What To Ask Your Photographer BEFORE Booking
Photo by Sara Keefe Photography
We’ve reached out to one of our favorite photographers to work with, Sara Keefe Photography, to give us her list of questions she wishes people would ask their photographer BEFORE booking. There is a lot that goes into photography more so than just point and shoot. It’s knowing the lighting of a space, day or night, inside or outside, natural or florescent and having the knowledge to adapt and work with the camera to accurately capture the moment in time. It’s knowing how to interact and engage couples to create memorable photos. It’s knowing how to properly edit a photo in these modern days of filters. Photographers are true artists and worth their weight in gold! So, that being said, let’s dive right in!
Always, Always, ALWAYS ask to see a FULL gallery! Preferably, in the same type of setting, such as a Church wedding, a backyard wedding, a desert wedding, etc…this allows you to see how they capture a full day. Is there enough photos to your liking? Are they capturing the details you feel are most important? How do their photos transition from the lighter parts of the day to the darker parts of the day? However, one thing to not worry about is if the shooter has been to your exact location before. It’s their job to adapt and work fast in all type of locations.
Ask how many weddings or events they have shot! Quality, Monetary Value, and Artist Values go directly with experience.
Ask them to define their style! Do the adjectives used resonate with your wedding day vision? Sara mentions that it’s a good way to help make sure you both have the same vision. “I always think of it as a collaboration and you want to make sure your expectations are set.”
Ask about their use of flash/lighting! This is particularly important for winter or weddings that don’t have as much natural light. It should be an immediate red flag if they don’t use any flashes/additional lighting (which is why it’s important to see a full gallery with reception images). Your photographer should be using either on or off camera flashes. On camera flashes are good but if you can find a photographer with off camera flashes, then that is great! Off camera flashes are those umbrella or light stands that are triggered to ‘flash’ when the photographer takes a photo. This results in more epic and creative lighting within your photos. A photographer using this will always deliver amazing images, no matter the situation.
Finally, you can always ask to meet in person or over Zoom! You are going to be spending so much time with them, you should always feel comfortable with your lead photographer and like them as a person.
