The first choice
Today I would like to talk about a topic that is particularly close to my heart: the choice of your wedding photographer.
Almost always, when someone is planning a wedding, the first thing you think of is the place where the ceremony will take place (religious or secular), immediately afterwards the location and the catering.
The wedding photographer (hence the memory) is not given the same attention, almost as if he were a secondary aspect of the celebration; his figure is thought of while looking for the dress, the music, or the bouquet, as if one were worth the other.
Often, when the quote turns out to be too high, the response we hear from colleagues is: the price was a bit high so we finally asked an uncle of ours' (for those in the industry, the internationally famous 'Uncle Bob').
The problem is that at the end of the day, when 10 years have passed, no one will remember whether the risotto was good or not, what song the bride and groom chose for their dance, or what make the vintage car chosen for the arrival at the venue was: the only tangible thing that will make the couple and their guests relive that day at a glance will be the photographs.
We will try to understand how to choose a wedding photographer, and what are the things to focus on to avoid bad surprises, because there are many ways to photograph a wedding, but only one is right for us.
Study, technique and experience
or why talent is not enough
When you start doing a job, especially if you approach it creatively, studying to acquire the technique is crucial. We all manage to take pictures with our smartphones, and take them without the slightest effort. So why ask a professional to do something we can all do easily? The reason is that the professional is able to repeat an action while maintaining a high level of achievement. Yes, here is the secret of professionalism, which doesn't lie in talent, but in repetition, in training, to push the brain to perform an action automatically so that it can focus on the creative side of the scene.
Talent, i.e. the innate ability to be able to do something, is a powerful starting point, but when you have clients who pay for a service, it is not always synonymous with great work.
Wedding photographer: my recipe
Studying the greats of photography, analysing the work of colleagues, knowing one's own photographic medium and developing software, all this together with experience, allows the wedding photographer not only to anticipate situations should the unexpected occur, but also to keep his creative output mobile, and active, in constant renewal. These are all ingredients of a mix that varies from person to person, there are a thousand styles as there are a thousand tastes, and it is important to first understand the style you want for your wedding photographs.
Then! How to find wedding photographer? It is essential to see a wedding photographer's portfolio before choosing them, to analyse the shots, and possibly ask to see a real wedding indoors, so as to test the readiness for our requests and to be clear about how the day will unfold. Getting to know better the production, the person and, above all, the style of the person who will follow you on one of the most beautiful days of your life is a great way to avoid unpleasant surprises and to realise only after the delivery that the photos we cared most about are missing.
And in order for your search to go as smoothly as possible, start early and take your time, because you may find your wedding photographer right away, but the spark may not strike at the first meeting, so my advice is to act well in advance.