by Bibiana Huang Matheis
A client once told me this simple truth and I've
shared that valuable consideration with all clients
hence. The intricacies and complexities of planning
a wedding are no secret. Your wedding is one of the
single most important, and possibly expensive, events
of your life. In planning the wedding, most people
are comfortable with planning the apparent priorities
such as picking the best location, caterer and flowers;
but, not as experienced or familiar with the process
of selecting the right wedding photographer. All
too often, people don't plan their photography with
the same sense of importance and significance as
they attribute to other considerations, and sadly,
they often they end up regretting this later.
What You Should Expect From Your Wedding Photographer
The photographer should comprehend and realize your
needs and expectations and understand your stylistic
preferences and have a clear plan of how to execute
the photo session and what to capture in image.
During the wedding, the photographer should be unobtrusive,
quiet and cordial, efficient and accurate. The wedding
party should not have to concern itself with the
photo activity, which should proceed seamlessly "behind
the scenes."
The final products should document the wedding in
the way you wanted to see it, and reflect your stated
tastes and preferences. The photo quality should
meet the highest professional standards.
These common-sense guidelines to planning for successful
photography will help you achieve your expectations
and the best results:
Select a Photographer With Whom You Have Good Personal
Chemistry
People underestimate the importance of the "personality" of
the photographer, who will end up being a very personal
guest at your most important day. When selecting
a photographer establish as a key criteria not just
the usual portfolio preview, but evaluate carefully
whether you feel personally comfortable with this
person. Mutual compatibility is paramount! Too often
people regret their choice of a photographer not
because they don't like the pictures, but they ended
up not liking the person.
The actions, behavior and
personal style of the photographer can literally
ruin your event. All too common are complaints
such as : I hated him! He stood out like a sore thumb,
he was... obtrusive; pompous; arrogant; bossy;
poorly
dressed; greasy; ill-mannered; overbearing; egotistical;
made bad jokes; loud-mouthed; and he ordered my
guests around like he was the director of the event.
Take
your pick. You don't want either. I've even heard
about a photographer getting annoyed and raising
his voice to the guests while setting people up
for a shot. Don't bring a photographer to your event
which you would not otherwise feel very comfortable
to have as a wedding guest. First find a photographer
who you like as a person - then evaluate other
criteria. What To
Look For In a Portfolio
Evaluating a photographer's
portfolio depends entirely upon your own stylistic
and artistic preferences.
Fundamentally, do you prefer artistic photography,
or the more generic, commercial wedding look?
Your wedding photography should reflect who you
are as a person- and match your tastes and style.
When you evaluate photographer's portfolio, look
for nuances and subtleties. Does the photographer
see things as you do ? Is there as sense of beauty
? Does the photographer captures the light in people's
soul ? Does the photography reflect the passion of
the moment? Do the portfolio pictures speak to you
? Do they move you? Stir passions?
There is no easy formula. Follow your heart and
look at as many photographers as necessary until
what you see with your eyes connects with you intrinsically.
Don't settle for average and never make stylistic
compromises for the sake of time pressures and convenience.
You will live with these photos for too long to have
regrets. The photographer should be an extension
of yourself and meet your highest standard. Be very
picky!
Define and Articulate Your Expectations and Desires
Visualize
in advance what your completed wedding album and
framed photos should look like. Do you
prefer the lasting elegance and sophistication of
traditional black and white photography ? Black and
white photography will not fade when framed and subjected
to light, and will last for generations. Color prints
may discolor and turn greenish with time when exposed
to direct light. However, color is very beautiful,
especially during outdoor weddings in a nice landscape
and weather conditions. Color photos in albums will
keep for decades. If you favor color photography
do you prefer the "soft" touch often associated
with glamour or model photography or do you want
crisp, clear and sharp images? How many prints will
you want and what sizes will you prefer. Do you like
matte or glossy finish, with borders or without ?
How do you envision your wedding album?
Consider
your own preferences carefully. If you are uncertain
let the photographer show you samples of different
print formats and approaches. Ask about the lab
the photographer deals with. Look at samples of actual
weddings. Be aware of the large, glitzy show samples
on the wall. Sometimes these impressive wall-samples
are provided by labs and not even shot by the studio
you are sitting in. Some photographers are like
fast
food restaurants. Somehow the burger you get never
looks like the one on the poster. Think carefully about what you want and communicate
this to your photographer and assure that the photographer
understands your expectations.
Plan the Wedding Day Photography from Beginning
to End
It is wise to appoint a member of the wedding
party to be the photo-coordinator during the big
day, to
organize the family groups and to point out people
to be photographed. Remember that the photographer
does not know your relatives and guests. A wedding
day command such as "Make sure you photograph
Uncle Wilbur and Aunt Mae" won't help the poor
photographer.
Visit the location with the photographer and the
photo-coordinator to preview the wedding site. The
photographer needs to determine lighting conditions
and become familiar with the overall environment
. If you plan to photograph posed groups outside,
plan for alternative locations indoors in case of
adverse weather conditions. Let the photographer
know during the site visit whether you prefer candid "document
the event freely with your own eyes" approach,
or a structured, formal posed-groups, or a combination
of both.
Let the photographer know the sequence of
the activities and who, what, when and where you
want to photograph (or, not to). It is important
to determine whether the photographer should photograph
during the ceremony. Some houses of worship prohibit
photography during the actual ceremony, in which
case the photographer should be willing to come
in during the rehearsal. If the photographer shoots
during the actual ceremony this may trigger the
guests
to pull out pocket cameras with flashes and video
cameras, which can be disruptive.
Also, consider
whether it is important to the bride to get photos
in her chamber, applying make-up, getting styled,
etc. In such a case it would be appropriate to
select a woman photographer. Get
Things In Writing
Most professional photographers
will write a special wedding photo contract.
Be sure that you read it
carefully, especially the fine print. Be aware that
by US and international copyright law, the photographer
owns the negatives and has the sole right to reproduce
the photos. If you wish to receive the negatives,
and thus the copyright, you need to discuss this
in advance. It is up to each photographer to accept
or decline this request and to determine additional
costs for this privilege.
The contract should clearly define all mutual expectations
and requirements, including services to be rendered,
fees, deposits and all related information.
Closely examine "price packages" to avoid
unexpected, pesky "add-on charges". Contracts
should clearly define what is included in the price
and you should know exactly what you are getting
in the end. Also, be sure to discuss cancellation,
refunds of deposits and when payments are due. A
good photo contract helps both parties define terms
and conditions and assure a clear understanding of
all relevant issues. Like any contract, don't sign
anything you are uncomfortable with. If necessary,
take it home and have the contract reviewed by your
representatives.
Be Nice
When the photographer works hard at your
wedding all day, please extend a host's courtesies.
Be gracious,
polite and friendly. Please offer food and drink
and allow for periodic short breaks. Your kindness
will be much appreciated.
All of this work and effort will hopefully help
you assure that when it is all over, you will have
a photo album to love and treasure forever - without
a single regret.
By Bibiana Matheis
Bibiana Matheis serves Western Connecticut and the
Hudson Valley, New York. 860-927-1010 and 845-855-9345.
Check out "Bibiana
Matheis Photo"
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