You are getting married and you would like to have photographs taken that will be wonderful memories for the rest of your life but you don't have a clue how to search for a photographer. Sound familiar? It can be a daunting task.
Lately, it seems that everybody who received a digital camera for Christmas, or a birthday is calling themselves a "Professional Photographer". I don't know of any state that has a licensing requirement to be a photographer. That does not mean that all of these people are truly "professional".
1. Look for someone who has experience, equipment (and backup equipment) to photograph your wedding. The "new pro" probably has one consumer grade camera and one kit lens. What will happen if that camera jams, or breaks at YOUR wedding? (Yes, it can happen) A "true professional" will always have backup equipment, just in case.
2. Professional camera equipment is very expensive, but there is a reason the "True Professional" uses the best equipment. Weddings are often located in dark churches and the best equipment is simply required to capture all of the fleeting, emotional moments that occur.
3. Look for credentials. The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has a "Certification" program that weeds out those who don't really have what it takes. Less than 3% of all photographers are "Certified".
4. Is your photographer registered with the state and/or local community? Do they pay all of the taxes required by a true business, or are they "flying under the radar" and not giving back to the community? Are they "zoned" to have a business at their location?
5. Does your photographer have business insurance? What if something terrible goes wrong and your photographer isn't backed by insurance. If you trip and knock over equipment, or someone gets injured, it is simply a necessity to have the proper insurance.
6. Check with your local Better Business Bureau (BBB) and see how they are rated. If your local BBB hasn't heard of them, chances are they are not a true business.
7. How long have they been in business? How many weddings have they photographed?
8. Who will actually photograph YOUR wedding? Don't let them pass you off to another photographer you have never met, or viewed their work.
9. Don't make a decision until you have seen actual "printed" work. A web site can only give you a hint of what their final printed work will look like, but an "average" or "unsatisfactory" image can look "ok" when viewed on a lower resolution media like a web site.
10. Do you like their style of photography? Photography is an art and you may not like one style, even if it is your best friend's favorite in the whole world. (Funny how different people like different things.)
11. I see many "new pros" offering prices that are too cheap to believe. "True Professionals" will have a "Professional Print Lab" for all of their work. You don't want your photographs to be printed at the local discount/drug store. I have compared them all, and the difference is huge. The bride's dress really shouldn't have blue tinges and the groom's face shouldn't have green shadows.
12. Have you seen examples of retouching they have done? True, artistic retouching is not a "push-button" process. It takes years to master the different techniques. Even a simple looking black & white image is not just the result of "taking away the color". There is much more to it than that.
13. Many "New Pros" don't even want to provide you with photographs. They simply say "you get the digital files on a CD and you can print them at your leisure". Sounds like a wonderful bargain - right? Unless you are knowledgeable in digital photography, have a calibrated monitor and understand levels, curves, white balance, gamma, highlight recovery, composition, color space, and on, and on, you will never have photographs that will look great. Giving a Bride & Groom the digital files is the biggest disservice the "new pro" could do for you. But then again, they probably don't know how to do it well themselves.