The Professional Wedding photographer

Looking for a professional wedding photographer? Hit enter. This is how the Google hunt for wedding suppliers starts.

Being a professional full time wedding photographer for 15 years already I’ve been always looking at this subject from the other side. Now I’ll step in your shoes and we together will discover something new about your wedding, that I’m sure you haven’t been aware of.

So, again: Looking for a professional wedding photographer? you hit the search button and start digging deep in the top results. Before to continue let me share with you some facts:

• – a 10 years old statistic – the full time professional wedding photographers out there is only 4%
• – the wedding photographers disappointment rate is 90% (true! Just open that bridal blogs and forums and you’ll see)
• – so, if you’re lucky you have the 10% chance to book a real professional photographer. Are you going to test your luck for once-in-lifetime event?
• – in the last 2 years many established professional wedding photographers closed down, which automatically makes the percentage less than 4%

The truth is, the digital technology evolved quickly and many enthusiasts having no knowledge in photography became wedding photographers. Seriously, close your eyes and throw a stone. The chance to hit a wedding photographer is very big. As big as your wish to stone him after your wedding. Jokes aside.

Let me share my story. I got a nasty flu just a week before a client’s wedding. All my trusty colleagues were booked for the day and I had to search for a wedding photographer. I typed:

Recommended wedding photographer London

One of the results caught my eyes. Not so many but nice photos. Same gear as mine, all expensive lenses and tools. Nice looking website. I found my photographer and booked him for the day. Gave him the schedule and all instructions. The gut feeling though didn’t grant me any peace and I decided to pop in as a second photographer, to capture the documentary stuff. Thanks Goodness I did it. Only 120 out of 800 of his photos were so so acceptable. All the rest were my photos.

What if I didn’t go? If I fell in the trap as a professional wedding photographer with experience, what would be the chance for you to book him and many like him? My advise is, there is no good and cheap. If the price is too good, run away. Like many others, after the wedding you’ll email me: Peter you were right! So what? Are you going to make another wedding? If I was given £1 every time I hear this I would be rich now.

Our wedding photographer was very good, highly recommend

This is what you’ll see if you post on Facebook goops: recommend a wedding photographer. Once of a sudden you understand that all your friends have a wedding photographer friend. Now is the time for you to throw the stone. My advice:

• – Don’t rely on your friends taste. You may have different vision as everyone is different and every wedding is different. 
• – Meet the photographer in person if you can and take a look some whole weddings and albums. Everyone can make a highlights selection. You need consistent good quality photos during the whole day. Some “photographers” can’t work with flash, another with available light. Ask for different photos from different parts of the day. Take a look at the albums. Do your eye go fluent from page to page or zig zagging all over the page? You’ll either enjoy your album for life or zigzag it for life.
• – The photographer’s personality is important 
• – Ask questions. I like fussy clients and I’m happy when they ask questions as this is a very important day, isn’t it?
• – Take a look at the photographer’s other stuff. Why? Because the profession wedding photographer as such is totally wrong. If someone has entered photography as a wedding photographer and haven’t evolved further, believe me you can expect much. You can’t expect creativity and passion, and it doesn’t matter that this guy is 50 years on the market. Photographer is a friend with light. Creativity should be a trend in all the portfolio not just in the wedding photos. The right term should be – a professional photographer who shoots weddings. Makes more sense.

Now you’re more educated and ready to take right decisions. 

Feel welcome to browse our portfolio. We’ll be happy to meet you and assist with your requirements. Also, we’re happy to recommend other professional photographers in London, across UK and internationally.