As many will agree, photography is probably the most important factor on your wedding day. This means that it should be given a lot of care and consideration to find the right photographer for one of the biggest days of your life, your wedding day!
Why is a great photographer important?
Your photographer will be by your side throughout the day, capturing not just staged moments, but also the candid interactions, laughter, and tears that make your wedding truly unique. A photographer with a warm, friendly, and easygoing personality will help you feel relaxed and comfortable, allowing you to be yourselves and truly enjoy your special day. This translates into natural smiles, genuine laughter, and authentic moments captured in your photos.
You are going to want to love your wedding photographer for their personality as much as their ability. A good photographer can help you to be comfortable enough to laugh and smile, as well as relaxed enough to help your day feel less stressful; allowing you to genuinely engage with one another in your photos. Making sure that you and your photographer enjoy each other company and connect can go a long way towards creating a more enjoyable day and photos that represent you as a couple, on your incredible wedding day! …
Choosing the Right Wedding Photographer:
The first thing to look at is a photographer’s portfolio, as they can be easily found online with a quick search. However, it’s important to be very careful when considering a photographer’s portfolio, since many of them can be stolen images or simply just the best photos they have taken all year; with the majority of them possibly being of lesser quality. Below are some helpful items to consider when browsing a photographer’s portfolio…
- Look for consistency: Their photos should showcase a similar style throughout each wedding or engagement session. A less experienced photographer will have a wide range of exposures and tones throughout their portfolio as they work towards finding their style. It’s probably best if your wedding gallery looks consistent and displays well, too!
- Range: Make sure that you can see a wide range of wedding elements. Some photographers are great at capturing one specific portion of a wedding, for instance, the Formals but, struggle on the more complex elements such as Getting Ready or Reception.
- Style: Every photographer has a different style to their photography, whether intentional or not. A more recent trend has been to create warmer, almost orange and dark photos. It is my personal belief and experience that this is the best way to cover up imperfections and hide the fact that the photos were taken on a lower-model camera. However, style is completely dependent upon your interpretation of the images and what resonates with you, as the bride and groom. This is where your photographer will want to have an excess of knowledge in development. We use a softer, true tone, and timeless style. Whereas many photographers just beginning their journey will over-saturate the colors and find it difficult to visualize the temp and tones of the final product. If a photographer’s portfolio does not suit your style, it is possible that with a wealth of experience, they could alter things to your tastes however, they are going to be far better at their style.
- Emotion: An often unrecognized element of photography is how a photo showcases the experience. Can you feel how the couples in their portfolio are interacting? A truly talented photographer can capture that emotion, stopping time for the moments that matter most. You can see in their eyes, and in their facial expressions, that they look natural and comfortable together. Believe it or not, a lot of this comes from a photographer with a strong ability to pose naturally, and this can only happen if you feel comfortable with your photography and videography team.
- Posing versus Candid: As we know by now, a photographer you are comfortable with can get more emotion out of your photos for you but, they should also be knowledgeable about what posing fits what situation and which poses are most flattering. We use several core poses that we modify to fit the personality of a couple and tell the story of their relationship together. This allows for things to flow much better during your wedding, an incredibly important factor in keeping your wedding day enjoyable. Posing does not have to be uncomfortable. We feel that the more comfortable you are, the better you will look in any situation. So, look for poses that look natural, perhaps even look as though they were all “caught in the moment”. Chances are, they were in fact “posed”.
A second thing to look for is their ability to use Lighting in Dark Situations. Make sure that the photographer has lighting. The ability and option to use on-camera and off-camera lighting will take your reception photos from dark and grainy to incredibly impactful, something you might see in the movies or in a magazine! - Ability: You will want your photographer to have the knowledge and capability of directing light in a way that is flattering and powerful, but not overwhelming. All lights are fairly similar in the way that they function and produce light. What is truly important is how the photographer makes use of the light. Knowledge is key in this situation, without proper education your photos can go from looking stunningly brilliant to washed out and unflattering. Lighting has to be used carefully and delicately, focused in a proper direction and at the right setting; or everything can quickly fall apart. Lighting is one of the most important aspects of photography so, it goes without saying that your photographer should have some knowledge of lighting
- Owning the right equipment: A good photographer should own at least one, if not multiple lights to be used during the reception and in poorly lit rooms. If they do not own lighting equipment then they surely can’t provide it.
After you have done your research, and perhaps considered how the photographers have or have not been featured or won awards, it is time to set a meeting.
Schedule consultations: Don’t hesitate to schedule consultations with a few photographers whose work resonates with you. This is your chance to assess their personality, communication style, and overall vibe. Ask questions, express your vision, and see if there’s a genuine connection.
Trust your gut: After your consultations, take some time to reflect. Beyond technical expertise, how did the photographer make you feel? Did they listen attentively to your vision? Did you envision yourselves collaborating comfortably throughout the wedding day? Ultimately, trust your gut feeling.
Book with confidence: Once you’ve found the perfect match, finalize your booking and breathe a sigh of relief! Now you can focus on other exciting wedding planning aspects, knowing your precious memories will be captured beautifully.
Congratulations! You’re well on your way to finding the Arizona wedding photographer who will translate your love story into timeless photographs.
