Photographer Tip: Ask to view the WHOLE wedding...

...better known as a way not to fall for the bait and switch technique.

For those of you who know me its VERY unlike me to be negative or pessimistic about things. I am writing this post after being deeply saddened by a horrible trend that many couples are falling prey to while choosing their photographer. While I am in no way claiming that ALL photographers employ this tactic when dealing with a once in a lifetime event one is always better safe than sorry.

A photographers website is a very interesting tool. It includes biographical information letting you know who they are and what they've done. It includes pricing information so you know what you can expect investment wise. Testimonials can help you to know how past clients felt about the services they received. Of course the obvious and most useful things found on a photographers website are THEIR PHOTOS.

As artists rather than bombard our potential clients with thousands upon thousands of images we try to narrow it down to a 'working portfolio'. This is usually comprised of out top 25 or so images in a number of categories. These photos are representative of the type of work and the type of vision you can expect when we are hired.

Weddings are such a beautiful event... Beautiful people, dressed to the nines, set in a gorgeous environment sharing their special day with friends and family. Those laughing, crying, touching moments will present themselves WITHOUT being coaxed out by your photographer. Even an amateur can capture a few of these key moments.

Here is where the bait and switch tactic has been rearing its ugly head. Photographers websites filled with 25 or so exceptional images... then when the final photos are delivered its like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as if a whole OTHER photographer shot the entire thing! How does something like this happen? Very easily unfortunately... By viewing a photographers website portfolio you are merely glimpsing a small portion of their work, the BEST portion of their work.

How can you combat this? Most photographers nowadays provide online galleries to their clients. Ask your photographer to see the last wedding they shot... in its ENTIRETY. This allows you not only to see the oooh and ahhh photos they would like to see but what you can REALLY expect to see from your own wedding. While viewing a full wedding collection here are a few things you can ask yourself to gauge whether or not the photographer your interested in will provide you consistently with what your looking for.

Are the photos in focus? Dancing, walking, bouquet tosses, garter tosses etc are all fast moving activities which require the proper equipment to be able to photograph. If the photos look blurry or just lack that overall sharpness I would suggest moving on...

How do the colors look? Any purple people, overly orange skin tones? Do the backgrounds of the photos look bright or like they were shot in a cave. This is another area where an experienced photographer will consistently deliver the same results.

These are probably the two most critical areas to review when selecting a photographer based on quality. The rest is really just your personal vision and preference.

Just so you know that I practice what I preach I am inviting every one of my perspective clients to have a look at my client galleries. On my main site it is the third link: client proofs. Unless my clients request their galleries to be password protected all the photos they received can be viewed there.