15 Questions to ask a Wedding Photographer
1. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Wedding planning can be a very stressful task over the course of months. Along with the other planning, finding a wedding photographer can be a huge stressful task because these images will capture the memories of your special day. Whether you are hiring Geoff Bernstein Photography or another studio, we have put together a list of 15 questions to guide you in finding that perfect photographer for your special day.
2. WHAT IS YOUR SHOOTING STYLE?
The style of photography should be the first and foremost question to ask yourself. What type of look do you want? Geoff Bernstein Photography specializes in images that reflect their clients personalities which make them unique to them, the imagery emits a fine-art style through new fashion trends. For more about our wedding photography style and shooting philosophy, check out our About Us page.
3. HOW MANY WEDDINGS HAVE YOU SHOT, AND HAVE YOU SHOT ONES SIMILAR TO MINE?
Many people look at how many years you have been in the business to how many weddings you have shot. Some photographers will shoot only one wedding a year for a friend which does not make them a true wedding photographer. As the photographer, how many weddings they have shot and how many they have photographed in the past year. Knowing the past year will give you a good idea of how they know the industry has changed in the past year, believe me...it changes all the time!
4. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU WORKED SPECIFICALLY AS A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?
Some photographers are solely wedding photographers and some are photographers who have other areas of interest as well. Neither of these are a bad thing, but find something that fits you and your needs as a couple. If you are a sporty couple, finding a photographer who enjoys photographing sports just as much as weddings will show through in the imagery. Remember this is someone who will capture your special day, find a style that fits you.
5. HOW MANY OTHER EVENTS WILL YOU PHOTOGRAPH THAT WEEKEND?
Larger studios book multiple events because they have multiple head photographers while some smaller studios book multiple events in the same weekend without having multiple head photographers. Geoff Bernstein Photography is a smaller studio which only books one main event per day which allows us to focus on your special day. We do not all our attention to detail and client services compromised due to over booking.
6. WHO WILL BE THE PHOTOGRAPHER AT OUR WEDDING? WILL WE MEET THEM BEFORE?
Some studios have many head photographers who photograph their weddings. In some cases, the bride and groom will never meet their photographer until their wedding day, some do not use the same photographer for their engagement sessions! Geoff Bernstein Photography uses one main photographer which means you will work with Geoff throughout the months leading up to your special day so you know who you are getting.
7. WILL THERE BE A CONTRACT OF THE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED. IF SO, CAN I GET A COPY?
Many studios do not create contracts for their wedding photography clients. Any service you have completed should have a contract of services you require to be performed. This will provide pricing, services agreed, payment schedule, etc. A contract is created for your protection and the studios protection as well. It should be a requirement for you to have a studio with a contract and stay away from photographer that do not use them. Geoff Bernstein Photography using contracts for all photography portrait/wedding sessions. This allow both parties to agree (in writing) on what they want and what they expect.
8. DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE?
Wedding photography studios should have proper insurance for their business. Insurance protects the photographer against equipment malfunctions/theft. More importantly it provides liability protection in case of injury. Geoff Bernstein Photography carries business, equipment and liability insurance.
9. DOES THE PACKAGE I AM INTERESTED IN INCLUDE A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER?
A wedding of 50 or more guest can become a large event for one photographer to cover. Having a second photographer allows them to cover two major moments at the same time. A single photographer can not capture the first kiss and mom/dads expression during that moment.
10. ARE YOUR PRODUCTS OF THE HIGH END QUALITY AND STANDARD?
Another factor in how your pictures will look is the quality of the products that the studio employs. Be extremely careful, some studios use consumer labs which you could use but charge you large markups. All professional high end production labs require the studio to verify their business using a website and now submitting their Tax ID numbers. They only use the highest quality paper, inks, leathers and other materials. This will guarantee that your images last a lifetime!
Unique to Geoff Bernstein Photography, our large mount images 11x14 or larger are always mounted on a styrene backing board and come with a LIFETIME guarantee. We also use the highest quality album manufactures which provide our clients with beautiful life lasting albums.
11. WILL YOU COLOR CORRECT MY IMAGES?
Some studios will not provide full color correction to your digital files, they will only correct “select” images from your wedding. Color correction is the basic post production that corrects any color tones that are not “true.” Geoff Bernstein Photography color corrects all final images on your digital files.
12. WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE? DO YOU HAVE BACKUPS?
Our studio uses top quality camera bodies (Nikon D3s) in conjuntion with the finest quality Nikkor (Nikon) lenses. Some photographer do not need the “best” of the best but it is important to have a great set of equipment. Making sure your photographer is using good equipment is the first step to you finding a good photographer. Along with primary equipment, wedding photographer should have backups incase of equipment failure. Make sure you photographer is using at least the equipment listed below along with backups. Nothing is worse than a photographer that can not get the shot due to equipment failure or cheap equipment. We have prepared a list of must have equipment that we believe a professional wedding photographer should have. This is a bare minimum list, so be wary of any wedding photographer that doesn’t have these items.
Primary camera body
- Lowest Level Professional Body – Nikon D300 or Canon 40D
- Highest Level Professional Body – Nikon D3s or Canon 5D Mark II
Secondary camera body
- At least a Nikon D300 or Canon 40D
Lenses (these are must have lenses)
- Nikon 70-200mm F/2.8 (or Canon equivalent)
- Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8 (or Canon equivalent)
On camera lighting
- Nikon SB900 (or Canon equivalent)
Off-camera lighting (for large dance floor type scenes)
- Nikon SB900 (or Canon equivalent) w/ Pocket Wizard Trigger
- Full studio flash w/ Pocket Wizard Trigger (or equivalent)
13. SHOULD MY EVENT LAST LONGER THAN SCHEDULED, WILL YOU STAY? IS THERE AN EXTRA CHARGE?
Knowing the studios policy on overages is critical. You do not want to be surprised when your photographer asks for an additional $1,000 before they release your images to you or even worse them packing up when you didn’t know their time was up. Working with your photographer to setup a perfect package for your special day is the main way to make sure they will be there when you need them there.
14. WHAT ATTIRE WILL THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THEIR ASSISTANTS WEAR?
Even though the wedding photographers are a big part of the wedding day, it’s important that they are not distractions. As such, it’s important for the photographer to blend in as much as possible. Furthermore, for religious or cultural ceremonies, there may be certain colors that are considered taboo. Make sure your photographers will be dressed appropriately for the occasion. Typical Geoff Bernstein wedding photography attire is black suit pants with a black polo, dress shirt or vest. We dress in subtle colors because we want to go unnoticed by the clients and guests, so that we can capture the event as photojournalists.
15. HOW LONG AFTER THE EVENT WILL THE PROOFS, ALBUM, ETC BE READY?
Each wedding photography studio varies in the time it takes to produce and deliver your pictures. Studios that do not do any post production or color correction may try to entice you by saying your photos will be ready the next day, or even within a week. However, some studios can take up to 6 - 12 months!
Geoff Bernstein Wedding Photography has developed a consistent production schedule in order to deliver an amazing product in an exceptionally quick manner. This schedule can be seen below:
- 1-2 Weeks after event – Album design ready, blog teaser posted
- 2-3 Weeks after event – Schedule preview meeting
- 3-5 Weeks after event – Album is delivered (this depends on how much revision is required from the original album)
Holiday Party I Thompson Creek Window Company | Lowes Hotel, Annapolis, MD
Thompson Creek Window Company contacted me about being a part of their holiday party. This was a great event to shoot because it was our largest event to date (550+ guests!) that we have prepared for. It was also very special because it was our first photobooth that was booked. Thompson Creek Window Company is a huge company that is rated #11 home remodeling company in the United States. The event was at the Lowes Hotel in Annapolis, MD. The Lowes Hotel was a great venue and the service was amazing! We are looking forward to working with them on future events.
Pittsburgh Couple Session | Matt & Kendall
Matt & Kendall contacted me to photograph them as a couple. They are in college and were interested to capturing their relationship. It was a real pleasure to photograph them as a couple. They are two beautiful people who make a great couple. I wish the best of luck to both of you!
Annapolis Engagement Session I Patapsco Valley State Park
Matt & Amber are getting married July 6, 2013. They decided to have their engagement photos taken at Patapsco Valley State Park. This was a different session because we trekked thorough the woods to get to the train tracks we photographed at. Amber was a trooper, she had on healed boots and decided to take them off and hike down and up the hill because the heals were too unsafe. I have never seen someone make that kind of sacrifice for photos. I can not wait to photograph their wedding, I'm sure it will be beautiful and an amazing day!
Severna Park Senior Portrait | Lukas
Lukas is a Severna Park senior getting ready to graduate and move on to bigger and better things. He is part of the SPHS Project Lead the Way program. Lukas has gone through the entire PLTW engineering pathway and will be moving on to further his engineering knowledge. One thing during his session he liked and wanted was a very outdoor feel to some of the images. He is an eagle scout and will continue further with his knowledge he gained from that training and leadership. It was a pleasure working with Lukas and his family!
