Comparing photographers

How can I find and compare different photographers?

As the number of photographers offering wedding services has constantly increased in the past few years and the service ranges have become more and more confusing, we would like to give you some tips on how to effectively compare different photographers.

• Firstly, you should decide which services you desire. Friends with some experience in this department are certainly willing to help you. Photographers will also gladly provide advice. Obtaining offers without a clear understanding of what you like will lead to offers based on different services.

Therefore, you should think about the following questions beforehand:

• How long do you wish the photographer to stay on-site?
• Would you like to obtain the pictures on CD/DVD or do print pictures suffice?
• If you wish to obtain the pictures on CD/DVD, should they be sorted beforehand?
• How many pictures do you want to be edited professionally (i.e. including retouching, which is a complex and time-consuming task)?
• Travel expenses to the marriage ceremony/reception venue
• Special services you would like to commission

• Do not overrate wedding pictures on the photographers' homepages!
  You should be aware of the fact that every photographer only posts selected, well-edited pictures choosing only one or two pictures of a wedding (you should be wary if all pictures stem from one wedding ...).
  It is more important to see all the pictures that were finally handed over to the bridal couple! It is best to pay the photographer a visit and look through an entire reportage to find out whether the style and picture language suit your taste. You should also try to find out for how long the photographer has been working in this area and how many weddings he accompanied in the previous year.

• Obtain references! Every good photographer will be in a position to name some references without hesitation. Get information about the appearance of the photographer, his conduct towards wedding guests, the motivation and processing of pictures afterwards. Or look for online ratings of the photographer. Portals such as Qype.de or Google.de can often provide important information of previous customers.

• Make enquiries about the equipment. Even though you might have other things to do, this is a very important issue. That's where the wheat is separated from the chaff.
  How many cameras will be on-site and how many of them are used? Are the cameras splash-proof and have high-speed lenses (it is very dark in many churches)?
  A professional photographer will never show up with only one camera but at least actively work with two cameras (particularly during the marriage ceremony) so that he wastes no time changing the objectives.

• Obtain information about other specialist areas of the photographer and his track record!
  It is always an advantage when the photographer has gained similar experience in addition to wedding pictures. It is also very helpful when the photographer is used to take professional pictures of non-recurring moments at press conferences, events and similar assignments.

• Find out how strongly the photographer caters to your needs.
  Every wedding is different. And the expectations of bridal couples also vary. That is why the photographer should ask for your personal expectations. Some prefer the "typical" wedding portraits - others want something rather "fancy". However, if the photographer is not in a position to cater to the wishes and expectations of the couple but pushes through his own style, you should be worried whether this suits your taste.

• What is often underrated: Sympathy and trust!
  Do not forget that the photographer will accompany you all day. So it is important that you get along well. You do not have to marry the photographer but if you spend such a long time close-by, a positive atmosphere is important.  Only book a photographer, whom you really want entrust with this day and who gives you a positive feeling that the results will come up to your expectations.