Questions to Ask a Photographer before a Photoshoot

So is your big day coming? Still confused what to do or what not to do? In this article, we are going to throw some light on how to do your homework when it comes to hiring a professional photographer. What questions should be asked to the professional photographer before hiring them, so that you don`t regret your decision for the rest of your life. Before hiring a photographer, learn to be meticulous with your questions to ask wedding photographers.

All the excitement of the wedding will soon end but the photos are something that will remain for a very long time, you can say lifetime, thus you have to make sure you have screened the photographers well before getting one and you can do this by having a good list of questions to ask a professional wedding photographer.

How do you know Which Wedding Photographer is Right for You?

You may have an impression that why there is a need to bombard the photographer with a list of questions when it comes to hire professional photographer. Perhaps, you may feel the photographer may get irritated with so many questions. This can be a big mistake. As you are about to hire a professional photographer, it`s his/her job to answer your queries first before locking the deal. Be it the proposal photography, engagement photography, pre wedding photography, etc, these questions have all in common to relate with the service you are going to opt for.

What styles you are expert in?

This might be one of the questions that may clarify multiple doubts in one go. Most of the professional photographers use a blend of different styles and types of photography. Let`s say you are looking for Proposal photography or Engagement photography, some photographers may have a retro style, some, portrait specialists, etc. Going with the best and common style is the best practice to capture the lifetime moments perfectly.

Will the photos be retouched?

It’s an essential question to ask for. As there may be photographers who will polish all of your photos, and there may be some who will just do the final and selected ones. Ultimately it’s always good to ask that apart from the raw images, how many touched up images you will share?

Experience?

A single word that is question in itself. You only have one chance to get the stunning images from your wedding, proposal photography or engagement photography. So, it`s natural that you will hire a professional photographer who knows exactly what he is doing and what are your requirements as per your taste because there is a huge difference in Photography as profession and Photography as Hobby. Don’t hesitate to ask the basic insights like, how many weddings you have shot, how many shoots you do in a year, what do you mostly recommend etc?

What exactly you include in the package?

When we talk about packages, it may be something that includes everything as ala cart services, or every single style may incur some extra cost. You should compare the fee structure, check about the prints, albums, or any extra coverage. Also feel free to ask if covering up the random moments, candid shots, minor details, etc. Is it just going to be the photography or does it include the videography as well? Most of the professional photographers offer custom packages to meet your requirements within the budget you may have kept.

Backup Photographer!

All the efforts, time, energy, expectations are going to be flushed down if your wedding photographer gets sick on the big day. And we believe no one wants that ever. So, it`s always preferred to ask the photographer that if he do have a backup photographer or an assistant, then again round up with the similar questions that is the backup photographer good enough?

How long will it take to get the images after the wedding?

The most common answer, we know what you are thinking, you are right, the answer is "ASAP". We know that after the wedding, the excitement still lasts to see the beautiful captures. So, it`s good to ask about the timeframe to get the images so that you can set the right expectation and wait patiently.

These wedding photographer questions are not new to photographers though. They also know that they will be screened by the couple before being hired. As the customer, you have the right to be meticulous about what questions to ask a wedding photographer because you are paying for their service and you only get once chance to get it right.

Danis K is a well experienced legal advisor who shares his knowledge here to help those people who are looking for legal advise.