Questions To Ask a Wedding Photographer
1. How long have you been photographing weddings?
2. Are you a local wedding photography studio?
3. Do you capture images in RAW format?
4. Do you post-process and edit the images?
5. How many images will you post process/edit?
6. Do we have unlimited rights to use our images as we wish, including making our print albums and posting them online?
7. What is your backup plan in case there’s an emergency on the wedding day?
8. If we want a second photographer, who will that be, and can we see their work?
9. How many images will you post process/edit, and how many will we receive?
10. Can we see examples of complete weddings?
Our answers to the above questions:
1. The studio was started over 20 years ago. The average experience by one of our wedding photographers is over 12 years. On each photographer’s profile page, you can view their years with the studio and how many years of wedding experience they have.
2. Yes, we are based in Maryland, and all the photographers working for the studio are local. We cover Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. You can read more about the advantages of working with a local studio than a national one.
3. All images are captured in RAW format, producing more vibrant colors and superior print quality. The RAW format also allows us to do more post-processing and make any necessary image adjustments. We deliver high-resolution Jpegs, making it easier for you to use the files and make prints. By starting with a RAW file, we can deliver a better Jpeg file for you to make beautiful and vibrant prints. If a photographer captures images in Jpeg format, there’s minimal post-processing and editing that can be done, and large prints may look distorted. Since RAW is the standard format for professional wedding photographers, someone capturing images in Jpeg format might be a sign of an amateur photographer.
4. Yes. We look at each image to color correct and touch up when necessary. We believe your images deserve the extra work. Unfortunately, not all photographers spend the time required to post-process wedding images, which can be time-consuming. Make sure to ask the photographers you interview what type, if any, post-processing they do. You don’t want a photographer to hand over the files without post-processing them. Post-processing entails color balance (adjusting the color), touching up the images, and possibly applying creative effects. If the files are not post-processed and delivered as-is, then it becomes your responsibility to do the post-processing.
5. Some photographers only post-process/edit a handful of images out of the hundreds they may deliver to you. We believe that all of your delivered images should be processed/edited. Depending on the number of hours covered, most of our couples receive about 1000 post-processed images for one photographer and 1600 post-processed images for two photographers.
6. Yes, we give you unlimited rights to use the images as you wish, including making your prints and albums and posting them online.
7. Unlike most solo photographers, we have an extensive backup system to ensure an emergency doesn’t ruin your wedding. Because there are 8 of us, you can be assured that your wedding will be covered if your chosen photographer becomes severely ill or is in an accident. In addition to the photographers within the studio, we also have an extensive backup list of great photographers we know and respect in the area. We have staff on call for wedding days who will have your wedding information and all relevant contact information. You will be given their contact information before the wedding in case of an emergency. I am very happy to say that in over 20 years, we have never missed a wedding.
8. All of our photographers are equally skilled, so with us, you get a second photographer & not an assistant or junior photographer. There are no “main” or “secondary” photographers, so when you hire two photographers, you get two primary photographers. You also get to pick the second photographer after reviewing everyone’s portfolios. This is not the case with most studios, which may bring in a second photographer with less experience. Encouraging you to select who you want to work with will provide peace of mind in knowing exactly who your photographer (s) will be. We believe this approach is far better than having a studio assign a random photographer to you.
9. We like to deliver as many images as possible, and generally, depending on the number of hours covered, most couples receive about 1000 post-processed images for one photographer and 1600 post-processed images for two photographers. The only images we remove are those with eyes closed, out of focus, etc. Some photographers only post-process/edit a handful of images out of the hundreds they may deliver to you. We believe that all of your delivered images should be processed/edited. Some like to over-edit and remove too many images that they don’t like, such as people mingling and other more general wedding images. They may feel these images are nothing special and should be removed. Although these types of images may not be the most dynamic, we believe they are important in providing a well-rounded representation of your day. We believe in delivering all usable images that are captured.
10. Some photographers only show their best images from several different weddings. While this is okay as an initial preview, It’s very important to see a more extensive collection of about 50-60 images from one wedding to see how the complete story was told. Upon request we are happy to share complete weddings. You can also visit our blog to view complete weddings.