Dear prospective Bride & Groom,

Thank you for considering me to be your wedding photographer. Your search has brought you to my little corner of the web and no doubt you are overwhelmed by the sheer number of winnipeg wedding photographers to choose from. I sympathize with you so I am going to help you out by dedicating a short introduction to who I am and what I do right here, the front page of the portal to my wedding photography portfolio.

I know there is a little bit to read here... but bear with me. My wedding photography portfolio is above if you want to skip these words... but this little bit of time reading will decide for you if you want to book me or not because trust me, my photography is amazing once you see it.

But first, a few caveats.

Due to the number of wedding photographers available for you to choose from, I am now restricting the number of clients I see. If you want to meet with me for a consultation, you must have a referral from a couple I have already photographed or meet the following criteria:

a) you have thoroughly and completely reviewed my online portfolio and absolutely LOVE my work

b) you have already met and consulted with at least TWO of my competitors (find them here), don't want to book them and are still looking

AND

c) you have decided that you want to book me, are meeting with me to confirm your decision, and will have a retainer fee on hand to secure your date
(you are of course free to change your mind :-)

Normally, I would never dream of putting such restrictions on a couple to meeting with me. But, the sheer number of competitors compels me to do so. It is simply a matter of respecting my time and what I feel I am now worth.

Choosing a wedding photographer is as much about personality as it is about photography. I am going to help you decide if my personality is the one you want for your wedding day because my photography will speak for itself.

I am fun, articulate, sharp and observant with an easy going manner and a 100% relaxed demeanor at all times. My smile is permanently plastered on my face. But, that does not mean I am a push-over or one of these poly-anna types or someone who will put on this super-fun-happy “professional” facade for your wedding day. I am a happy guy and I don’t need to fake it. Sadly, many people today want the fake happy so if this is you, we probably won’t get along very well. (If it is not, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. LOL :-) You will even see this in my portfolio... everybody is smiling. There is not a single “pouty” or “serious” fashion/cool “look” in any of my brides or grooms. Just smiles... forever and ever. If this is what you want for your wedding photography... keep reading.

Why am I so happy? Because I have strong convictions about life and know who I am and what I stand for. Being happy is that simple. The energy of a happy and confident man will be something I bring to your wedding day. Some couples are comfortable around such a man, others are not. If misery loves company, you will find me quickly looking for the exit door of that group. After photographing 50 weddings, I have discovered my couples are strong, confident, happy and “get me” and what I do. Since I am not here to win a Facebook popularity contest but to take great photos, I don’t worry about whether or not I jive with or can win over every couple I meet. I want to work with couples that want to work with me. There are a lot of personalities to choose from and I am confident that in meeting with me, you will want to work with me.

There really is only one question you need to ask yourself if you want to book me as your wedding photographer.

Are you looking for steak... or sizzle?

Quality... or quantity?

The real deal... or the flashy deal?

I got no sizzle to sell you... just a lot of prime, triple-grade-A wedding photography.

I am not the flashy or “artsy” photographer who is the talk of the town. I am the photographer who believes his work will speak for itself and that I don’t have to sell it. I therefore offer no credits, discounts, promotions or other gimmicky sales tricks because quality photography does not need to. Instead, you will find straight forward pricing where if you can add 1+1 and get 2, you will be able to figure out how much I will cost and whether I fit into your wedding photography budget. It’s a take-it-or-leave it approach because with the number of other winnipeg wedding photographers to choose from today, I am not going to waste your time or mine trying to “sell” you. You will either love my photography and me or you wont and since I have no ego in this game, whether you do or not is of no importance to me. (Another tip for being happy in case you are taking notes at this point! LOL :-) Some might find this approach to be arrogant and foolish (the misery group meets once a week in room 4A down the hall)- I prefer to call it confident and honest. Every couple who books me believes the latter so I don’t worry about the former. There will always be haters out there and I am immune to their toxic way of life. I’m a lover not a hater and all of my couples are as well.

Question: “Are you a full-time professional photographer? Do you have another job or is this all you do?”

