Choosing a photographer can be stressful! There are tons of horror stories of photographers not showing up, being unprofessional and photos not being delivered. How can you insure you are choosing the right one!?

Like most things in life the general rule of thumb is, you get what you pay for. But, what are you paying for? How important is it to you? What are some warning signs to look out for?

Here is a quick guide of things to look out for and consider when looking for the perfect photographer.

Trust

Trust is a huge factor when it comes to wedding photography. Trust they will show up. Trust the will deliver your images. Trust they know what they are doing… I suggest the best way to know if you can trust someone is through honest reviews. See if they have a trusted 3rd party source like WeddingWire or the Knot. Both of the websites are managed by the XO Group and the reviews are real and honest.

Knowledge

It has become trendy to for some to disguise their lack of knowledge into trendy terms such as “natural light photographer”  it can carry a suggestion that they are a more honest type of photographer, better attuned to reality, and purer in motive or it could simply mean, “I haven’t learned to use lighting.”truth be told, we are all natural light photographers. That’s how we all started out.

On your wedding day how much trust do you want to put in natural light and what happens when the sun goes down or you’re inside a dark venue? I’m not “hating” on natty light only Photogs, it’s just a precaution you might want to take, especially if you have a darker venue.

In many professions there are licenses and requirements to perform the job. Real Estate and Insurance Agents have to be certified as well as a Barber or Beautician, this is all so you know they are really professionals. Not so much for photography. It is an unregulated field, which means anyone can go to the store, buy any camera and make the claim “I am a photographer”.

Experience

How much experience does your photographer have? Is this their first year or tenth year in business? Have they shot a wedding like yours? Have they shot a wedding? Is it a “family friend”? Do they have examples? Is this their job or is it just a part-time or side gig?

All of these are valid questions that you should not feel ashamed to ask. When you consult with a photographer, interview them - if they are experienced, they will be interviewing you too. It’s common to hear “a family friend” will be covering the wedding… It is also common to hear how disappointed the couple was in the photos. In our experience friends and family members are best being guests for a couple reasons. One, if something happens will it have an impact on your friendship? Two, shouldn’t they be a part of your day. It just isn’t possible to capture moments and be a part of them.

Legal

Are they legal? We covered that anyone can start a photography business with any camera they pick up from a local store and they might have some natural talent, but are they legal? Do they carry any type of insurance for if something happens? Cameras are small computers and the cards are like a hard drive and though it is unlikely, it isn’t impossible for a memory card to go bad or corupt. Does the photographer you hired have an indemnification trust for such situations? Do they carry a General Liability policy ( by the way a GL policy will not cover lost or damaged photos)? Do they pay taxes? What systems do they have in place to help mitigate these things from happening. If their camera were to simply stop working, do they have a backup?

Value

Most professional photographers cost between $3,000 -$8,000 depending on what you want.. There is always someone cheaper, but generally, like most things, there is a reason. You could be sticker shocked by the price range, but understand this covers time, equipment, maintenance on equipment, insurance, taxes, retirement savings, marketing and many other things you might not realized or considered what it takes to be truly “professional”.

Remember the job isn’t just the day of, but after as well. Many hours are spent in post production removing gnats and fly-aways and editing the images. Having the proper equipment to secure your images and paying ongoing costs to servers to store them.

There is enormous value in hiring a true professional. Someone that prepare’s for the worst and has the knowledge, skill and track record of delivering on their promise.

Us

When it comes to us; we are legal, experienced, knowledgeable and would love to meet you so you can see the attention to detail and value Goodman Photography brings to every wedding, couple, person.

Read our reviews and let’s grab a drink and start planning your day.