| You have cut everything you possibly can in order to | | | | the image he wants the way he wants it. A good |
| meet the limited budgets of today. You have | | | | gear bag will include several different lenses, a back |
| trimmed the flowers, borrowed a veil, even found | | | | up camera (and no, a cell phone does not mean a |
| your dress online, second hand. It's your important | | | | back up camera, nor does a point and shoot), back |
| day, you are thrilled that friends and family are | | | | up flashes, cards, batteries, etc (and they should |
| coming, you are spending a whole year planning, but | | | | know what etc constitutes). The seasoned |
| a great photographer is out of the question. You | | | | photographer has worked years to get this |
| want a cheap wedding photographer to go along | | | | equipment and knows why it is so important. That, |
| with your strategy of discount everything, Herein lies | | | | right there will tell you something about experience. |
| the rub. Cheap wedding photography is exactly that - | | | | 2. How many weddings the photographer has done? |
| cheap. When you have gone to all this trouble, run | | | | And was he/she the lead photographer on those |
| through a day that moves faster than your memory | | | | weddings, or just the back up? Shooting something |
| can even absorb, it is (or should be) the photographs | | | | that a seasoned photographer set up, is not the |
| that you have left standing. Forever. | | | | same as having the creativity to set it up for oneself. |
| But Hey! There are tons of wedding photographers | | | | Timing is crucial to fully capturing the important |
| out there for almost free! Just look on Craig's List - | | | | moments of a wedding and experience counts for A |
| and they have great websites, they have some | | | | LOT. The more weddings a photographer has under |
| beautiful photos.... OK, Here is the thing. The | | | | their belt, the less likely they are to become |
| photographer almost never does Website design. | | | | flustered, or simply be in the wrong place at the |
| They pay for that. Any yahoo can take 2000 images | | | | wrong time. |
| and Photoshop his/her way into 5 or 6 "great" | | | | 3 Can I see images from an entire wedding? Don't be |
| images. But can they deliver that consistently | | | | satisfied with seeing only a handful of images. After |
| throughout your wedding? How do you tell the | | | | all, you aren't going to be satisfied with 5 or 10 |
| difference between a seasoned professional who has | | | | images out of your day are you? Anyone can shoot |
| had to lower their prices due to economy and Mr. | | | | thousands of images and Photoshop their way into a |
| I-Bought-A-Camera and now I do this on the | | | | couple decent ones. Make sure you see images that |
| weekend? | | | | represent the entirety of the wedding day, and of |
| Here are some tips and questions you can ask: | | | | more than one wedding. |
| 1. Equipment: Asking about the equipment is actually a | | | | Don't be discouraged. It used to be that you looked |
| good idea. With the advent of digital and so many | | | | at images and made a decision based on that. Now |
| people convinced that all it takes is a Canon Rebel | | | | the almighty dollar is in your face. Wonderful |
| and a single lens to make their millions at wedding | | | | photographers are hurting too. They have become |
| photography, this question is a great way to weed | | | | forced to compete with amateurs in order to survive. |
| the men from the boys. Don't believe them when | | | | Find them. Talk to them. They love what they do |
| they tell you that the equipment doesn't matter. Yes, | | | | and they know what they are doing. Affordable |
| it does. While owning great equipment won't suddenly | | | | photography from great photographers is doable. |
| give a person an artistic eye, anyone with an artistic | | | | Cheap photography is exactly that. Cheap. You will |
| eye will find better equipment mandatory to create | | | | know the difference when the photos come in. |