How Do I Pick A Photographer? AKA The Five Ps

Before I begin, I’d like to start off by saying that there is really no right or wrong, better or worse choice when it comes to picking a photographer – but only if you have made an informed decision. The reason I wanted to write this article is because I find that some clients are not asking the questions I expected them to. Don’t get me wrong – less fuss is good, but to me a client that asks questions tells me that they really care about the service and the photos that they’re going to get, and it really drives me harder to meet their expectations.

Anyway, I didn’t really have an idea of how I was going to write this piece, but I’ve decided to share with you some things that I, (as a photographer), would put into consideration if I were to engage a photographer myself. Some terms may be borderline technical, but I’ll try to make it as simple as I can. I’m going to give you an idea of the questions that you might like to ask your potential photographer, and also things you should be looking out for.

Portfolio
The photographer’s portfolio will tell you a lot about himself. Every photographer has his own style, and you should be able to identify it within his portfolio.

Does the photographer shoot wide? Or mostly close ups? Is he good in telling a story? Are his angles conventional or experimental? Is his strength in capturing the candid moments or producing really beautiful posed shots?

Like I’ve mentioned before, there is no right or wrong, it’s just a matter of what YOU are looking for. Each photographer has his own unique vision, and you should pick one that is closest to yours.

An additional thing to note, and something of special importance to me, is – how does the photographer handle colors? I personally prefer a style that is subtle, with consistency in skin tone. You might prefer colors that are vivid and saturated. Again – no right or wrong here, it’s just a matter of preference. (Actually, I really love black and white the best!)

Personality
Is it only skin deep? When you meet your photographer, I think this is one important thing to look out for. Certainly, personality does not affect the photographer’s ability, but you will be spending a lot of time with him on the day(s) of your ceremony. I feel that the more comfortable I am (with the photographer), the better I will look in the photos. Of course not Hollywood standard lah, but hopefully it will reflect the best that god has given me ☺

Product
This includes prints, albums, books, frames, cds, DVDs and whatever output options that are available. Your photographer should be able to advise you on what kind of paper he’s printing on, what kind of printing process is involved (photo / digital / offset etc), how may photos will fit into the album, are covers customizable, do the DVDs come with menus… the list goes on. Whatever else you can think of, ask!

Protection
I’m not referring to bodyguard services for the day, but rather, an important item that will serve to protect both the photographer and yourself. This is to ensure that everything is delivered as agreed upon by the photographer, and on the other hand, that the client will not make ridiculous claims after the delivery.

I’m talking about a written contract. There should be one that clearly states the terms and conditions, to be signed by both parties. On top of this, your photographer should furbish you with a receipt / invoice stating the deliverables whilst reflecting any monetary exchanges (deposit / full payment received).

On top of this, is your photographer taking any measures to ensure that everything goes smoothly. What do I mean? Equipment failure! This is something I personally have a little phobia with. Although I haven’t had the experience myself, it CAN happen. But not to worry, it’s not as if there is no solution.

Ask your photographer if he will be having a back-up camera, lenses, flash, external hard drive / media storage etc. Call me paranoid, but I believe in Murphy’s Law.

Price
You knew this was coming didn’t you? I bet you could smell it right from the start.

When everything is said and done, I guess this one pretty much dictates whether or not you will be engaging the services of the photographer.

Photographers come in varying prices, but if you’ve considered the 4 Ps mentioned earlier, you should be able to make an informed decision at this point. As I’ve mentioned in a previous article, cheap does not necessarily mean bad, and expensive does not necessarily mean good. Whatever the price that you’re willing to settle on, just make sure you feel that you’re getting your money’s worth, and you should be fine.

Outro
I expect that in writing this article, it will be like shooting myself in the foot. Now everyone will be asking a million questions. Whatever it is, I believe that it will be better to clear those doubts right from the start than having to explain myself later.

I’d like to end this with a loose quote from a respected and celebrated wedding photographer, the late Monte Zucker.

“… the flowers will last one day. My photographs will last a lifetime, and always remind you of this wonderful occasion”.

I think that in those few words, Monte has pretty much summed up the value of photography.