This report has been written for people who feel that wedding photography is critically important and believe they only have one chance to get it right and want to make sure they take the right steps to insure their success in choosing the photographer who's right for them.

Don't you wish it was that simple? Many brides tell me that the more they shop, the more confusing it gets! They are bombarded by so many conflicting claims and not enough 'reality' from which to make an informed decision. Most haven't had much experience purchasing professional wedding photography so they don't really know what to look for. Because wedding photography is such a unique and customized service you can't shop for it in the same way you may be accustomed to. In your quest for 'Mr. right' the real question is: Who can you trust to give you real value for your money?

Searching for the right wedding photographer is not very easy, you only get one chance to get it right and there are a lot of options out there and you don't really know what you will end up with. Too often brides shop for photography the same way they would for any standard manufactured item. (Go with a name brand at the best price and use a coupon.) With a name-brand product it's easy to compare specific features and model numbers and then shop for the lowest price and with the standardized factory warantee if something goes wrong, you can get a replacement.

Here's the problem: wedding photography is a totally customized artistic service that is subject to each photographers ability, quality and artistic interpretation. Nothing is standardized and no two photographers are alike. There is no 'manufacturers' warantee to fall back on. You only have one chance to get it right and if it goes wrong, you're pretty much out-of-luck. Weddings are very challenging. A photographer that specializes in commercial magazine features, 'baby pictures' or family portraits may not be capable of capturing the unique essence of your wedding day in the artistic style and professional manner you expect.

There are a lot of good photographers, a few dishonest ones and some that mean well but over-promise and under-deliver. Many certified professionals are trained in the memorized pose technique, same pose -different people. It takes a bit of homework and research to find the wedding photographer who's right for you, the one who will give you something unique and different; who will be able to unobtrusively capture the true essence of your wedding day; who will really give you what you want instead of the same 'ol cookie-cutter approach that all the other brides got. Don't go into it blindly, do a little homework up front so you can make an informed decision that you won't regret later. (Beware your amateur photographer relative.)

How to find YOUR Photographer

Before 'calling around', look at magazines, websites, your friends wedding photos, etc. and decide what you like and discuss with your fiance' what is really important to you and estimate your initial photography budget**. Don't let initial pricing scare you, determine totally what you want and then get specific pricing for EVERYTHING. Too often the one that 'looks expensive' upfront may actually just be the most honest. Most brides are happiest with the wedding photographer who they like and trust, the one who has proven in their work that they can consistently 'deliver the goods' and who have the expertise, equipment and know-how to get the job done right and really take care of them --not the one who uses salesmanship tactics to push you into using them or promises you everything or desperately cuts you a last-minute deal or keeps bugging you until you book.

The best wedding photographers book well in advance at premium prices. The 'low priced' photographer that is begging for business usually doesn't have what it really takes to be successful in the complicated business of wedding photography. If the photography is important to you, don't delay, determine what is important to you and do some research to find the wedding photographer who can best give you what you really want, before another bride books them for your date.

Common Problems

I've talked to brides who never got their wedding photos or ended up very disappointed. One bride placed her final order and returned all her proofs, having paid for everything, only later to find out the business had closed and skipped town with her money and pictures! She is still trying to find them. Another had her photos delivered in the package from Eckerds Drug Store! I've talked to lots of married couples who say their photographer was good, but "she must of had an off-day on our wedding because none of the pictures she took at our wedding were as good as the ones she showed us."

A local photographer had just recently purchased the 'newest and latest' professional digital camera and decided to leave their film camera at home and go '100% digital' at their next wedding. Without realizing it, they shot the whole wedding with the camera set on 'preview only' mode. The camera appeared to be working normally. Each picture would display on the little screen on the back of the camera after each shot and the photographer thought they were getting some good shots. The problem with that setting is the photos are ONLY being displayed but NOT recorded to the digital media. The bride was very upset when she learned that when the wedding was over they only had 3 photos.

(We circumvent unforeseen equipment problems by using two photographers with up to 7 different cameras, if by chance one didn't work we would only lose a small portion of the photos taken.)

