The Five Aspects of a
Good Wedding Photographer

Wedding photography is not easy. To some people it may seem fun, maybe even exciting or glamorous? It can definitely be fun but it is a lot of work. Especially to do it well!

In order to do it well, a photographer must understand and skillfully deliver at least five different, unique and important types of photographs throughout a wedding. They are;

1).   Story Telling. Photographs that tell the Who, What, Where and Why of your day.

2).   Formals. Planned, posed images where you look your very best!

3).   Details. I often call these, detailing how all that money got spent.

4).   Fun, Creative & Unique. What distinguishes you. Your style showcased for future generations.

5).   Studio Quality Candids. Candid photographs do not have to look boring and flat.

I will touch on each of these individuality, in more detail later. For now it's important to understand what they are all and that they are all and have an important role in your wedding day coverage.

You probably already have an opinion on the priority of this list in your mind. Some you really want and some you may not have thought of. Your personal style will lean towards some categories more than the others. So will your fiance's. You may want to add on or adjust this list to better suite your situation.

Let your photographer know this. Hopefully they will ask you and will bring it themselves. Even if they do not, you need to let them know. Be clear and specific before your wedding to avoid disappointment when your wedding photos are not what you hoped they would be.

Some of those categories may not seem that important to you now, at this stage in your life. That will change as you do. Other pictures will become more important to you and some of your favorites now may fade or adjust. It's just how that works. Your photographer needs to realize this for you, if you do not.

One of the T.V. segments for ABC that I was interviewed on, The host asked about the most important part of a wedding photographer's job. (or something like that) The segment was on getting those incredible, “wow” portraits. So I think she was expecting that to be the answer. But it wasn't mine. The most important aspect to me was diversity. The ability to skillfully deliver all 5 aspects consistently. Knowing how to properly pose and light your couple in the best most flattering fashion is vital. However, if that is all you get, or all you get well, you will be missing out.

You will never know what you didn't get so you may not miss it that much. But the chances are good it will come up down the road. In a discussion or looking through other photos. You'll then realize that you missed out. But it will be too late.

It is incredibly important to find someone who specializes in photographing specifically weddings. Someone who has clearly done this many times before and freely offers you advice on how to clearly achieve your top priorities and fulfill or surpass your expectations on your day.

Now that you are aware of these aspects and you are sure your photographer is on the same page. Enjoy your day!