We try not to get angry in this business, after all we are in the process of capturing happy memories, but there are two things that really do get us hot under the collar.
1, Scam emails - We think everyone apart from the people sending them can agree that these really are annoying and a waste of time.
2, Con men/women - especially when it comes to conning people into believing they can be wedding photographers, just because they own a digital camera.
We were alerted to this American conman by fellow photographers: http://www.weddingphotobiz.com. It just shows you what these people think of wedding photography and they seem to think that it is a walk in the park where they have the chance to rip of couples as it is a day they spend a lot of money on.
Even though this is an American example, there are hundreds of people in each country that feel they can pick up a camera and instantly have the knowledge and professionalism to photograph a wedding.
So, in response, we have this advice for our couples;
- Make sure you meet with the photographers you are interested in.
- Make sure they show you a decent variety of photographs for different weddings. If they can show you full wedding albums, rather than the odd print, this is better as you will see if they are consistent with their work.
- Make sure they have insurance.
- Ask for references from other couples, there is nothing better than recommendations.
- Make sure they have a contract, if something were to happen, this would protect you.
- Ask if they are a member of an organisation. Some associations do not ask for qualifications or proof of work, but if they have been awarded a Licenseship or higher, then they have proved themselves to the organisation. This may seem hypocritical as currently we are not part of any organisation, but this is because we do not believe in just joining, we want to earn our Licenseship, and we are currently putting together our portfolio to submit to the board at the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) and the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers).
- Make sure they have back-up equipment. We have heard some horror stories about equipment failing and ruining the day.
We hope these tips will help any couple in selecting their photographer and getting best out of their wedding photographs.
If you have any questions then don't hesitate to contact us and we can point you in the right direction of the information you might need.
We would also like to point out that we do not drive round in a red Ferrari ;)
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