The last thing these brides expected was to be terribly disappointed. "His pictures looked good and his price was great! I never dreamed I wouldn't get any professional pictures from my wedding!"

Don't let this happen to you! We want you to make the right choice, ~ even if it's not us. We're not every ones photographer because we only shoot 28-34 of the best weddings each year. The best photographers and the best dates book-up fast (often 8-12 months in advance). (No 'secrets' here. Don't be lured by the magical powers of awards and ribbons)

We have compiled some suggestions to help insure you get the Great Wedding Photography you deserve:

Reputable Business

To minimize any unforeseen problems, I would only talk to reputable honest photographers with 'good business' practises that:

An experienced professional will be able to overcome any unforeseen problem and still deliver the goods, you don't want an amateur to use you as their guinea pig. An insured photographer protects you, your suppliers and your guests. (see our current insurance certificate) If the photographer creates damages to the property you rented you could be held liable for those damages. If a guest trips over the photographers equipment the photographer's liability insurance will protect you from a lawsuit. Renters are more mobile and typically the ones that skip town. References will tell you the complete story.

I would also make sure that my potential photographer specializes in wedding photography and has a long-term commitment to the industry as evidenced by good standing in multiple professional organizations such as: The Better Business Bureau, their local bridal association, Professional Photographers of America and their professional photographers society as these organizations can be very helpful both to the customer and the photographer in case of unexpected emergencies or problems. (Membership dues are usually the first thing that doesn't get paid when a business is having financial problems -- I've listed these organizations in order from most expensive to the least.)

See the proofs!

Having narrowed the search only to 'reputable photographers' that meet the above criteria then I would start with the photos... not just the few carefully chosen 'once-in-a-lifetime' display or album photos but view several hundred proof* photos by the same potential photographer (not the contracted assistant or a former employee) the one who will actually be photographing your wedding (or at least ALL the proofs from a complete wedding -or several weddings) so you get a real good feel for their style and capability --this will also give you a realistic expectation of what they can really do for you, because when the smoke clears and the salesmanship razzle dazzle is over the photographs (preserved in albums or frames) are what will remain and no amount of sales-hype can make-up for poor-quality.

Don't base your decision on their 'one-chance-in-a-million', top-10 photos of all time (one from each year?) Or the 15 BEST 'award-winning' pictures on their website as these may represent less than 1% of the photos they have ever taken, you may end up disappointed when only 1% of your photos are as good as the ones they showed you. You don't hire other vendors without seeing, tasting, hearing, feeling what they offer, expect the same from your potential photographer.

Very few photographers like to share ALL their work as they want you to think they never take a 'bad picture'. I want you to see the good, the bad and the ugly because I want you to understand the reality of photojournalistic photography, we aren't going to get the great shots you want without taking a few 'bad' ones! I will take plenty of photos at your wedding so you can throw out the bad ones and not even miss them. If your potential photographer has any excuse for not showing you HUNDREDS of proofs or if you don't like their style --move on.

Professional Resources

I wouldn't pay big money for a solitary wedding photographer that only has one camera and doesn't use an assistant, these types are 'advanced amateurs' posing as professionals. They will only give you a very one-dimensional, boring documentary view of your wedding. Find a photographer that doesn't limit the amount of pictures taken. When the photographer is worried about the amount of film used, they will miss some great photographic opportunities at your wedding. Be sure they can get your wedding covered thoroughly and don't miss the fine details you worked so hard on.

Don't pay for a photographer if their photos look the same as what uncle 'Bill' might take. What about backup equipment? What kind of commitment is shown by one that is amateurishly prepared? You hire a professional to insure professional quality and services, don't settle for less. We insure a unique variety of coverage and backup equipment through the use of two photographers with up to 5 film cameras, 2 digital cameras, 16 lens, 8 light units and remote controls with up to 6 different types of film. We only use professional top-of-the-line quality equipment, suppliers and products. This combination along with our artistic eye, experience and know-how just begin to make our work stand-out among professionals. Add to that our personality, philosophy, talent and ability, along with our experienced partner/backup photographer/assistant and you have a uniquely incomparable combination at any price.