Solomons Island Wedding {Wink Wedding}
I had the pleasure of photographing this wedding as a second shooter for Bill Bauer Photography. It was a very nice wedding which was outdoors and the ceremony was inside of a barn. The wedding was very rustic and was styled with nice add-ons. It was a pleasure of shooting the wedding.
Shop with a Cop I Denton, MD I Talbot County Optimist Club
For the 2012 holiday season, we had the pleasure of photographing an amazing event. Shop with a cop is an event that the Talbot County Optimist Club puts on where they get stores around the area to sponsor a child for the event. The child is partnered up with local police officer or trooper. The officers take their child to Walmart and give the kid $100 to spend on whatever they would like. Most of the children buy presents for their family and something for themselves. It is a wonderful event and what the children get out of it is amazing, they see the police as good people not as the bad people. Watching the police work with their child is so emotional because you can see the impact they are making to the children.
After Walmart, the police take the kids to a local resturant where their gifts are wrapped and they are fed lunch. Some of the stories we so hard to hear, one of the little girls said she did not eat for two days, to hear this was heart-wrenching. It was great to capture this event and be a part of helping these children.
Severna Park Senior Portraits | John
This senior portrait session was the start of the SPHS sessions for 2012. We started late in the year so we only got a few in before the years end.
Kent Island Wedding - Chesapeake Bay Beach Club
I had the pleasure of second shooting another wedding with Bill Bauer Photography. We started at Hilton Garden Inn on Kent Island. THe bridesmaids were so much fun throughout the morning. I loved the idea that they were all wearing the same robe and Nikki, the bride, was wearing a different style to separate her from the others. It made the photos more consistent throughout the morning. I will be suggesting that idea for my wedding. Once the ladies were ready, we moved to the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club for the ceremony and reception. What a beautiful place and I loved their theme with the tree center pieces! I am not sure if it is me or just the weddings but since we have started planning our wedding, the ones I am shooting are becoming just amazing!
Congratulations and thanks for the wonderful day Nikki & TJ!
11th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Car Show [Dublin, PA] - Sept. 9th, 2012
Every year I get the opportunity to shoot the Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Car Show in Dublin, PA. This year was the 11th annual show and my third year shooting it. I got the gig three years back when some of my friends asked me if I would shoot it for them. They started a CF non-profit and use the procedes from the show to donate to a CF foundation. Each year we progress to get larger. This year the weather was beautiful which made for a great day. The show brings many classes of autos, from new to old, trucks to car to bikes. All the photos can be found in my gallery HERE. 20% of all prints and session sold from the show will be donated to their non-profit. Help me give them a great donation this year!
Here are some of the photos from the event.
Love Park, Philadelphia Engagement Session
This weekend I had the pleasure of shooting an upcoming wedding couples engagement photos. Marcus and Tonya had their session in the famous Love Park in Philadelphia, Pa which is a first for me. One thing that can be a huge task in Love Park photography is the amount of people that are in the area. This park is a tourist attraction and brings a large amount of people. We were lucky for it not to be super busy but there was quite a bit of people. The area also brings all sorts of people and attractions, as you see with the one images. There was a gentleman there with a huge boa constrictor that he was allowing people to get photos with. I have to say this was a definite first for me and probably will be for a long time coming. I had a great time with the couple and can not wait for the wedding!
SUMMER GIVEAWAY! --- FREE FAMILY PORTRAIT SESSION
Official Rules
Description Contest
Contest starts July 23, 2012. All contestants are to submit a photo of their family and why they should be chosen as a Finalist for this contest. 10 finalists will be chosen by an unbiased party with no access to the names of the families and will be posted on the Geoff Bernstein Photography Facebook fan page on August 1, 2012. The family with the most likes on the Geoff Bernstein Photography Facebook fan page at the end of the contest (August 15, 2012) will win a 2 hour family portrait session by Geoff Bernstein Photography and a CD with images.
Sponsors
Photography by Geoff Bernstein Photography
Binding Agreement
To enter the contest, you must agree to these Official Rules. Therefore, please read the following rules prior to entry to ensure you understand and agree to said terms. By signing this agreement that submission of an entry in the contest constitutes agreement to these rules. You may not submit an entry to the contest and are not eligible to receive the prizes described in the official rules. These official rules form a binding legal agreement between you and the contest sponsors with respect to the contest.
