There a ton of photographers in the world that produce beautiful work. The amazing aspect about this is that each individual has their own style. A certain facet about their artistry that they possess that makes it their own. Each creator has a distinct personality which drives them to that design. A different way of thinking. How their upbringing was. Who taught them, and how they practiced mastering the craft.
The same goes for the future brides/grooms. You both have certain tastes when it comes to art, music, and photography and getting down on the dance floor. We all know you know how to Walk it Out. With this knowledge, one of the main ingredients to choosing your wedding photographer, is their style.
A photographer molds their style over time. They do so by shooting different subjects, angles, events, and then taking them into a photo editing program and playing around with everything they can touch. They are like a kid in a candy store that just ate everything he could without his mom seeing. This includes the highlights in an image, the shadows, contrast, clarity, how sharp the image looks, how sharp the eyes are, the list goes on and on. I want non-photographers to know this information so they know how to choose and understand what we go through as artists to get to the point we're at. Some photographers go with a light and airy touch while some enjoy a darker direction. My personal style is bold and vibrant with a connection to human emotion. I love when colors stand out in a photograph. To me, it just seems like it's taking a life of its own.
L'chaiM!
The second ingredient to deciding on what photographer you should choose for your wedding is cost. Now, I may be biased but I think you should splurge ;) Seriously though, it's one of the biggest days of your lives and you should kinda remember it. There's going to be an open bar and who knows how much ya'll drank before the ceremony. Make sure you budget properly with your vendors. Your sought after photographer most likely has a tier of sexy looking options that all look good. Their most expensive collection will give you the most bang for your buck and you will remember the hell out of your wedding. I'm not saying spring for that if you don't have the means. Your photos will keep your heart and mind warm and fuzzy but if you are living on the street, it's not a sound investment.
The last ingredient is a double-header. I'd like to mix these ingredients to finish off the cake. Wow I want cake now. The last two are what they shoot, which goes back to style in a way, and their personality. Would you look at that, we've come full circle! As wedding photographers, we know most of what you want before you do. Each photographer has a different way of going about the day. While some take a more photojournalistic approach, others are more traditional classic and pose each shot. I don't like to limit myself so I lean more towards an illustrative side and do both, photojournalistic and traditional. The photojournalistic style allows photographers to capture those special candid moments. The latter part to this double wammy is your photographer's personality. First ask yourself, what kind of person would I like to spend the entire day with? Are they someone I can grab a drink with? Do they like beer or wine? Shots? I love shots. Are they strong enough to speak out and give people direction? You will say to yourself, "Oh man...my uncle is crazy, I hope he listens." Your uncle isn't going to want to ruin one of the greatest days of your life, so we make him listen. We got your back.
This is why we do it :D
Those are the 3.5ish considerations I feel that any couple getting married should ponder about when deciding on a wedding photographer. I'd like to hear what you have to say, comment down below!