Connecting with your Photographer

No two photographers are exactly alike, just like no two weddings are alike. The way in which the artistic eye of the photographer captures with his camera the unique moment we call a photograph communicates something about the way he sees that moment or event. If the photographer can see your wedding the way you do, he will better be able to capture the most important and meaningful moments for you. The photographers vision and the way it is captured (his style) is the most critical connection to insuring you a successful photographic experience. A photographic style that you don't like isn't worth any amount of money! (Even if the photographer offer you lots and lots of it for a really low price!)

You will know you have found YOUR photographer when you have seen from their everyday work that they are truly capable of giving you what you want and your philosophies/attitudes mesh. Find a photographer that is easy for you to work with. (If you believe it's your day and should be handled your way, then don't hire a staunch traditionalist that believes he is the most important person at your wedding. Find one that is willing to take the pictures that will make you happy and not just the pictures that makes the photographer happy! If you want your photography experience to be fun, you shouldn't hire a 'stick-in-the-mud' even if you like their photos! On the other hand don't settle for a flamboyant personality that will steal your day!)

If the photography is important to you --don't skimp-- take the time and budget the money** to get it done right! Ask yourself and your potential photographer, have I budgeted enough money so he can really do the kind of job my wedding deserves? If you take short-cuts on the things that are important to you, you will regret it later.

Top-Quality Photos

Once you have determined who offers a style you like then re-visit their photos and pay close attention to the ones that will closely match your lighting conditions; dark indoors, bright windowed indoors, outdoors at evening, on the sunlit beach, at night, or cloudy, etc. (Since photography is the art of capturing light, an experienced photographer that is capable of handling assorted lighting conditions can perform well even if the location is unfamiliar to them.) Also look for consistency in style, there's a big difference between a once-in-a-lifetime 'lucky' award-wining shot and consistently great photography.

When viewing images be careful not to judge the photos by the 'sizzle'. A beautiful photo of the inside of that centuries-old church in the south of France may not look quite the same as your wedding location. When looking at photos pay special attention to quality details: Does the image look too dark?, Too light? Do the colors look good?/ Realistic? Or are the faces magenta? Are there details in both the dark and light areas of the photograph? Can you see details both in the white dress and the black tux? Or is it washed out? Is the persons face too bright --burned-out by too much flash?

Does it look like the people are standing in total darkness? Or is it unrealistically bright for the time of day? Can you see background and does it give you good visual information that adds to the continuity of the photograph? Did they capture the 'right' moment? Do you get the feeling of how the event really was or do the photographs look cheesy, forced, unnatural or contrived?

Are the pictures you are looking at actually taken by the same photographer that will be photographing your wedding? Or a sub-contractor? Or the previous owner who is now retired? Is the studio going to 'contract-out' your wedding to someone else? Were they taken with professional medium format film and professional equipment? Or small digital files? How much re-touching was done on the large photo you are looking at and when all was said and done what did this photo really cost?

Is the print on good-quality professional paper or does it look like the corner drugstore developed? Does the finish add-to or distract-from the image? Are the smooth round parts of the image really smooth or does it have those digital jaggie edges? Is there a good variety of interesting photos from the event or just one boring picture after another? What is the overall feeling you get from the photos you've been shown? Is that what you want captured on your wedding day?

Your Style

Stiffly posed photographs may not effectively capture the true memories of your wedding day. When you look back years from now your most cherished wedding photos will be the ones that captured the memories of what really happened that day instead of what the photographer made happen. Nobody wants to feel awkward, silly & uncomfortable or be bossed around by the photographer on their wedding day. We will create 'group portraits' that are natural, fun and relaxed in the quickest time possible according to your schedule so you can enjoy your day ...your way.

When viewing another persons wedding photos don't just look at the type of dress they wore or the color of their flowers, etc. actually put yourself in the photo, if this picture were taken of you on your wedding day would it be what you want for your memories? The photos that are 'true to you' will have the most lasting value and become more cherished over the years! Photos where you are made to look like 'somebody else' eventually become nauseatingly tiresome.

