Selecting a Photographer

Selecting a photographer for your event is possibly the most important hire you’ll make. To find the right shutterbug for your sioree, start early and shop around.  Here are 10 helpful tips…

Suit Your Style

Before you start calling photographers, first decide which visual style suits your party. Photographers fall into three general categories: photojournalists, traditional photographers, and those with a balanced bag of tricks. If you love candid black-and-white action shots, you’re probably leaning toward a photojournalist. If you prefer portraits and posed shots, a traditionalist is for you.

Make a List

Start compiling a list of candidates by flipping through the albums of any friends or family who have recently celebrated a big day whether it is a wedding, bat/bar mitzvah, or anniversary. Other sources include experts you’ve been working with on other aspects of your party (event coordinator, caterers, etc.).

Set Meetings

Don’t underestimate the importance of liking, if not bonding, with your photographer. Some of the best photos of your party may well be those taken behind the scenes, and you need to be comfortable about inviting him or her backstage. This person will also have a lot of contact with your family and friends, and in general be a very visible “guest” at your party. To get the best photos, he or she has to be assertive enough to hunt for great moments, cajoling enough to coax relaxed smiles and natural stances from guests, and calm enough to be a positive force. He or she should ask lots of questions and be a good listener. Trust your gut: If anything about him or her rubs you the wrong way, keep looking.

Choose Wisely

Seasoned event photographers have what’s called a “book,” a portfolio of their best work to show potential clients. If a candidate doesn’t have one, think twice.  Browse the book, look for crisp images, thoughtful compositions and good lighting. Do the more journalistic shots convey a sense of emotion? Do people in the portraits look relaxed?

Technical Questions

Does he or she shoot in medium format, digital or only 35mm? If the photographer has only one standard 35mm camera and you want to get some poster-size portraits for Grandma, you’ll want to find someone who can shoot in medium format (the larger negative retains its crisp image at larger magnifications than 35mm — or “small-format” — film). Make sure he or she brings a backup set of equipment in case of malfunction or other snafu.

Review References

Request two to three references for the two photographers you feel most strongly about. If a photographer is reluctant to give you a list of prior clients, cross her off your list. Ask the references if they would they recommend this person to their best friend. Was the photographer on time, well dressed,professional throughout the event? Did guests have any comments — negative or positive?

Confirm Costs

Expect to spend at least $1,500 and easily up to $4,000 on the photographer. You’re paying for the cameraman’s time at your party, plus all post-production work, such as developing the prints — by hand and one at a time in a traditional darkroom in some cases. Special effects and more time at the event will, of course, cost extra. If you’re on a tight budget, ask about the most basic package.

Ask About Online

Sharing photos on the Internet has become the norm. How does your photographer do it? Is he or she partnered with a service which can post your album online? A lot of people like this option because it allows you to share the entire event’s worth of pictures without carting around the proof book — and guests and family don’t have to go through you to order prints.

Double-Check the Details

Many larger studios have several photographers on staff. Since every professional has a different style, technique, and personality, you need to make sure that the one you interview and “click” with will be the same one to work your party.

Get it in Writing

We know you know this, but we have to say it anyway: Get every detail in writing. Also important: Don’t sign anything if a studio claims it has the right to send any staff photographer to your party and you feel uneasy about even one person in their stable of photographers; if you sign, that’s the one you’ll inevitably get.