A Photographer’s Thoughts -15 Questions You’ve Been Told to Ask That Really Don’t Matter

Over the years we’ve read an awful lot of blog posts about the questions you should be asking before booking your wedding photographer, and we’ve been on the receiving end of many of them. Now don’t get me wrong, as a photographer I’m always happy to put my client’s minds at ease, but sometimes I feel like Brides and Grooms are so busy cycling through a series of questions in almost an “interview” style that they’ve been told they must ask that they just don’t get the chance to really get to know and understand the photographer and how they work and, more importantly, whether you really click with them.

As we’ve said many times before, choosing a wedding photographer is a decision for your heart, not your head, and whilst we’re by no means saying that you shouldn’t give the decision due consideration, at the end of the day if you love the images they produce and feel that they could produce those same type of images for your own big day that is the most important thing. You should be excited about the idea of having your photographs taken by that person, and if you’re not then no amount of questions about how they back up their images is going to make them any more the right choice of photographer for you.

So this week we thought we’d examine some of those questions that you’ll see time and time again when searching for what questions you should be asking and give you some honest answers from the photographer’s point of view.

Do you carry backup equipment in case of failure? 

Any professional wedding photographer of any reputation or standing will carry some form of backup equipment – it’s just an expected professional standard and, if you’ve done your research into finding the right photographer for you it’s a question that simply shouldn’t need to be asked and one that, for the photographer, immediately demonstrates that you already don’t have the level of trust in them they will need in order to get natural, relaxed looking shots.

Do you have insurance?

Again as a professional photographer they will have insurance, after all it’s them that will find themselves in legal trouble if something happens and they don’t. Some venues may require a copy of the photographer’s public liability insurance certificate and of course they will be more than happy to provide it if that’s the case, but again if you’ve done your research and found a reputable photographer it’s not a question that should be necessary in influencing your decision to book. If in doubt though check their FAQ section on their website as it’s the sort of question they’re likely to have answered on there.

What type of equipment do you use?

Whilst most professionals will have top notch equipment, the equipment they use is mostly irrelevant, it’s what they can do with it that counts and that information can only be found by looking at their images. Often “Uncle Bob” amateur photographers will show up at weddings with the same type of camera as the professional, but they very rarely achieve the same standard of work. Photography is about having a creative eye, being able to  manipulate light and understanding what makes for good composition of an image. It’s not about whether you shoot Canon or Nikon. This question also often leads onto…

How Many Megapixels is Your Camera?

Megapixels are the easy to understand headline used by electronics retailers to sell you cameras, but in the professional world they’re more or less irrelevant. The quality of the lens actually has far more to do with the overall quality of the image and the number of megapixels is probably the least important thing about a pro level camera.

Do I Need to Provide you with a List of Every Shot I want you to take?

You may be asked by your photographer to provide them with a list of the posed group shots you’d like them to take, but unless they specifically ask then providing a list of EVERY shot you want from them is more likely to stifle their creativity than help to get the shot as they will spend all their time trying to tick shots off the list rather than look for the most creative or interesting shots. Have trust in your photographer and they will get the best shots for you.

Do I Get All of the Images You Take on Disc?

Photographers will generally give you an idea of how many shots they expect to provide you with, but even if they say you will receive all images on disc then you shouldn’t take this literally. Photographers will often fire off 5 or 6 shots at a time of exactly the same image and may consequently end up with, for example, 2000 images of which they expect to provide 500. They’re not trying to hide images from you though, they’re simply providing you with the best possible images. It’s about quality not quantity, and having thousands and thousands of wedding pictures actually becomes more of a chore to look through than a pleasure and taints rather than enhances your feelings about the photographs.

Do I Get the Raw Files?

Photographers probably will not provide you with the RAW files, and if you’ve chosen a photographer you like then there is no reason whatsoever why you would need them. RAW files are literally straight out of the camera and it’s important to remember that the way the photographer processes their images is almost as big a reflection of their style as the way they compose their photos. They might shoot their images deliberately darker or brighter than might seem optimum because they know that that works well with the way they process the image afterwards. Choose a photographer whose processing you like and you will never have any need or desire to see the RAW files.

How many pictures will you take on our wedding day?

Different photographers will take different amounts of pictures depending on their style and even just the conditions on the day. It doesn’t matter how many they actually take on the day, it’s only relevant how many they intend to provide you with, although again sometimes it’s a case of quality over quantity!

I really like THIS picture – can you recreate it?

Some photographers welcome their couples giving a few ideas of the type of photographs they like in order to get a feel for your style and personalities, however as soon as the word “recreate” is mentioned expect your photographer to run for the hills! Recreating photographs is virtually impossible – so much of it depends on the light and the photographer’s own style. Couples have presented us with Pinterest pictures taken in California that work solely because of the California sunshine and asked us to recreate them and it’s simply not possible. If you love the work of a different photographer then that’s the photographer you should hire, don’t ask the person you have hired to try to be someone else.

Are you a member of any professional associations / have you won any competitions / been featured on any major blogs?

There’s no obligation as a photographer to be a member of any professional association and they’re often expensive to join so many photographers simply have no interest in becoming a member; it doesn’t really reflect on someone’s ability to take photographs. Similarly awards only truly have meaning if you fully understand the context. For example you could be an award winning actor if your local amateur drama society thought you were really good and presented you with a nice certificate, but it doesn’t mean you can hold your own alongside Judi Dench. If you have a BAFTA however we all know that means you’re probably pretty good. Unless you fully understand which awards are truly relevant in photography they’re not necessarily a particularly useful guide to the standard of the photographer. Similarly with wedding blogs some of the finest photographers in the world NEVER feature on wedding blogs by their own choice, others simply don’t fit the particular style of a particular blog. If the work is good enough to be regularly featured on blogs then it is hopefully of a fairly high standard, but the fact that someone isn’t featured as regularly doesn’t necessarily make them any less talented a photographer.

Have you shot many weddings similar to mine?

Weddings are about people and personalities and consequently each one is completely unique. There may be a similar number of people present, you may have a similar theme or the same venue but none of that matters – the photos will reflect you, your style and what you do with your day and no two weddings are ever the same.

What you will wear on our wedding day?

Your photographer will wear clothes suitable for a wedding and should be experienced enough to know what is appropriate clothing as well as what is practical in order for them to be comfortable whilst taking photos all day. Unless you’re having a nudist celebration and expect them to fully blend in then it’s not a question you should really need to ask.

I’m only having a very small wedding with less than 50 guests, can you offer a discount as this will be an easy wedding for you? 

Having fewer people at a wedding doesn’t make it any easier to photograph, in fact it’s often harder as the photographer needs to get the same number and quality of photographs with fewer people to take pictures of.

Are the Images High Resolution?

Your photographer will naturally provide you with images of a suitable resolution for their purpose. Many will provide you with high resolution files for printing and some lower resolution images to have on your computer and perhaps upload to Facebook etc. but as a professional they will ensure that they provide you with images fit for purpose.

Does your studio allow me to choose a certain style of post production?

Look at the photographer’s photographs and you will see their style shining through. You’re paying them to create images in their style and the post production is as much a part of that as taking photos on the day. If you want to change the style then you’ve chosen the wrong photographer.

So by all means meet up with your prospective photographer and get to know them and their style properly before making your decision, but make sure you don’t waste your opportunity asking a series of interview style questions that, in the end, won’t really help you in making your decision. Don’t ask the questions people say you should ask, ask the ones that really matter to you, and take the chance to get to know the person who will be with you for the majority of your wedding day.