Quality Workmanship

Next look at the quality of the workmanship in all their finished products --albums, frames, reprints, etc. A philosophy of quality is often reflected in many aspects of ones life. A quality-conscious person won't compromise that quality. A disturbing trend in business today is the cutting of every corner and skimping on quality materials and workmanship. When we meet I will show you some major quality differences in my products. Will the finished products last for several generations? What are the products actually made of? Faux finishes or the real thing? Quality 'guarantees' are only as good as the people who stand behind them. How many times are you willing to return your album for 'repairs' and what happens to your 'guarantee' if the company goes out of business? --Inferior quality is a waste of money!

Personality

Don't forget personality and temperament. Did you work with your actual photographer, or just a salesperson? Are you comfortable with this person? Do you like them? Do you feel you can work with them? Are they flexible enough to let you have your wedding your way? Or are they going to impose their 'standard and required' photos on you and refuse to work with your ideas. Do your personalities and wedding photography philosophies mesh? --An unpleasant photographer can ruin your whole wedding day, no matter how good their pictures might be. Nothing worse than the 'award-winning' husband/wife photography team arguing and fighting about how the bride should be posed in front of everyone in your wedding party! Don't settle for someone else's version of what your wedding should be ...make it your own!

Packages

Then review what their packages contain and their pricing. Be sure to have a clear understanding of what is really included and what is extra. (Read the fine print) Beware of ambiguous or fluff words: some say "unlimited complete coverage" but they really have a limit. (Most photographers have established limits by the amount of film/media/batteries they bring with them.), Others say includes a 'proof book' but it isn't a book of standard proofs, but is actually several pages of thumbnail prints velo-bound together. They may include proofs, but are they useable or stamped 'proof' across the front. Are they adaptable and flexible enough to give you just what you want? Is the package really complete? Or are they avoiding talking about the real cost of the ala carte' add-ons. Can they tell you what everything will really cost? Or do they 'gloss-over' the subject?

Are there any hidden charges or undisclosed fees? Is their pricing 'out-of-line' with other top-quality professionals? What are they going to skimp on because they aren't charging enough to do it properly? Some say 'Art Leather' albums but they aren't the 'top-of-the-line' albums but are Art Leather's cheapest album (that only holds 8 x10's) or are they calling the proof book an 'album'. Will you be wasting good money on inferior quality products or workmanship? Will they work with you or are you going to get hit with big surprises later? Will you be pleased with the end result or will you have to fight tooth and nail just to get what you were promised?

Get what you pay for

The bitterness of poor quality, inferior service and bad coverage will long be remembered after the sweetness of low price is forgot. A cheaper price seldom means a better value, but usually comes with poor quality. MOST EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEIR TIME AND SERVICES ARE WORTH AND CHARGE ACCORDINGLY. In the end, you will get what you pay for. I don't know of any legitimate businessman that gives away their time, service or products for 'free', there's always a catch.

I would rather have a top-of-the-line uniquely customized 24-page awesome album with phenomenal photos than a ridiculously large cumbersome poor-quality 48-page 'scrapbook' full of mediocre photos. (don't pay for a scrapbook when you can make your own!) It really shouldn't be about the largest album, the biggest package for the cheapest price or the most 8x10's because Great Wedding Photography is an art, a science and a personal experience. Only a few of the best wedding photographers can deliver on all levels.

What's Important to you?

Get a lot of input from lots of people and read the helpful hints sections of wedding magazines and wedding websites, they will give you good ideas about questions to ask that you may not have considered. Remember, a magazine may leave out some hard-hitting questions because they don't want to upset their advertisers. Adapt their questions into ones that are most important to you and develop some of your own based on what is truly important to you then setup a few appointments to meet with your potential photographer. When you meet with photographers show them the type of photos you like or dislike. If they don't specialize in that style, they probably know someone else who does.

