One of the most common struggles that engaged couples face is to find out how to compare photographers with similar quality pictures. If right now you are searching on Weddingwire, The Knot or other related websites are struggling with the same thing this article is perfect for you. So how to compare photographers with similar quality pictures? How do you even figure out which photo quality is better without a trained photography eye?
I didn’t notice this until I became a photographer myself. I often wonder what me and my wife’s decision would be if we knew how to tell from the good to amazing photographer. Who else would we hire for our wedding day? After carefully dropping down some notes and organizing my thoughts, below are what I considered the best metrics to compare photographers that does similar quality of work:
How good is the photographer with off camera flash?
Everyone knows how to shoot well in daylight situation. In fact, you can capture amazing shots with your iphone in a gorgeous day!
But what happened if it’s nighttime? What if it’s raining and gloomy? This is the pictures you need to see from the photographer’s portfolio to measure how good he/she knows the craft.
Furthermore, even if the photographer can shoot night time photography really well, make sure he/she knows how to shoot moving subjects very well. This is especially important for reception dance shots and it’s something you need to make sure the photographer can shoot well in this type of situation.
Knowing how to use flash off the camera and to produce quality photographs in a dark environment is one of the most important skill a wedding photographer should have. Make sure your photographer can do it!
What is the photographer’s editing style?
These days a lot of photographers tend to use a “Instagram like” filters to edit their pictures. This is just my personal opinion, but while the filters look cool be mindful that they could potentially cover-up minor flaws in the images. The picture could be blurry, certain part of the photos may be under/over exposed etc.
Also, remember filters will eventually go out of style. What people like and what the trend is now will be outdated in 5, 10, 15 years from now. Therefore, I always tell my couples to look for a photographer that does more a natural/neutral editing style photographs. This will make sure their wedding photograph will endure the test of time.
How well is the photographer’s communications?
Once you get in touch with your potential photographer, how did the communicates go? Do you feel comfortable? Did the photographer explain everything you should/need to know?
Also, how does the form inquiry looks like? Is it a hard copy to mail back and forth? Or it’s done in a convenience way that you can do everything online?
What about emails? Is the photographer willing to spend more time to type a lengthy post so he/she explains everything you asked? What does the tone of the email feel like to you? Does it sound pushy and to sale you more stuff that you don’t need? Does the photographer actually listens to you?
How well does the photographer tells the story with an album?
A photographer that knows how to shoot well in a wedding is a good photographer. But the ones that stand out are those who can shoot well in a way that tells a story and be able to present the pictures with an album . This requires great attention to details, knowing how to capture moments, and understanding of how story telling flows in your album .
I hope the above tips helps you answer the big question of how to compare photographers with similar quality pictures. If you are still struggle remember you can always ask your potential photographer to do a mini-session for you to test drive his/her skills. Last but not least, feel free to ask me any questions if you need any help!
Meet Gary
My name is Gary Lun and I’m an Atlanta wedding photographer that specializes in wedding and engagement photography. I locate in metro Atlanta but I do travel nationally and oversea! I am always looking for fun and friendly couples to capture their big day!
Contact Atlanta wedding photographers Gary Lun
Email: garylunphotography@gmail.com