One of my goals, this year especially, has been all about trying to understand the heart and needs of my clients so I can better serve them. The thing I’ve learned this year that’s been most surprising to me is that a lot of couples feel really overwhelmed about choosing the right photographer. They look through dozens of options. They see photographers with totally different styles. Some clients weren’t sure how to know what makes quality images and which photography isn’t so good. They want to invest in the right experience and make photography a priority, but they have no idea what they’re looking for.

If that’s you right now, or you’ve experienced this in the past, scroll down and keep reading. I hope I can give you a little insight about how to be confident in your photography choice.

So the thing to remember is that choosing the right photographer for your wedding day is important because your wedding photography is a collaboration. It’s your love story. It’s your day. You dreamed up and designed the details, but the end product is your story communicated through the eye of your photographer. It’s filtered through your photographer’s past experiences, values, style, and creative choices. They decide what lenses to use, the appropriate camera settings, where to place you in a scene, how to manipulate the light, how to pose you, what to draw attention to and what to take it away from…. the list goes on forever. That’s why two photographers can photograph the same event (same people, same lighting situation, same everything) and still leave with very different results. Your wedding photography is the result of hundreds and hundreds of little decisions made by your photographer that day.

So knowing that is true, maybe the best question to ask yourself is, “How do we want our story to be communicated?” Answer that for yourself. Then, if you are drawn to a particular style and you aren’t sure why or what it’s communicating past the initial feeling it gives you, talk to that photographer. Ask him or her how they create that style. Ask them why they choose to create in that style. You can even ask what their creative goals are or what they prioritize on a wedding day. Don’t be afraid to get to know them or learn from them. If what they say fits how you want to your story documented, you can trust that they will honor your story the way you hoped.

If you’d like a list a questions to think through or questions to ask your photographer, let me know. I’d be happy to help you feel confident in your photography choice!