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- have a decent website
- put pricing or at least "starting at..." on your website
- show a variety of shots (details, candid, portrait, indoor, outdoor etc..) on website
- This is a big one. Put your location somewhere on your website! I can not tell you how many photographer's sites I came across that had no indication of where they lived. It made me crazy trying to figure out if they were local to the area or not.
- Be flexible with your packages and allow the purchase of high res digital files (not just 4x6 or 5x7)
- Talent (obviously)
Unique style... something that sets them apart.
Decent prices.
Easy to communicate with.
-Compatible aesthetic- the photographer has to be good, but if I look at their portfolio and all I see are soft-focused or fish-eyed lens photos, then I don't want them to be the one doing the editing.
-Transparency- like scadadle15 said, you should put your prices or at least 'starts at' on your website. When a vendor just says "call for pricing" then I don't even want to seriously consider them because I don't know if they're in my price range. I tend to assume that their prices are very high and they don't advertise them because they will scare people away, or that they just want your contact information so they can harass you about booking. As I see it, your prices are what they are, and if they're too high then I won't be more likely to pay them just because I had to call to get them. Also, the more clear, honest information you have about yourself the better. Giving specifics about your credentials and relevant history makes you look a lot more trustworthy than just saying that you're experienced.
-Seems easy to work with- some photographers come off as demanding or hard to work with from the information on their website. I saw one who said "We prefer outdoor DIY-type weddings." That's great if that's what they prefer, but unless they'll turn down any other type of wedding they shouldn't advertise it. As someone who's having an indoor, minimally DIY wedding, I don't want to book them because I won't think they'll be happy shooting my wedding. I just want to get the feel that the photographer will be someone I want to be around all day on my wedding.
On a similar note, my fiance and I refuse to book a photographer who has a 'bad website.' When we have to wait through a long flash intro then dig through a hard-to-navigate menu, we're already feeling grumpy before we even see the photographer's work or prices. Some photographers, in my opinion, go too far with making their websites look artsy, and it just makes the website hard to use (and consequentially makes the photographer seem hard to work with). You should have a clear, navigable website with easy-to-find information. Let your work speak for itself. :)
- accurate information/updated website (not having this is a HUGE turnoff when I start looking at businesses/vendors for anything).
- the ability to show, with their own style, a complete "story".
- competitive pricing that reflects the skills showcased on the website/portfolio.
No music on a website! It will make me navigate away before I even look at the site.
Prices or starting from
Pics of brides that are not all stick thin, or perfect
Yay I am so happy with all of your responses! I will make sure to do all of this on my site :)
1. A definitive, unique style
2. Fun, easy-going personality
3. Quick and effective communication.
@CrispyRN:Haha yes I am a fast communicator -___- thats what having a blackberry does to you :D
1. Quick communication and email friendly. I had so many vendors take days to weeks to get back to me, they were eliminated if they didn't get back to me in 1-2 days, I'm impatient that way. Also, I didn't give my phone number to any vendor until I was ready to meet them, so I only set up meetings with vendors that easily communicated through email, not the ones that kept pestering me for contact info.
2. Like everyone else said, starting prices on the website. At least a ball park so people know if you are relatively in their budget or not. Also, include various packages on your website so you can see what type of investment you are getting as a client.
3. Easy to work with and not pushy. Definately try to sell yourself to potential clients but don't put others down in the process or make people feel bad because they don't have the money for your best packages.
1 - be able to put you at ease so you feel comfortable taking pictures - this should come thru before you meet or at least during meeting (ie., before the wedding)
2 - be able to negotiate or tailor packages for different budgets
3 - and the third, well, i want to love the pictures my photog has taken in the past - but this would be a personal preference i guess.
