Professionalism and Compatability - Choosing a Wedding Photographer
Article and Photo By: David W.Coulter

Planning a wedding brings out many emotions. Unfortunately, stress can be one of them. The best way to minimize this feeling is to hire true professionals to assist you on your wedding day. An experienced, quality minded professional will bring all of his or her talents along with the willingness and desire to serve you.

These days, couples can choose from a variety of photography styles. Many people are accustomed to the traditional style. The traditional photographer takes great care in creating portraits of the bride and groom, the bridal party and family. The look is fanciful, as if borrowed from a storybook, but requires set-up shots and posing.

Perhaps newer on the wedding photography scene is the documentary or
photojournalistic style. This approach can be more straightforward and
genuine. Photojournalism is about covering breaking news events as they truly unfold, rather than posing subjects or creating events. Because of this, the photographs may have a bit more of a raw or unpolished feeling or look.

Photographers who practice this style will, of course, pose the couple and groups for formal pictures. But they tend to remain unobtrusive the rest of the day, with a watchful eye waiting to capture the many happy moments that inevitably unfold at a wedding. The photojournalist can see a moment developing and has the skill to capture it without interfering. The difference between covering a news event and covering a wedding is that on a wedding day, it's all about good news.

These are, of course, generalizations of a couple of different approaches of photography. Within those types are individual photographers' styles, which are by far more important. Be sure to interview a variety of photographers with substantial reputations. Look at their photographs and see if you can picture yourself in them.

It's not important whether you hire a traditional photographer or a
nontraditional photographer. What is important is that you hire someone with a style that appeals to you. Both styles are good, but one may be better for you than the other. You want beautiful photographs that capture the spirit of the day.

As you interview photographers, ask yourself if you would want to spend a day with that person. See if they'll be flexible to changes during the day, as things don't always run on schedule. Sometimes, things have to be added or eliminated because of circumstances beyond your control. You'll want someone who can easily go with the flow and adjust their photography to meet the demands.

I would recommend asking to see a photographer's personal work, or fine art prints. By looking at what a person does on his or her own time, you'll get some insight into what makes them tick. You can also see the depth of a photographer's passion for his or her art and how it might reflect on your wedding day.

Taking a look at a photographer's Web site is a great way to do a cursory interview. You can take a discreet peek at their work. If you're interested, you can call for an interview. If you're not interested, you can simply move on.

Also, as many weddings are planned from a distance, it's a great way to view a portfolio while you're conducting a phone interview, provided you can be online and on the phone at the same time.

After you have gone through the interviews, found the photographer you want and made all of the plans, you can do one more thing to help make your pictures turn out so much better: Trust in the professional you have hired.

Relax, smile, and enjoy the day!