It occurs to me that whilst this has been something of a long-running photographer’s thoughts series and despite us covering in some depth all about how to choose the right photographer for you that we’ve actually not spoken very much about how on earth you can actually find all of these photographers in the first place. So this week I thought we’d take a look at the various places you might find a photographer and investigate the advantages and disadvantages of each!
So let’s take a look at the options:
Google: Google (other search engines are available) has undoubtedly become the most common way to find pretty much anything, and wedding photographers are no exception. It can clearly be an incredibly useful way to find the type of photographer you’re looking for, but just bear in mind that the fact (whilst Google themselves are doing their best to level the playing field) the fact that someone is found on the first page doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best photographer, just that they’re better at producing search-engine friendly web content than their competitors!
Blogs: Wedding blogs are perhaps one of the best ways to find lots of wedding photographers in one place and be able to compare and contrast their work. Bloggers do tend to have a certain standard above which a photographer has to be to get their work featured so you’re already off to a good start. However it’s very important to bear in mind that most blogs have a particular style of photo they’re looking for, whether that be contemporary, vintage, documentary etc. and so with many blogs whilst you will certainly be presented with a variety of photographers, each with their own unique brand of photography, you may only actually be presented with one overall style. Once you know what style you’re looking for that can actually be extremely helpful, but make sure you don’t rule other styles out based solely on looking at one individual blog. Also if going by the adverts displayed on the blog rather than actual features just remember that, whilst again they will have to be of a certain standard for a blog to accept them, there is no set rule on who blogs should accept or refuse.
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Word of Mouth: Word of mouth is a great way of finding good photographers and, if you know the person making the recommendation well enough, it also affords you the opportunity to actually check out the work that’s presented to the couple rather than just the images the photographer themselves wish to showcase. However once again do bear in mind that unless the person you’re speaking to is a genuine expert they are likely to be somewhat biased about their pictures and about the particular style of photography they like. Word of mouth is a great way to find out about a photographer initially but make sure you do your homework before deciding they’re the right person for you too!
Wedding Fairs: Wedding fairs are specifically set up to help you to meet suppliers and they afford you the chance to meet several photographers personally all at the same time and without having to arrange multiple consultations. As we’ve said many times before finding a photographer that you really click with and trust can be a really important factor in your choice as they will be with you right through your wedding day, and so the wedding fair is a rare opportunity to have almost a mini “speed-date” with several photographers to see whether you feel you could get on with them. Once again though your choice will always be limited at wedding fairs – organisers will tend to bring in their personal preferred local suppliers to exhibit and this isn’t really representative of the plethora of options available to you. The fact that they probably are all relatively local though can certainly be an advantage!
Speaking of local…
Local photographers: If you know of photographers local to you then you can always arrange a face-to-face meeting and go and talk to them, see some examples of their work and have a general chat with them to see whether you get on and whether you’re ‘on the same page’. Just remember though that wedding photographers do tend to travel all across the country and even across the world, so whilst your local photographer may be absolutely amazing, their may be other options further afield that may offer you something that appeals to you even more.
Venue Recommendations: Many venues will have recommended suppliers that they are more than happy to suggest to you, and the more helpful ones will even be able to suggest the photographer they think is most fitting to your style and personalities. The advantages here are that venues work with a lot of photographers and therefore do often have very valid opinions and worthwhile knowledge, and you also know that the photographer in question has worked at that venue before and knows what it’s like to shoot there which, for some people, might be considered a big advantage. It’s important to note though that many venues actually take payment for recommending suppliers or may have other reasons to promote a particular photographer over their competition than simply the quality of their work, so you’re not necessarily going to get an unbiased opinion.
Print Media: Wedding magazines have perhaps been the more traditional way of coming across different ideas and styles in connection with weddings and do showcase plenty of photography. However much of what the magazines focus on tend to be ‘styled shoots’ rather than genuine weddings, where the environment has been carefully controlled rather than showing you photographs captured in the true spontaneity of a real life wedding situation.
So there we have it – multiple ways of finding photographers but no perfect way to ascertain who is really right for you. But I guess what we’re trying to say is that each of these options has their advantages and disadvantages and so you should try more than one search method before making your decision. Your photographs will stay with you for the rest of your life and it’s worth doing your homework to make sure they’re absolutely perfect for you. The above are all routes to making initial contact, but once you’ve found some photographers you’re interested in it’s important to look at their work thoroughly and ensure that you truly understand their style and the type of photographs they look to shoot. It’s important to talk to them, look at the packages they offer and decide what it is you’re really looking for. Only then will you really know if you’ve found the right person. The right photographer is out there for you, and one way or another, we hope you find them!
