How to choose your Kent Wedding Photographer?
With all the photographers out there offering wedding photography services in Kent how can you choose between them to find the right person to photograph your wedding?
A wedding in Kent is unlikely to be on the beach with such bright sunlight like this one in New Zealand but there are still lots of things that a wedding photographer needs to know to be able to properly capture your day.
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| Choosing Your Wedding Photographer |
Some requirements for a wedding photographer may be optional like qualifications from a professional body as many great wedding photographers do not bother with these but other things need to be carefully considered as they are essential for capturing your day well. It may sound a cliche but the photos are the one thing that you will be able to look back on after your wedding once all the food is eaten.
Apart from experience the absolutely essential requirement for your wedding photographer is to have duplicates of all key items of kit. They will need 2 cameras, 2 sets of lenses and 2 flashguns as a minimum. Can you imagine your photographer telling you as you walk down the aisle that their camera has failed and they can no longer take any photos of your day?
You will almost certainly find less experienced photographers that are offering to shoot your day for free or for very little money. Some of these may be students or people just starting out. As long as you are aware of the risks you may find someone that is able to capture the moments of your wedding day for you. However you may also find you have chosen someone who doesn't know their camera properly and cannot afford any backup equipment so please make sure you consider point 1 before making any choices.
Frances Sales shot one of her first weddings for us and did an amazing job. Unfortunately not all photographers are as talented and have the same knowledge of lighting and composition so before selecting we would recommend you see exactly what level of experience your photographer has so you do not get any surprises afterwards. Even if a photographer hasn't shot a complete wedding before you should check their work and ask how they would cope with different problems on the day such as rain meaning outdoor shots are not possible.
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| What to look for whe Choosing Your Wedding Photographer |
Check how and when your wedding images will be delivered to you. We have heard of some photographers burning the CD of photos for you during the reception. Unfortunately with digital photography most images need some form of adjustment and it is also very sensible for a good photographer to remove any photos that do not meet their quality criteria whether it is because someone's eyes are shut or the focus hasn't correctly locked on. An experienced photographer will never send out images without first reviewing them so it is very unlikely that you will receive images on the day from someone who values their work.
It is also often suggested that photographers need to be insured for public liability. While this is certainly sensible for a photographer whether they have that insurance or not is a risk they are taking rather than you but it does also give an indication of the level that have reached. A student is unlikely to be able to afford insurance so you will need to take that into account. Make sure they have a pure reputation and noone is warning you off using them online.
Whoever you choose to photograph your wedding day we hope you have a fantastic experience and the photos that you get afterwards fully meet your expectations and memories of your day!
