Ten questions you have to ask to a wedding photographer (2.0 version)

Ten questions you have to ask to a wedding photographer (2.0 version)
Years ago I wrote an article about “10 questions you’ve to ask to a wedding photographer”. Sadly, the wedding photographer’s world hid some surprises, yesterday like today aswell.
Lot of clients, looking at our works, can think that, looking at the beauty of the photos, all the photographers are the same; but, really, behind the scenes of a photographic studio there are big surprises.
For this reason, I decided to write this article again, in a new version: Ten (new) questions you’ve to ask to a wedding photographer.

Do you use cameras with double slot?

There are two different cameras you can use for a wedding service: the ones where you can insert just one SD cart, and the ones where you can insert two of them.
The double slot entrance permits to realized a real time backup of the photos on two SD cards. Indeed, sometimes the cards can have troubles, this means a loss of a part or of all the wedding service. Personally, twice I lost a SD cards; but fortunatelly, having the real time backup permitted me to deliver the service with no problems.
Buying a camera without real time backup can make you save money, but this means you’re playing with the client’s security. The wedding is a single day. It’s better not to risk.
Some studios use alternative methods, such as using two cameras of dividing the service in more than two cards. Sardly, these methods don’t guarantee that the photos you take will arrive to the clients.
Expect that at your wedding the photographer will only use cameras with real time backup.

Is your drone by law?

Letting a drone flying at your wedding is a big responsibility. The drone at your wedding needs some legal requirements:
a) The pilot’s license;
b) Drone approval by ENAC;
c) Drone insurance.
The couple (or the wedding planners) have to ask to exhibit these documents. The civil responsibility of any damage is, indeed, against the costumers, plus the pilot, so it’s better if he’s be insured.

Do you give me the original photos?

Where do the thousands photos of your wedding go? By law, the photos are the photographer’s, so when a photographer say he gives you all the photos, you’ve to ask what resolution are.
Often, photographers give you the photos on CD or DVD, so you can only see them on a computer but you cannot print them. Why? Because in this way the client will go in the studio to print a photo.
You better ask the price inclusive of the original photos (usually 400/800 euros more).

How do you archive our photos?

There are several ways to archive the photos, it doesn’t exist just one secure method.
But it’s better that the files are on at least two servers or hard disks, both in different places and protected with an alarm system. Anyway, a copy of them should be on a machine not connected on Internet.

How many pictures will you put in my album?

The wholesale prices for an album are for page, the photographer pays the album depending on the number of pages. So, for this reason, the number of photos you can put in a page don’t change the final price for the client.
There are albums with different prices because of the page quality, the kind of print and the dimension, but the price should always be at page.

Who will take the pictures at my wedding?

In a big studio it could happen that different photographers will be at your wedding. In this case, it’s better to ask to see the work of the photographer that will follow your wedding day.
It’s also important to ask if the photographer will follow you for the entire event, or, as sadly happens sometimes, just for a part of the day.

How long does my photography service is?

Often, the photographers offer a contract of indefinite duration. It’s diffucult to know how your event will surely end. So, my advice is to ask for a complete coverage of your event, from the preparation of the event to the cut of the cake and the dances. Not less than 10 hours.

What a part-time photographer is?

There are different kind of photographers, the full-time and the part-time, in other words who do this as a first and only work and who do this as a second work. Italy has the highest number of full-time photographers; indeed, in our Country the photography standard is one of the highest in the world.
It’s not by chance that often an Italian photographers are called to take pictures to wedding in other parts of the world.
But this professionality requires a full-time job and a constant dedition to improve and innovate the works.

How many photographers will follow my wedding?

Also when both the bride and the groom will get married in the same location, it’s better to have two photographers. Having two different points of view allows to narrate the entire story of the wedding in a more dynamic way. If you prefer the reportage style, without posed photos, it’s important to have two points of view which allow the photographers to always have the best pictures to narrate your wedding.

Do you have a physical studio?

Nowdays, we’re in the world of the electronic commerce, in the world of the virtual and we’re getting used to buy things outside a physical store. Sadly, trust such important memories in a freelance photographer could have sad side effects, such as not getting in touch easily with him.
Your wedding’s photos are a memory which follow you in the future, so it’be better to choose a studio which allows you to easily get in touch with him.