When choosing the person that you are going to trust to capture your wedding in the best way possible, for the fairest price and with the most benefits, there are a few things that you must take into account.

The key to getting the best wedding videographer is to check out their experience. As bad as it sounds, many amateurs see weddings as an easy place to start and will offer their services at great prices, however, very often you will end up with a low quality product from someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Your wedding day is special and you want your video to be the best it can be – especially if you’re not having a photographer because you’re relying on the video.

There are many ways that you can find out about the experience of a videographer, the easiest being ask for demos. Every legitimate and experienced videographer should be more than happy to show you some of their work. If they tell you that they can’t due to privacy reasons, then they’re not the people for you – cross them off your list right away. For the willing competitors out there you should be sure to watch more than one piece by them and make sure that you watch an entire video from start to finish, so that you’re confident in the knowledge that they can produce a good quality, full length film, rather than just a few good shots. You should also be aware that the video will not be perfect. It is normal to see a few errors in a long video, although they tend to be hidden pretty well.

Good communication skills are paramount to the smooth running of your day. The videographer should be willing to communicate and get on well with other guests; this is essential if they are to make sure that everyone knows what they’re doing, they understand the purpose of the video and they know what to expect.

There are many styles that videographers can adopt but they all have the favourites, however, when you ask about the style of their filming the choice should ultimately be down to you. If they don’t give you the choice and you’re not happy with their decision then don’t choose them. The overall product is something you’ll be paying a lot for and you want it to be the best it can be, so only agree to an option that you’ve chosen.

You should also make sure that they are using the best equipment, although any camera in the hands of a professional can produce a good result. You should also ask about the final editing and format of your film and about the price of extra copies.

All of this has to be taken into account when thinking about swapping your photographer for a videographer, or even if you’re considering having both.

This article was written by James Oscar  – if you want wedding videos Manchester, he recommends choosing www.ysdmedia.co.uk.

For those planning an upcoming wedding, there is a whole host of elements that need to come together in perfect harmony for the big day to come off without a hitch. The perfect dress needs to be chosen, the right location needs to be selected, the best flowers need to be arranged and the catering, music and seating arrangements need to be taken care of. And after much work, if the planner does their job correctly then they will indeed have that perfect day.

But that’s just it: the wedding is only a day. And the only way to make that one day last forever is with photographs. But the same criteria used for choosing a regular portrait photographer can’t be applied when selecting one for a wedding. Reputation, equipment and ability are all factors to consider when choosing that perfect wedding photographer.

Here are some other tips to ensure top photography on the big day.

START EARLY

As soon as the wedding date is chosen is the time to start looking into photographers. This is due to the fact that the best wedding shooters are booked well in advance – sometimes up to a year or more. The busy season for wedding photographers is spring, and Saturdays are their busiest days of the week. Should you be looking for a photographer during this “peak” season then it is recommended you book the photographer at least six months in advance. Those who are planning weddings during the off-season should have a little more flexibility with their photographer’s schedules.

GO BY REPUTATION

Start by asking married friends or relatives for recommendations regarding wedding photographers. Photographers who earn rave reviews from clients will likely be well known in a community. Barring recommendations from friends and family, it’s always a good idea to ask others involved in the wedding to make recommendations, as they all work in the same industry. Maybe the caterer, florist or DJ has the inside track on a truly phenomenal photographer.

VIEW SAMPLES

Many top photographers will have websites featuring samples of past work. But even if this is the case, it’s still important to look at the photographer’s physical book (portfolio of their top pieces of work). The importance of sitting down with a potential photographer and looking over his or her work can’t be understated. It allows the client to gauge the level of professionalism of the photographer. Not only that, but by looking at work samples, the client can see if the photographer’s style will work for his or her wedding. For example, maybe the photographer in question is better working indoors rather than outdoors. And if the wedding in question is to be held outdoors, this obviously would present a problem.

DISCUSS EQUIPMENT

Even if you aren’t a gear head, it’s still important to know the equipment the photographer will use on the big day. For example, if the photographer likes to shoot with a digital camera, as the client, you’ll want to make sure the images are at least 8 megapixels. If the photographer prefers film, you need to make sure it is professional-grade stock.

READ THE FINE PRINT

After selecting the right man or woman for the job, it’s important to examine all costs in the contract thoroughly. That’s because it isn’t just about the photographs themselves. How many sets of prints are included in the cost? Is an album included? What about negatives or digital files? What’s hourly rate of the photographer? Does he or she charge extra for an assistant? These are all things to consider before signing the contract.

These are just a few tips to consider when searching for a wedding photographer. Like every other element of the wedding, the photographer needs to operate in perfect harmony with the overall event. And should this be the case, the bride and groom will have their special day immortalized in the form of beautiful prints.

Ken McDonald is a photography enthusiast who loves everything about digital cameras. In his spare time he reviews digital slr cameras and blogs about photography.

You have heard the expression you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The same is true of your wedding day. You will never get a second chance to have quality photographs taken during your wedding so do not risk using a less than professional, experienced photographer.

Ask to see samples, but ask questions about those samples. In larger studios there will be more than one photographer. Ask if the samples you are looking at were taken by the same photographer that will be doing your wedding. You are interested in the work of your particular photographer, not just the studio.

Getting a CD or some other form of digital storage is important in case there is a house fire, flood, or some other event that destroys the wedding photo album so it can be replaced. It is preferably that you are the one that has possession of the digital storage, which you can keep in a home safe or safe deposit box, rather than relying on the photographer to still be in business in 5 or 10 years.

