A Photographer’s Thoughts – First Contact

We’ve gone into a lot of detail over the last several weeks about making sure you find the right wedding photographer for you. Getting the style right and finding a photographer that produces the type of images you really love is incredibly important, but being a photographer of a particular style isn’t the only thing that will contribute to the end result, it’s also about choosing a photographer that you’re really going to click with on the wedding day itself – one that you can establish a genuine connection with. Only then will you be able to get those truly incredible wedding photographs.

We’ve spoken before about the fact that great wedding photographers aren’t just taking photographs for the money, they use photography as a way of expressing themselves, as a way of showing the way they see the world and as a piece of art. The photographer wants to get unbelievable pictures not just to please the couple but because they want their images to be truly beautiful and to develop their art each time they do a shoot. But the best art only comes when artist and subject find their perfect harmony.

Establishing that kind of connection comes from both sides. You need to have complete faith in your photographer that they are creating the images you really want, and the photographer equally needs to know they are right for you so that they have the freedom to really be creative and produce the photographs that truly reflect the way they see the world.

Contact form from Tux & Tales Photography

As we’ve mentioned before, looking at their website should tell you a lot about whether they’re right for you – remember it’s in the photographer’s best interests to make sure you are the right client before you book them as much as it is in yours. They want you to be excited about the pictures, to get emotional when you see them for the first time, to be desperate to rush home so you can take another look at your beautiful new album. They want to work with clients that make them excited to do what they do. So if it’s a fun, kooky website then expect that the photographer is looking to work with a fun and kooky couple.

Once you’re certain you have found the right photographer it’s time to make contact. Again though remember that this isn’t really a business relationship that you’re trying to set up, it’s a personal one. If you’re contacting a photographer whose style on their website is very personable, warm and friendly and you open with “Dear Sir/Madam” then that photographer is probably immediately thinking that firstly you’re not the right type of client for them, and secondly that you’ve probably sent the same email to lots of other people and perhaps won’t value their services in the same way that someone who had written a very specific, personal email might.

If you open with, for example “Hiya (photographer’s name), I’m getting married THIS JULY! (So excited!) and I’ve just been checking out your website and I absolutely love your work! That wedding you just put up on your blog was so gorgeous!” then they’re probably already thinking ‘bingo – this is the kind of client that will enjoy working with us and really wants our services!’ Some photographers’ contact forms are actually designed to make sure you are the right kind of client for them right from the outset, asking questions that will tell them a little about you so they know you’re all going to get along.

Contact form from Paul Joseph Photography

Of course wedding photography tends to cost a lot of money and so you want to be absolutely certain they’re going to deliver what you’re looking for, but again if you do your research you can probably find a lot of the answers out before bombarding the photographer themselves with questions. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with asking but there’s plenty of time to get to know everything you need when you speak later on the phone, on Skype or, if possible, in a face to face meeting. That initial message should be about finding out the essentials such as whether they’re actually available on your wedding day, but also about making an initial connection and getting the wedding couple-photographer relationship off to a great start.

A lot of photographers share their prices on their website (if they don’t please don’t be put off by this, some photographers just want to hear more about your wedding day first). If they’re way too far over your budget then you can start to look elsewhere. If they’re only just out of your budget then it’s probably worth having the conversation to see if they offer any reduced packages, for example they may offer a lower price for off-peak days or for being present for fewer hours on the wedding day. I’m sure we’ll discuss pricing in another post, but for now you just need to remember that, aside from the need to make a living, photographers generally see their price as a reflection of the quality of their work. Of course not everyone can afford to pay a high price, but if you want to try to negotiate then make it clear that you’re asking because you love their work but just can’t afford it – make sure you don’t imply that their work is not worth the money or you’re definitely not going to get anywhere! Remember they’re not salespeople trying to get you to buy something someone else has made, this is their art – something they believe in, something they invest a lot of themselves into. You’ve chosen them presumably because you liked their work over other (potentially cheaper) photographers – you just need to decide how much more and whether or not for you that’s worth paying a little extra for.

Effectively it boils down to this: where photography is concerned it’s better to be on very friendly terms than to simply have a formal business relationship. When making contact forget the formalities and be yourself – it’s the real you, after all, that your photographer is ultimately trying to capture!

“When you find yourself beginning to feel a bond between yourself and the people you photograph, when you laugh and cry with their laughter and tears, you will know you are on the right track.”

– Arthur Fellig 

Image by York Place Studios