How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
(Thanks to Rachel Downey for the above photo of me working!)
I meet with a lot of prospective clients, and I often have people ask me….what they should be asking me. They’ve never done this before, and I have! I love it when people ask me what I think they should know. There are so many misconceptions about how to pick a wedding photographer, so I thought I’d go ahead and write out a list of steps that I think are really important to making the best, most informed decision for your day.
What is your photographic style?
During a wedding, I tend toward the photo-journalistic: I stay out of the way and photograph candid, natural moments as they happen. I feel that the true emotion of a wedding day is where the real beauty is, and my goal is to capture that to the best of my ability. I like images that are dynamic, that tell a story. Of course I’ll take the bride and groom, family and bridal party photos you’d like during a set portrait session time, but aside from that I usually don’t tell people to smile and look at the camera unless they ask me to. Throughout the day, I take time to capture all of the details that are often painstakingly planned and put together, and really try to get the feel and ambiance of the event. For the most part, however, I let the celebration unfold naturally, and I love being along for the ride!
So You Want to Have Your Friend Photograph Your Wedding?
You know you’ve heard it from your friends who have gotten married, or maybe even thought it yourself as you look at wedding photography options: “I have a friend who takes pictures” or “my uncle has a camera” or even “my bff is a photographer”. And here’s the thing – I’m not going to say it’s *wrong* to hire a friend to photograph your wedding. It’s even possible that your friend is, in fact, a wedding photographer and would do an awesome job. I have photographed the weddings of friends and family members, and it has worked out fine. But what I AM saying is that there are a number of minefields to navigate and things to think about if you’re considering going that route (even if I am the friend you’re considering hiring 😉 ). So below I have prepared for you a handy list of things to consider if you’re thinking about having a friend photograph your wedding.
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Bay Area Wedding Photographer | What I Learned in 2017
One of my (many many, far too many) goals for this year is to write more. This means journaling and creative writing, as well as writing more on this blog. Sometimes there are so many photos to share that I get caught up in sharing images but forget to share thoughts. So, in an effort to start strong on that front, I wanted to write down just a sampling of what I learned last year. As a photographer and business owner, I am always learning – improving posing, lighting, marketing, art direction and directing clients. I am trying to learn how to organize and focus and do the (dreaded) paperwork. But the *most* important things I have learned throughout my career have nothing to do with the technicalities and everything to do with life.