Your Wedding through the Camera Lens

 It’s finally happening! After months of planning, several fittings and enough cake tastings to last a lifetime, you are marrying the love of your life in front of your closest family and friends. For every engaged couple, you want to capture every moment from the time you get dressed amongst your “squad” to those very awkward moments on and off the dance floor after alcohol has told you “yes, you can dance like the pros”. These photos that are captured are a couple’s constant reminder of one of the best days in your life. SO, when vetting a good photographer there are some things to consider. élite Magazine interviewed Michael (Mike) Asmar from Joie De Vivre Photographie, Lindsay and Brian Schlick from SchlickArt Photography & Video, and Richard Fadera from Shuttered Light; for their expert opinions on what to be mindful of for capturing your wedding.
The first thing to keep in mind is research, research, research. Research the photographer, look at their portfolio. Per Richard, “Look at actual prints and not just online pictures. Actual prints will show you the real quality of pictures. There are a lot of good online portfolios, but online photos have lower specs compared to printed pictures. Online pictures can be cropped and still look nice viewing in a monitor but you cannot do that with prints. If a photographer crops a picture and prints it, it will show pixelated pictures. This is one way to see if the photographer gets the shot right straight from the camera and only needs few enhancements during post-production. Mike added, “You have to know that they have past experience and by reviewing their portfolios you can see their styles. Whether they prefer to shoot in bright vibrant images, or more subdued softer images; and how they use angles and ‘scene’ design and placement,” commented Mike. With that being said, looking at the reviews can be beneficial as well. “You are going to want an experienced photographer, so look at places that have done business for some time. But reviews are not everything, you really need to interview the photographer and make sure there is a connection there because you need to feel comfortable with them and get the genuine impression that they are dependable and will do what they promised,” Mike continued. “This goes for couples with any wedding vendor,” Richard added. “Get to know each other, meet in person and make sure they “click.” This will make sure that you will be stress-free on your wedding day,” Richard stated.
Many couples are choosing to have their special day in a remote location. Destination Weddings are always fun because your special day becomes an extended vacation. But what does this mean for your photography needs? “If you have a preferred photographer that you have some history with, you can book them for your destination wedding. But bear in mind that there’ll be costs in having them travel. So, make sure you know them and they understand you, and you are confident they’re able to make your dreams into reality if you’re bringing them on location. If not then many destination locations can recommend very qualified local photographers. But do your homework with them as well.” stated Mike.
When considering cost, cheap is not always best. “Cheap usually means lack of experience, quality, skill or all of the above. An experienced reputable photographer who knows what they’re doing works very hard on your event, and most likely they will be worth the investment. Consider the old adage ‘… you get what you pay for ‘. Do you really want to take chances with your wedding day photography? If budget is a concern, then pick the right, qualified photographer and talk to them about the ranges of their offerings – you may just want to start out with the wedding day coverage, with all the digital photos. And later, consider the album, wall art pieces, etc.,” said Mike.
After getting the photographer that fits your needs there are some steps you will need to take to make sure your day runs smoothly, photography-wise. “It helps to create a timeline of the day so that your photographer knows what areas they should focus on, you should always allow for extra time for incidentals,” says Lindsay.
Since cell phones have cameras, some people do forget that you have a professional photographer or videographer there and you get beautiful photos but with a person blocking the shot. Lindsay ended with “some photographers have a ‘no phones policy’ that doesn’t allow phones during the ceremony, you can also send out a courtesy reminder and place a beautiful sign out that asks your guest to turn off their devices.”
If there’s ever a time in your life to say, ‘let the professionals do it’, it’s your wedding day. When the big event is done, the wedding cake is gone, and the dress is put away, the wedding photos will be what stays. These pictures will serve as your special day’s memories the rest of your life. So, do your due diligence, choose the right qualified professional for you and let them do their thing. You’ll be glad you did!

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