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NOW BOOKING LONGMONT, CO MINI SESSIONS! Portrait and Family Work can now be found at RebeccaMabeyPhotography.com

Serving the Northern Colorado Area and Beyond.

14+ years Experienced Portrait and Wedding Photographer based out of Longmont, CO

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Showing posts with label questions to ask your wedding photographer. Show all posts

What to ask your Wedding Photographer

Monday, March 23, 2015


To make sure you are getting what you want, and help avoid any undesired 'day of' mishaps, or down the road 'surprises'.  Be sure to communicate to your wedding photographer in advance! Communication is key to an effective wedding photography experience.

1. What do your collections include?

This may seem rather obvious, but there may be something you could miss and wish you hadn't.  If it is too vague about what is included ask for further details and be sure to have it in writing.

 2. Do I receive the copy right release with my photos?

While as a professional photographer I do not recommend taking your wedding photos to a local grocery store instant kiosk for printing your pictures, as doing so is like serving a gourmet meal on a flimsy paper plate... it is nice to have the digital images at their highest resolution in hand for down the road with whatever you have planned as your photographer may only have your pictures posted for a number of months.  So be sure to see if this is an option.

 3. How many photos will be included?

This will vary with the number of hours included.  Bride and Groom portraits should have no less that 30 images, but as the day as a whole, generally speaking 400+ images would be the minimum that is offered.

4. Do you charge travel fees?

This will be an important question to ask, especially if your engagement and bridal sessions or wedding day will take you to more than one location and may possibly be out of the photographers usual travel radius.

5. What is your general approach to photographing a wedding?

Each photographer will have a different approach depending on their style, personality etc.  Will they be able to handle a large wedding party, move efficiently, politely demand attention as needed?  Will they be organized in capturing family pictures?  How will their approach make the day go smoothly? Do they get a good variety of candid and posed shots?  How will they use their approach to fit your unique personalities.  How might they approach photographing a wedding?  Will they be discrete or stand right up front?
6. How long after the wedding will I get to see sneak peeks?  All of my photos?

Ideally wedding day portraits will be posted on Facebook within a few days or a week and the remaining full event within 4-6 weeks.  While true art cannot be rushed, it shouldn't take months either.

7.  What is required as a deposit?  When will the remainder be due?

Will expect all of their payment at once? Do they charge a separate fee for booking the date? 

8. If something in the schedule does not go as planned how might you approach it?

Family showing up late, family drama, the zipper on the dress broke? What situations have they dealt with and helped settle..?

9. How long after the wedding will I have access to my pictures? Can I download them? Will I have access to them?

An easy to share online gallery is an essential for any wedding photography package.  This makes it easy to share with friends and family.  Also be sure to ask whether or not their images will be public or private.

 10 .  What if it rains? 

What are some examples of back up plans they have used or propose to use if it rains on your big day? Will they arrange more than one schedule perhaps?  Are they ok in photographing in a little light drizzle?  Are you?

11. Do you have experience shooting in low light conditions?

The answer should be YES! Most indoor venues will at some point have low light conditions.

12. Do you have a second shooter? Assistant?

Consider the size of your wedding and if a second shooter will be necessary.  Does your photographer typically shoot solo, and if so, would they be able or willing to take on a second shooter if needed?  What would this cost you?

 13. If I want to change something in a picture from my online gallery, can you make changes?

How much does your photographer let you be involved in what you receive as your final product?  How much editing is done in post?

Will they let you suggest an edit such as cropping a photo?  Perhaps putting one in black and white.

 14. Will the digital images I receive be watermarked?

While they may watermark images on Facebook, be sure that the final digital images you receive will be watermark free.

15.  At what resolution will I receive my images?  What size is that?

 Ideally professional wedding photography should be provided for at least 16 x 20 prints.

16. Will you let us know when you are leaving?  Will you stay until the end?

A photographer who communicates well and makes sure you are all on the same page is important.

17. What if we go over our arranged time, how do you handle that?

 Will they leave just before the cake is going to get cut as their time is up and your arrange schedule just didn't go quite as planned? 

 18.  Will you help me with the schedule of the day?  

No matter what, you and your photographer should go over a schedule of the wedding day, but as photography is a large part of the wedding day, they can help you arrange the timing details dependent on the size of your family, wedding party, locations etc.

19. Do you work off a formal shot list?  Can I give you one?

Most experienced wedding photographers will have an engraved shot list built into their photography brain, but if you are looking for something specific, want to share a pinterest board of ideas of your own or whatever if might be be sure to see how open and willing they may be to your involvement.

20. Do you edit all my images?

Will they auto process the bunch or take the time to clean up that skin, trash on the ground, wrinkle in the suit etc?

Ultimately you will have to evaluate your needs, budget and see what you are ok with settling for or what needs to be changed and addressed.  Be sure you are comfortable with your wedding photographer as they are will be capturing one of the most important days of your life and you want to have the real and best version of you in your pictures.


