Look at lots of complete weddings, not just portfolios
Meet in person
Make sure you like them!
Understand what’s included in each package
It’s an age old question, how do you choose a wedding photographer…this is a long one, let’s start with some LOL’s…
Understanding the different terminology used when describing wedding photography style is integral to narrowing down your searches.
I spent hours trying to define my own style. My work is fun, and it’s also documentary.
Wait… I’ve got it.
‘Funcumentary’
Don’t you love a good portmanteau?
Blend two styles of photography to invent a brand new one, how about, fine art and documentary? “fineocumentary” or “docart”. Liam Smith – best docart photographer in the world (n.b, Liam is the only docart photographer in the world and wins by default)
To answer my own question, how do you choose a wedding photographer?
The answer is choose me…I’m obviously hilarious.
Choosing a wedding photographer – step by step
Determine your preferred photography style
Before diving into the search for a photographer, take some time to familiarise yourself with different wedding photography styles. From documentary to fine art, and from traditional to modern, understanding your preferences will help you select a photographer whose vision aligns with yours. I’ve written more on this below.
Research and seek recommendations
Comb through online portfolios, peruse social media accounts, and ask friends and family for recommendations. This initial research will help you build a shortlist of potential photographers whose work resonates with you.
Check for availability and location
Once you have a shortlist of photographers, reach out to inquire about their availability on your wedding date. Keep in mind that some photographers may charge extra for travel expenses if your wedding venue is outside their usual service area.
Schedule meetings/zoom calls
Set up face-to-face or video call meetings with your shortlisted photographers. This will give you a chance to discuss your wedding plans, get a sense of their personality, and determine if you feel comfortable with them capturing your big day.
Prepare a list of questions
To ensure you cover all your bases, prepare a list of questions to ask your potential wedding photographers. Here are a few essential questions to include:
How long have you been photographing weddings, and how many weddings have you shot?
Can we see a full gallery of a recent wedding you’ve photographed?
What is your photography style, and how would you describe your creative approach?
Do you work with a second photographer or assistant?
What packages do you offer, and what’s included in each package?
After interviewing your potential photographers, compare their packages and pricing to determine which one best suits your budget and requirements. Don’t forget to ask about any additional fees, such as overtime charges or album costs.
Trust your instincts
Lastly, trust your gut. The rapport you establish with your wedding photographer is crucial, as they’ll be with you throughout your wedding day. Choose someone whose work you love, and whose presence makes you feel at ease.
Choosing a Wedding Photographer – Understanding the Terminology
What are these stupid words I keep reading, what styles are there? What do these words mean?
I believe in creating great images. I’ve read endless blog posts and magazine articles trying to define what a photography style is and what it means.
In my years of experience I have found that there are essentially two types; posed and unposed.
Unposed can be referred to as candid, photojournalistic or documentary wedding photography, essentially they are the same thing; capturing people unawares.
Counter to this there are posed images; fine art or traditional. These images are orchestrated and the photographer is in complete control of the outcome.
So who cares?
It’s easy for people within the wedding industry to forget that there is a world outside it. Phrases are coined and banded about and then thrown at the customer expecting them to know what they mean.
If I question these terms objectively, fine art sounds like each image is going to take as long as a painting and photojournalism sounds like my wedding is going to be photographed like a war-zone. This is of course me being dramatic, but I hope you can see my point.
Documentary/Photojournalism/Candid
Documentary wedding photography (sometimes called photojournalism) refers to capturing natural moments, no staging or posing. The intention is to provide the couple with a narrative of the day, it doesn’t matter what happens on the day, your photographer will record it.
Grandma falls over; click. Grooms scrunched up crying face; click. This is the real stuff. Pure emotions. No pretending. Great documentary photographers are masters of composition. Patiently waiting to create artwork out of serendipitous moments.
Timing is everything. You have to be in the mix, switched on and up close and personal with people. Documentary photographers will also take couple portraits and group pictures. I’ve written in more detail about what is documentary wedding photography here
Here’s an example of being in the moment. Documenting events as they happen.
Lots of bright colours, clean whites, couple portraits and details. Stunning pictures that would look amazing on the mantelpiece or in an album.
