Top 5 factors when choosing a wedding photographer

A wedding is a responsible and exciting event for many people, and it is necessary to approach its organization wisely. It is important to choose a good photographer, whose skills would be enough to capture such joyful moments at their best.

The city of Calgary often hosts weddings, which is not surprising. There are several reasons for this:

  1. The city itself is very modern – In the center it is almost entirely studded with high-rise buildings and skyscrapers. That will appeal to the couples who like everything be modern and advanced. Honeymooners are sure to find a cozy place to celebrate this joyous occasion as they want to.
  2. Calgary represents itself as a large, multinational city with the huge flavor of Western culture. Weddings are treated in a very special way by the locals here, thanks to the traditions that are especially revered here.

Now we would like to talk about the most important factors when choosing a wedding photographer in Calgary – what is important to look out for and what is not so. Let’s go!

Experience

When choosing a photographer for a wedding photo session, always pay attention to his professional experience – the longer seniority, the better. Portfolio is also very important. An experienced photographer is ready to face any kind of unexpected and unpleasant situations – he will turn them in his favor just fine.  

Image courtesy Pexels

We should not forget that a photographer, after all, is a very creative profession. So, any creator needs the right atmosphere and environment to work in. In some topics they just will not be able to cope and realize their full potential. This also applies to photographers – the person hired for a photo shoot can be great at taking pictures of landscapes, but extremely bad at taking people shoots. The specialization should always be accounted when choosing.

Cost

The price is of course a very subjective thing, but nevertheless it is necessary and important to keep an eye on it. When choosing a photographer, the person should be guided by the average price on this very service in their local region. However, it is rather a bad idea to hire cheap photographers. Instead of beautiful, desirable photos, you may end up with mediocre or even bad ones. Expensive and elite photographers advised to be invited – they are (generally) reliable enough, but it is still needed to be on guard when working with them.

Face-to-face experience

Before you sign a contract with a photographer, it will be good to get acquainted with him. During a personal meeting, you can discuss with the photographer many points and nuances that bother you. Personal meeting can also help the photographer himself – he will be able to catch some vibes of this very couple, thus creating ideal images in his head for the upcoming photo session.

wedding photographer takes pictures of bride and groom in city.
Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.

In practice, meetings with the photographer before the beginning of photo session are quite common. Often the photographer himself initiates a real-life conversation to discuss the couple’s chosen wedding outfits, the location, the theme of the photo shoot, and so on.

Deadline

To complete a quality photo-processing professional needs on average about a month. This period should be kept in mind. Of course, the photographer can cope with the task much faster, but do not rush him in any way – right now the final quality of wedding photos depends only on his efforts and his skill.

The presence (or absence) of the photographer’s assistant

Despite the fact that many photographers are used to working alone, having a personal assistant could make their difficult tasks of taking pictures much easier. “Squires” help photographers catch the right shot, they keep a close eye on all the equipment, and so on. When choosing a photographer, be sure to find out if the services and availability of an assistant are included in the final cost of the photo shoot.

What are the main mistakes when choosing a photographer?

While we have covered the most important aspects of choosing a photographer, we also want to draw our readers’ attention to the most common and critical mistakes when choosing a photographer. As example – If the portfolio of a photographer contains way too many clichéd, hackneyed photos, created without the slightest bit of creativity and love, it is worth to ask yourself a legitimate question: “Is it really necessary worth it?

Groom and bride standing outside a gate.
Photo courtesy Wesner Rodrigues via Pexels.

As another example – while signing a contract with photographer, many people turning a blind eye to their appearance and personal traits, although it is very, very important. People tend to think that metrics (whether it’s a portfolio, the ratio of positive reviews to negative ones, impressive experience) play the most important role, but that’s not true. Even if you are photographed by the “best photographer in the world,” there is a chance that you just don’t get along with him, and the photo session will be a complete failure.

We really do hope that everything presented in this article has helped you. By following our little hints, you will definitely be able to find the perfect wedding photographer just for your needs.