Photography by:  http://effervescentmediaworks.com

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How to pick your Wedding Photographer? | Utah Wedding Photography

Wednesday, February 23, 2011


1. Your style

Think about way look fits you. Whether that means vintage, contemporary, classical etc. Also consider what types of photos you see yourselves posing in. Are you and your fiance the type that are up for getting a little silly, making a faces etc, or are you the type that just wants the basic poses and smiles? Perhaps you are interested in a photo journalistic look for your wedding photography? That is... pictures that simply capture your special day with a story telling element. Or in the end more than anything you want to look like your pictures just popped out of a magazine ad with fashion and stylized posing and effects.

Still a little lost? Be sure to look through pictures with your fiance and ask yourselves what you like specifically about the pictures that catch you eyes, also be sure to ask yourselves whether or not it's you.

2. Flexibility

Is your photographer flexible? Are they willing to work with you to provide you with what you need?  Do they charge by the minute? Or by the hour.  Are they willing to travel?

3. Cost

Ask yourself what is the most important to us for the wedding. Wedding photography makes it to the top 3 most important things a bride considers priority for her big day. It's right up there with the wedding dress and the venue. Consider this... no matter how many details you plan, there will be little use to planning them if they are not recorded and preserved for the years to come. When preparing your budget be sure to even everything out to create a even balance. Many brides will spend a fortune on the photography but little on what is even there to capture aside from the guests or vice versa, they will spend little to no money on photography but spend a great deal of time, money and energy on the little details that will not be remembered for long!

Also be sure to ask about travel fees or any other fees that might apply.  Is your event far away?

4. Time needed

How much time will be needed to capture all the shots that you want? How long will is take to capture these things. Be sure to ask your photographer these things while shopping around. Some photographers charge by the hour, some offer packages that are a little looser with your schedule.  Keep in mind that you wedding day will likely NOT go exactly as you plan.  Guests may run late, the weather might not be the best etc.  Be sure to plan in extra time for photography.  Are you going to be able to get all the pictures, different relationships etc in time you have allotted your photographer?  If you are unsure be sure to ask your photographer how long it will take to shoot ____ photos given the _____ number of family/ friends you would like pictures.  Each bride has a different circumstance.  Discussing details such as this will also give you an idea of the flexibility of your photographer.



5. What will you want in the end?

Are you the type that has the time and creativity to out together you own wedding album with prints, or even a scrapbook? Or is that something to consider now? Often times you can save money by bundling all the things you'll end up wanting anyway after the wedding by packaging it all together in the beginning. If your photographer offers credits and/ or custom albums be sure inquire about specifics.

If you see yourself getting wrapped up in the craziness of life and having difficulty getting around to putting together your own work then load that off on your photographer. You don't want all those memories to end up buried in a shoebox of pictures or left in a pile of cds.

6. How many picture will you want?

How many pictures will you want from the different sessions and wedding day? 15, 30, 50, 100, 1,000? Be sure to ask your photographer if you will own all your pictures or if that comes at an additional cost. Ask about the copy right release and ask about how many pictures your should expect for the number of hours being covered. Some photographers include this with the package. Others will offer a session fee but you will have to pay per image online you want. The price will often depend on how many pictures you will want along with the time needed, locations traveled to and the copy right release in the end.

Will you be happy with just a general coverage of the day or do you want every little event, tradition and detail captured?


7. How talented is the photographer?

Ok. So you've shopped around for photographers and limited it down to a select few. Is he/ she talented? Do they have an eye for the art or are they a walking click robot? Are their images aesthetically pleasing? Vibrant? Clean? Sharp/ focused? Do they have samples of just posed or sitting persons or do they also have "action" shots? Be sure to keep your eyes out for these things at the consultation when you are looking over samples..

8. Chemistry

Ok lol:) Not romantic chemistry, just chemistry. Can you be yourself around your photographer? Do you feel yourself being a different person altogether around them. If you are unable to be yourself around your photographer then you can really only expect that your pictures will end up showing that emotion.

It is also important to consider presence.  Does the photographer communicate well with you from the beginning or take a few weeks to reply to an email? Do they seem to actually want to get to know you better so they can create a product specific to your personalities, or are you treated more like a number in the book?


9. Is the photographers work consistent?

When looking through a photographers portfolio are there images that blow you away but others than seem like they were taken by an beginner? Although any artist will have a variety keep a conscious look out if there seems to be a suspicious gap. Be sure to ask if they have samples of a complete start to finish wedding so you can see exactly what you would be getting in the end.





10. Is your photographer passionate?

Have they lost their love for the art or are they committed to bringing you the best because they want the best? Imagine this. A working in a factory in front of a conveyor belt producing the same product again and again. Zoned out. Dis-passionate, on auto pilot. Or imagine this... a local artist producing their own unique products for unique clients. Changing and developing there eye to a consistent higher standard since it is not only beneficial to the client but a small piece of their own pride and passionate joy. Which type do you see being your wedding photographer?

Utah Wedding Photography




Utah Wedding Photography

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