Good question. If you are looking for a “full-time” professional photographer with bricks-&-mortar studio space to dazzle you with, photos plastering the walls and a pirate’s treasure chest of album samples and other sparkly items to amaze you... I am not the photographer for you. Remember... you are getting steak with me, not sizzle. I am a professional. I have seven years and 50 weddings of experience. My gear is professional grade and my demeanor and approach is professional... but we will be meeting in a coffee shop. LOL If that scares you, it would be best to go with another photographer. Considering the state of the economy today, those wedding photographers with high overheads and huge marketing budgets are going to be the ones in trouble, not me. As for whether or not I have another job... yes and no. If I need one, I will be working one. If not... then this is all I do. Simple enough answer? :-)

Question: “What is your wedding photography price and what do your wedding photography packages include?”

Another good question. I’m not cheap. I am also not expensive... or at least not to those couples that want me to be a full-time wedding photographer (some day) and to actually make a profit I can live on.

I am not going to try to win this game by racing to the bottom with my pricing. But, I am not so foolish as to price myself out of the market. My wedding photography pricing is in the professional range... $2000 to $6000 with all the extra toppings. I wish I could offer my services for less, but I can’t. I am good and I would be doing a disservice to my friends in this industry by continuing to charge entry level or beginning rates when I am anything but. If I take work away from another photographer, they are never going to be able to accuse me of undercutting them. With my current pricing, I can book 10 weddings and be “full-time”, but don’t be surprised or scared if I tell you I have less than 10 weddings booked. With the level of competition out there, that is just the nature of this business today and I will not disguise it with some fake veneer of being “busy”, “successful” or “booked solid.” I would rather be honest with you than “fake-it-till-I-make-it.” In fact, I don’t think I could fake it even if I tried because I am not even remotely close to being a fake person.

Here is how you should look at the cost of wedding photography.

I know how much you can spend on a dress, cake, shoes, flowers, reception, etc etc etc... but we are talking about things that will, at most, last 12 hrs. After that... the ONLY record of all that happened on your wedding day will be the photographs your photographer has taken.

I photograph people. I get the “details” as they say and you can see plenty of them in my portfolio, but they are the last thing on my mind as I find people far more interesting to photograph. That’s because people are where the emotion is... where the relationships and connections are found. My couples are not interested in a wedding album filled with pictures of “stuff.” They want lots of photos of themselves, their friends and family and the story of their wedding day. I never miss a single laugh or tear. My couples are not focused on the details of their lives but on the relationship and emotions they have for one another. The path, not the destination, if I can use a philosophical metaphor.

So... if you want to budget a lot of money for “stuff”... go right ahead, but that will mean cutting back on your wedding photographer budget. But... if you are frugal and do some work yourself, a lot of “stuff” can be had for a good price (or simply less of it) AND you can afford a professional photographer who will document your wedding story and all the emotion it will entail for decades to come as it should be documented... for posterity.

Which brings us to longevity. Bringing up the specter of divorce would, by many others in this industry, be considered not only unprofessional, but a disaster business move. That just brings me back to that life convictions thing I wrote about earlier. I am here to photograph ONE wedding... and ONE wedding only. I am not here to do a good job and then get “two more” weddings when the couples splits and remarries. Yes, that is the inside industry joke and I don’t find it funny at all, not one bit. My parents have been married for 40+ years. You know what else? My couples, 8 out of 10 of them, have parents together on BOTH sides. Do you know how RARE that is? I believe in love and LONG TERM marriage, not this feminist, Sex In The City dystopia of “modern” relationships and disposable marriages.

I don’t know your family or personal history... and I am certainly not here to question your current relationship and its strength... but make no mistake... I do NOT want to see you divorced... ever. With religious moral values almost non-existent and grandma and grandpa with 60+ years of marriage gone and unavailable to young people today for council and advice on what makes LONG TERM COMMITMENT AND PARTNERING with another person actually work... this right here, this little paragraph, may be the only voice of sober second thought you will ever hear as you make the single most important decision of your life... to join in union with another human being for life. Like I said, I am a happy guy and it is because I am not afraid to ask tough questions or be the bearer of inconvenient truths. I do so because I actually give a damn. I have never openly talked about this except with a few of my couples, but this is the mindset and attitude I bring to your wedding day so you should want this in your wedding photographer. Every other photographer will say the same as I do, but very few of them will be as open and honest as I am about your chances in marriage today. It is NOT the 1950s anymore which, ironically enough, was the last generation of men and women who believed in 50+ years of marriage and family and was a pretty happy generation compared to today if you ask me. If that does not offend you, you are probably looking for your cheque book because you are booking me now no matter what. LOL You get it... most 21st century, hipster, “liberal”, “modern” and “progressive’s” don’t. If that makes me a throwback to to an era that is extinct... all I have to say to that is this... if having strong convictions about stable marriages making for happy families resulting in a moral and ethical society makes me a throwback... so be it. I am not buying this modern, mass marketed, 21st century world of hypocritical happiness... I want the real deal and so should you.

