Interviewing a wedding photographer…
Interviewing a wedding photographer can be a challenging task. Regardless of if you are interviewing Magnolia Wedding Photography or another Phoenix, AZ based photographer, we have created a list of questions to help you find your perfect photographer for your wedding day. Make sure your photographer is comfortable answering your questions and make sure you ask the following questions.
What is your primary shooting style?
This should be your first question that you need to ask your wedding photographer. I use a combination shooting style, mixing a photojournalistic style with the more traditional posed formal and informal photographs.
Much of the style that I use is determined by the agreement that we reach with the bride and groom concerning the type of shots that they want us to use to tell the story of their wedding.
Wedding photographer experience?
The question you should ask wedding photographer is not how long have you been in business but how many wedding have you shoot. One can be in business 10 years and photography only 5 wedding per year and someone else can be in business 5 years and shoot multiple weddings per month. You can see my point.
Are you the lead photographer?
Many amateur photographers look for work over the weekend as a second photographer and wish to experiment as a lead photographer. Many of them will offer special price or even offer a free service in order to build their wedding photography portfolio. You need to make sure to hire an experienced wedding photographer who has shoot at least 20 to 30 wedding as a lead photographer. If you want to help someone with building their portfolio, do so, but make sure you hire an experienced wedding photographer!
Is this the only wedding you are going to photograph that weekend?
Readers, beware!! Many photographers will double book in the wedding season and they will try to outsource the other weddings to a less experienced photographers, sometimes even amateurs. Magnolia Wedding Photography is owner operated business and we will book only one wedding per day.
Do you edit and color correct my images?
I can not tell you enough about the importance of post processing. Many photographers will edit and correct only few images, some of them will never correct any. Some of them do not even have the professional tools to do so. This means that you will end up with a lot of pictures where your skin will have many different colors.
Magnolia Wedding Photography believe in perfection so we will touch every single image and edit & correct if needed.
What kind of equipment do you use?
Magnolia Wedding Photography uses top quality professional Canon camera (5D Mark III) along with the finest quality L lenses from canon. Make sure to ask if photographer uses redundant equipment.
Click here for the full list of our photo and computer equipment.
What about the dress code?
Make sure your photographer understands the concept of being dressed appropriately for the occasion. We will be wearing a black suit pants with a black polo or dress shirt. We prefer to dress completely in black because we want to go unnoticed by the clients and guests. We like to stay low-key and blend into the crowd and capture the wedding event as photojournalists.
If my event last longer then anticipated, will you stay? Is there an extra charge?
Great question to ask! You don’t want to be in situation that your wedding photographer just leave after their time is up. Make sure you hire a flexible photographer who doesn’t have any other events to go to. Make sure to address issues like that in your interview to avoid any possible hidden cost. Magnolia Wedding Photography will stay on the job until job is completed or until the grooms tels him “Look, there is no more booze and you should LEAVE now! “
Will there be a wedding photography contract? Do I get a copy?
Many wedding photographers will not create a contract for their client. Magnolia Wedding Photography will email you a wedding photography proposal and when you agree on the proposal we will email you a contract. Wedding photography contract is created for your protection and it also gives you a release for your photography printing. You should definitely hire a wedding photographer who will provide you with a contract.
And last… When can I expect my photo disc, my wedding book, etc?
It usually takes up to two weeks to edit and convert all the images from the wedding. We edit each image to make sure there is no noticeable blemishes and to make sure all the colors and saturation is adjusted. We usually mail the photo DVD to your address when we are done.