Emergencies do sometimes happen and they can be unavoidable. Ask what your photographer’s plan is in case that happens to them. Will they have back up equipment on site in case of an equipment breakdown?

Wedding photography style ranges from traditional to photojournalistic, with most photographers falling somewhere in between the two ends of the spectrum.  More traditional photographers will interact and give quite a bit of instruction to both you and your guests and will pose them for the classic wedding photographs.  A more photojournalistic photographer will focus on more candid images. They are more focused on trying to capture the events rather than control them. Decide which style you prefer and select a photographer that matches it.

A third style is beginning to emerge and that is contemporary/fashion-based wedding photography. It is a combination of the candid photojournalistic style and posed images that take their inspiration from high fashion magazines such as Vogue or Vanity Fair. The end results are stunning photographs.

One of the latest trends is trash the dress or rock the frock. Generally this photography session is completed on a separate day from the wedding. The contrast between the elegant dress and the unexpected background or damage to dress makes for some stunning artwork. A common trash the dress trend features the bride standing in the surf but others brides have chosen to be photographed in fields, in front of abandoned and decrepit barns, or city rooftops. After taking such care to make sure that nothing happens to the dress it can be a big relief to just let go and the photographs capture this emotion.

Article has been kindly provided by Photographer Leeds, a source for photography in the Leeds area.

Wedding photos are some of the most precious photos you will ever have. Over the decades, traditional style wedding photos have been taken, but over the last few years, wedding photographers have become much more creative when taking photos, and have begun to emerge out of the box when it comes to wedding photography. Gone are the days when the bride, groom and wedding party are standing beside each other with no activity and boring backdrops. Nowadays, you’ll find brides jumping on a trampoline with their flower girl, or the groom sharing a sausage on the side of a busy Toronto street with his best man. Think outside the box!

Unique Ideas That a Creative Wedding Photographer Will Use

Here are 5 unique ideas for your wedding photos:

1. Playing at the Beach – Why not take the bride and groom to a local beach, and have them play together and display their love and affection for one another? This would be a great way to show their playful side, with a gorgeous, natural backdrop on the beach.
2. Go Retro – Another unique idea would be to have the bride and groom dressed up in retro outfits, or have the effects of the photograph look as if it was taken in the 1950′s, or 1920′s, or whatever decade you desire.
3. False Perspective – Have the bride or the groom – or both – appear much smaller than other objects in the photo. For example, have the groom appear large, with a tiny bride in the palm of his hand – go totally unconventional!
4. Romantic Tragedy – Have the bride and groom kiss on the balcony of an old romantic building, with all their wedding guests gazing up at them from the ground.
5. Fantasy Photos – You can really use your imagination with this idea. For example, have the groom act as a magician, with the bride as his beautiful assistant, and make the photo look like it was from decades ago with sepia colouring and even some strategically-placed cracks in the photo.

For more unique ideas of wedding photography at a Toronto studio, visit www.quarum.com.

Be Creative!

Weddings are (hopefully) a once in a lifetime event, and as such, you want your memories to be kept vivid with the use of unique photos. For some inspiration and truly unique wedding photo ideas, you may want to browse some amazing and creative photo galleries, as for example the gallery of the Quarum Photography Studio in Toronto. Each wedding photographer at Quarum Studios takes amazing pictures that are not your traditional pictures of the bride and groom simply standing at the alter. At this wedding photography Toronto studio, you can be sure that your photographer will engage in unique, yet tasteful photography that will be sure to excite and impress you on that special day.

Lisa @ Quarum Photography in Toronto

Unfortunately, getting married is one of those occasions where you gain the experience you need, right after the event is over. For this reason, reading articles like this can really save you some trouble down the road.

One of the major decisions you have to make when getting married is to find and select the right wedding photographer. I live in Atlanta and I can tell you that there are plenty of Atlanta wedding photographers to choose from, which makes the decision that much more difficult. I’m sure there are also plenty of photographers in your area to choose from as well.

Let me give you a few tips to help you choose the best wedding photographer for you. These are things you can do before you decide who to hire.

Call Them On The Phone

The first thing I would do is call all your potential wedding photographers and conduct a short “phone interview”. You’ll want to ask some basic questions over the phone to quickly narrow down your choices. Some of these questions include when they are available, how much they charge, what their website is, and if they have any referrals for you to contact.

Another simple benefit of doing quick over-the-phone interviews is that you are able to get a feel for the type of personality the photographer has. The photographer’s personality will play an important role for determining how well they can work with people.

Research Them Online

Once you have your list of potential wedding photographers, and have made notes about each one from your phone interviews, you can then go online and view their website and do a little research about each one.

Their website should include sample photos of their previous work. Seeing their portfolio will quickly show you what kind of style they have. Another important piece of information you can gather from their website is how established and professional they are; whether or not they have an office, with the address listed on their site, and a business phone number, etc.

An additional tip would be to search that photographer’s name in Google and see what comes up. If you get a bunch of complaints, that’s probably something to consider.

Call Their Referrals

The next thing to do is to call each of the referrals the photographers gave you and ask them about their experience with them. You could ask questions like, “how satisfied were you with the work so and so did?” Or, “how professional was so and so in the way they interacted with you and your party?”

Asking questions like this, and listening to the responses, will help you understand which photographer can best suite your needs. Speaking with other people, who have used that wedding photographer in the past, is one of the best ways to narrow down your choices.

By following these simple guidelines, you can quickly narrow down the best choice for your wedding photographer. Remember, this experience only comes once, for most people, and you want to get this part right because this is how you will remember it.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend Lynn Brown Photography. You can view their website at www.lynnbrownphotography.com/weddings/.