Contest Period
Entry submissions begin July 23, 2012. Photos, details and stories are to be emailed to gb@gbmemories.com
On-line Facebook posting and voting will take place from August 1, 2012 to August 15, 2012 at 5:00pm (EST). After which time the winner will be announced.
Who Can Enter
1. To be eligible all contestants must be 18 years of age and within the contest radius
How to Enter
1. No purchase necessary to enter or to win. A purchase or payment will not improve your chances of winning. All federal, state, local, and municipal laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.
2. Qualified contestants must submit a picture of their families along with why they should be chosen as a Finalist for this contest.
3. All entries must be emailed to gb@gbmemories.com with the subject line 2012 Family Photo Contest. Each entrant agrees not to submit any picture that infringes any third party proprietary rights, or copyright applicable to U.S. law.
4. Geoff Bernstein Photography is not responsible for lost, late or misdirected email; errors; server unavailability; or computer or any other electronic or telecommunications malfunction.
5. All entries received that do not follow the instructions of these rules, are illegible and will be void.
6. If entries received that are for family session outside of the radius map are void.
Elimination
Any false information provided within the context of the contest by any participant concerning identity, mailing address, telephone number, E-mail address, wedding details, cheating, ownership of right or non-compliance with these Official Rules or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the participant from the contest. The contest sponsors further reserve the right to disqualify any entry that it believes in its sole and unfettered discretion infringes upon or violates the rights of any third party, otherwise does not comply with these Official Rules, or violates U.S. or applicable state or local law.
Winner Selection
1. All Finalists will be published on Geoff Bernstein Photography Facebook fan page on August 1, 2012 along with each finalist’s name and photo. All decisions made by Geoff Bernstein Photography are final and binding.
2. The winner will be the family who can get the most “like” votes on the uploaded picture to the Geoff Bernstein Photography Facebook Fan page.
3. . “Like” votes of the families pictures from Facebook members who are not fans or have not added Geoff Bernstein Photography in the liked pages or fan page on Facebook are not eligible. Comments do not count as votes – ONLY “likes”.
4. The entry with the most valid “like” votes wins. In the event of a tie, the sponsors will choose the winner based on most original story.
5. Only the likes on the Geoff Bernstein Photography picture page will count, not any news feed repost or picture uploaded in any other area.
Prizes
• Winner: 2 hour family portrait session by Geoff Bernstein Photography and a CD with images.
1. Income and other taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winner.
2. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received and votes received.
3. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash value and is non-transferable.
Winner Notification
1. Winners will be notified by e-mail. The contest sponsors reserve the right to examine additional identification and may choose to accept or deny awarding the prize based on the identification presented.
2. By participating in the contest, each participant and winner waives any and all claims of liability against the contest sponsors, and their employees and agents, their respective employees and agents, for any personal injury or loss that may occur from the conduct of, or participation in, the contest, or from the use of any prize.
3. By claiming the prize, the winner authorizes the use, without additional compensation, of his or her name and/or likeness and/or voice/photograph and municipality of residence for promotion and/or advertising purposes in any manner and in any medium (including, without limitation, radio broadcasts; newspapers and other publications; television or film releases; slides; videotape; distribution over the Internet; and picture date storage) the contest sponsors may deem appropriate.
4. For a list of prize winners, send an e-mail to gb@gbmemories.com or check our blog at www.gbmemories.com/blog orFacebook page after August 15, 2012 6:00PM (EST).
Additional Rules
1. The conduct of the contest is governed by the applicable laws of the Unites States of America and State of Maryland, which take precedence over any rule to the contrary herein. The contest sponsors shall follow the applicable laws for conducting contests, including notice to the state attorney general or consumer affairs office, posting of a prize bond, furnishing lists of winners, running specific on-air disclaimers, providing specific written information about the contest, etc., as required by local and state law.
2. The contest sponsors are not liable for any lost or stolen entries, prizes or contest information.
3. By participating in the contest, participants agree to be bound by the decisions of contest sponsor personnel. The contest sponsors reserve the right to disqualify any participant or winner and may refuse to award any prize to a person who is ineligible or has violated any rule, gained unfair advantage in participating in the contest, or obtained winner status using fraudulent means. The contest sponsors will interpret these rules and resolve any disputes, conflicting claims or ambiguities concerning the rules or the contest and contest sponsor decisions concerning such disputes shall be final. If the conduct or outcome of the contest is affected by human error, any mechanical, technical, electronic, communications, telephone, computer, hardware or software errors, malfunctions or failures of any kind, intentional interference or any event beyond the control of the contest sponsors, the contest sponsors reserve the right to terminate this contest, or make such other decisions regarding the outcome as the contest sponsors deem appropriate. All decisions will be made by the contest sponsors and are final. The contest sponsors may waive any of these rules in their sole discretion.