Fine art wedding photographers are masters of light and styling. Being able to find soft, even light is a must and a keen eye to arrange details to capture that editorial feel is a sure sign of a good fine art photographer.
The main man of the fine art world is Jose Villa, his work is exceptional, “For me, it is all about making something beautiful, even if I have to insert myself into the situation. Ultimately, my goal is to craft vibrant, energetic, fine art images that are as unique as the people in the photographs.”
N.B Fine art wedding photographers often take photographs using old school film – expect their fees to be considerably higher if they do.
Takeaway/What to Google
Documentary/Photojournalism/Candid wedding photography – beautiful images, story telling, documenting not posing, people focused.
Fine art wedding photography – beautiful images, posing where necessary, lots of details.
Should I meet my wedding photographer before booking?
In short. Yes.
For me, this is the second most important factor after the images themselves when deciding on who should photograph your wedding.
I always say at client meetings that they have to like me. How much you can like someone in an hours meeting may sound silly, but your gut instinct is rarely wrong. If the vibe isn’t right, go with someone else.
In order for you to relax, you need to like the person who will be spending the day with you. Of course they won’t be partying and socialising, but if you don’t feel like you trust them, then ultimately you won’t relax, they won’t get the pictures you want and everybody loses.
Knowing when it’s not a right fit is an integral part of the process. A wedding is a collaboration, you have to be able to work together. Even if you choose a documentary wedding photographer who won’t be posing you, you still need to trust them. There may be a moment happening right in front of you and the photographer nowhere to be seen. If you can’t trust that they are off somewhere else capturing an equally important picture, then you won’t relax and you won’t enjoy your day to it’s fullest.
Meet them. It’s one of the best investments you’ll make in your wedding.
What defines a good photographer?
This is also tricky as it is so subjective. Awards are difficult to judge a photographer by as some are more valuable than others. Certain awarding bodies use client feedback to judge the photographers quality of images and service. Others prioritise certain styles, so it’s worth investigating whether or not the wedding photography award has come from a relevant and established source.
Who are these sources? WPJA, Fearless Photographers, Masters of Wedding Photography. Directories have their own awards, but only award to those who advertise with them. ‘Top 50’ round up posts are a technique used to get links to websites. Some photography bodies give you an award for submitting which means you can then call yourself ‘award winning’. I have won an Masters of Wedding Photography award, of which I am immensely proud.
If I were to pin such a big decision on a question or statement, it would come down to this; when you look at their work, do you feel something?
Great images move people. They stir something in the soul. Of course it matters hugely whether your photographer can operate and produce excellent images in all weather conditions, as we know, the British summertime rarely does what we all want. Check to see if there are any weddings you can see in the blog that are winter weddings to see how they work in difficult lighting, or even ask what they would do if it rains. Whether laughter or tears, if you can feel a connection to the images, and the people within them without even knowing them, then it’s a great picture and you’ve found yourself a great photographer.
Look at the blog in serious detail
Portfolios are there to give you a wow. The blog is there to tell you the whole story.
A portfolio could be made up from 100 or more weddings. A blog is one day.
Even if a photographer only blogs the most insane weddings it will still show you what they delivered to the client. If you are happy with that then add them to your shortlist.
Important frequently asked questions and top tips
A few thoughts and important questions to consider when trying to choose a wedding photographer.
How much should I budget?
This is of course dependent on your personal circumstance, no one should ever consider stretching themselves financially for the sake of a wedding.
I love weddings, I think they’re truly magical. But life is long, your family grows and develops, magical moments happen on multiple occasions. Whether it’s a wedding day, the birth of a child or buying your first house and rolling around on the carpets, life is full of joy, pay what you can afford.
Between £1000 and £2000 is realistic for someone who is good. “Define good” some may cry. Well that’s subjective, and I can’t. You have to use your judgement on this one and trust your gut. An iMac with the same spec laptop that I’m currently typing on would be one thousand pounds more expensive. Some products are more expensive because of their quality, some are based upon branding.
Look at the photographers portfolio and then examine their blog posts in detail. Only then will you be able to gauge what a full days wedding looks like and then make a judgement on call on whether that represents good value.
