Looking for the PERFECT wedding vendors can sometimes be difficult when there are SO many options. When it comes to finding the photographer of your dreams there are a few things we recommend adding to your checklist while on your search!
Website, Social Presence + Good Customer Reviews
When searching for the perfect photographer- the best place to start would be their website, as with most businesses. Having a website that displays their current portfolio is the first process of elimination. It not only shows that the photographer is serious by investing in a website, but also allows you to make a first impression without even having to inquire.
A good social presence will also mean that more than likely, this company is credible and can likely present you with previous customers who had a good experience.
Back-up Equipment
If you take anything away from this, please take this bit of advice. Be absolutely sure that the photographer you are hiring has back up equipment. At minimum, two of everything. Cameras. Memory cards, batteries. Lighting. All of the things. Technology fails all the time. It has happened. It will happen. Even to the best of the best. It’s inevitable. Don’t be afraid to ask your photographer what their backup plan is - you can thank me later.
Properly Registered + Insured Business
Hiring a licensed and insured photographer (or any business for that matter) is definitely important. It not only helps support those small businesses who are paying taxes but it also allows you to be at ease about hiring a legitimate professional on such an important day of your life. Trust me, I’ve heard my fair share of horror stories. Not to mention, most if not all venues require you to have liability insurance to even photograph on their property. Be sure the photographer you go with is adequately prepared!
Contract
A trustworthy business and a good contract not only protects the business itself but also the client. Be sure to carefully read through the contract from your photographer - specifically about rescheduling + cancellation policies. The photographer you hire should happily be able to answer any questions you may have. You should feel 100% confident and comfortable signing a legally binding contract with whoever you decide to go with!
If they don’t have a contract- RUN.
A Consistent Portfolio + Personality That You Vibe With
This is a big one. It is vital that you love the photographers work. This is your wedding day and these images will be the images you look at for the rest of your life. We always suggest staying away from trendy colors and presets as these may “go out of style” and can change the way your wedding actually looked by too much color alteration. Didn’t you pick your wedding colors for a reason?
Make sure the aesthetic and editing style that you like is consistent with the photographer that you intend to hire. If you lean more towards a light + airy look, you may want to stay away from someone who edits on the darker side - and vice versa.
Lastly, your photographer will be one of the vendors who is by your side literally ALL DAY. Make sure you get along with them and feel 100% yourself. This is one of the main reasons we do intro meetings and engagement sessions. This allows us to meet and get comfortable with each other before your actual big day!
Ability To Work In All Lighting Conditions
When looking through your favorite photographers portfolio, be sure that they display work from a variety of lighting conditions. Lighting in a barn wedding is completely different than lighting in a banquet hall and it is so important that your photographer understands this and is able to work with the conditions given to them. This includes proper artificial lighting and white balance to ensure you have the best final image possible.
Carbone Photo Co. LLC is a Wedding Photography company based out of Richmond, Virginia who travels the entire east coast for weddings. Carbone Photo Co. LLC offers photography for weddings, bridal portraits, engagement sessions, events, senior portraits as well as family portraits. This Virginia wedding photographer specializes in capturing the most sentimental moments using a photojournalistic approach to document raw candid moments of you and your loved ones.