Leo and I are casting our nets for a wedding photographer. Since he’s into photography, he’s in charge of finding some good ones.
He researched many and selected four, based on their work, to interview. It’s been a busy two weeks!
Shutterbug No. 1.
We liked him. He won me over by offering us beer when we arrived at his office. We spent an hour with him, chatting about what we wanted. He seemed passionate, excited about the job and full of ideas. His images are gorgeous, perfectly shot and belong in magazines. His prices match his quality. In other words: EEK!
But if there’s one thing you want to spend money on in your wedding budget, it’s the photographer.
Still, it never hurts to keep hunting. So we interviewed the other three.
Shutterbug No. 2. was meek and passive from the moment I shook her hand. She barely asked questions, forcing us to make sure she had some details. She lacked enthusiasm for her work. Easy no.
Shutterbug No. 3 was not bad, but we weren’t blown away. Part of the problem is that she limits the number of photos you receive. Um, no.
Shutterbug No. 4 may be a winner! Her prices are much more reasonable and with them she offers more time and a free engagement session. I loved her personality. She’s young and on the same page and Leo and I. While his job during the interviews is to look at their work, mine is to find someone we can “click” with well for some wonderful photos. I liked her better than the first candidate, but I thought her images were not as good.
Sounds like an easy decision, right? Well, before blowing one-fourth of our wedding budget on a photographer, we decided to analyze. (Besides, Leo and I love to do this stuff.) We pulled up their two websites side by side and examined their photos.
Bug No. 1 shoots technically perfect images, with balanced composition, sharp focus and greater depth of field and (more stuff in focus). He teaches classes and has more experience. Bug No. 4 isn’t as technically perfect. Some of her images have blown out skies and less sharp focus because she shoots with a smaller depth of field.
But … something. As Leo and I dissected the pictures, I realized the photos of the weddings shot by No. 1 were TOO perfect. They barely looked real. No pop. No vibrancy. No LIFE. Maybe his clients are just boring. Many of the wedding images were taken in hotel settings, most of which had beige backgrounds. Bug No. 4’s images ooze life and reality.
Setting budget aside, we asked ourselves: What do we want from our wedding photos? Great photos are worth the money; they are the recording of this moment and will (hopefully) last the rest of our lives.Would we prefer the magazine perfect recording of our day, or something that feels more real?
For now, we’re keeping our nets handy. Leo is setting up an appointment with one more potential, just in case the fifth time is the real charm.
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