Choose a professional wedding photographer rather than Uncle Bob

Last update : August 8, 2022

When looking for a professional wedding photographer, you can choose to invest in an artistic approach, creative and natural photos of your couple and your family, taken on the spot. But when faced with the budget that a quality service provider represents, you might also wonder if your Uncle Bob could not also make a photo report of your wedding day at a rate defying all competition. Don't tell us that when you announced your wedding to your family and friends, none of them said "oh great ! I have a friend/cousin/neighbor/colleague who has a big camera, he will be able to do the pictures for your wedding !

Yes, because of course, we all have an uncle who bought his reflex at the supermarket yesterday and who will be happy to test the Manual mode on your wedding day. Be prepared to see a smartphone "that takes great pictures" or an old film camera if you're an artist !

HAPPILY, you have kindly declined by justifying that you prefer everyone to enjoy the evening as it should be. But if sometimes you don't have enough arguments, here is a little list that will convince you to skip the politeness for your shoot.

Once the festivities are over, all you'll have left are your photos, your album and your prints and/or digital files, depending on the contract with the service provider of your choice. It is about memories for a lifetime, we do not joke with that ! To capture your wedding photo reportage and sublimate the complicity and the good mood of the bride and groom, call upon the best wedding photographers.
From many regions and countries, your photographer will not lack of pretty places to realize sumptuous wedding photos. But be careful to take a professional wedding photographer, if you don't want to see the dream turn into a nightmare...

Choosing a professional photographer : a guarantee of results for your wedding

Beautiful results with a professional photographer for your wedding, from A to Z

1. The essential photo equipment for photographing a wedding

Yes, it seems obvious, but we still hear remarks like "it costs that much for one day? Well yes. A professional wedding photographer's camera (and even 2 cameras) and lenses, it's often not less than 10000 $ and it changes regularly. Of course, it is not the pot that makes the good cook, but a good camera will allow, for example, to shoot in poor lighting conditions, to focus quickly and not miss smiles, or the possibility of pre-settings to switch between differents lights very quickly. All this to immortalize a maximum of strong moments SO in your interest !

2. Have a plan B : backup equipment

Having 2 cameras, several lenses or 2 flashes will guarantee that the person designated to take the pictures will not "break down": the wedding must go smoothly and in case of breakdown or accidental fall, some of the photo equipment could need to be replaced in the minute so as not to miss a highlight of your wedding day.

3. Do not run out of consumables

Of course, a professional photographer will also have enough consumables : he/she won't run out of battery on his/her pro camera, or run out of batteries for his/her flash. He/she won't find himself/herself with a full memory card that blocks the camera at the fateful moment : you'll sleep soundly by choosing an experienced photographer !

4. How to use your camera, lenses and accessories like a pro during the wedding

This is THE basic technical training. It may make you smile, but buying an SLR for a fortune to use it in automatic mode is like buying a Formula 1 car to go shopping. Knowing how to use this very technical equipment is the basis of the photographer's job. To react to the different moments, to the light conditions, to the fact that the green, blue and red spots of the DJ won't make you look like a Hulk, a Smurf or a Zombie respectively... Actually, all this is the result of years of experience and many weddings photographed !

5. Mastering lighting like a pro

Photography is writing with light. And in photography, it is not enough to master the basics of your camera to create great images ! Mastering light is also a must-have for the photographer, at least for shooting in natural light. Managing white balance and different artificial light sources is also important, especially indoors : even if the camera adapts well at times in auto mode, some situations require a lot of know-how ! Not forgetting of course the flash, required especially in really dark places or to freeze the movement and create light effects during the evening. And for photographers who want to remain discreet during religious ceremonies (ex : in a church) or during the reception on the evening of the wedding, it is then necessary to master the sharp photo in low light conditions. Actually, at this stage, it's a bit like the game "Who's That ? We can imagine that many uncles Bob or beginners photographers are already eliminated.

6. Specialized training in wedding photography

To create fabulous wedding photos, good photographers often learn with international wedding photographers who teach them to tell a story with a unique point of view on your day and your couple. This is also what will make the difference in price among wedding photographers, between a photographer who masters his subject but makes photos similar to others and a specialized photographer who will have his own style in each of his images. If you choose to entrust the photo reportage of your wedding to Uncle Bob, expect at best well framed and well exposed photos.

7. Anticipation : choose the point of view, the angle, the moment to photograph the wedding day

An experienced professional photographer realizes several weddings in the year (between 10 and 30 per year generally). Therefore, with experience, he will know how to anticipate the strong moments and immortalize them. The footsteps in the staircase are perhaps those of the mother who will push the door and discover her daughter changing, so we place ourselves strategically to capture her emotion. And no, we do not look at the scene with the camera under the elbow and the tear in the eye...

8. Couple's photos : advising you for images that reveal the real you

This is another specificity of the wedding photography : the couple photos ! A moment often fleeting on the big day and where the photographer will have to put you at ease very quickly to obtain natural expressions on your faces. Couple photography requires mastering posing as a couple : you don't want to see your faces enlarged by the photo or with a double chin. You certainly expect WOW images, with a light and a scene that make you dream. Your expectations are certainly very far from the frozen photo straight as sticks or the couple hidden behind a tree that your uncle or a photographer stressed and short of ideas would offer you.

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9. A precious help : the team of wedding service providers who accompany you

And yes, as said above, when you immortalize 30 weddings a year, there are chances you've seen the best and the worst. Thus, your photographer is a precious source of advice, even more so when you have chosen not to hire a wedding planner ! Present from the beginning to the end of the day, he becomes an unavoidable partner of your day who quickly goes beyond his initial role by helping you with the preparations for example (anecdotes of photographers making the tie, the corsage, giving advice to the bride and groom for the entrance of the procession are more than frequent).

10. A dedicated person for you wedding photos

Let's be honest, your uncle is more interested in joining his friends at the cocktail than taking your couple photos. He'd rather be laughing with his cousins at the table than spontaneously photographing your first dance, and he'd rather be sitting down than running around the church. And more simply, it will be difficult to reproach your uncle for not having "done the job" for the simple and good reason that... it's uncle !