Important Things To Consider When Choosing a Wedding Photographer
Experience Level - Has this person photographed other weddings? Does he/she do this for a living or for fun?
∙ Yes, Timeless Treasures has photographed other weddings. This is our work, our business, and our love, not just a hobby. Laurie, your lead photographer, has photographed weddings for over five years, and Julie has photographed journalistically for eight years for newspapers, yearbooks, and graphic design and printing companies. Laurie also carries nine years of studio experience. Julie has been working in-studio for four years.
Photographic Style - Are the images that you are shown, what you would like to see? There are "buzz" words flying about everywhere about photojournalism, formal, classic candid, and so on. Do you want a mixture of black and white or only colour photos?
∙ With every wedding package with Timeless Treasures, you have two photographers covering your day. One focuses on formal portraiture, the other photojournalistic – or photographing as things happen.
Truth in Advertising - Is this the photographer that will be at your wedding or will they send in whomever is available? Don't be shocked, this happens more often than you can imagine. Be certain that you know which photographers are going to be there and that you see HIS/HER work and meet with that individual face to face.
∙ Laurie and Julie are the photographers. They cover your event. The work you see at bridal shows, on the website and on Facebook are all original work by both of your photographers and nobody else
Personality - Is the photographer that you meet someone that you can get along with? Is the "chemistry" there?
∙ Just talk to us!! You’ll love us! We are easy-going and truly have fun with what we do.
Appearance - Ask the photographer how he/she intends to dress. Is this person well groomed?
∙ We dress business-casual, generally dress pants and a nice shirt, and usually darker colors. If the weather is unbearably warm, you may see us is dressy capri pants, sandals and a modest top. If your event is more formal, please inform us and we will dress accordingly.
Price Range - Although, the last thing you want to do is shop by price, is this person within your budget? If not, is he or she worth the price difference? Make sure you understand what everything costs, including reprints and albums.
∙ Timeless Treasures strives to make wedding photography affordable to every bride. If we don’t have a package that works for you within your budget, let us know and we can work with you to create a customized package. Compared to other professional, established photographers our a la carte pricing for prints, books, and other portrait art products cannot be beat.
Delivery - How long does it take to get your proofs back, thank you cards, your finished album, your bridal portrait, etc.?
∙ A sneak peek album to be available on our website within 7 days of your event. Your proofing gallery and disk are available within 30 days. Your finished album will be delivered within 60 days of ordering it.
Offering - Whether it's a la carte or a package, do you understand what you are getting? Is there any room for changes and will it cost to do so? Sometimes the packages are fixed, sometimes they can be customized, in any case, ask. How much time will he/she spend? What if you need more time? Make sure that you know what's coming.
∙ See our “Price Range”, and when in doubt, ASK!!
Contract - Do you understand the contract. Is it fair? Is everything spelled out? When it comes down going to court, only what is WRITTEN really counts, not what was promised. Make sure that you have no doubts before signing. Read it ALL.
∙ Our contracts are very simple and straight-forward. We strive to be clear, fair and accommodating. Copies for review are always available on request.
What about deposits and payments? What does it say about cancellations and the photographer not being there? If the photographer protests, ask him why? This is one area NOT to take lightly. You could be disappointed for a long time.
∙ Deposits are contracted as retainer fees. Your retainer fee guarantees your date with us. In the event that you cancel, retainer fees are non-refundable unless we can book an equivalent event on your date. And, since your photographers are also the owners of the business, we will always show up. We take our business and our love seriously, and our conduct proves it.
References - A personal reference is always the best and people love to talk. Get a list of references from the photographer and check them out personally. A photographer who doesn't have references or is afraid to give them to you may not be the person that you need to hire.
· Have you shot a wedding at my location before?
- We do our homework. If we haven’t shot at your venue or church, we will visit each place before your event to be sure we are familiar with it.
· Do you have an assistant?
- There are always two photographers.
· Do you have backup equipment and is it the same quality as the primary equipment?
- We have a complete backup system (three sets total) in case of equipment failure. The camera and lenses are all identical.
· What time will you begin and how long will you stay until?
- We will stay for the timeframe contracted. If you want us to stay later, additional time may be purchased at an hourly rate.
· Do we get to keep the proofs?
- Yes you will get to keep your proofing disk. All images will be watermarked for viewing purposes. Your online proofing gallery will be available for as long as you need it.
· Do you have tele-photo and wide-angle lenses?
- We have a variety of lenses including 70-300mm and 55-250 zoom lenses for photos where we may not be able to get close enough, 50mm fixed lenses for individual portraits, 18-55mm and 18-135mm lenses for general shooting, and a 10-20mm wide angle lens to get the full-view or a large group.
· Do you work well with the other vendors? i.e.: coordinators, caterers, videographers.
- Absolutely. We love to play nice with other businesses.
· Can you work from a photo checklist that we create?
- Yes, we provide a questionnaire for all our brides and grooms which encourages you to create a list for us.
· Do you process and develop your own film and prints?
- All of our photography is digital. We have three separate vendors who print on a professional capacity on archive-quality paper, so that your prints will be beautiful for years to come.