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5 Things to ask your Wedding Photographer

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5 Things to ask your wedding photographer:


  • 1   What is your backup plan on our wedding day?  Like... what if you are ill or injured and can't shoot our wedding?  What happens if you break a camera or lens?  
    • Your photographer should have this answer in a split second, as it is very important.  I personally have a high level of paranoia, and fully believe in combating Murphy's Law by being as prepared as possible.  I subcontract a trusted photographer to keep wedding days free just incase I am un able to shoot the contracted event.  Yes - that means I pay another photographer to sit at home and be "on call" just incase I am in a serious bind.  If equipment is to break down I simply pull out a spare from the bag.  We keep 4 bodies, 8 lenses, and 4-8 flashes handy depending on the venue.
  • 2   What is your method for posing during the formal shots after the ceremony?  How long will that take?
    • We come prepared with a list (which you help us put together) of whom is to be in the formal images.  We know in advance where they will be taken and we get set up for them quickly.  My wife and I work as a team to keep a comfortable flow - she calls names and sets up poses, I frame and pre-light the shot then take it.  We recommend setting aside 2-4 minutes for each group that is to be photographed.
  • 3   Can I see examples of your wedding albums and wall art?  What medium do you like to print on?
    • This is one of my absolute favorite parts of being a wedding photographer.  I love album design.  This is where the magic of a wedding day really blossoms!  Be sure to look through all the albums your photographer has to offer and ask about options, the time it takes to design it, and any extra costs involved.  Be prepared for a hefty price tag, as a properly crafted album is made of the finest materials by true craftsmen.  I always remind my clients to include the price of their wedding album in their home owner's insurance - should they ever need to use it - as I can use the stored files to craft another wedding album (so - no need to run into a burning house for that wedding album!  Save yourself, and I'll save your album!) 
    • Other mediums that professional photographers often use (aside from paper and frames) are Aluminum, Wood, Acrylic, and the most popular - Canvas.  I am a huge fan of the Aluminum prints - they are unbelievably durable, timeless, and the image quality is 
    • second to none.
  • 4   Are you comfortable helping me plan the timeline for our wedding?
    • A true wedding photographer will jump on this opportunity.  It gives them the ability to set up the best scenarios possible for amazing moments and images to be created.  It also allows the photographer to make a timeline that is easy for them.  Your photographer should easily be able to point out "time-sucks" that you may not have taken into account - like the receiving line after the ceremony... which always lasts FOREVER!  - Or the fact that a 5 minute drive from one location to another really takes 15 with an excited wedding party, wedding dress, and 20 people asking you questions.
  • 5   How do you store the final images from our wedding to keep them safe?
    • Real professionals have serious fail safes to protect data from disaster.  They should have a tried and tested method to back up files for many years.  Personally, I do not keep a single photo on my computer.  Everything is on external hard drives - as computers are meant for computing, not storing.  I use a Drobo "beyond raid" storage device, which encloses 5 hard drives to keep data very secure.  I then have another hard drive that clones the data on the drobo, so all that data is backed up on a second device.  Aside from that I then use an off-site digital storage unit, so if fire or flood ruined our studio, all the data would not be lost in the event.  We also have an "archive drive" of all the RAW images that are imported, and as it fills up we label it and put it on the shelf.


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