Any tips on what to ask a photographer before booking?
Question Asked: 26/03/2018
Wedding Date: 9/08/2018
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Answered by: 9 Experts
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(12) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
The big questions have already been covered well above, so I will give you the ones couples rarely think to ask but that genuinely matter on the day. First, ask who edits your photos and video, and where. This one gets glossed over a lot. With us, every single image and film is edited in-house by the same team who shot your day, never sent offshore or outsourced. That matters because the person who was actually standing in the room, who saw the light and felt the moment, is the one making the calls in the edit. It is the difference between photos that look like your wedding and photos that look like a template.
Second, ask how they handle hard light and fading light, because in South East Queensland that is half the job. A summer wedding here can mean harsh overhead sun at midday and a ceremony that hits 30-plus degrees, while a winter wedding means you lose the sun much earlier in the afternoon. A good photographer will instantly talk you through how they would shoot your specific timeline and venue, and might even suggest nudging your ceremony or photo time by half an hour. If they have no opinion on your light, that tells you something.
Third, ask to see a full gallery or full film from one wedding, start to finish, not just the highlights. Anyone can pull twenty stunning frames. You want to see that the quality holds across the whole day, including the speeches, the dance floor and the quiet in-between moments. And do ask about backups and what happens if they fall ill, as a couple of the others mentioned, because that is the kind of boring detail you only care about when something goes wrong.
Last thing, and it is the simplest: make sure you actually like them. You will spend more time with your photographer than almost anyone else on the day, and the relaxed, natural photos you are hoping for only happen when you feel comfortable in front of the person holding the camera. Meet them, have a coffee or a video call, and trust how it feels.
So many things! But mainly, if the images speak to you and you get a good gut feeling from the photographer, then you are on the right track.
- Extra hour costing
- Editing time
- Arrival time before the wedding
- How do they work (candid, formal, posing)
- Back up plan (if they can't be there)
- Hidden costs
- Travel costs
- read the reviews
(26) · Cairns, Palm Cove & Port Douglas
Posted: 6/06/2018
Look at their work, make sure you like their style and make sure it's consistent. Chat to them and if you get one the rest is easy.
Research - Before you buy a car you would generally do your research. You'd check out comparative models, performance, style and experience of other users. I wouldn't just go up to the salesman and ask their opinion because it will be obviously biased and they are looking to sell you something which will benefit them. it is the same when you chose a photographer.
Websites- Here is your chance to check out the photographers style, read testimonials, see how long they have been in business and what they are currently doing
Reviews- Check out what clients have been saying about them- Google them
Once you know what style you like and have a vibe about how their business works make an appointment. You cannot beat gut feeling in my opinion because you have to know that you can trust the photographer to do what they promised. Will they cope with emergencies on the day, can they liase with all the other suppliers, communicate well with your bridal party and make your day enjoyable. This is where experience counts and having quality gear with backups in case of failure.
Okay you feel comfortable with them, they create good work and appear trustworthy. Find out how much they cost and what you will receive for that price. Remember you can't have quality and low prices because all that experience, insurance, licenses, gear and knowledge costs the professional too. If you want cheap expect unreliable photographers who dont turn up on the day because they got a better offer, gear that doesn't work or they dont know how to use. However this doesn't mean that it should be exorbitant but for professionals this is their business. You wouldn't expect to go to work for a week and then not be paid and photographers have to supply all their own expensive equipment too.
Contract - Like a car or a house you should have a contract that states what you will receive in return for your payment. This would cover with the terms of the package how many hours coverage you'd receive, dates and times and everyones signed agreement to this. I'd also ask who would be personally photographing the day and how long will it take until you receive the first viewing of the images and the subsequent production of them all.
Deposit How much deposit does it cost to retain the photographer for your day.
When you see a good professional photographer you shouldn't need to ask all of these questions as they should be explained to you without a hard sell. Their product should sell itself to you and you should feel comfortable with them.
My personal experience with my clients is that they have already checked us out, know we are reliable and have an excellent track record. They come to meet me in person and connect and see we are all on the same page. My enjoyment is when they receive their images, albums, canvasses and frames that they are "blown away" by the quality that far exceeds their expectations.
www.studiodeco.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/studiodecophotography/
There are many things you could ask a photographer prior to boooking them. Although you might initially contact them via email or mobile, make sure to meet with them personally and ideally with your partner... to make sure they are the right person for you. So... what are the things that you could ask them... ? A few of them I have listed below, in no particular order:
- What is their pricing? This may result in the photographer asking a few questions back. They may not get back with a price to you immediately but it'll set expectations.
