Radiance Boutique was delighted with the work David McNeil did for this website –all of the model photography you see is his work. We share a strong belief in the importance of helping brides to make good decisions, whether in selecting wedding accessories or a wedding photographer. With that in mind David has put together this great advice to help you choose the right person for the job…

Wedding photographers sometimes have a bad reputation – ask a sample of your married friends and it will become clear that in wedding photography there is no middle ground.  Happily-marrieds are usually terribly disappointed or ecstatically over-joyed with their wedding images.

What is the secret?  Why is there such a divide between loving and loathing your wedding album, and just how much impact does the photographer have on the memories of your day?  A lot.

I recently shot a portrait session with a lovely actress who was married in June last year.  She had seen my wedding photography website since then and started telling me how much she wanted to get married again so that I could shoot the wedding – such was the “nightmare” she was experiencing with her photographer.

She sent me a link to her wedding images and I clicked on the collection, expecting to see hideous poses, out of focus shots, selective colour, and ill-thought out effects.  However, much to my surprise, the images were actually quite good from a technical point of view.

The photographer clearly had a good understanding of composition, the backgrounds were nice and soft, and the main subjects were always pin-sharp.

The images were just a little bit ordinary.  Perfectly fine.  Acceptable.  Nice.  However, the emotion of a wedding tends to magnify feelings and as this particular bride didn’t want “nice and ordinary” she started to loathe the pictures.

Now, when choosing your photographer it really is important to think about the style you want captured as each photographer will be different.  The tendency to categorise styles, with reportage and photojournalism on one side, and classical on the other does little to help the bride understand the differences between each photographer.

The first thing to do is ask any of your married friends if they have had a great experience with their wedding photographer.  If they have, and you like the images in their album then put that photographer on your shortlist.

Next you’ll need to start researching other photographers to add to your shortlist.  A google search is probably the best place to start to find photographers in your area.  When you look at the websites consider the feeling you get from them.  Does the website look fresh and modern and is it easy to navigate?

A photographer who has invested in their website is one who has passion and who is concerned with the image they are presenting to the world.   A scruffy unkempt website is not a good sign at all.

If you get a good feeling from the website, next navigate to the gallery pages and asses the photographers work.  Do the images have a clear style?  Are they technically sound?  Has emotion really been captured?

When you have found a couple of photographers who have portfolios containing images that really excite you, check if what they offer is in your price bracket and what you want.  Some photographers will not post price lists on their website so find some who do before making any decisions.

Also, be aware of what is actually included in any wedding packages as this can make an initially cheap-looking photographer quite expensive when everything you want is added up, or a more expensive photographer better value when the quality of their products is considered.

There can seem a whole range of different products and services on offer in Wedding Photography, but what are the main things you need to consider – and what are the hidden traps that couples may not be aware of?

1.     Coverage – how long will the photographer be at your wedding?  A wedding day can be anything from 8 hours to 16 hours.   Make sure you are aware how many hours are covered and how much additional hours will cost, or find a photographer who offers Unlimited Coverage.

2.     Albums – is there a range of albums to display your images?  How many “spreads” are included in the quoted price, and how much are additional spreads?

3.    Personality – Do you have a sense of the photographers personality through their website?  Are they a fresh and fun wedding photographer, or staid and corporate?

4.    Blog – Does the photographer have a photography blog, and is it regularly updated?  A busy blog means the photographer is also busy.  It gives a great insight into their personality and can help you decide if this is the kind of person you would like at your wedding.  A photographer who updates their blog regularly is one who is excited about their work, and gives you an opportunity to see their very latest images.

5.    Similarity – can you see yourself in the images on the photographers website?  Are you similar to the couples he or she regularly shoots?  If the couples look like models and not “real” people then chances are the images are of models hired in or from training courses.  As the photographer directly if the images are from real weddings or pre-wedding shoots.

Follow this advice and you should have a short-list of photographers you can arrange to meet and see their work.  At this stage you need to check the quality of their albums matches the claims on their website and that their personality is one you feel comfortable with.  You will be spending a lot of time with your wedding photographer so it is vital you get on with them!