I’m one of the organizers for a local photography club and one of the other wedding photographers in our group told me that he had to reshoot a wedding recently.  I said, “Reshoot the wedding!… let me sit down because this sounds like it’s going to be good!” Apparently the bride had paid a friend of the family or relative to do her wedding. The person she hired was learning about photography and said that he could do it. Well when the bride got the images back needless to say she was dissapointed. So she had to hire my friend to stage the wedding again and get all the shots that were missed.

I thought to myself how sad this situation was but believe it or not it happens more often then most people realize. I do realize everyone has to start somewhere when they want to become a wedding photographer. The thing you must remember is that weddings are one of the most important days of a couple’s life and you should make sure you’re able to handle the request. I’ll be the first to tell you wedding’s aren’t easy. It’s not just picking up the camera, pointing and shooting. You may frequently come up unexpected mishaps, difficult lighting situations, and equipment issues. Unless you’ve been shooting for a while and understand how to deal with these situation, then it’s hard to come out sucessful.

So to the bride and groom:

I know wedding photography can be one of the most expensive aspects to a wedding but remember sometimes you get what you pay for. It may sound really good that you can get someone to shoot your wedding and give you a CD of all your images for a few hundred dollars, but if the images aren’t good what’s the point of the CD? A good wedding photographer should be able to provide you with great images. Prints should be of high quality and last years unlike inkjet prints. Your wedding photographer will be able to provide high quality and premium albums that “uncle bob” will not be able to get for you. Here are some questions you may want to ask your photographer:

Do you have backup equipment?
Having multiple cameras and lenses is very important! You never know when something may happen to the eqiupment or when it will fail.

Can you handle low light photography?
Many churches and venues have do not inadequate lighting for photography. Many churches do not allow flash photography during the ceremony. Your photographer should have lenses that will work in lower light with out the use of flash.

Do you know how to use flash?
Some photographers do not know how to effectively use flash and don’t care to learn. You can take pictures with flash and make them look natural! In low light situations if flash is allowed it can tremendously help the exposure of your images.

Do you have many products and print options?
Professional photographers should have access to pro print labs that will produce prints last longer than inkjet prints and prints from your local grocery store. They will also be able to get professional albums and press books that you would not be able to get on your own.

Do you give out CD’s?
It’s becoming more common that many photographers are including a high resolution CD so you can print your own images. Not all photographers are giving out CD so don’t be completely dissapointed if they say no.

Do you have web galleries so family and friends can see our wedding?
Web galleries are also common for professional photographers. A good photographer will have galleries that family and friends will be able to order their own print memories without coming to you.

As for Mark Warren Photography, we say yes to all these questions! Photographers are all different and have their own styles. Make sure they’re quality of images are up to your liking. Ask to see many samples of their prints, products and albums before you decide. We offer competitive prices on our wedding photography packages and we’ll make sure you will get the quality you deserve!

And to our upcoming photographers:

Sure you may want to get into wedding photography because you just got your new camera. Realize it’s not as easy as it may seem and you should really take the time to learn as much as you can before you say yes. Before going on your own I would recommend:

Join a local photography club and get to know the pros!

We are a member of and one of the organizers of the Tidewater Digital Photography Club. This group ranges from beginners to pros and there is no cost to join the group! I’ll have another post on Tidewater Digital Photography Club later!

Find a mentor and work as an assistant!

Again once you get to know some of the pros ask for help. Most are willing to help if you’re nice about it. Ask to be an assistant on shoots. When I say be an assistant notice I didn’t mean second shooter! That’s right, as an assistant you’ll be leaving your camera at home! You’ll have to do work like hold reflectors, setup lights, position groups and more. Trust me when I say you want need a camera because you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. Though you may not have your camera, watch the pro and learn as you go! Your mentor will fill you in on the photography part when the time is right.

Read a lot!

The internet has a wealth of information on various site, forums and blogs. You can get many helpful tips from just reading.

Practice, Practice, Practice!!

After you read you must practice what you’ve read! That’s the best way to remember what you just read about. Practice on friends, family and yourself. Many times your friends and family will run at the site your camera. In lieu of using them learn to take many self portraits. When you get to the point that you can pose yourself and look good then it will make it easier to pose others because you’ve been in their shoes.

I hope this helps you in choosing your wedding photographer and it will keep you from having to say, “I should have gone with the pro.” Even if you don’t go with us, think about your choice in a wedding photographer carefully so all the memories of your wedding day are captured!