THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER

No, it’s not their portfolio or price range. There’s a deeper thing you need to look for as a couple.

A bride talking to her nephew after her wedding mass.

Being a photographer since 2018, there are many things that I wish I knew before starting out and many more things I have learned along the way. No course, workshop or mentor can teach you these things when you are learning to photograph people. You must put in the hours to understand and learn these lessons.

Nowadays, couples are told to look for the best Instagram, or the person who makes the trendiest TikTok to see who they will hire to photograph their wedding. They are told if the photographer was featured in a magazine, then BOOM- just hire them on the spot no matter what, it means they’re good! Right...?

Well, the answer is a little more complex than that.

With photography alone, and wedding photography specifically, there are so many choices that I know as a client it must be difficult to find the right person. You are told to look for so many things or get recommendations from friends and family about who you should book. So, with this blog post I would like to give you one single thing that you should look for in a photographer and even videographer. I think it even applies to other vendors but keep reading and see for yourself.

To me, personally, the single most important thing you need to look for in a vendor is selflessness. You may say, “Sabrina, what? That makes no sense!”. But listen, I have been at so many weddings at this point. I have been to intimate, small and chic weddings and I have also been at weddings with 500 guests and a museum-worthy décor. The number one thing that a photographer must know is that either way: the wedding is not about us as wedding providers and artists. If a photographer has been featured in the top magazines, but they’re rude towards your grandma or they push your family around while trying to work, to me their features are cool, but they are not a good wedding photographer.

You want someone who will understand that they are working for you as a couple, not doing you a favor.

Kinda harsh, I know.

My goal with this is not to attack anyone, and i did not make this blog post with anyone in particular. This post is more about how i used to think before when i was shooting weddings. I thought everyone had to cater to me as a photographer in order for me to shoot things the right way, but i have come to realize as of a few years now that no artistry can make up for a bad attitude.

So, make sure you pick a kind photographer. Someone with a good portfolio yes, but also someone who will take your grandpa’s phone and offer to take a photo for him. Pick someone who understands quality and who backs up their images, but also someone who will allow your niece or nephew to step into the portrait that they weren’t supposed to be on, just because.

I know you will thank me for this.

Lots of love,

Sabris