- How many hours would they be present during the wedding day? Make sure you know when they are going to arrive and leave.
- Who will be doing the wedding day photography? Often enough, in a larger business, the person you meet may not be the one who turns for the wedding photography. So make sure you meet the person who will be capturing your wedding.
- Do they mind showing an entire final collection of couple of their wedding shoots? Remember, anyone can produce a handful of amazing shots, the trick is to ensure that the quality is prevalent through the entire package. It's no good having 20-30 amazing shots and 400 others which are unedited or unsatisfactory.
- How many photos would I expect to get? When would I get them? How many would be edited? I would expect all the photos to be edited. The final number could be a range.. generally expect 300-700 for a day and it depends on a number of factors but at least it'll help you understand. Remembering, quality over quantity will go a long way.
- What do they think of the wedding day itinerary? Get their help and suggestion, although this one is most likely going to be asked after you have selected the photographer. They have photographed many weddings and can definitely help you plan your day.
- Ask them about their backups / equipment / and process. This one is for your piece of mind more than anything else. If they are happy to be transparent, that's always a good sign.
These should really help set the conversation and get a guage of the them as a person and what they have to offer. There are many more questions you can ask.
Have a good day :)
Uddhav
www.uddhavnaik.com
When hiring a photographer, you spend time hunting for that someone who can empathize with how this day is significant for you and capture it in photographs. After you found that one, make sure a service contract agreement will be signed before any booking and payments.The contract should cover what will happen in case the photographer get sick and cant make it and etc. https://www.michellekenney.com/blank-3
I think there are three important boxes that need to be ticked before booking your photographer.
- You must love their work, as this is your photography legacy that will outlive you, and you want to really enjoy looking back at your wedding photos
- You must like the photographer, so always meet with the person that will be shooting your wedding, not just the person running the studio
- Thei price must be within what you can afford, although it is worth stretching your budget for a great photographer
How long willl it be before you received each item you will purchase.
Do they have a backup plan incase they can't make it.
Do they have a three point back up plan for your photos? This should be two copies of your photos at their place of business, and the third online (cloud based). This ensures that your precious photos are safe.
I have written an article on this exact subject. I hope there is some useful information in there for you.
http://bnphotography.com.au/wedding/no-second-chances/
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Ultimately, the most important thing is that you choose somebody who you feel comfortable enough with to drop your guard on the day and be totally yourselves. This is what will result in the best, most natural and meaningful pictures, but here’s some questions to help you choose that person:
1. How would the day run from start to finish?
Planning out a great schedule together will give you a smooth, stress-free day, and ultimately a much better set of pictures.
2. Who is the actual person who will photograph my wedding?
If you’re going to entrust the responsibility of capturing your wedding day to somebody, it’s very reasonable to ask to meet them, see their portfolio and discuss your day with them to see if you connect.
3. When will we get our pictures and products?
We’ve all heard the stories about couples not getting their pictures for two years. It should never happen, and you can make sure that’s not you by discussing the whole process from booking right through to collecting your pictures.
4. What’s in the package and what might we purchase after the wedding? Are those prices locked in when we book?
A lot of couples choose to book their photographer with a base photography package and then purchase wall prints and album upgrades afterwards. This is smart as it allows you to see your pictures before committing to putting them all over your walls.
5. Who produces your albums?
There’s a big different between cheap albums and locally hand-made masterpieces that will last forever.
6. How do you reduce the risk of images being lost, damaged etc?
Even the best cameras can fail, memory cards can corrupt and lenses can be dropped, so serious professionals who’s livelihoods depend upon their photography will have plans in place to cover these situations.
7. Can you show me some examples of pictures taken in poor lighting conditions?
Gorgeous, natural light is always best if possible, but even the best photographers can’t convince the sun to stay up in the sky past sunset! Natural light just isn’t always available, and a professional wedding photographer should have the skills, experience and equipment to quickly create natural-looking light when necessary.
8. How will you handle my overbearing mother / drunk uncle / paparazzi auntie or my slightly-jealous-of-all-the-attention-I’m-getting bridesmaid?
The best wedding photographers have the kind of personality that can get the best out of people even in stressful situations.
Good luck!