Hiring the right wedding team is a critical part of the wedding planning process. Personality, budget, skills, compatibility are just a few of the factors to consider, but whats the deciding factor in hiring the team to run such an important event? We are excited to bring you this insightful, in-depth 5 part blog on hiring your vendor. Though its written with hiring your photographer (a VERY important vendor!) in mind, its applicable to hiring all of your vendors. Thank you to our Guest Blogger, Paul Bellinger Photography for this great piece. We will be posting this complete blog over the next weeks, so check back weekly. Now for Part 3. Read the Entire Blog…. Part 1 | Part 2
Skills
Problem: What
skills does my wedding photographer need to have?
Solution: This
is a tough one! Your best bet is
to hire a professional wedding photographer that has all of the skills detailed
below.
Photography is
about so much more than simply having a good camera. In fact, a good photographer can make amazing photos with
pretty much any camera (just follow a few pros on instagram and you’ll see what
I mean). A skilled photographer
can make a beautiful photo in almost any circumstance, and your wedding day is
no exception.
But a wedding
day presents a unique set of challenges.
It’s a grueling 12+ hour day, working in difficult and multiple lighting
conditions that are constantly changing throughout the day and often in a
matter of moments (think exit from dark church into full sunlight). And then there is the challenge of
posing real people to make them look their absolute best for the entire day,
something even professional models can struggle at. Add in the time constraints and the stress of having only
one chance to get it right, and it’s easy to see why most photographers don’t
even want to shoot weddings!
Wedding photography is very difficult and requires a combination of
skills that many professional photographers do not have, and that an amateur
photographer almost certainly does not have. For instance, a good wedding photographer will be able to
pose and light like a portrait artist or fashion photographer; have the speed,
anticipation and endurance of a photojournalist; be able to make venues come to
life like a landscape or architectural photographer; capture all of your
precious details like a still life or commercial product photographer; and
finally, must have their own cultivated sense of style. You can spend an entire career
mastering just one of these genres of photography, but your wedding photographer
needs all of these skills and more to ensure they get everything right.
So, how do you
know if your potential wedding photographer has what it takes? I’ll give you some idea of what to look
for and a few questions to ask.
1. Posing and Lighting: A good wedding
photographer should have the posing and lighting skills of a portrait
artist. They need the ability to
create a scene when a scene is not there and adapt to changing lighting
conditions quickly. They need to
be able to pose someone who is not a natural poser. Portraiture is one of the most important skills for your
wedding photographer to have, because it makes you look good! Unfortunately wedding photographers
often fall short when it comes to posing and lighting because it takes a lot of
practice and study to learn these skills.
When you’re
reviewing potential wedding photographers, pay special attention to their
portraits. Make note of the poses
their couples are in. Look for
connection between the couple and ask yourself if their pose conveys a message
or an emotion that resonates with you.
Scrutinize the details, such as the hands, loose strands of hair or out
of place clothing. Ask your
potential photographer about posing even if it doesn’t look like they pose
their clients. Be skeptical if a
photographer says they don’t pose their clients, because if you’re not a
natural poser you will almost certainly look and feel awkward. On the other hand, when your
photographer is a master at posing you’ll look great all day and feel confident
and stress free on your wedding day.
When it comes to
lighting, just come right out and ask if they are comfortable using artificial light,
should the circumstances arise where it is required for good photography. Being able to adapt to all different
types of lighting conditions, often in a matter of moments, is one of the
skills that separates professional from amateur wedding photographers, and it
should give you peace of mind if you decide to hire a pro. You shouldn’t be stuck with dark or
blurry images just because of a little bad weather. Don’t assume that “natural light” photographers cannot use
artificial light. I know many
natural light photographers who simply prefer natural light for stylistic
reasons, but are perfectly capable of using flashes and strobes when the
situation calls for it. A couple
of good questions to ask are: “How comfortable are you using flashes, strobes
and studio lighting equipment?” and “can I see a few portfolio photos where
you’ve used artificial light?”
2. Photojournalism: Photojournalists have so many skills
that are crucial in wedding photography.
Like a photojournalist, a good wedding photographer has to be able to
anticipate moments and be able to react quickly to capture them as they happen,
with no chance for a re-shoot.
This means they must know their gear inside and out and be able to
operate their equipment efficiently in high stress situations to create sharp
images even when their subjects are moving. A good wedding photographer will also have the
resourcefulness of a photojournalist and be able to make beautiful photos under
imperfect circumstances.
Photojournalists are experts on seeing the light, and they can find the
light or create the light for a good photo anytime, anywhere. A good wedding photographer should be
able to do the same. Lastly your
wedding photographer absolutely needs the physical endurance of a
photojournalist, as a wedding photographer may be on their feet for up to 12
hours on your wedding day, often rushing around with heavy gear.
To assess the
photojournalistic skills of potential photographers ask to see a portfolio of
photojournalistic “moments,” or a real wedding album. See if the photographer anticipated all of the crucial
moments, such as the kiss, the ring ceremony, and both walks down the aisle,
and captured those moments with sharp images. Lastly, assess their physicality and use your best judgment
on whether you think they can endure the grueling wedding day (and trust me,
there are some women that can run circles around men in this department).
3. Landscapes: Landscape and architecture photographers have the ability to
make almost any scene come to life with beauty, and your wedding photographer
should be able to make your venue and your vision come to life as well. Wedding venues are some of the most
beautiful places to be and it would be a real shame if your wedding
photographer could not capture the beauty of your day in all its grandeur. But it’s not as easy as simply taking a
few “wide shots.” Wide-angle
photography is an extremely difficult skill to master that many landscape and
architectural photographers spend decades perfecting. Fortunately for brides it is usually quite easy to spot
whether a potential wedding photographer has theses skills simply by looking
through their portfolio and keeping an eye out for photos that capture the
beauty of the venue and the surrounding landscape.
4. Details: Like a still life photographer
or a commercial product photographer, your wedding photographer has to be able
to capture all of the little details that make your wedding special. This is no easy task! It’s a completely different type of
photography than any of the above, and arguably the most difficult to master
for wedding photographers. Still
life and commercial product photographers have the great benefit of being able
to use a studio complete with specialized lighting kits and camera stands that
can give them the ultimate control.
Wedding photographers won’t have any of that stuff on your wedding
day! But with practice, study, and
a little resourcefulness, your wedding photographer can still make stunning
photos of your details without spending too much time that they miss other
moments. To see if your
photographer has the eye for details, ask to see some “details photos” of the
ring/s, dress, heels, table settings, and floral arrangements.
Key tip: Wow
your wedding photographer needs a lot of skills! Your best bet is to hire a professional wedding
photographer, as an amateur is unlikely to have this difficult combination of
skills.
Guest Blogger
Paul Bellinger
406-850-2674
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