How To Choose A Wedding Photographer
If you are reading this, I am pretty sure you are on a quest to find the right wedding photographer. I totally understand! How can one get to that stage of making a sure decision on a wedding photographer - someone whom you will entrust in capturing your most significant moments? Here are some guiding tips for you.
Step 1: Research, research, research
Not all of us are confident in how we want our pre wedding or actual day photographs to look like. Rustic? Classy? Airy? Moody? However that aside, I am sure that all of us have some sort of image in our heads of how we desire for it to be.
This is where you will have to do some homework. Grab a cup of coffee, open your laptop, and start researching the types of photographs you want to remember. Take screenshots of them and make a collage.
Show them to your potential wedding photographers to search for a suitable fit between what you want and what they can offer. After all, we - as much as we want to - cannot read your mind. Making clear your expectations from the start will help you ease the whole process. For this, you will first need to nail down the type of shots you want.
Step 2: Compare wedding packages
Typically, a wedding held in Singapore can range from $30,000 to $100,000 depending on how extravagant of an event the couple decides to plan for. One tip to note when comparing wedding packages is not to cross off a package based on price-point first, but determine what is included in the package.
From there, you are able to shortlist or add on what is necessary for you. Things like the number of hours, hi-res JPGs, albums, pre wedding shoot, can either be included in the package or might cost you extra money.
Go into the details and decide what is of more value to you! Some people prefer to cut down on the photo albums and go for additional hours of shoot, while others prefer having a video instead. You can also check out some of our wedding videography here!
Step 3: Get to know the photographer
After you have shortlisted a list of potential wedding photographers that are able to meet your expectations, it is time to get to know them for them. Think about it. This will be the person who captures your precious and intimate moments with your partner, your family, and your loved ones. It is only right if you find a photographer you are comfortable with.
Take time out with your partner to get to know each of them, look at more of their work, and discuss the direction of your wedding. Assess whether your personalities mesh.
In addition, go online and read reviews about them. See what other customers are saying about them. Studies have shown that we trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and we encourage you to do so. This will aid you in making a more informed decision.
Step 4: Delivery and post-production
After all the wedding emotions, vibes, and excitement has calmed, it is only normal to be eager to see how the memories were documented. Thus, you can manage expectations by asking your wedding photographer about their delivery turnaround time during your pre wedding meetups.
Commonly, it can range from 6 - 9 weeks. Some wedding photographers require a longer time, but that does not necessarily mean that they are incompetent. Faster do not equate to better photos. Often, these are talented photographers who are able to deliver quality work and are highly packed with other wedding shoots as well.
Some potential questions you could ask are:
Does the coverage need to be continuous?
What rights does your photographer have over the images?
Will you be getting hi-res JPGs?
How many images should you expect?
Are albums part of the package?
Now with all of these in mind, go out there and choose someone suitable for you and your future spouse. Ultimately, remember to enjoy the process and have fun!
Keen to have us for your wedding? Contact us today!
5 Things Your Wedding Photographer Wants You To Stop Doing
After compiling various shared experiences with other wedding photographers and videographers - including myself, here are some pointers we would appreciate you not to do.
1. Expecting us to mind read
We wish we could. But we are unable to. Figuring out what you want before hiring a wedding photographer would definitely allow us to work together on a better level. You can always tell us the type of shots you would like to see, such as candid shots, family portraits, or even close-ups. Let us know what kind of photograph holds significance to you - because your wedding photographer will never know until you tell them so.
2. Insisting on replicating certain poses
Styled poses take a deliberate attempt, which often takes away the magic. Every couple and their body movement have their natural beauty. Your pre wedding photographer might not tell you, but he would have studied your facial features and contours.
Lighting, location, or simply height difference and natural body interaction between the couple makes some poses rather unflattering. So trust your photographer’s professional eye to know well what best compliments your partner and you.
Furthermore, styled poses look amazing, breathtaking, and picture-perfect – often possible of the professional modelling. We’ve realised wedding couples much prefer their shoots to natural and intimate while having fun in a casual laid back setting.
3. Panicking and being tensed
It is your big day and we fully understand the wedding nerves. According to a survey done by fearcourse.com, 71% of brides-to-be suffered from some type of nerves during the build-up to their wedding and 92% of brides experience nerves on the day of the wedding or the evening before. It is normal to feel anxious and tensed, but try not to get too caught up in it - remember to take a deep breath.
Part of why we (and couples) prefer overseas shoots is simply because couples are often too distracted by the beauty of the destination to pay attention to us or our shutter clicks. Shots from these locations are often natural and candidly beautiful.
4. Requesting for heavily Photoshopped images
Oh the wonders, and limitations, of Photoshop. I have come across a good number of people requesting for flawless images of themselves. Some common ones include bleaching of teeth, removal of bald spots, and tucking of tummy. Others went to the extent of asking non-present people to be photoshopped into the photo. There is a difference between tweaks and total manipulation.
We are for slight adjustments such as skin imperfections, hair frizz, or even ‘exit’ signs in the background. As much as we do understand your desire for perfection, especially for your wedding photographs, we want you to feel comfortable with yourself more. These photographs will follow you for a lifetime, and we want to capture images with true and raw emotions that you can look back on.
*Enjoy SGD300 off Your Wedding Shoot!
5. Asking for RAW files
This is another famous request. Throughout my wedding photography journey, I have lost count of how many clients asking for me to give them every single image that was taken during the shoot. Though it might seem reasonable for wanting RAW and unedited versions of your photographs, it simply should not be the case.
“Asking a photographer to hand over a memory card, USB, or DVD of raw images is akin to asking an author to present you with their book in manuscript format: unedited, unformatted, and including the paragraphs and chapters that didn’t make it.” - Daniela Bowker.
You are paying for the finished product of your wedding photo package which includes the photographer applying all of his/her skills. And if you are thinking that unedited images will reduce your cost, we are afraid that that is not the case.
BONUS! Here are some tips that we, your wedding photographer, would love for you to do.
1. Share your expectations with your wedding photographer
Beauty is very subjective. One might like a certain shot while another might not. As your wedding photographer, we want to capture images that you would love to see. Thus, we would love for you to share your expectations with us before proceeding with the shoot. You can show us photos of yourself that you like and those that you do not. You can also tell us that you prefer smiling shots over wide-angle close-ups.
2. Enjoy the shoot!
Ultimately, the best photos are the ones where it captures you having fun. Be silly, get cake on your face, share laughter with your loved ones, have a good rest the day before. The more you are enjoying yourself and having a great time, the more your pictures will capture those emotions. Do not stress over the small details, it is one of the best days of your life. Cherish it and enjoy yourself!
