1) Are the photos properly exposed? Essentially, is the photo too dark, too bright, or just right? A good photographer will never have an underexposed or overexposed photo on their website (unless they are going for something artistic, but you should be able to tell if it is intentional or not). Here is an example of an overrexposed, properly exposed, and underexposed picture.
2) Is the photographer’s website overloaded with black and whites? Some photographers really like black and white photos, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if half or more of their photos are black and white, then you better like them too because that’s probably what you are going to get. These photographers may have problems achieving the correct color balance in photos, so keep your eye out for that.
3) The difference between good black and white photos is black and white! Make sure that the black and white photos have the proper amount of contrast between the blacks and whites. Too little and the picture looks grayish or “muddy,” too much and the picture loses detail. There should be a nice balance of blacks, whites, and grays in the photo. Keep a close eye out for this and make sure the photographer you are considering can create great looking black and white shots.
4) Focus on focus! You want your subject to be sharp, and that’s fairly easy when your subject is just one person or thing. However, a problem some photographers may have during formal portraits with large groups is not being able to keep everyone in focus. Make sure you review the photographer’s formal group shots to make sure they can keep everyone in focus. Particuarly pay attention to photos of large groups where there may be 2 or 3 rows of people. You may find that just one of the rows is in focus, and the rest are blurry.
5) Most importantly, don’t book a photographer until you can see an entire collection of wedding images from one of their recent weddings. Don’t settle for an online gallery containing a combination of their best photos from a number of shoots. If you want to know what you are really going to get from your photographer, look at what they just gave to their last client. Keep in mind the format you will be reviewing these photos in is an online gallery...it is unrealistic to expect the photographer to carry around a portfolio of 500+ prints from a single wedding. If the photographer won’t give you access to look at an entire gallery from a recent wedding, move on! You should expect to see anywhere from 300 photos from a very basic wedding to 700+ for an all day full-coverage wedding.
In closing, remember that there is some truth to the axiom, you get what you pay for. Now, that doesn’t mean that the most expensive photographer is the best…that is where the term “value” comes into play…but use your judgment. If a photographer is giving you all day coverage, a disc of all wedding images, etc, etc, and is charging you less than $1,000 ask yourself why? A good photographer will need to be fairly compensated for their time and equipment investments.
We hope this information is helpful to you as you are selecting your photographer. We would be happy to answer any other questions that you might have. Feel free to e-mail us at nexisphotography@hotmail.com.
- M&L
Nexis Photography
2009 Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Award Winner
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