So there ya go. That should be enough for you to know who I am and what I am about. If you are still reading this and still considering me to be your wedding photographer... please continue on into my portfolio and be amazed at the photography you find there.

I wish you all the best in your future life together. Much fun and laughter to be had... if you already have it that is. Contrary to popular belief, a relationship is not work. (Say whaaaaatttttttt? Did he just say that relationships are not work?) You know they say in work, you should do what you love because it does not feel like work? The best relationships are the same. If the relationship feels like work, if there are always “problems” or “issues” to be addressed... maybe its because the relationship is not working in the first place? Radical thinking... I know... but maybe you out to consider it. That is not to say you won’t encounter problems or rough patches in your relationship, you will. Ohhhhh boy will you encounter tough times, “war” as my Dad once called it and then immediately followed it with his head thrown back laughing out loud. What it means is neither of you will see these natural relationship problems and issues as “work”, it will just be life with another person who is different than you. That is a whole world of difference in attitude and approach to love and relationships from the “work on it” crowd.

Oh... one final note.

If you are wondering just what is an artistic wedding photographer... I can tell you, it ain’t running your photos through Photoshop Lightroom presents (that EVERY other photographer has and therefore EVERYONE'S photos all look the same) and calling it “artistic.” All artists... have a personal philosophy toward life that is expressed in their work. If you have read this far and go into my portfolio, you will begin to see this is true of my work. My work reflects all my beliefs about love and relationships you have just read about. Also, artists by nature are not the types to go with the crowd or be popular with the masses. If you are popular... if you are wanted and available to everyone (price is not the issue)... then you are not an artist. An artist stands for something more than just his artistic works. That more is usually principles, values or a philosophy of some kind. As you read at the beginning... I am not meeting with just anyone and since I have no fear of turning away people, you are not guaranteed to book me just because you have a cheque in your hand and wish to. I might not want to work with you and THAT... that is the mark of an artist.

A true artist... is available to only a select few of his choosing.

A true artist... can never be bought.

A true artist... never compromises.

A true artist... never conforms to the expectations of others.

If you want an artist for a wedding photographer... you have found him.

Avoir une belle vie mes amis.

Winnipeg wedding photographer Curtis Carlson is pure wedding photography. Bold. Dynamic. Colourful. Classically stylish, stylishy classic, Curtis blends a modern photojournalistic approach with a traditional touch of romance for winnipeg wedding photography that will never go out of style.

Tips and Advice on Winnipeg Wedding Photographers

The below content is copyright Curtis Carlson Photography.

How to choose a wedding photographer.

This is very simple.

1) Like the photographer.

2) Like the photos.

3) Like the price.

But perhaps some explanation is in order.

Like the Photographer

Sounds simple enough, but I think this is the most overlooked aspect of choosing the right winnipeg wedding photographer for you. Much of this business is driven by price and package competition; all very important, but not ultimately what you should base your decision on when choosing a wedding photographer.

If you want to have the most fun and relaxed day in front of a camera, the number one thing I recommend to you is to see as many winnipeg photographers as you can and find a personality that works best with who you are as a couple. I would suggest seeing a minimum of three photographers, six or more being optimal. Do not let price or package information determine who you will or will not talk to at this point. Forget about price and package for now, focus your initial search on photographic style and personality. (Note: Be sure the person you are talking to will actually BE the photographer on your wedding day. If they are not, ask if you can speak to the staff photographer the studio will assign to your wedding day and be sure you see his or her work, not the studios.) At this point, you want to be exposed to as many potential personalities as possible.

Why is this important?

