Technical Questions to ask a potential photographer:

There are lots of lists online of questions to ask a photographer when you interview them for your wedding.  I’m going to add one to the mix.  This is what I, as a photographer, would want to know if I was hiring someone to shoot my wedding.  You’re probably not a photographer, so I’m supplying you with technical questions that will dramatically improve your photos.

How long have you been taking photos?  Yes, this is a technical question.  The answer will go along way to determining how much your photographer knows about taking photos.  The impulse is to ask how long they’ve been shooting weddings (an important question to be sure), but photography is an acquired skill.  You don’t just want a photographer who bought a digital camera a couple of years ago and hung their shingle.  You want someone with a solid technical base.  Which leads me to my next question – one you will never see on a wedding site…

What camera mode do you shoot in?  There are a couple of okay answers for this question and one really good answer.  If your photographer says manual, (the good answer), then you know they have a decent understanding of exposure.  Setting shutter speed and aperture manually gives the photographer maximum control over the image.   That said, some very good photographers out there shoot aperture priority.  This means they let the camera set the shutter speed and they set the aperture.  A photographer who shoots in this mode typically understands depth of field (how much of the image is in focus from the front of the image to the back).  For many, it’s a matter of choosing speed over flexibility.  The bad answer:  There is no good justification, in my opinion, for a professional to shoot in auto or program mode.  They’ve given all control to the camera, which then takes the visual information and averages it together.  The result is less contrast and color range.  I can spot photos shot in program mode within seconds of opening a webpage.  You’ll hear all sorts of reasons why people do this – speed, accuracy, etc.  What they’re really saying is they can’t quickly calculate exposure or read a meter.

Do you use a flash?  Okay, I could start a war with this statement, but there are very few photographers out there who can consistently deliver great wedding or portrait images without some sort of additional light.  There, I’ve said it.  Natural light photos can be absolutely lovely, but in a quick moving environment like a wedding, there’s often not enough good lighting to deliver consistent results.  And you’ll see from the next question that I believe flash is only as good as it’s user.  When used well, it should look like natural lighting.  That said, most photographers won’t flash during the ceremony.  It’s extremely distracting and prohibited in many churches.  If your photographer has lofty ideals about shooting natural lighting, ask to see a full wedding.  There’s nothing pretty about under-exposure and many photographers wax poetic about natural lighting when, in fact, they simply haven’t learned to use their flash or invested in the equipment.

 How do you use your flash?  Again, you won’t find this question on a list at a wedding site, but it can make a huge difference in the quality of your photos.  If they use a flash on top of their camera directed straight at you, your wedding photos will look like your old school photos – flat and uninteresting.  They’ll be well exposed, but they will be completely lacking in depth.  Look for someone who uses off-camera flash (the best, in my opinion, and since you’re on my blog I get to share my opinion!).  This is where the lighting source is off the camera, attached to a lighting stand with either an umbrella or a softbox to modify the light.  Many people also use this setup and bounce light from the walls and ceilings.  This setup has the advantage of not only softening light, but giving it direction (i.e. like light coming from a window, which might not always be available).  Photographers who know how to bounce light from their cameras are also a fine choice.  They might bounce from the wall or use a bounce card on their flash.  But make sure they volunteer this information and explain why it’s better than flooding you with flash.  Small modifiers (little bits of plastic you put on your flash) don’t do much of anything if they’re directed right at you.  Light is the basis of good photography, so make sure your photographer knows how to use it to create beautiful images.

How many cameras do you carry and what lenses do you use?  I shoot with two cameras around my neck at all times (and yes, I can recommend a good Chiropractor!).  I do this for a number of reasons, the main one being flexibility.  Imagine the scenario with you and your almost husband/wife at the alter.  You want at least two views of this – one with the entire wedding party and the front of the church (a wide lens) and one with just the two of you and the officiant (a long or telephoto lens).  If I had to take time to change my lens, I would miss something, guaranteed.  Most good lenses, even zooms, only cover a limited range, with one of the largest (70-200mm) used by wedding photographers still not giving anywhere close to a wide shot.  Photographers who shoot with two people (my assistant second shoots the ceremony and reception, so technically I have three cameras going) can get by with one camera each, but make sure they carry a variety of lenses.

So I’ve laid a lot of information on you.  If you have questions regarding any of this, feel free to email me at info@caycecallaway.com or comment below and I’ll be happy to answer.