Check out some vendor advice from Birch Blaze Weddings on how to select the right wedding photographer for your wedding and how to use the time on your wedding day wisely.  Also, read about their thoughts on some current industry trends.

KM

1) Up to 10 pieces of advice you’d give a bride when considering a photographer and how to work with the photographer throughout the year and on the day of the wedding.

First of all we can’t stress enough the importance of finding the photographer that is the right fit for you. Photographs are frozen moments in time. It’s up to the photographer to know at precisely what moment the shutter should be clicked to best capture that perfect flash of personality. As the subject, you want a photographer that you feel comfortable with, someone you trust. When that trust exists, your personality and the joy of your day will be abundantly evident in your photos.

How can you determine what photographer is the right fit? Well, when you look at a photographer’s online portfolio, how does it make you feel? Do you feel a connection with the photos? Do they engender any kind of emotion? Your answer to these questions can help you determine if scheduling a meet-up might be in order.

When meeting with a photographer, how does he or she make you feel? Do they put you at ease? Are they confident? Does it feel like they would be someone you could envision hanging out with? Of course there are numerous articles and tips on what questions you should ask—the answers to which are important. And it does not negate the need to make sure they’re reputable. A good way to determine that is to look at their work and see if it is consistent. Ultimately though, we believe how you feel about the photographer will also go a long way in determining if they are the wedding photographer for you.

Secondly, once you have found the one (or two, as in our case), on your wedding day, trust your photographer. Trust the same creative vision that attracted you to them originally. You should never be expected to do something you truly do not feel comfortable with, but have fun and be open to fresh ideas. There are many poses and classic shots that are tried and true, but by trusting and giving your photographer some creative freedom, you’ll be rewarded with photos that are both classic and beautiful as well as some great shots with a unique flare.

Finally, if you’re having an outdoor ceremony, we recommend consulting with your photographer in regards to the time and positioning of the ceremony to make the best use of day light, which can present challenges to achieving a great result outdoors. We certainly realize that there are many factors to consider when planning the ceremony that may come before photography, but if great ceremony photos are really important to you…just ask!

2) Any current trends that you see to do with photography, whether it’s style, engagement sessions, equipment, etc.

We love that wedding photography is moving further and further away from the stiff, somewhat unnaturally posed look of prior decades. Looking back, you want your wedding photos to fill you with the sense of what you were feeling on that day and how great you looked, not, “Oh God, look at that horrendous hair style!” or, “I can’t believe that god-awful background!”
We also are big proponents of First Look. For some, it may be ‘kicking sand in the face’ of tradition, but if our couples are ok with that, it gives us as photographers an intimate pocket of time before the ceremony to get some fantastic images of just the bride and groom. It also eases the time crunch of shooting the formals between the ceremony and the reception, because the B&G have already had theirs.

Having a Bagpiper at your wedding can be a fun and exciting addition to your ceremony, and it is certainly something your guests will remember.

This beautiful shade of purple is fun and elegant.  I love the rich color is a rustic setting!

How adorable is this flower girl! The purple head wreath is a great way to make her feel like she is a very important part of the wedding.

I love the feel of the shot, it’s casual and has some great movement, notice the groomsmen kissing the brides hand . . .

This image has a wonderful feel, I love the water in the background and the hard angle.

They look so comfortable together . . .

Birch Blaze Photography
Website: www.nhweddingphotographer.com
Blog: www.birchblazephotography.com
Email: info@birchblaze.com
my Kate Parker Wedding State and Budget: ME <$25k, MA <$25k and VT <$25k

Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont Wedding Photographer, Birch Blaze Photography is a member of my Kate Parker Wedding your online wedding resource guide launching in January 2010 geared toward directing couples to quality vendors based on their price range and state.