How To Pick Your Wedding Photographer | Expert Advice
Written by on June 27, 2014.
Tagged under: Dubai Weddings, Maria Sundin Photography, Weddings in Dubai, wedding photography, wedding photography in dubai, wedding photography tips
How To Pick Your Wedding Photographer
As many of our readers know, we often call on the experts for wedding planning tips and advice. Today, our BCME expert panel member in the area of photography, Maria Sundin, offers her top tips on choosing your wedding photographer.
Hello BCME brides! You’re almost there. Beautiful dress – check. Awesome husband-to-be – check. Wedding date – check. Venue – check. Once you’ve started planning your wedding, and have begun formulating your ideas, this is the time to involve your photographer. But there are a few things you need to know about selecting the person who will capture your special day.
Find a person who gets YOU
There are plenty of photographers in the sea and my top tip is to go for someone who understands what you are all about as a couple, who you can trust and who you connect with on a personal level. Your photographer will be there during the most intimate moments, so you don’t want to book someone you feel awkward with. The best photos I’ve taken have been with couples I’ve connected with and who’ve completely trusted me to be creative and capture their day the best way I can. Take your time to find the person who is right for you – don’t rush into a booking.
A style that you like
Stop looking at all those wedding magazines and Pinterest images and take a moment to decide what you like about photographs. Now find someone who can produce what you like. Every photographer has his or her own unique style, eye and photographic voice, and this cannot be changed or copied.
If you and your photographer are a match, the results can be truly amazing. Often, if you’re not pleased, it’s because you both had different ideas in mind, or you didn’t have enough time to get to know each other, due to booking late, for example.
Some questions to keep in mind
Start by reviewing portfolios of wedding photographers so that you can list your favourites and remove ones you are not keen on. Set up a meeting with your favourite three to give you a chance to get to know them. Communication is key and don’t let yourselves be fooled by someone who agrees with you 100 per cent. Here are some questions to keep in mind when approaching your faves:
- When will I receive my photos?
- How many photos will I get?
- Is this a photographer who goes the extra mile?
- Can he/she take individual requests and be flexible?
- Is this a wedding photographer who’s passionate about what they do?
- Can I get prints, albums and thank you cards if I want to?
Why is wedding photography so darn expensive?
Here’s the thing: wedding photographers do this job because we are passionate about it. We’ve given up our financial security to do what we love and follow our dreams, and it’s not easy to live on passion itself.
The wedding photography industry in the UAE is still young and some choose to develop our skills by engaging in courses given by top photographers abroad to keep ourselves at the front end of the industry. Don’t forget that as wedding photographers, we give our full dedication and commitment to each bride before, during and after the wedding, because it’s our work with each couple that defines what we do.
Our passion, and having to invest in professional photography gear in combination with the typical business costs for a licensed photographer in the UAE, is what defines our pricing points.
I hope this has given you a few tips to think about when choosing your wedding photographer. If you’d like me to highlight anything in particular, please feel free to comment below and I’m also happy to take direct questions.
Xx Maria Xx
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