As one couple put it to me, choosing your winnipeg wedding photographer is like choosing another member of the wedding party. Who else is with you all day, from morning until night, at all points during the day and in an intimate and close way? The friends and family members that you include in your wedding party, that’s who! And you don’t choose these people based on their service/utility to you, but based on the personality, fun and optimism they will bring to your wedding day – in short, the positive connection you have with those people. Your winnipeg wedding photographers personality is the most decisive factor in making your wedding day a blast or a bust. You are going to be choosing someone that has to be with you for potentially 12 hours. The only way you can find the “best” winnipeg photographer for you is by meeting with a lot of them.

So how do you find one that fits your personality as a couple?

Wedding photographers in winnipeg love meeting couples and talking about their wedding day, how they met and what they do for fun, work and hobbies, on top of their photography services and experience. But don’t let the photographer do all the talking! Ask them about how they got started, what keeps them photographing, what they do for fun when not behind a camera. In short, ask the kinds of questions you would regularly ask about close friends and family members in your wedding party. Why would you do this? To get the photographer out of “sales” mode. How a winnipeg photographer answers these questions will say a lot about the kind of character and personality he or she is that you won’t get from asking “What’s your price and package?” or “How many weddings in winnipeg have you photographed?” I have had only a few rare couples do this to me and I noticed the shift in the dynamic right away when the focus was suddenly on me, the photographer! Price, package and experience is important, but it won’t make up for a poor attitude, an inflexible approach to photography, or worse, simply someone trying to get you to part with as much of your money as they can by controlling the conversation. No matter how good the price or package or how long they have been in business, if you don’t get a “good vibe” from the photographer, does it really matter? I already know that while I will make a very good impression on 95% of the people I meet, not everyone is going to like me and I would be naïve to expect them to. I too want to work with the best couples I can find and the only way I will attract them is by being open, honest and genuine about myself and my abilities.

If after consultation with me and five other photographers in winnipeg I get a couple come back to book me, I know we are going to have a blast taking photos on the wedding day. Why? Because not only are you positive, confident and therefore relaxed about the photographer you have hired because you took the time to look around, I am as well because I know you choose me after seeing a variety of other options and did not go strictly by referral or price.

Choosing a winnipeg photographer is that simple. But there are two more steps that are just as important as the first.

Like the Photos

There is really not much for me to say here. You will either like a winnipeg wedding photographers photos or not and it is here I suggest you go with your gut. If there is something “off” about the photos, you don’t have to know what it is yourself and be able to explain it, that is not your job. If after asking the winnipeg photographer about his or her photographic style you still don’t understand it, or the explanation does not make that “off” feeling go away, don’t hire them, it is that simple. Your wedding photos are the single most important and lasting record of your wedding day. You have to like them. Don’t be fooled by the latest buzzwords about style or what look is hot or who’s name is on everybody's lips. Look at the photos and say “Is this how I want my wedding day, and us as a couple, to look like?” If there is even the slightest doubt, keep looking at other photographers. You don’t have to explain why or justify your reasons to anyone, least of all the photographer. This is your wedding. You go with the creative vision you like. Period.

From a winnipeg photographer’s perspective, again, it just makes the day go so much more smoothly for fun and relaxing photos when the couple is confident about the choice they made creatively for their wedding photos. The more you are jazzed about the style of photography you have chosen, the more you will be excited to co-operate and make taking photos a fun task rather than a chore you have to get through before the reception. When you base your choice of a winnipeg or destination wedding photographer strictly by reputation or price/package alone, without taking a really good look at the quality and quantity of work he or she has produced, you will most likely be just a little nervous on the day about how the photos will turn out. Don’t take any chance on bringing anxiety into your most important day. Take a look at a lot of photos and choose the creative style you – not your friends, your family and most certainly not the wedding industry – like the best.

Like the Price

This one is last for a reason, but still very important. You have to find a winnipeg photographers that fits your budget. You don’t have to spend $5000 just to get “the best” according to the maxim “you get what you pay for.” At the same time, you should keep your expectations of professional, technical and creative excellence very low if you are booking a photographer for less than $1000 for a full day.

