When getting married, how do you pick the right South Florida wedding photographer? This article will help you with valuable tips.
When planning a wedding, couples will make lots of tough decisions when choosing vendors. But out of the many professionals who will contribute their expertise to the main event, none is more important than your photographer. The question of, How to choose the best South Florida wedding photographer is a question that gets asked often. Years after you say “I do,” the cake will have been eaten, the flowers will be dried and pressed, but the images of that day will still exist—creating a permanent reminder of every dance, smile, kiss and tear.
Photography is an art form, and every photographer captures an image—sees an image—differently. Styles between photographers can vary greatly. While some prefer journalistic candid snapshots, others adore perfect poses. A picture, it is often noted, is worth a 1000 words. Your photographer is in charge of writing your wedding story in pictures, so choose wisely.
In this article on How to choose the best South Florida Wedding Photographer, I’m going to talk about some important things to consider.
When choosing a South Florida wedding photographer, there are many factors to consider—beyond just the style of images. If you and your beloved seem to be overwhelmed with choices, sit down together and discuss your expectations of your photographer on the big day. This is, after all, the individual who will be snapping away for the entire day, so a good working relationship is vital. Here are six tips for finding your picture-perfect photographer.
Establish your budget.
Like everything associated with your wedding, the two of you must establish how much you wish to spend on photography. This number should include your wedding album and other costs, as well as the fees for the photographer. Once you’ve established your budget, it’s easier to sit down with your vendor to go over how they can best meet your needs. Some photographers may be out of your price range, and it’s ideal to understand this up front. When choosing a South Florida wedding photographer and comparing prices there are several things that you should consider. On of those things is retouching and how much retouching is or isn’t included. We retouch every picture and every album picture. Photo retouching could be done several different ways. There are filters that soften facial lines or blur wrinkles on a person’s face. Using these filters is fast and easy. Of course, fast and easy doesn’t look as good. We use a technique called frequency separation. This is a very sophisticated process that involves separating the texture from the color of a photo. My retouching both elements as separate elements the retoucher could remove lines and blemishes while keeping the skin texture. In addition to face retouch we also review the photos for distractions. Red glaring exit signs are removed from photos as well as other unwanted distracting items.
Find your photography style.
Many couples love journalistic-style photography, which captures spontaneous moments during the day. But you’ll also want the typical formal shots from the wedding for framing. A reputable photographer should have a portfolio that you can review to get an idea of their style and art form. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how they prefer to shoot images (digital or film). Also inquire about other ways they may capture images—some may use drones for cool overhead images.
Discuss image rights and usage.
A photographer owns the copyrights to his or her images. Many couples, however, love to post their images to social media or on their wedding website. While posting images is fine for snapshots taken by guests with personal cameras, professional shots are a different ballgame. Before you post any photos, inquire about how you may (or may not) display purchased images. Remember…purchasing an image does not equate to the ownership of that image. Always discuss the copyright! By following the times in this article on, How to choose the best South Florida wedding photographer you will be in the best possible position to make an informed decision.
Schedule a meet up.
Couples need to personally mesh with their photographer, and there needs to be a mutual respect between all parties. Trusting your South Florida wedding photographer to capture the best memories of the day is very important. I always suggest doing an engagement photo as a way to determine how you photographer directs and poses couples. In a photography sales meeting personality is important, however what a photographer does while holding a camera matters even more. Discuss any reservations or boundaries that you may have for photographs. For example, if it’s not ok for your photographer to capture ‘getting ready’ shots of the bride having make-up or hair done, then set that boundary.
Get details in writing!
Before you make any agreements or pay any up-front fees, get everything in writing. A reputable photographer should have no reservations writing up an established agreement or contract that includes costs and other details.
Back up plans are important.
Life happens to the best of us. Be sure that your photographer offers a back-up plan if he or she falls ill, has a family emergency or any other personal conflicts that affect your wedding. Ideally, another photographer should be assigned to the event, but if your photographer is a solo act…you may want to look at other options before signing on the line.
Of all the vendors the two of you will hire for your wedding day, the photographer is the most important. Images from your wedding day will be the visual story of the big day, and they will be passed down for generations. After years of marriage, you will look back on those images and reminisce at the joy, the laughter, and the tears. Be sure to find the right photographer to preserve these precious memories.
Check your potential photographer final images.
Anyone can get nice wedding pictures if the take enough pictures of pretty brides and attractive grooms at weddings. Form experience I can tell you that sometimes an awesome shot just appears in-front of the camera lens. Sometimes everything just goes perfectly and the perfect shot is made. However to be a true professional wedding photographer the photographic skills need to go much deeper than just being lucky. I have never been to a wedding in which everything happened perfectly. I have gotten plenty of lucky shots and captured awesome moments that have just unfolded right in-front of me. However, in my mind as a top notch photographer, those easy shots don’t earn my keep as a professional South Florida wedding photographer. The measuring stick I use to determine my value as a photographer is based on me getting those really difficult shots, and making the complicated decisions that result in beautiful images. For example, having the ability to create beautiful portraits against a back-lit ocean or shooting portraits in the shade agains a brightly lit background. When your photographer has the ability to solve these types of problems the result will be beautiful images frame after frame. If you photographer can’t solve these problems the result will be washed out backgrounds and dark faces. The question is, did you potential photographer want a washed out background? If the photographer doesn’t have to skill-set to deal with bright background then they will most likely say, yes or blame the environment. I recently read a post from a bride who complained that the lighting on some of the faces was spotty or had heave shadows. Her photographer told her, well I can’t control the sun. Well actually a really skilled photographer may not be able to actually move the sun but they could deal with sun on a face by using a flash or turning the subject in another direction. My point is this, as someone who is hiring a South Florida wedding photographer, how can you check the finished work? Simple, every photographer should have an online client gallery. I know we do. Just ask your potential photographer for the password to several online galleries. Tell the photographer you want to see an entire finished wedding. By doing this you will get to see every photo that gets delivered to a couple. Don’t expect every shot to be awesome, the photos should be well exposed, (Not too bright and not too dark) they should be in focus and with good composition. By seeing a complete finished gallery you will be able to tell if the photographers portfolio includes a good representation of the work or you are just seeing to lucky shots that happened to unfold in-front of the lens.
I hope this article on, How to choose the best South Florida wedding photographer was helpful. I will add to this blog post as time goes on because the wedding and event industry is always changing and evolving. I wrote another article on wedding photography tips that you may find helpful as well. Here is the link: Wedding Photography tips for brides.