Can I state the obvious: every photographer is going to try to sell you what they have to offer, the 100% digital guy will say his way is better, the guy that spent thousands of dollars on a certain lens or camera will tell you why it is the best thing since sliced bread, someone that spent a lot on contests and awards will brag on them, some even promote nationality, race or gender as an 'advantage', etc. Just be sure to keep focused on the issues that are truly important to you! Don't hire a photographer with a 'realistic' style of photography if you prefer 'fantasy' photos. No one photographer is right for everybody. An informed decision is always the best one.

Beware the 'Extras'

A few photographers consider the initial package price as HALF the amount they plan on forceably extracting from you. I have talked to couples who a year later are still fighting with the photographer because their proofs are being held hostage! Some photo studios bank on the 'extras' and 'post-wedding' sales. They lure you in with some type of inticement only to then 'nickel-and-dime' you to death. (When all was said and done how many people really just got that advertised 'free' 8x10 or only spent the low-priced advertised 'sitting fee' at the national mug shots photomills? Don't fall for that trick again!)

A photographer that offers a 'complete package' may initially look more expensive, but in actuality will be the 'complete-price' disclosed upfront. Determine EVERYTHING you want and then get the complete price in advance. If you ask your photographer, when all is said and done, what will it cost and she says "that all depends", better watch out! Some places have lots of 'EXTRAS' that they charge additional for and that is where they make-up for their 'lower' upfront price.

Find out in advance what are considered 'extras' and what they charge for those 'extras'. (for example: our reprint proofs are $5 each with no minimum, some studios charge $20 each with a $100 minimum; our additional album pages are $50 after the wedding. Some photographers that provide lower-quality albums charge $100 per additional album page after the wedding because they know many people will forget to consider the 'extras' when they are price shopping.)

Many bride has been surprised later to find out the 'album price' didn't include any photos in it! Many photographers buy their yearly supply of albums and frames at the year-end, close-out sale so if you make any change to their 'close-out' package they will have to charge up the wazootal for the custom item. Others offer an album that can only hold 8x10's (as that is the cheapest album made) and when you want to change the page designs, it adds a lot more to the price because you have to upgrade the whole album.

We don't charge extra for: a second back-up photographer at your event, True black and white film, you keeping your proofs, a top-of-the-line ArtLeather Album (including the photos), a customized album, standard re-touching on enlargements, minor digital alterations on enlargements, custom framing, UV lacquer coating on all album photos and album engraving just to name a few. Some say they will throw in 'free bridal photos' or 'parents photos' when what they really mean is you won't be charged extra for the 'sitting fee' --you will still have to pay for any photos you want to keep!

I believe a package price that you pay for up front should cost less than the individual items sold separately. (Typically our package prices are 20% less than our ala carte' items.) Too often the complete package price looks 'expensive' because it is more than you originally wanted to spend but if you can get everything you want with a comfortable payment program you will be much happier. Beware the 'low-price' up front bait and switch ploys that ultimately cost you more for less! Because I am flexible with what my packages contain most my couples choose their package based on the size of the album they want and the number of hours coverage they need then we mix and match the rest to give them exactly what they want.

Too good to be true?

What may sound similar up front can actually be very different --if it sounds too good to be true IT IS! I talked to a couple who (under the influence of too much wine and cheeze) decided to use one of those nationally advertised inexpensive 'package specials' that was about one-third the price of what many independent photographers would normally charge for a similar package. This offering looked impressive 'on paper' because it offered 'adequate' time coverage, quite a few enlargements AND a large-page album. (Not taking into consideration the capability, skills, personality or style preference of the photographer they would get! -Too often 'free-lance' "rental" photographers are the jack-of-all-trades but the master of none.)

The reason for the 'cheap price' became obvious after the photos were delivered. They were poorly done (nothing like the few samples they were originally shown), the photos looked like they came from the corner drugstore as they were not color-corrected, cropped, re-touched or UV coated. The enlargements were chosen by the company clerk and were all made to 'one-size-fits-all' so they could be slipped into the 'do-it-yourself' dime-store cardboard wedding 'photo-album/binder'. When all was said and done the few dollars they saved had actually cost them their complete photographic memories. (Of course any complaints were referred to the major corporations well-staffed legal department --'we fulfilled our obligation based on the terms of our contract' -bye-bye now ...next).