If you love documentary wedding photography, consider this; with a single photographer shooting in a photo-journalistic style, there is no guarantee that all of your guests will be captured in an image.
Does this bother you? Maybe it doesn’t.
Keep in mind that the photographer won’t know how your most treasured guests are. A second photographer can be a valuable asset as although it goes against my documentary ideology, the second photographer could arrange formal photographs to make sure that your most important persons are photographed in some capacity. If you’re a purist like me then ignore that bit, I like to give both sides of the coin. If your budget will allow it aim for two, more pictures is never a bad thing. Note, this is likely to push your costs up to the £2-3k mark.
How many hours coverage do I need?
When whittling down the shortlist, working out how exactly how many hours you need might save you money.
Magazines for some reason say from bridal prep to the first dance. WHICH I HATE.
Many couples don’t have a first dance. And what if you don’t want photographs taken in the morning?
Ten to twelve hours should be about right for the vast majority of people. I always say to clients the best way to judge this is based upon the general vibes of the day. If you know that your crew is going to rave until the early AM, then twelve hours might be a good idea to make sure you capture all the madness. In my experience, ten hours is usually plenty. It gives you approximately an hour and a half of getting ready and another hour or so of the evening dancing.
What’s included?/what do I need in a package?
One photographer, ten hours, £1500-£2000 is the average cost in the UK.
With that in mind, ignore books in the first instance – you can always buy one later.
I always recommend to clients that they book as many hours as they can if cost is an issue, they will always have the photographs and can save up for albums and prints at a later date.
I think the question should be asking yourself is why do you want an engagement shoot?
If the answer is ‘to get used to the camera’, then it may be worth considering the reality of that for a moment. If you prefer documentary style images, there’s no need to pose, so no need to get used to the camera.
Documentary photographers are skilled at being unobtrusive and capturing people off guard. Practising poses will not put you or the photographer at ease as you’re both engaged in an activity that neither of you want.
IF however, you love fine art style images, then engagement shoots are perfect. It gives you a chance to understand your best body position for posed photographs and gives you an idea of likely how long your posed pictures will take on the day.
Gut instinct shouldn’t be ignored.
It exists for a reason. It’s not a random part of your brain making decisions. It’s a combination of all of your thoughts, feelings and experiences coming to the fore at an important moment. Trust it.
The wedding is in the evening/winter etc. will lighting be a problem?
You need to know the answer to this when choosing a wedding photographer if it applies.
Any wedding photographer worth their salt will have equipment that can deal with low light levels. It is however, something to consider.
Shooting in low light is difficult at the best of times. It’s near impossible without high end equipment.
-If your photographer is cheap, chances are, they won’t have high end gear and will struggle to shoot in low light.
If you are having a candlelit wedding ceremony, then these are questions you will have to ask.
I received this message from a bride and it is a fantastic question.
“Our ceremony is in the afternoon and will be by candlelight. We both don’t like staged photos and are looking for a creative photographer that can shoot gorgeous photos in a candlelit/fairy light environment. We are very aware good photos depend on lighting etc. and are very keen to hear your take on this. Would that be something you would be able to help us with? Do you by any chance have some photos to show from other night weddings?
The plan is to create a fairy light backdrop for the ceremony (which will take in a separate area) with candles in the aisle next to the chairs. In this scenario there would be no light coming from above. Do you anticipate that being a problem? There is a beam that runs the length of the aisle that we could always wrap in more fairy lights if you think that might help.
In the barn where the dinner and party will take place there will be a festoon light ceiling and a festoon light backdrop behind the main table. On the tables there will be candles, additionally there are loads of lights all over the barn that can selectively be turned on and dimmed.
I look forward to hearing from you!”
Here is my reply:
There are two main considerations when working in low light.
One – the images will be grainy
Two – candlelight only from below can cast unflattering shadows
I’ve attached a few images for your consideration.
The first image is an example of how low light levels (only lit by the fairy lights) will result in what’s called ‘grain’ on the photographs. It’s simply unavoidable, but something you should certainly be aware of. Personally I don’t think it matters and often adds character to an image, particularly black and white photographs.
It’s worth noting that when light only comes from below the shadows can be unflattering.
