 Your wedding pictures
are the most important pictures you will have taken in your life. When you
select a photographer you have to be very cautious. Improvements in camera
technology has made it almost impossible to take a bad photograph. Many
amateurs, prepared with refined equipment, are capable of taking decent
photographs. However, there is much more to wedding photography than knowing how
to operate a camera. Wedding photography is about seizing moments, capturing
emotion and creating memories. The technical skills required to do this are
essential, but it doesn't stop there.
Professional wedding
photographers photograph people every day and not only have the necessary
photographic skills, but are adept at handling people. How do you find a
professional wedding photographer?
Initial, you must ask if photography is their full
time profession. Even though you are not required to be a member of a
professional organization to become a professional photographer, membership is a
good indication that your photographer is very serious about his craft.
Membership in the Professional Photographers of Ontario (P.P.O.), for example,
requires that you are an active, full-time photographer. Another indication of
your photographer's proficiency is the equipment they use.
All right - your photographer is a member of a professional photographic
association and has medium format apparatus. What else do you look for in a wedding photographer? First
and foremost, you must view the photographer's work. Not only should your
photographer show you a variety from different weddings, but should also show
you a sample of one entire wedding. This way you can see if your photographer
can produce quality throughout the event, not just a lucky shot from different
weddings. Don't be afraid to ask questions about how they would handle different
situations, such as crying children, obnoxious relatives or fainting
bridesmaids. If you are not comfortable with their answer, maybe you should look
somewhere else. There are many types of professional photographers covering a
vast spectrum of classifications. Though your photographer may be a skilled
nature, commercial, baby or pet photographer, it takes a
different skill set to
photograph weddings.
A great advantage of choosing a photographer that is a
member of a professional photographer's association is that they have the
opportunity to become qualified and recognized. As a member of the Professional
Photographers of Ontario, the photographer must qualify, within two years of
joining, to retain membership. The letters displayed after a photographer's
name, FPPO, APPO and LPPO indicate that the photographer has passed precise
levels of the qualification program. Accreditation, a national designation from
the Professional Photographers of Canada (P.P.O.C.), proves that the
photographer is capable of delivering above average quality in a given category,
such as wedding photography. It also means that the photographer books up pretty
fast, sometimes up to a year in advance.
When you are going to book your wedding photographer, put
your trust in a professional. Look for membership in a professional organization
such as the Professional Photographers of Canada. Ask about certification and
qualification. Look at the work of the photographer in fact shooting your wedding. Ask questions, lots
of them. Keep in mind - you get what you pay for.
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