caroldarby.com

Choosing a Photographer

Carol Darby — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:27:02 +0000

This post is the reply to an email received from Camilla who is planning a wedding for March 2011. She is not too sure where to start with her search for a photographer.

I meet with many couples. Some look at just a couple of photographers and decide from that. Some meet with as many as 10. Those couples usually end up very confused.

My suggestion would be the following.

1. Speak to friends who have recently married. Referral is always a good place to start and is where the biggest percentage of my weddings come from.

2. Look at lots of photographers web sites and see who does the type of work that appeals to you. Budget will definitely come into it but saving money will be long forgotten if you are unhappy with your once in a lifetime wedding photos.

3. Contact 3-6 of the photographers whose work most appeals to you. Then ask yourself these questions. Did they respond in a reasonably quick timeframe? (Do make allowances if it is winter or a holiday season as some may be taking a break before the busy wedding season starts). Were they helpful and friendly? Do they offer packages that will suit your needs? Are they willing to customise a package if need be?

4. Narrow the list to 2-3 photographers and make an appointment to view their work. Before the meeting write down a list of questions to deal with what is most important to you. When you view their work ask if you are seeing the work of the photographer who will photograph your wedding. Many of the bigger studios employ other photographers to photograph the actual wedding. You may see amazing work shot by the studio owner but your photographer on the day is a second year TAFE student with a basic camera and no back up equipment. Most big studios employ competent photographers with good cameras but you do need to check and you do need to meet this person and see a wide range of their work.

5. Ask to see a selection of the photographers work. Not just an album or two that have just a small range of photos. Anyone can shoot hundreds of photos and select a couple of the best to showcase. If you shoot enough there is bound to be a few good ones. Ask to see a proof book or proof disk of a whole wedding. You will quickly see if the work is of a good consistent quality. Not every image will take your breath away (though there should be some that will) but you want a good coverage of the whole day and have images of all aspects of the day that you are proud to show family and friends and that will provide the perfect reminder of the most important of days.

6. I would base my final decision on the following. You must love their work as these are the images you will have forever. You must be comfortable with your photographer as you will be with them for a big part of the day. If they are not friendly or helpful when you meet them then you have to wonder what they will be like on the day. Do they use good quality equipment and also have adequate backup should something fail on the day. What will happen if your photographer is ill or unable to attend the wedding.

7. If one of those photographers you have met meets all your expectations it is wise to reserve them ASAP. September through to May is the wedding season and March and April and October and November are the busiest months with those dates often booking up to two years in advance. If all the boxes are ticked don’t think about is for a few weeks as you may phone back and discover the date is taken.

I hope this post is a help and thank you Camilla for posing the question.

Lara & Stuart

Carol Darby — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:14:37 +0000

The wedding ceremony of Lara & Stuart was held at the All Saints Uniting Church in Floreat. The weather held off for the photo shoot in beautiful Hyde Park followed by the reception at the Novotel Langley in Perth.

Sharron & Daniel – August 21st 2010

Carol Darby — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:37:04 +0000

Ceremony at Caversham House http://www.cavershamhouse.com.au/

A beautiful intimate wedding shared with closest family and friends

Karijini, Pilbara and more

Carol Darby — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:03:53 +0000

Photography isn’t just my occupation. It is also a passion. So when I go on holiday my cameras are there with me. May 2010 saw me travel north for 10 days. The main focus of the trip was the magnificent Karijini National Park in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Add the varied little towns on the way north, the magic of our unique coast and the star laden skies and you have a stunning variety of locations to choose from. I hope you enjoy these images as much as I did taking them. As I have time to process them I will be adding to this collection.

Christina & Travis – May 2nd 2010

Carol Darby — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:53:35 +0000

Ceremony and reception at Old Mandurah Yacht Club

Michelle & Michael – May 1st 2010

Carol Darby — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:48:11 +0000

Ceremony at Bassendean Church of Christ

Reception at Belvoir Function Centre

Shannon & Glen’s wedding album

Carol Darby — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:42:18 +0000

The wedding albums of today are showing a trend to a more simple clean and classic layout. Shannon and Glen opted for this style and are very happy for me to share it with you. Their wedding took place in mid April at the beauitiful Belvoir Reception Centre in the Swan Valley.

Shannon & Glen – April 11th 2010

Carol Darby — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:25:48 +0000

Shannon & Glen celebrated their Ceremony & Reception at Belvoir in the Swan Valley http://www.belvoir.net.au/

Amanda & Kevin – April 3rd 2010

Carol Darby — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:55:47 +0000

Amanda and Kevin celebrated their marriage in the chapel at St Mary’s Anglican girl’s school in Karrinyup

Their reception was at the always wonderful Bridgeleigh in Wanneroo http://www.bridgeleigh.com.au/

Kirsty & Matt – March 27th 2010

Carol Darby — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:06:24 +0000

Ceremony and Reception held at Waters Edge Winery in South Guildford http://www.watersedgewinery.com.au