Skill set choices: Your photographers abilities could be the all important factor, depending on expectations vs other factors. Choosing risk: The level of acceptable risk or risk likelihood you're prepared to accept. Choosing quality: Where are your boundaries on final results? Choosing costs: The right choice of photographer could be down to budgetary restraints, fees vary considerably. Lets look at wedding photographers as an example.
However you embrace your selection process, be as well informed as you can be, hopefully this pragmatic look at skill sets that helps to influence your final decision.
If you are looking to hire, then this is about trying to match-up a service that is best for YOU! Occasionally everyone needs a photographer and weddings can be a mixed bag, sourcing the best photographers out there just means sourcing the wedding photography service that is right for you as a couple, your perfect photographer doesn’t necessarily have to produce the finest images but the service provider must deliver the goods and be your preferred choice for all the right reasons.
I suppose you can apply the reference table to most photography genres, just use the table subjectively!
What’s too salty for some won’t be salty enough for others, aligning aspirations with expectations is important. Matching performance alongside expectations and price is a starting point for choosing the best photographer, or at the very least, I hope it will offer some guidance that can point you in a positive direction for the best results. Like all aspects of life what’s good for one won’t be good for another, this is so true with wedding photography, a miss match of expectancies doesn’t benefit anyone.
Getting it spot on and choosing the right style of photographer for your Scottish wedding is different for every bride & groom; costs against final expectations play a key role. Maybe the above competency table will offer guidance to couples looking for a little more inside knowledge. Bottom line, try to match your needs with a photographer's strengths. I suppose who and what depends on when!
When you need quality, dig deep! When you want free, tread carefully!
Compatibility! Are we attuned with each other? Compatible wedding photographers make the day a success. Budget aside, positive wedding photography is not just a one day relationship, it goes deeper. Evan before you draw a line under on your budget you should be thinking about your photographer’s personality. Being well matched goes a long way! After all we are going to be spending lots of time in each other’s company and that’s even before the wedding. Compatibility, photographer and client interactions are so important; that’s why we need to click from the start, you need to feel confident you have chosen wisely.
Hitting it off! The best attributes in any relationship is trust and connectivity. A wedding photographer and client relationship works best when you feel at ease and comfortable from the beginning, knowing your wedding photography is going to receive all the attention it deserves will give you peace of mind, leaving you free to concentrate attention on other aspects of the day.
Where do you start, finding a suitable photographer needn’t be a daunting experience. I’m guessing most people will probably start to look in the middle, somewhere around the advanced level. I suppose it depends on the individual. To help steer you to an informed choice I offer a detailed "talent table for best photographers", use or discard as you wish.
For situations where there is no escaping budget restraint, finding a photographer in Scotland that won’t break the bank may be enough to do the trick. When needs must, a photographer at the lower end of the table will be an option.
Some people look for an award winning outcome, in which case a photographer located at the top of the table would be a fitting place to start.
Why picking the perfect photographer to cover your wedding is paramount. The pitfalls and highs of weddings, choices, what's right when choosing photographers & where the wrong selection can lead you to. What's right for you won't be right for the next bride, so which direction, how do you go about choosing an appropriate photographer to cover your wedding? Should you be cherry picking or is it more about the bottom line and how much money you can save by disregarding the benefits of a competent photographer’s expertise.
Making that choice
Exactly how much should you be paying for the privilege for your photographer’s capability isn’t an easy choice for some brides. With a high dynamic range no wonder controversy shrouds a confused bridal party. With skill levels ranging from the accommodating novice to the extravagant ranks of the true professional, how does a bride decide for the right outcome? Whether you consider appointing a master of the arts or Uncle Bob you must ask yourself this, what’s the significance of the price difference stretched out over a lifetime of marriage? In twenty five years will you really look upon your wedding photos and remember you saved a few bob hiring Relative Robert and his new-fangled camera. Ask me at your silver wedding what your preferred photographer choice would have been now!
I have to make a critique in the nicest possible way, opting for the novice where the incompetence is astounding may be the only choice for some and likewise hiring master photographers at national level will be out of reach for so many. Realistically the majority of bride and grooms will be in the mid-range, this is where it becomes interesting and no doubt frustrating, so the challenge is on.
Today’s decisions are tomorrows truths, photography choices needn't be complicated but options do come in all shapes and sizes. Just remember the old adage, "good doesn't come cheap and cheap doesn't come good." So what does it all boil down to? Well, when it comes to choosing a photographer, there isn’t really any right or wrong, it’s more about expectations and the balance, trading value with results for a projected outcome. Your choices influence the final result, just be prudent and make decisions wisely, it’s your call! However, don't forget that a good camera does not make a good photographer. I'm sure enough people will continue to recognise this to keep photographers in business, at least for the immediate future.
There will always be amply wedding work for talented wedding photographers and the people who don t want to pay for their skills will get fuzzy photos, it’s that simple.
use for referencing arguments or considerations "for or against" a particular choice of photographer.