4. The contest sponsors reserve the right to withdraw or terminate this contest at any time without prior notice.
Waiver of Liability and Agreement to Indemnify
By submitting an email entry, each entrant, its, his, her or their heirs, successors and assigns (“entrant”) thereby releases, forever discharges and covenants not to make a claim against or sue the same day edit contest, its sponsors, subsidiaries and affiliates, licensees, employees, officers, directors, representatives, successors and assigns (“Free Family Portrait Session”), of and from all manner of action or actions, cause or causes of action, at law or in equity, suits, claims, demands, liability, loss, cost or expense, of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, fixed or contingent, which entrant may have or hereafter have against the same day edit Contest by reason of any injuries or damages entrant may sustain, whether to entrant’s person, property, reputation, or otherwise, as a result of, incident to, or related in any way to the entry, the contest, or the use, incorporation or exploitation of the entry for any purpose described herein. Entrant waives and forego the right to seek injunctive relief against anyone relating in any way to the entry, the contest, or the use, incorporation, or exploitation of the materials for any purpose described herein. Entrant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Geoff Bernstein Photography from and against any liabilities, losses, claims, demands, costs (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) and expenses arising in connection with any breach or alleged breach by me of any representation made in the entry or by virtue of submitting the entry.
The Point at Broomes Island Wedding - Jen & Will - June 2, 2012
Jen and Will's wedding was one that Bill Bauer and I shot in southern Maryland. This was the first wedding that Bill and I shot together. He asked me to shoot weddings with him as a second shooter a month or so prior and this was the first one that we did. It was a great venue, The Point at Broomes Island, about 45 minutes south of Annapolis, MD The ceremony was outdoors between two waterfalls and over looking the river. One very cool thing that they used was everyone release butterflies during the ceremony. The little boy on the right could not walk down the aisle, he locked on to my camera lens and walked right up to it and smiled. He was so cute! The reception was in a permanent tent on the premises with a great setup. Congratulations to Jen and Will!
High School Graduation - Severna Park High School - Towson University
Every year since I have started at Severna Park High School, I have been a part of the graduation at Towson University. One because we are required as teachers to attend and help but they usually give the teachers a role of being at the end of a row seated with the students. Some other teachers have different duties, so I asked if I could help out and shoot and give the photos to the school website and yearbook. This was my second graduation and I really love it because all of the students are so happy to be done school and they are a lot of fun
So I spend the morning winding the halls taking pictures of the students together getting ready and talking about their plans for the future. I also catch the occasional teacher helping student who doesn't know how to tie a tie! (See below, haha) These are the great memories that stand out in my mind. Later I shoot the students entering and listening to all of the speeches. Being valedictorian in our school does not come easy and it a huge race for many students. It is not uncommon for our valedictorian to have at least a 4.85 GPA!!! I do not focus on the students receiving their diplomas because another photography service owns that time and place on the stage. I get a few just for capturing the moment for the school.
After the event, families gather outside to take pictures and I usually get the "hey can you take this?" I shoot it with my camera but am nice enough to shoot it with theirs as well. I do get a few who buy my prints instead of just keeping theirs. Thank You! Lastly, every year I have the family, "wheres the memory card? Wheres the battery? YOU DIDNT BRING THE CAMERA!?!? &*#&^@!!!!" Thats were I come in camera in hand with a smile on my face!
Annapolis Family Portrait Session - Downs Park, Pasadena, MD
I was checking Facebook one night and saw a post by Beth Meadows, a fellow teacher from work, she had posted request for recommendations for a local photographer. I went to post and to my pleasant surprise another fellow teacher has told her to look me up! Thanks Kevin! Later that week she contacted me about a family portrait session. We spoke on the phone a few times and found a great place that her son Ayden could place and have some fun. I met up with Beth, Shad and Ayden at Downs Park in Pasadena, MD. I like to allow the family to just have fun and I just set up some shots as they unfold. This makes for a more laid back session which produces more relaxed images. We had a blast, Ayden could not have been better! He was locked onto the camera with amazing expressions. Many times I would say, "Ayden smile for me." Before I could get his name out he was working the camera. What a great time we had and hope to make some more images with their beautiful family.
Thanks Again!
