Choosing Your Wedding Photographer Time To Start Looking For A Photographer Shopping for a wedding photographer isn’t like selecting outfits and bridal bouquets for one simple reason: you can’t see the pictures you’re buying until after you’ve made your decision. In the end, your decision will be largely a matter of faith. For many, price ends up being the primary determining factor, which doesn't make much sense when you consider that there are no second chances. I have compiled some general guidelines to help you select the photographer that’s right for you. Visit Website Visit each photographer's website. Carefully review his or her portfolio. Try to concentrate on photos and not on website design. Today, anyone can get a beautiful flash website for a few hundred bucks. Good photographers usually show plenty of their recent work online including full weddings - you will save time by pre-qualifying photographers who have comprehensive online portfolios for a possible meeting. Create a list of those photographers. Most important is - see if photographer's work looks appealing to you, if you can feel the "click". Phone Interview Call or email each photographer on your list. A quick phone call or short email will give you a number of key pieces of information, such as the photographer’s availability on your wedding day, type of photography specialties (e.g., candid, traditional, photojournalism, combination, film or digital, etc.), and a rough idea as to how much they’ll charge you and what you’ll receive for that fee. It will also tell you a bit about the photographer’s personality. Remember, this person will be an integral part of the most important day of your life, so be sure you choose someone you feel good about. Make Appointments Make appointments with the photographers who sound promising so you can view their portfolios and discuss details. These meetings should include both the bride and groom as well as the bride's parents, and anyone else who will either be paying for the work or working closely with the photographer. Write down all your questions before you meet, and take notes during the meetings. Getting Specific The more questions you ask up front, the more confident and relaxed you’ll feel on and after your wedding day. If in doubt, ask! And remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question! Being Prepared At this stage, if you've taken the time to ask good questions, you’ll know whether this photographer is for you. By now you've probably spent a good deal of time communicating with your photographer. Keep in mind that photographers are trained professionals and that they deserve to be treated as such. Go to your meeting prepared to leave a deposit to reserve the date. Before you do, however, you may want to assure yourself of a few more last-minute details. Ask about the photographer's policy for wedding-date changes and what happens if he/she is not available on the alternate date. Ask about their policy for an unforeseen cancellation. If the photographer is right for you, if the photographer is available, and if you're convinced that it's worth the price, then make the commitment and relax; this is undoubtedly one of the best and most intelligent decisions you've made in planning your wedding. Answers To Your Questions Q. Will you be the one who photographs our wedding? Yes. I will be the one. Q. What is your wedding photography style? My work can be described in many ways but I prefer to call it "artistic wedding photojournalism". I will document your day by capturing the real emotions while adding my artistic perspective to each shot. I will also spend some time with the bridal party and the family to take traditional photos. Q. What type of equipment do you use? I am shooting with high end digital Canon cameras, top of the line lenses and other equipment. The list is pretty long * See the equipment page on this site for more details. Q. Where can we see your work? Please visit my gallery on this site. See a full wedding, some special effects and magazine style albums. Q. Do we have to sign a contract? Yes. Q. What is your deposit policy? $500.00 for all packages when contract is signed to hold date. The rest is due a week prior to the wedding day. Q. Do you have travel, location or setup fees? I don't charge for travel within Springfield, MO. city limits and don't have any additional fees except for a la carte products of course. Please contact our studio for weddings outside of Springfield, MO. Q. Do we get proofs to keep? Yes. Q. Can all of our pictures be posted online? Yes. Each wedding will have it's own personal proof gallery for everyone to see. However, the online proofs are password protected and the bridal party will have to distribute the password to friends and family at their discretion. Q. Can we have a high resolution files? Yes, high resolution files are included in Diamond package and are given to the bride and groom on the other packages after the minimum print order is attained. (min. print order is only $250.00 * after that all files are yours to keep with release form) Q. Do you work with assistant? Yes. Q. Can we have parent books? Yes. You can have smaller copies for each type of the album as well as full size parent albums. Q. Where are you located? I am based in Springfield, MO. Please call (417) 496-4839 or email witthar101@mchsi.com