5 Questions no on asks their photographer:
I am guessing that since you are here, you’re engaged. Congrats! We love telling stories through photographs, but more than that, we want to make sure all stories are told well. So to help you as you find your photographer, we complied 5 questions that people don’t ask. But should. After reading through, feel free to reach out to talk more!
Where do you keep your backup equipment on the wedding day?
I often get asked if I have backup equipment. But if the bride is coming down the aisle when my shutter breaks and my backup camera is in my bag by the DJ, then those photos will be missed. This is why I wear my backup camera on my hip.
How many times have your worked with your 2nd shooter?
The “2nd” shooter will get half the shots on the wedding day. They aren’t a backup or an addition. They are a vital part in getting all the photos you want. Having a 2nd shooter you trust and work well with is key. This is why I love telling people that we are a husband and wife team. We could shoot an entire wedding without saying a word to each other. We both know where we need to be when. And that confidence and trust allows us to focus on your wedding and not training or instructing a 2nd shooter.
What size & resolution photos do we get?
Getting the digitals is a very generic statement. Will those digital files only print to 4×6? Are the only good for the web? When we deliver photos, we want our couples to be able to print them big enough to have a giant canvas above their mantle. Don’t just ask if you get them…but what size they are.
How do you light & shoot a reception?
Reception lighting is key. It is what truly separates the inexperienced and newer photographers from the experienced ones. It takes a lot of time, experience, and skill to shoot a reception well. If it were me, that would be the first thing I look at when searching for a photographer. You want your reception photos to be clean and crisp without a photographers flash making it look like daylight. You will want to keep the ambiance of the venue when you take your photos. You also don’t want awkward shadows from the flashes. So how does your photographer deal with the low light situations in a reception?
What’s your favorite _______(fill in the blank)?
Sounds like a weird question, right? What does it matter what their favorite food, vacation, or hobby is. True. But often times couples can miss the fact that getting to know your photographer helps you see who they are. What drives them. Why the do what they do. Behind every camera is a person with a story. And just like different authors write different books, different photographers tell different stories. So getting to know who will tell yours is important.Hopefully that helps!
Enjoy the planning stage! And let me know if I can help in any way!
Cheers,
Ryan & Laura O’Dowd
Dallas Wedding Photographers