Does your wedding photographer and videographer have what it takes? How do you know? Knowledge of equipment, experience level and personality are heads of the triple edged sword that can help you figure out if your wedding professional can bring brilliance or blah to your wedding day.
1. Knowledge of Equipment: Touchdown or fumble?
A solid photographer and videographer are so in tune with their gear that you can blindfold them, spin them around three times and scream in their face and they will still operate their camera with fluidity and ease because the camera is an extension of themselves. When the pressure is on, like a well-trained athlete they will be able to perform when it matters most. An experienced professional will be able to manipulate their equipment so they never miss a shot…touchdown. A less experienced professional will flub the critical shot, shoot with their gear in full auto mode and will ultimately not get the best performance from their camera…fumble.
BRIDAL TIP: Ask your potential photographer / videographer how long they have been shooting. If they have only been shooting weddings for a year but were a full time newspaper photojournalist for the previous 10 years, thats still time behind a camera.
2. Experience Level: Slam dunk or foul?
One of the key elements to shooting a wedding is being able to anticipate every moment. There are no retakes or do-overs in a wedding. An experienced shooter will be in the right place at the right time to nail the right shot…slam dunk. They need to foresee what comes next and be in the right place before a special moment unfolds. An inexperienced shooter may still get every moment, but it may not be the best shot from the best perspective ..foul.
BRIDAL TIP: Ask how many weddings your potential videographer / photographer has shot. If they have shot less than 10, look out! If they have shot between 20 and 50 weddings, they still have a few lessons to learn, but over 50 weddings, they will know where to be when the moment is right.
Personality: Amazing or Awkward?
You have found an incredibly experienced photographer who has shot more than 100 weddings, but for some reason you can’t carry on a comfortable conversation. This should signal a red flag. No matter how amazing the images are, the personality of your photographer and your videographer will have a drastic impact on your entire wedding day. Will you want to sacrifice the enjoyment of your wedding day for amazing images, when you should have both? It doesn’t have to be awkward, when it could be amazing.
BRIDAL TIP: Go with your gut, if you like the potential vendor and get along with them then there is a greater possibility that they will be wonderful to have at your wedding.
“When you are looking for a wedding vendor whether it be a photographer, videographer, DJ or cake designer do your research online first. Ask yourself how long have they been in their trade and how many weddings have they completed? If they satisfy those questions ask to meet the vendor and go with your gut. That’s my advice to finding a great wedding vendor,” -Dave Bigler.