Questions you should ask your wedding photographer

So, you’ve done your research and trawled the internet in an attempt to find the right wedding photographer for your special day. Your search has landed you here on redberry photography’s website – so welcome! Now it is time for you to take a good look around, find out a little about us, our style and how we work. After perusing our web page, it is time to set up a chat, but how do you know what to ask me or more importantly – what to ask any wedding photographer?

We have been asked loads of questions by prospective clients during our time as a wedding photographers and we are sure that if you search the internet, you will find lists of questions which are recommended to be put forwards.We find the issue with many of these lists is that they are written by non-photographers and as such many of the questions are not applicable to today’s wedding photography world or indeed to each client.

So, as a helpful starting point, we have decided to list our most commonly asked questions (yes – many of these are in the FAQs section)

How far in advance do I need to book you?

This is a really tough question as we simply can’t tell you which dates are going to remain available as this can change so very quickly. Naturally, June, July and August are exceptionally busy months, whereas December and January tend to be very quiet (and a time when we start working on some of our projects – like refreshing our brochure and website). However, I can tell you that most couples do book us around 9 to 12 months in advance. 

We do though advise you to book us the second you know your date as we work on a first come, first served basis so that we are fair to all of our clients. It is always heartbreaking when we have a couple who want to work with us and show an interest , for them to then come back months later only to find we no longer have their date available.

We have had some wedding bookings with only two days notice – but these are rare.

How long have you been in business?

We started our small business in 2014, offering a wide range of photography services. We have since grown our business and now specialise in only wedding (and the associated engagement/pre-wedding) photography.

What makes your work different to other photographers?

We would describe our style as modern and fresh and it is this use of bold light and natural colours which really differentiates us from other photographers. While washed sepia or warm sun tones may be fashionable now, we have developed a style which remains timeless.

Our work ethic is something which is regularly commented on as we strive to ensure that we leave no opportunity missed and provide exemplary service to each of our clients.

What type of equipment do you use?

We use professional grade camera bodies (and for those who are technical – we use full frame 35mm cameras).

These camera bodies are then combined with professional grade lenses (again for those technical people out there – we use fast lenses f2.8, f1.8 or f1.4).

When it comes to lighting we have a wide selection of constant video lights, remote flashes and triggers as well as portable high powered strobes.

Basically – we have a huge bag of everything and in addition to this we ensure that we have backup equipment and that everything is insured like crazy!

Do you shoot film or digital?

Our days of shooting film for weddings are gone. We now only shoot digital (although we do occasionally shoot film for our own projects and fun!)

Do you shoot colour, black and white and/or infrared?

We shoot in colour and record the images in what is known as RAW format. We then develop these using Adobe Lightroom so that you get both colour and black and white images in our “signature style”. We do not shoot and are not really sure why anyone would shoot – weddings in infrared.

What information do you need from me for my wedding day?

We need to know the details; where, when and who.

We need to know where each part of your day is taking place, when and who is involved. We need to know who you want specific photos of for the family formal photos. 

We need to know if anything different/special is going to happen; We have had a family pet walk the rings down the aisle. 

However, don’t worry – we are not a book and forget service, turning up at your wedding day without having got the detail. 

We will send you a wedding questionnaire covering many of these points and in addition to this we will discuss with you your timeline and all aspects of your day – so that you can make the most of not only our services, but more importantly, your whole day. 

Do you have a videographer or one that you can refer?

We do not have our own videography service as we specialise in photography. However, we would be delighted to refer you to videographers that we love best!

However, whoever you use for your video services it is important that we share a similar style – so we always reach out to your videographer before your special day. 

With that in mind, once again we are happy to refer you to the amazing people we have previously worked with.

Do you have backup equipment?

There is only one word for the answer to this question – Absolutely.

We know how important the images are to you and that is why

we bring 4 full frame cameras to each wedding.

we have backup lenses

we have backup flashes

we have backup strobes

we have backup video lights

our cameras have two card slots (so you photos are recorded twice at source)

when completed we copy your images to our computer which then copies them over to another drive and into a cloud service

In summary, keeping your photos safe is a huge priority to us.

Do you have a backup plan, what if you fall ill on our wedding day?

That has never happened so far, but we would be foolish to ignore this as a possibility. However, let us say that it would have to be something very serious for us not to turn up and photograph your wedding. Indeed we have still attended our work with; broken ribs and on another occasion with a seriously damaged left knee! In April 2021, we even shot a wedding with a broken wrist.

That having been said, again we know we would be foolish not to plan for this and that is why we have a network of photographers that we work with and would look to call upon to support us with photographing your wedding – should the unthinkable happen.

What would you do if it rains?

We are happy to photograph in the rain, if you are happy to go outside.

Equally, we know that this is not always ideal, particularly for things like family formal photos. As such this is something we discuss with you during the planning phase. We aim to work with you and your venue to have an indoors “plan B”. If this is not possible we may suggest that if the rain isn’t too heavy, we take family formals as it is unlikely that we will be able to get everyone dressed up and together again. If the rain gets worse and the bride and groom don’t want to go out in it for the creatives – we can always do it another day. 

What time will you arrive on site and how long will you shoot for?

We always arrive early (often over an hour early) as this allows us to relax into our work rather than rushing around. However, that is not part of your coverage time, which only starts and ends when you want it to.

Do you provide colour adjustments, retouching or other corrective services?

We carry out colour adjustment as part of our standard service and as such we hand correct every photo so that they are ready for print.

However, we do not retouch or correct beyond this as part of our standard service. If you require this then we are happy to discuss this on and image by image basis – none of the images you see on our website have any work above and beyond our standard service.

How long until we get our photos?

This really depends on the time of year and how much work we have on. Generally, your photos will be ready within 3 weeks, from the date of your wedding. Sometimes it is much sooner as we like to edit them as soon as possible after the event, but during busy periods it may be closer to 4-6 weeks.

Are you insured?