How to Select Your Austin, Texas, Wedding Photographer
So you’re getting married. Congratulations!
Whether you’re getting married in 2 years or in 2 months, NOW is the time to start budgeting for your wedding. One of the most overlooked part of the wedding process is wedding photography. Brides sometimes wait until the very end to decide on their wedding photographer and either run out of budget or chose the wrong photographer for their wedding.
It’s a cliche’, but after your wedding is over, the only thing you will have is your wedding photos. The cake would have been eaten, the dress you’ll never wear again, flowers will die, but wedding images will last forever.
Now that you know how important it is to have those precious wedding photos, how do you determine the budget and pricing for wedding photography? There are lots of wedding photographers in a city like Austin, hundreds actually.
Well, to start, there are two different style of wedding photography out there – I digress, there are actually many different styles, but two are dominant. You have the more traditional portrait-based wedding photography and you have the more modern wedding photojournalism. Wedding photojournalism is based on the concept of documenting your day as it happens, often without interruption. Some photographers excel at one, some at the other, and some is a mix of both.
A good source of information for wedding photojournalism and a listing of wedding photographers who provide that style of photography can be found in the Wedding Photojournalist Association.
As far as the pricing goes, the price of a wedding photographer varies greatly but is usually based on the following – how many years has the photographer been in business usually determines the pricing because a successful wedding photographer’s business is based primarily on referrals. The experience and TALENT as well as “marketing savvy” determines the price that the photographer charges. This is something you’ll have to go through and determine who is the right photographer for you.
Given the state of the economy in 2009, there are a slew of new photographers propping up everywhere. How do you know they have the experience to shoot your wedding? Well, you ask them.
Some factors to consider:
- Does the photographer show empathy? A good photographer is one that empathize with you and attemps to live in your world and understand who you and your fiance’ are.
- Do you get along with the photographer? Remember, you’ll probably have be there with him/her for probably longer than the time you’ll spend with your new husband/wife before the day is over. An engagement session is an excellent way to see if you fit.
- Does the photographer offers the style you want? Only you can determine this.
- Does the photographer carry insurance? Is he/she full time? Whlie it’s not required to be a full-time photographer in order to be a good photographer, being full time has its advantages in terms of the time he/she can spend on your wedding images after the wedding. Business insurance is a must for liability reasons.
- How many years has the photographer been shooting weddings? Again, a talented photographer will show great work no matter how many years he/she has been in business, but you should know that before you book them.
I hope this gives you an idea of how to approach and figure out what wedding photography and which wedding photographer works for you in Austin.