Once you have found a photographer whose style you like and pricing matches your budget, how do you make sure they are a seasoned professional? Here are 5 quick questions to ask your photographer that will separate the newbies from the true professionals.
Do you have liability insurance?
All professional photographers will have professional insurance. Some venues (usually national parks and historic buildings) will require your photographer to provide proof of insurance. You want to be sure your photographer can provide proof of insurance if needed.
What is the plan if you have an emergency on my wedding day?
Your photographer should have a backup plan in place to make sure you still have photography coverage on your wedding day. You will want to make sure that your photographer has a solid plan in place, because you can’t re-do your wedding day.
How do you backup your images?
A professional photographer should never lose a wedding day worth of images. Ask your photographer how they backup your images before they deliver them to you. Common methods include having multiple photographers, shooting on multiple cards, having an online back-up of the images.
What is your posing style/method?
If your photographer is a pro, they will be able to answer this question without hesitation. They will know their posing style and the methods they use during your engagement session and wedding day like the back of their hand.
Can I see a full wedding you have photographed? (Or multiple weddings?)
Many wedding photographers get their start as a second photographer at weddings and through styled photo shoots. The easiest way to make sure your photographer has experience photographing their own wedding is to ask to see a full wedding from start to finish. If you are looking for something specific (like candid dancing pictures), be sure to ask to see a gallery with those types of images.
The most important part of these questions is how the photographer answers. If they are confident and do not hesitate, they are a professional and have tons of weddings under their belt. If they are unsure or not confident in their answers, they may be at the beginning of their career. While everyone starts somewhere, you deserve to know how much experience the photographer you are hiring has.
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All great points.
Very few couples ask to see a full gallery.
I share several album designs and offer to share a full gallery.