You should begin looking for a photographer as soon as you set your wedding date and your ceremony and reception site are contracted. Figure at least 6-12 months in advance.

Call potential candidates

Determine your desires and requirements before making any contacts. This will enable you to quickly rule out certain photographers.

• Make sure the photographers you call are available for your wedding date.

• Don’t try to figure everything out over the phone. The goal of your initial call is to determine if the candidate deserves a visit. If the photographer seems to suit your needs, arrange a personal visit.

• Determine if you are talking with a professional photographer or a hobbyist. Trust your first impression. If it seems like an amateur operation, it probably is. But remember, being "full time" does not guarantee a true professional quality operation.

• Legitimate sales tax license, plus any other required license for your state or province.

• Proper business insurance.

• Professional, well-maintained equipment with backup systems.

• Clean, dry place of operations.

• Membership in a professional associations like the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) or the Buffalo – Niagara Professional Photographers Society of New York.

Large Studios vs. Independent Photographers

Quality of work and service are more important than size. Large studios offer resources and backup in case your assigned photographer has an emergency and can’t make it. Some couples feel more comfortable dealing with a larger, more substantial firm. But there can be some drawbacks. Most large studios employ subcontractors, many of who use photography as a supplemental income source or are just learning the trade. Some big studios are geared towards low-budget events.

Small studios and independents excel at individualized personal service. You will most likely have your first contact directly with the actual photographer who will do your event. The advantage here is that your album will more closely reflect your personal wishes. Small or large, make sure the photographer takes your event seriously.

How to spot a "good photographer"

If ones you have interviewed all seem the same, then you haven't found the right one. Don't accept any excuses for sloppy photography. If the sample looks fuzzy or off-color or frayed, expect the same if you hire that candidate. Colors and tones should be natural and accurate. You should see detail in the whites (gowns) and dark (tuxes) parts of the image. When you meet with photographers, remember that this person will be a part of your day and possibly interact with your family and friends. If you sense any arrogance or abrasiveness, keep looking. Your photographer must be a team player with others involved in the wedding, such as your clergy, your videographer, and your catering director.

35mm vs medium format

Most professional wedding photography is done in medium format because of its inherent superior technical quality and ease of enlargement production. A larger negative will make sharper enlargements. The 35mm negative is smaller and requires a higher enlargement factor for a given print size. So grain and focus errors are much more apparent. Medium format has lots of flexibility for cropping and alignment. It is much easier to retouch blemishes, scars, lines, and pimples in medium because it can be done right on the negative -- 35mm is too small for this. When considering the production of a 10" album, the lower cost of 35mm equipment and processing is overshadowed by the cost of custom printing the material to make it work in the album.

However, 35mm is acceptable in some instances. It works very well (a) for smaller, intimate weddings where large group shots are not required, (b) as an adjunct to medium format coverage, taking advantage of the latest auto focus technology and zoom lenses, (c) when the logistics demand use of a light, compact system (e.g. wedding on a boat).

Number of Proofs

This depends on the style and approach of coverage, length of coverage, and size of the wedding. For a ceremony and 6 hour reception for approximately 150 guests, you should expect at least 200 proofs.

What about video-only or digital previewing?

Some photographers use devices to convert images to tape, or computer discs. The images get numbered for identification. The photographer can zoom on the image to simulate cropping or enlarge the faces so you can judge expressions. This saves the cost of actually printing slides or paper proofs, which are among the highest expenses of photographing a wedding.

Photographers using the video may also add titles and music to the tape. Often, several copies are made, saving you the hassle of returning proofs or worrying about who's got your proof album. The downside is that video at this stage does not have the color accuracy or resolution (ability to show detail) of photographic materials. It is also hard to plan out your album with the images appearing sequentially on tape; that step is relatively easy with prints.

Choosing an Album - Popular Types

Library Bound is simply the best. Bound as a real book. Photographs are individually matted, then matte-pages are bound as a book with a personally tooled leather cover. This is the most expensive, but the most elegant and long lasting method.

With a Z-Page album, photographs are slid into the page, which forms the border or matte. The page has steel pins on one edge for snapping into a cover. Most covers are of simulated leather. It's cheaper than library-bound and allows pictures to be changed later, but it is less elegant. This style is the most popular in the US today.

Post-bound is similar to the above, but page ends and covers have 2-3 holes for screw posts. It's an old style, subject to distortion.. Posts gradually loosen, allowing the album to fall apart.

Hinge-bound albums have pages with brass hinges on the edge. Pictures slide into paper pages that are thinner than the styles above. Pages and covers twist and distort and may fall apart in short order.

Operating on a Limited Budget

If you are on a limited budget, it is even more imperative that you make wise choices to get the best value for your investment. Do not succumb to low-balling schemes with a small entry and unpleasant surprise AFTER the wedding when you find the results poor or the initial package inadequate.

For small intimate weddings, consider having professional portraits done during the week rather than on Saturday or Sunday. Although professional photographers discourage the portraits-only plan for larger events, some opt for that and have the main event covered with video-only. If you do choose to have amateur coverage of the event, at least have the essential portraits of key individuals professionally done.

We advise against imposing on friends and relatives to do the official photography. It is unfortunate when a couple with a truly limited budget gets poor results. Besides that, there is another big danger here. If the photography fails for any reason, there could be lifelong damage to the relationship.