I am a photographer and the top three things people are looking for are:
1. customer service - good communication, flexibility, and the ability to work through any issues
2. Full coverage - no missed shots, tell the story of the entire day
3. Consistant images - every image in the entire set is quality no matter what the lighting condition.
1-Good communication and prompt response to e-mails/phone calls (and I would consider prompt to be responding within 2 business days)--which doesn't go away once you have a deposit. The one thing that still burns me about the photographer we hired.....she was very prompt and friendly before she had the deposit. After she had the deposit things went downhill as far as communication and her attitude.
2-Post your starting price range on your website. It just saves time all around for everyone because if I can afford to spend $2500 and your packages start at $5000-I can love your work until the cows come home, but it doesn't do either of us any good because you are out of our budget. Also be up front about what is and what is not included in packages.
3-Post a fair representation of your work on your website. I still want to see your best images, but I'd also like to have an idea of the type/quality of images I would be receiving as a client, so post a few complete weddings.
I really hate it when there's not an email address and instead there's a "message box". I'm not sure I've had ANY vendor get back to me after I had to type all my info in and submitted.
I like a couple of complete weddings
Starting price range is good. I hate when vendors are vague about their prices. If I sound like I have a fancy wedding are you going to charge me more?? I like standard set prices.
I also loved that my photographer offered a 10 hour package. It made me choose him immediately! (after loving the prices and style).
Do you think $3,000 for an engagement session and unlimited wedding day coverage is alot?
---The ability for my photographer to use her camera as a magic wand and make me look AMAZING at every angle, even though I'm plus-sized
---Cost effective...($3,000 is just too much for most people now-a-days)...we are spending $1,700 for EVERYTHING...engagement photos, blow up canvas for guests to sign at the wedding, prints, CDs, two photographers, the works...and copyright release...
---Me being able to have the copyright release so that I can do whatever I want with my pictures of me...and that I know ahead of time and give permission for my pictures to be used anywhere...
I think 3000 is reasonable. My photog was 3500 for engagement and full day shoots. However he is also a very experienced photographer and we were looking for top of the line. Pricing really depends on the are you live as well so I would suggest looking at other photographers websites and get ideas of experience and price levels.
Also I agree with a lot of PP about what I wanted in photography but my 3 are:
-Good website, easy to use, no music, prices included, blog so I can see more full weddings not just top shots
-talent, obviously when looking at photographers websites I was looking for photography that was my style
-Communication-quick response to emails/phone calls is a must
@Brittaneetaylor3: $3,000 is way too much, in my opinion. I paid less than $2000 for everything. The one thing I really looked for was a photog that didn't put a time limit on my wedding day and who was willing to work within a budget.
@Brittaneetaylor3: I think $3,000 is too much if you are new to the industry. I also think you should have a developed portfolio before you even consider charging much at all, do some photos for free, really have some examples of your work, then you can charge.
I agree with pp's on pretty much everything they have said. Also I really like when photogs have blogs (as most do now days) it makes it so much easier to see a larger sampling of their work, not just the most fabulous expensive weddings, but the simple ones, the ones who don't have model figures and faces, etc.
ETA: pricing is going to be dependent upon location as well, what is the average cost for a photog, whats the competition like, what are people willing to pay, etc. I paid $1300 for e pics and 6 hours day of, with 3 shooters, but I also got a discount for paying up front in full in cash.
@MrsStormy: loving all the advice. However, I am not new to the industry, I am actually just trying to understand what actual brides want.
I am a Southern Cali Photog so the prices here are quite high. Most people start at $4500 and go up from there.
I've done my fair share of free shoots, which I can't complain because I love taking pictures!! (:
A couple people have mentioned diversity, but I don't think anyone mentioned ethnic diversity specifically (or maybe I just skimmed too fast), not just diversity size-wise (light looks different on my olive skin than it does on my lighter and darker skinned friends!).
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I am a photog myself and I have just been curious about what are the TOP 3 things that brides are looking for in a photographer. With the wedding industry as tough as a sharks tank, I just want real feedback from real brides. Thanks in advance :)