations before?
A photographer who is familiar with the location will know what lighting issues or restrictions he/she needs to work with. A professional and seasoned photographer who is not familiar with the location will check out the location beforehand.

Can we give you a list of people and specific photos to be taken?
Make sure the photographer is willing to accept a list of your must haves. link

Do you have package deals available? Are you willing to create a custom package base on our budget and preferences?
This is usually the less expensive way to go.

What attire will you and your assistant (if they have one) wear?
You want to make sure they will look professional!

How long after the event will the proofs be ready? Will our photos be available online?
This could vary from as short as 2 weeks to as long as over 6 months after the event.

Can we make our owns prints, or do we have to order through you? Will our photos be available online?
By law, photographers have the rights to their photographs and may not want to give up the negatives or digital full resolution files or they may charge extra for giving up their rights.

Photo courtesy of Richard Wood Photo of Napa, CA