I always feel that I must take a moment around Christmas time to remind everyone that with millions and millions of people opening presents today and finding digital cameras under the tree, by tomorrow there will be millions and millions of new wedding photographers tacking up their shingles.
Folks, there's a LOT of difference between being a legitimate wedding photographer and someone who simply has a digital camera.
I will begin submitting articles here on a regular basis trying to help you decide whether you want to pay a little, or in some cases lot, more for a pro, and especially, how you can really tell the difference between the two.
Anyone can put up a website with great images that they may or may not have actually taken.
So we will discover together in future articles exactly how you can best protect yourself and at the same time, get as much bang for your buck as possible.
Each article will deal with a very specific item you need to be aware of and looking for.
We can do a very basic one now...
when you ask for references from the photographer that you are meeting, how will you know that the phone numbers or e-mail addresses they are providing you do not belong to their next door neighbors, their friends or their cousins who would ALL tell you that they are the greatest photographer since sliced bread? Simple...
first, you should ask for references from people in the wedding industry.
Other photographers.
Videographers.
Caterers.
Florists.
Venue owners.
Ministers.
Associations.
If the photographer who you are considering has been doing this for any length of time, they will have many other vendors in the business who will refer them and will have worked with them at SEVERAL weddings.
And believe me, no wedding vendor is going to endorse someone else just because they like them.
Their name and rep is on the line.
So there's one tip.
I will submit another installment soon.