I’m going to try not to make too many posts about photography… I promise. But there will be some, after all, its what I do, and its what I love.
So. How do you get the best from your photographer?
Well, lets assume that you are someone that places a high value on wedding photography, and your choice of photographer came from the place of choosing one whose work you love, and we won’t even discuss whether you had to compromise because of budget. You have done your homework, you have trawled through the bazillions of Wedding photographer facebook pages, instagram accounts and websites, you have looked at wedding photos until your eyes ached, and you have found one whose work reflects what you want. So you have gone ahead, met with them, looked at physical copies of their photos (we will talk about what to look for in a photographer at a later date), and have booked them. What next? how do you make sure that you will get images that you love?
It’s simple. All you have to do is this. One thing.
Trust.
Thats it.
No Pinterest mood boards. No extensive shot lists. Just let them be.
You see, a good photographer is an artist and a photojournalist. They are a watcher, they are an observer of humans. They are attuned to the moment, to their clients without needing to manufacture moments, without needing to direct the day. They might guide you gently sometimes in their eternal search for beautiful light, but they are professionals. They know what photos to take, they see the moments that need preserving.
Take that Pinterest board and dump it. Screw up that 2 page shot list and throw it in the bin. You don’t want your photographer spending all day looking at a list or Pinterest board. You want them present in the moment. You also don’t want a photographer who is trying to emulate someone else. Hire the photographer for their own style, and trust that decision to bring you images you will love.
As well as trusting them to do an amazing job, trust yourself. You chose them because you loved the work they showed. So you loved the work they love. A good photographer will show the images that they like to create, and so if you liked those images, just trust your initial decision, and give them the freedom to create the images that will represent your day faithfully.
Sure, make up a list of family photos and photos with friends that you would like them to take, but thats a whole different thing, and any photographer will find the space in the day to do that for you, but for the beautiful and creative images, step back and let them do their job, let their creativity free. The more freedom you give them, the more they will immerse themselves in the moment and the more amazing your photos will be.
Trust them, and trust yourself!