It all comes down to being realistic and honest about how much you value photography for your wedding day. For some couples, they want the assurance of many years of experience, lots of consultation and options for prints, albums and other add-ons, the added benefit of having two photographers and assistants to cover as much of their wedding day as possible from every angle, all the camera and lighting equipment (and their backups) to create bridal magazine style quality photos, and have it all delivered in about one hour. If this sounds like you, budget at least $5000 to $10,000 right now and start cutting your wedding budget elsewhere to accommodate your winnipeg wedding photography wishes. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can find this for $1000 – you won’t. For other couples, they just want someone who is friendly and personable, takes amazing photos compared to what they (or their uncle) could do themselves, may or may not want albums or other bells-and-whistles and in general, just want a winnipeg and destination wedding photographer that won’t break the bank. For these couples, spending more than $1500 to $3000 would be unrealistic for them. Photography is important, but not as important as say a live band at the reception or a four week luxury honeymoon escape to a far away tropical island.

It all comes down to priorities and personality. Some people want their photos to look like they stepped off the fashion catwalks in Milan, others just want to be sure there are no “blinkers” when they go to make reprints on there own with the DVD of digital negatives the winnipeg photographer has provided to them. Think about the kind of couple and people you are, and then decide how much winnipeg wedding photography is worth to you.

Like the photographer, like the photos, like the price.

As simple as 1, 2, 3

How can I quickly and easily filter through all the package and wedding price information?

It’s a jungle out there isn’t it?

You probably feel a little like Alice in Wonderland when it comes time to try and figure out all this price and package information you have collected from a number of winnipeg wedding photographers.

Until I started looking more seriously about the business side of wedding photography in winnipeg, (as opposed to it just being a hobby) I had no idea how many ways you could price and package local and destination wedding photography services. I went to a seminar a few years back by an excellent and very successful wedding photography studio. I left more confused than when I came in on how to price and package my photographic skills. When I tried to take some of what I learned and apply it to my own business recently in trying to turn myself more professional, I found I got confused trying to explain my services to the couple who was already confused!

So… how do you figure out how much wedding photography is going to cost and what you are going to get?

Number one: Get a price for strictly photographic coverage.

How many hours and how many locations? Is there a charge for going over the contracted time and at what rate? How much does it cost for a second photographer? Is there a cost for second photographer? Forget about the albums, the prints, the DVD slideshow, etc. Just get a price for what the photography itself is going to cost you, nothing more. Now you have a base line to start adding other stuff on to.

Number two: Get an album and print price list.

This should not be difficult to get. For custom albums, this might take some time for the photographer to get back to you with a quote, but you should never be told there is no set price or that it depends on the number of photographic hours contracted or how many prints you get along with it etc, etc, etc ad nauseum. This is a sales smokescreen. It’s an album, it has a price. Get it and be sure it is a firm price. Same goes for prints. There may be charges for custom work, but that too should be fairly straight forward and most likely be an hourly rate with an estimation as to the time required to do the work. Be flexible with your photographer when it comes to custom art prints and albums. Some things will take longer and the photographer’s time in working with you to get the print or album exactly right the first time should be compensated for.

Once you have prices for the photography, any additional add-ons and custom or overtime photography rates, you should be able to put together your own package working with your photographer. If the packages offered seem to be take it or leave it, that is ok, as long as you like the package you are about to take. But if there seems to be any hesitation on the winnipeg photographers part to get down to specifics about how photography is priced or albums/prints, I suggest you look at other photographers. If you are not careful, you can wind up paying a lot of money for all kinds of things you did not intend to get as part of your wedding photography “package,” especially if you sign a contract that stipulates so. At worst, you won’t really know what you bought but felt that it sounded about right and did not want to challenge the photographer on his or her pricing and package structure. This is not a time to be timid. If you are really not clear on what the final cost is or what you are getting, don’t sign any contract until you are clear. If you simply don’t get the answers you are looking for, find another winnipeg photographer

How much is a wedding photographer in winnipeg?

Well… that depends. It’s true! I have found that pricing for wedding photography services is guided by:

1) the market rate of other competitors

2) how much a photographer feels his or her skills and experience are worth

3) how much money an individual photographer feels they need to make to sustain a lifestyle they require to be happy

Combine all three of these together and you get quite the range of pricing for everything from day-rates to prints.

It also depends a lot on where a winnipeg local and destination wedding photographer wants to WEIGHT his profit. i.e. Where does he want to make his money? Some winnipeg photographers believe that their skill behind a camera is worth more than making money on prints and albums, so their day rate will reflect this and be higher while his prints and albums will be very competitive. Others have their advertising and studio work flow organized around getting people in front of the camera at a low price, then providing superior service and after session photo enlargements and add-ons with a good mark-up.