Image two I photographed in a particularly dark barn. This is a combination of fairy lights and ‘candle light’ bulbs worked very well to produce well lit photographs whilst maintaining the ambience. The bulbs fill in the shadows and provide more even lighting across the face.
My recommendation would be to have a combination of the two, candles for ambience and fairy lights to add to the ambient light.
Another consideration is the heat from the candles if they will also be your primary light source. I’ve seen the Gentlemen get quite hot in a three piece woollen suit stood next to candles!
To reflect
Low light equals grain. Grain is not indicative of bad pictures, only low light. If you are having a candlelit wedding ceremony you should definitely ask if the photographers you have shortlisted have example images to share with you.
How do I approach the day? – Blending the styles
I believe that weddings should be photographed with care and compassion as well as integrity. Capturing the narrative of the day, true to events. Weddings are an opportunity to dress up. Thought goes into every outfit, from the bride to the second aunt, everyone considers how they will look and wants to look their best.
I believe that the bride and groom should also have a series of images that document the connection between them and have them looking amazing. This is possible if you shoot in a documentary style and I believe gives more genuine images than pure fine art.
By mixing the two you have the benefit of controlling the location, the light and the basic body positioning, but then you let your confidence as a documentary photographer take over and let the moment unfold naturally.
Believe me this takes serious practice and belief in yourself as it can feel super awkward at first, but you have to be bold, if you’re confident, then your client is confident in you. Continue as if this is absolutely normal. I’ve found if you stand maybe twenty feet away and say “I’m going to shoot this one quite wide so feel free to chat” something magical happens. All of a sudden they feel free to express themselves, everything becomes more relaxed and the real people emerge, not the ‘people in that pose’. Then, because you told a fib and you actually have a 50mm lens on, you can shoot at f1.4 and capture those dreamy fine art style images which have all the blown highlights and shallow depth of field, AND capture a natural moment. Hazaahs all round.
Here’s the magic
Here’s an example to demonstrate my point.
Here we have a beautiful couple and a beautiful location and an outrageously sunny day. The control part from me is placing them in this location under the willow tree. I have used my knowledge of light, environment etc. to place them in a setting I know will look good.
The boughs of willow trees create a perfect canvas of elegant greens to create a couple portrait. Next, my instructions are thus “enjoy yourselves, the wedding flies by so take this opportunity to be together in the moment”. They look great, the light looks good and everything is peachy. Then I say “I’m going to shoot this one quite wide so feel free to chat!”.
Then the most extraordinary thing happens.
It’s as if people feel like they’re no longer being watched and the most intimate moments happen. I’ve heard of some photographers who say to their clients “imagine a comet is about to hit earth and these are your last few moments, what would you do?”. Whilst this may work for some, having to enact a scenario isn’t real to me, plus my clients would probably tell me to fuck off, after all, they did hire me because of my documentary *ahem* unposed style :).
The recent image that went viral is a beautiful example of how inviting clients to interact can work. The instruction in that image was “whisper in her ear why you married her”. The sentiment is beautiful as is the resulting image, but if we’re going all purist, is that a real moment? If my one aim is to show clients images of themselves that they recognise, will they look back on that image and say ‘that was the most amazing moment of my life’ or ‘that was when the photographer instructed us etc. and I cried’?
Here is the magic moment. No instruction from me, everything apart from the location is spontaneous. Even the holding of the dress looks amazing, but had nothing to do with me. For me this is the perfect blend of fine art and documentary. The image is absolutely them, this is how they interact, how they stand, how they hold each other. Its magic.
The one thing clients always say
The second best thing about this image? We were only gone from the crowd for fifteen minutes. Everyone tells me they hate it at weddings when the bride and groom disappear for the entire drinks reception for photographs. There’s simply no need. Find a nice spot, be calm, relax, let the magic happen. It’s a moment, it only lasts for a few seconds and then it’s gone, so you have to be ready.
So Liam what do you do for the other 99% of the day?
I take pictures like this:
Liam Smith is a documentary wedding photographer from mars (probably)
If you like the look of my work and think I would be a good fit for your wedding day, give me a shout! If you’d like even more answers to all your questions, then head to my resources page for everything you ever wanted to know.
