Great Island Photography, LLC

Choosing a good photographer is as important as any other aspect of the decisions made for your wedding.  It may actually be the most important, as when the day is over the only lasting visual memory will be the photographs and video.

Selecting the right wedding photographer for your special day can be a daunting task. We would like to offer some general advice to bear in mind while shopping for a photographer.

1.     You should always contract for two photographers.  Two angles, two locations at a venue and two creative visions give you a much greater selection of images. From a photographer’s point of view a wedding is like a sporting event, it’s an event that is constantly in motion and you only have one opportunity to record the essential shots.  With two photographers there is less opportunity for a photo you really want to be missed.

2.    Talk to your photographer!  It’s important not to make a decision based just on email or reviewing a website. Call the photographers and talk to them before you make a final choice.  You are going to spend 6 to 10 hours with your photographers and you need to establish a relationship with them before your wedding.  You don’t need to meet your photographers for the first time on one of the most important days of your life.

3.    Review with your photographer the schedule for the day.  If you want special images of you and your groom taken at your favorite spot, be sure to schedule time in the day, at least 30 minutes, for those photos to be taken.  Remember that the reception is actually the least photographic opportunity of the wedding day.  A good photographer will walk you through the day carefully and help you with making decisions about how many hours you really need and can often save you money without your losing any necessary service. It is essential that these decisions are made well in advance of your wedding day so when the day arrives, you and your photographers are on the same page. The last thing a wedding photographer wants to do is become a wedding planner on the day of the wedding.

4.   Insist on meeting with the photographers prior to the wedding, preferably at your venue or venues.  Is style important to you?  Photojournalistic or Traditional?  Or a mix of both?  If you are not comfortable with the photographer you choose and you have not discussed with your photographer the kind of images that you really want to walk away with, unfortunately at the end of the day it is more than likely that you will be disappointed. This pre-wedding conference at your venue also gives your photographers the opportunity to study the light and determine the critical lighting needs required by your venue. It also allows the photographers time to contemplate and think creatively about your wedding.

Setting the lights

Testing the exposure

Planning and experience equals a great final result!

Contact us at Great Island Photography for real world assistance with planning your wedding photography.