A good reputation also plays a role in how much a photographer feels he or she can charge. Those photographers just starting out know they have to pay their dues and some good value and talent can be found for the couple willing to put more than just a weeks worth of effort into researching their local and destination wedding photographer options. Conversely, other couples simply do not have the time to research a large number of photographers. They want to save time, or just feel safer, by paying more for a long established professional that requires minimal work on their part. This photographer will take care of a lot of details for them that some hobby photographers (called weekend-warriors in the biz) are not willing to do and they feel this is worth more to them than saving a few hundred (or thousand!) dollars.

I think the best way to answer this question is to take out some personal cheques. You can create some fake Monopoly ones, this is just an exercise, but real cheques help make this exercise hit a little closer to home. Take three cheques and write the following amounts to be payed:

$1000 $4000 $9000

Sign your name or somone famous like Beyonce Knowles or Brad Pitt… and then pretend a friend of yours is the photographer. Now… GIVE HIM ONLY ONE CHEQUE!

How do you feel?

Super happy you have bought the best winneg wedding photographer on the market?

A little (or maybe a lot) ripped off?

Worried the cheque will bounce if the photographer cashes it right away?

Wishing you had taken more time to look at a few more wedding photographers to see if you are really getting the best price or highest quality products and service you can find for your money?

Wondering if this super cheap photographer is going to show up on your wedding day?

The answer to the question of how much a wedding photographer should cost is entirely based on your personality, the trust and comfort level you have established with your photographer, what your finances are and your personal relationship to money.

In short... it depends.

Whatever amount you decide to pay, when you write that cheque for the deposit amount and hand it over to the photographer, you should have a smile on your face and no butterflies in your stomach. If your stomach does a flip or two, it will be a niggling anxiety that will bother you for the next 8 to 14 months leading up to the wedding day and on the day itself. Instead of focusing on the fun and excitement of having your declared love recorded forever, you will be wondering if you paid too much or perhaps not enough. I cannot stress to a couple enough in taking the time to meet with a lot of winnipeg wedding photographers. That way, when you find one that “gets” you and you pay your deposit, you walk out of the photographer’s studio with a weight lifted off your shoulders and don’t think about him or her again until the wedding day starts getting closer and tingles of excitement about the photos you will create together start making it hard to fall asleep at night.

What should I be looking for in terms of technical photographic skill or quality and style?

Not being a photographer yourself, this is probably the hardest part about choosing one for any bride or groom. I will address this question using the simplest language and try not to muddle things with fancy industry jargon or techno speak.

Technical Skill

Clearly, one of the photographers you choose in winnipeg should be able to take a photo better than you can. If by looking at his or her work you think you can do better, move on. That said, what kind of questions should you ask to ascertain the technical skill of the photographers you are meeting with? Ask photographers not simply what kind of equipment they owns, but how they use that equipment. Also ask not just about their credentials and experience, but their personal philosophy toward the photographic arts, and wedding photography specfically. I will give you two common questions anyone might ask and give two VERY different answers. This will give you an idea about what to look for in the ANSWER to whatever question you ask that shows how a photographer thinks about the technical aspect of photography. These may seem like very simple questions, but it is the answer you need to pay attention to.

Question One:
What kind of lenses do you use?

Wrong answer:
I use a lot of cool lenses but my coolest one is my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS zoom lens with image stabilization to reduce camera shake by up to three f-stops and a response time of less than 0.5 seconds in conjunction with an 8-blade circular aperture that produces fast tracking and focus lock with improved bokeh performance at wide open apertures.

Did I lose you? Let's try the right answer.

Right answer:
I use a zoom lens that keeps me far enough away from the action to keep your reactions natural, not like a “deer-caught-in-headlights” with a short lens. I also have lenses that can work in very low available light, like reception halls and dark churches, so I don’t have to use flash and can get those romantic and classic atmospheric photos that would be lost otherwise. All of my lenses are able to focus very sharply to keep you in focus and blur out background distractions to ensure the main subject of the photo is you!