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves

We have also seen too many 'gypsy' operations that fly-by-night and pitch their 'photography tent' promising to do amazing things for minimal amounts of money. They talk like they have the 'secret' but miraculous elixir that finally broke the code allowing them to actually deliver a lot more for a lot less! (Some say the secret code is 'digital' and they will go on and on about how much they are saving by not using film ...silly photographer, film is such a small percentage of the cost of the overall process, when you look at the complete business side of the digital process -computers, media, software, labor- you learn it is just as expensive --if not more expensive than film!)

These gypsies seem to last for a time and although a few people may get the 'good deal', most just get trampled when the thief goes out of business or skips town with your money. Often the gypsies run a lot of advertisements promoting their 'great prices' but don't have the 'good business practises' to insure their longevity.

Freelancers

Ever increasing in popularity is the 'weekend warrior' moonlighting 'free-lance' photojournalist... his motto is: "have (one) camera, will travel." The offer sounds tempting and simple (-until his camera breaks in the middle of your wedding!) For a set fee and/or a price per roll they will take the photos and while your guests are blowing bubbles and wishing you well the snap-shooter will hand you a crumpled brown paper bag containing lots of rolls of exposed 35mm film as you head-out on your honeymoon. (Is there a 1-hour lab in the Bahamas?)

The real problem is this slick 'flash-by-night' photo contortionist now has your money and is gone forever -you have paid him about half the price for only doing one-third the work! Now you (with minimal wedding photography and album experience and no professional connections) are expected to successfully complete the other two-thirds of the job! GOOD LUCK!

Too often the moonlighter is trying to get the majority of the photography profit while avoiding the majority of the work. What happens if there is a problem? Have you ever done any large and important project that didn't have at least one problem along the way that had to be overcome or corrected!

Destination Wedding Photographer

In a destination wedding location, one that is far removed from the big city, there are never enough photographers for the peak season so there are usually a lot of fly-by-night photographers around. Many destination photographers are retired or moved to that location for the 'easy' money. If they work at an out-of-the-way destination location they often take advantage of the travel costs factor charging more for less because of their proximity. (e.g. movie theater snacks) Most high tourism destination locations have big fluctuations in demand depending on the season. The best photographer at a destination location will maximize their income by only taking those jobs that pay the most. A destination photographer will make more money by doing three 2-hr. shoots in a day than one 6-hr. event. When you find a local photographer at the resort area that is willing to cover your complete event within your budget it too often is one of these moonlighters that won't have the quality and expertise you require.

True Professional

A true professional photographers job is not only to pleasantly capture the important images of the wedding day in an unobtrusive manner but to do it despite technical problems, time restraints, equipment malfunctions and unforeseen problems and demands.

But it doesn't end there, the true professional then assists the couple along every step of the way --professional developing, editing, cropping, re-touching, finishing and re-finishing each photo to be the best it can be (within the quoted price) mounting, framing, matting, etc. so they can deliver top-quality heirloom products for your family to enjoy for generations. (Not an easy job even for those professionals that do it regularly!) In the end what do you really have? And Who can you trust to give you real value for your money? If the photography is important to you, you will be much happier to pay a little more money now for a whole lot more quality and service! In the long run that will be the best value!

*Why proofs? Because they usually aren't re-touched, manipulated edited or fixed like most enlargements. With today's digital editing capabilities (if you spend enough time and money on it) a 'bad' picture can be transformed into a 'good' one! The problem is you probably can't afford to have every one of your wedding photos digitally edited into useable images.

**When all is said and done the national AVERAGE for a complete professional wedding photography package is $2,500.00. I don't think you can trust someone who claims they can 'do it all' for half that price, something will have to give. Why is top-quality wedding photography so expensive? Everything photographic from professional equipment to developing/printing is expensive but most people don't realize that for every hour your photographer spends at your event an additional 3-4 hours is spent consulting, preparing, cropping, retouching, ordering & assembling your finished products. (For most medium to large-sized Saturday weddings my customers typically spend between 2 and 4 thousand dollars. Since we typically customize each package, the exact amount varies and depends on your exact needs.)