Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer, Schaffer Photography

     I would say photography is one of the most important critical parts of any couple's wedding day.  If not the most important.  And not just because I am a photographer!  After all, you spend a great deal of effort planning all the many beautiful details that will make up your wedding day.  When your wedding day is over, most of what you will have left to remember your wedding day by is photographs.  And hopefully they are great photos that capture all of the emotions and little moments along with the details of your wedding for you to look back on and remember for years to come.  So, I thought I would write a few tips on choosing a photographer for your wedding!

Choose a photographer that:

1.  Fits your style.
     First of all, you need to know your personal style!  Take a look at lots of wedding photos.  What do you like and what don't you like?  Why do you think you like or don't like those things?  Some couples like traditional photography where many of the photos are preplanned or posed.  Or do you like more unexpected and candid shots(photojournalism)?  Or a mix of both?  Knowing what want in a wedding photographer will help you narrow down your top pics from a sea of many photographers.  

2. Fits well with your personality.
     Your photographer is going to be with you for one of the most important days of your life.  You want the personality of your wedding photographer to fit in easily with you, your husband/wife to be and your bridal party.  You don't want them get on your nerves!  Some of this has to do with style as well- candid photographers will more than likely try and stay in the background, unnoticed to capture truly candid moments as they happen.  More traditional photographers will plan photography opportunities through out the day.

3. Has experience and can prove it.  
      Wedding photography experience is crucial.  Knowing the flow of a wedding and being technically proficient is so important!  What will happen if the shooting conditions during your wedding are less than optimal?  Will your photographer know how to compensate and adjust to make sure that your wedding photos still turn out well?  What if there is a hitch in the order of the wedding ceremony or someone is running late- can your wedding photographer roll with the punches?

     A great way to get a feel for a photographer's experience is to ask for references or check for memberships in professional organizations.  A few well know photographer organizations are the Professional Photographers of America "PPA" (http://ppa.com/), Wedding Photojournalist Association "WPJA" (http://wpja.com/), or Wedding and Portrait Photographers International "WPPI" (http://wppionline.com/).  Many professional organizations require that a photographer submit a portfolio before being accepted which is a great way to gauge a photographers technical abilities and creative aptitudes.  All that being said, some photographers can't afford to have certain certifications, so don't overlook a great photographer just because they don't belong to a professional organization.  Having a wedding photographer with a sound technical knowledge and experience will definitely pay off and you will be able to see it in your photos.  If you find several photographers you like, don't hesitate to contact them and set up an appointment.  Good photographers book a lot of times over a year in advance, so don't wait!

4.  You can afford.
     There are a lot of wedding photographers out there.  That being said, there are definitely some great ones and definitely some bad ones too.  Not all wedding photographers are created equally.  In the wedding photography (and real!) world, you get what you pay for.  This can be a sensitive topic to many couples and I'm not saying to take out a second mortgage on your house to pay for a wedding  photographer!  But, it might be worth it to try and cut down a little on other areas of your wedding so that you can afford more to put towards a photographer.   A good professional photographer will be worth it because they will have a good solid technical photography knowledge, know how to keep organized and calm during the craziness of a wedding, can direct people well to get good photos, have a great artistic and creative eye to capture unique shots, be able to make you feel comfortable while taking photos, and so much more.

5. Archives your wedding images. 
     Yes, you might have been given a CD full of your wedding photographs, but what if you lose it or it gets scratched?  Will you be able to contact your wedding photographer 5 years from now and purchase another CD?   It is important that when choosing a wedding photographer that they backup your images!  Ask the photographer exactly how they back up your images and if they use two sources (just in case one crashes).

Of course, there are certainly other things to consider when choosing a wedding photographer.  I have just listed several of the biggest.  Remember to have fun planning your wedding, even when choosing a photographer!