Both of these answers are technically correct, but the right answer in my case gives the couple a lot more information about how the photographer USES his equipment to take great photos, not simply the technical facts. This kind of photographer is able to translate what he knows about his equipment into ways of working and creating, not just pointing and shooting, and is able to communicate that to a prospective bride and groom in a language they can understand. It’s a subtle difference, but it makes a world of difference in how one approaches taking a photography. There are gear heads, and then there are artists. Choose an artist..

Question Two:
What kind of education or training do you have as a photographer?

Wrong answer:
I have a Master’s degree in Photographic Fine Arts that specialized in the neo-abstract concept of light and shadow as means to communicate the contrast between what we see in the world during the day and what we don’t when night takes over. I have had my work on display in art shows around the city and have been published in Vanity Fair and was awarded the (insert name of institution here) award for breaking new ground in technical and creative excellence in photography. Would you like to see my awards?

Ahem... I think we can all see THIS is the WRONG answer (and just a tad bit pompous!)

Right answer:
I have taken some courses but was pretty much self-taught. I was told that one lens, one camera and one roll of film is all that I required to become a good photographer. That and taking good photos is a matter of a LOT of practice and focusing on what you like to photograph. If your heart is in what you point your camera at, you can’t help but get better and better. I have photographed about 38 weddings now and while I am by no means winning awards or having praise heaped upon me, I am not concerned. I am more focused on making sure each time a take a photo I learn something. Did I get the best creative use of the light that was available? Did I get into position for the right angle for the most impact in composition? Did I take a risk and try something different or outside my normal shot list to mix things up a bit? Did I have fun, and most importantly, did my clients enjoy working with me and love my photos?

Again, both of these answers are correct. However, the first does not even mention wedding photography. Even if it did, the response does not seem to be focused on showing the couple that the photographer really loves taking photos and is a life-long learner. It only shows that he or she has completed a course and someone, somewhere, has thought their work was good enough to be published or given an award. It does not make them a wedding photographer that can handle the chaos of a wedding day without breaking a sweat or deal with the best man who just has to always try to put the rabbit ears behind the groom in every photo. The second answer, and I must confess I am the model for it, is a little more humble and grounded about the whole process of photography. It shows an interest not in receiving accolades or peer recognition, but just in satisfying his clients and his own desire to try and be a better photographer with every photo he takes.

My focus as a photographer is not so much what I have learned, but what I am learning right now; not what I have done in the past, but what I am doing right now. And being in the now, the moment, is key to being a good wedding photographer. All the technical skill and education in the world will not replace a curious mind, intuitive reflexes to be in the right place at the right time and a passionate desire to simply prove to oneself that one is getting better with each passing year with hard work and perseverance. I am not relying on degrees or accolades to secure clients, I am relying on character and honest, hard work at improving myself and my craft everyday. I like to think I am that photographer, but I have never been one who is comfortable tooting my own horn. I just try to do my very best and at the end of the day, that I think is far more important a character trait to have in a photographer than all the technical know-how or education in the world.

Creative Skill

This is an even harder question to get a good response out of a photographer. I think creative skill is best shown in his or her portfolio and you should let your own creative tastes be the final judge of what you think is “good” photography. I think the best question you can ask a photographer about his creative ability is…

“How did you take that photo?”

“What is the story behind that photograph?”

Good photographers will remember just about every photo he or she has ever taken (I know, incredible eh?) and most certainly will the photos they consider to be their best work. There should be an animated expression to his or her telling of the story of this or that photo and most telling, a creative insight he or she had when taking it that they now use to take better photos. This not only shows that the photographer is engaged in the process of photography, but that he or she is having fun and gets a kick out of discovering new ways of taking pictures.

Creative skill is a mysterious, illusive and obscure element. Some people have it, some people don’t. Some come by it naturally, some have to work real hard. But the common denominator running through either the natural or the learned is that each one has a vision about what they want a photograph to look like. In telling the story of how he or she took a photograph, they are giving you a window into what that philosophic vision is. For some photographers, it will be all about the lights, the make-up and the assistants. For others, it will be all about being alert and finding that “decisive moment” that sent many a Cartier Bresson fan off running with a range finder camera in his home town to document the people and the stories therin.

The creative vision of all photographers, and whether or not you want their approach for your wedding day, can be discovered by asking two simple questions…

“How did you take that photo?”

“What is the story behind that photograph?”

It is a very important question and depending on how the photographer answers, it may very well decide if you hire them or not

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