Finding a Wedding Photographer in the San Francisco Bay area!

One of the most important times in any person's life is their wedding day, and is an event which is of vital importance to have recorded in some format. This is why so many couples hire a professional photographer to record the events of the wedding, and craft a wonderful wedding photography album which can be later enjoyed and shared with your family. If you are in need of an experienced professional wedding photographer for your big day, San Francisco has plenty of dependable professionals that will be available to handle the duties. If you follow the guide provided below, the process should be smoother for you.

The first step is to research some of the various photography styles employed in the industry of wedding photography. There are various prominent styles among photographers, but the two most common styles are documentary and portraiture. The portraiture style, the photographer utilizes posed shots in front of backdrops or prearranged locations, this is a more rigid approach. For instance, picture newlyweds posed under a gazebo outside of a reception hall or a church. The documentary style features more creative shots which allows for more dramatic angles. Traditionally, this approach does not feature too many shots of people looking directly into the camera. Some couples find that hiring two photographers is the best course of action, especially if you have the budget space, as it allows you to capture more angles, or employ two different styles to have a unique wedding photograph album.

Next, now that you have the various styles researched, the next step is to start your search off with the recommendations of your friends, family, and colleagues, ideally, anyone who has been married recently, or involved in a wedding in some facet. We suggest you to ask avenue coordinator for their recommendations as some venues require you to select your vendors, including photographers, from an exclusive list. Use an online wedding directory or guide website to cross reference, and if necessary, add additional candidates to the list. These websites are very resourceful tools as they provide users information on vendors including pricing, reviews, bridal testimonials, pictures, videos, and more. Be sure to study each candidate's personal website and any highlight galleries they have available online. After you have a good list, call them up, and ask them of their availability around the date of your wedding. Even if they are available, but seem too busy to handle your wedding properly, consider a different candidate. If they are not capable of spending the time you expect them to on your wedding, you will want to consider a different option.

The third step is to begin the series of appointments with each candidate, you will want to come prepared with plenty of questions for the candidate, and share your vision for the wedding with them. Ask each prospective photographer what drove them to become one, how experienced they are, and how many weddings do they capture on average a year. You should ask the candidate if they are familiar with your venues, and if they would be willing to scope the locations out with you. Most professional photographers actually suggest it, so if they do not comply, you should not comply to the notion that this candidate is your potential photographer. You should ask them plenty of questions regarding logistics and labor demands, such as overtime policies and breaks. The last thing before ending each interview is ask for a sample invoice, and discuss the costs of the services. You will want to compare each invoice side-by-side, and see what candidate will give you the most out of your money's worth.

Trusting this person is the key factor, and will serve as the fulcrum in the process of determining which candidate will ultimately be the best one for the task. You need to be able to trust your photographer not only with the quality of your wedding pictures, but also dealing with your guests, in other words, the candidate should not be intrusive or obstructive in regards to acquiring the best shots of your guest. The last step should be to deliberate with your partner, parents, or perhaps if you have one, a planner in order to determine which photographer will be the best fit. If you feel as though you have the right candidate at hand, write up a contract outlining every detail with them, and place a deposit. Your diligence will reflect in the beauteous wedding photography album in which you will have to cherish and peruse for the rest of your life.