How to choose your perfect candid wedding photographer

A guide to what to look for when you’re considering a candid photographer for your wedding day.

Getting married soon and looking for a candid photographer who can capture greatly creative, stunningly beautiful, and storytelling pictures just like those you saw in magazines or a friend’s album on facebook? You are excited and want to get those amazing pictures for yourself too. Sure! Try asking our favorite aunt Google with the keywords “Candid Wedding Photographer”, she will present you with only 3,390,000 results in just 0.28 seconds. Click on some of those bold and blue links, pictures look good, shoot an email with details of events to the photographer, he/she replies with the ‘best’ offer, you agree. Deal’s signed and sealed. Simple! Isn’t it?

Well, not quite! It may not be as simple as it may seem. This might be the first time you are going to hire a professional photographer. So, before you decide in a hurry and hire the first of those ‘candid’ photographers with a website and fitting quote, we recommend you read on.

What is Candid Photography?

‘Candid photography’ is not about angelic portraits, cool effects on photo-editing software, or black & white images of all the rituals and ceremonies. It is much deeper than that.

First, one needs to clearly understand what is meant by Candid photography. Candid photography is a style of photography that some photographers develop. It involves taking pictures without the knowledge or explicit permission of the subject. This very fact of clicking pictures of people without their knowledge is the crux of being ‘Candid’. These pictures capture expressions, moods, and elements of their true personalities in the most pristine form. A subject may not exhibit these elements if it be known that a picture is being clicked. The precise timing is of paramount importance for a candid photographer.

However, Candid Photography is sometimes inaptly termed as wedding photojournalism. There is a fine line between candid photography and photojournalism. The common element here is “not posed” or “as it” or “natural”. Both of these styles are very close in this sense. However, the photojournalistic approach is more focused on “storytelling” with the help of all those ‘thousand words’ a picture speaks, as they say. This fine line fades fast in an event like wedding as wedding photography requires both the approaches.

Checklist for hiring a candid wedding photographer

Here are the checklist of things that a couple should consider while hiring a candid photographer. This could really make the process of choosing and deciding upon your photographer for the final day a much simpler & enjoyable task. Take your time going over all these considerations and it will certainly go a long way into taking that intrinsic decision.

Location of the candid wedding photographer

Though it is fairly easy to travel all across the country these days, it is natural that the photographer flying in from a distant place will have that expense built in the quote. It is a good starting point to start looking for a suitable photographer locally. However, if no local photographer suits you, you MUST not compromise.

The added cost pays for itself when picking someone who delivers quality, even if it means having to make a trip for it. What you pay to the photographer is going to be dwarfed by the total expenditure on your wedding and it is possibly the best investment you will make to keep your wedding eternal.

Signature Style of Photography

Every photographer has or develops his / her own distinct hallmark style. It is fairly easy to get an idea by looking at their portfolio. However, most of them only display a handful of great pictures on their website. Any average photographer who has shot a number of weddings can throw in 10-15 good enough images on display. Therefore, we recommend that you see at least one complete set of pictures from an entire wedding. It will give you a very fair idea of his abilities to click good picture consistent with your expectations.

It will also help you understand the kind of shots and portraits they specialize in. Also important is to see the number of pictures they usually deliver in a given assignment, their quality of editing as well as their overall compatibility with your personal style.

Skill of the candid wedding photographer

Skill of a photographer is exhibited in his ability to generate fresh or fun perspective to an ordinary scene. This skill sets him apart from others who merely work on fixed angles and perspectives and produce similar looking images across all the weddings. I am always on the lookout for a different angle of view and do not hesitate in climbing up, lying down on the floor, crawling down, or hanging out of a window (of course, with safety) if it provides me a fresh perspective.

You would want someone who brings a fresh eye and a refreshing perspective to his/her work. Someone who pays attention to details and evokes nostalgia through their work always has the edge. Skill also comes with experience, so make sure you find someone who has really done enough work to be confident of their technical capabilities and creative skills. Someone new in the industry might be keen on doing a low-budget sale but might not be able to give you the quality of an experienced professional.

Weddings are high-paced and action-packed, so you want someone who knows the drill and can be in the right place at the right time – with the right equipment!

Compatibility with your style

Once you have liked the style and are confident of his skills to produce good picture, the next step is know him as a person. It is highly recommended that after the initial quote and ice-breaking, you talk to him over the phone or, even better; meet with him /her in person for a cup of coffee to see what sort of person he/she is. Ideally, you should choose a photographer who has similar personality as yours. For instance, a serious and introvert photographer may not do justice with your expectation of fun pictures.

It also helps to understand your own personal tastes before approaching the photographer. Try to collate a moodboard featuring pictures, moments and shots from other weddings that you may have liked. This would enable your chosen candid wedding photographer to have a clearer idea of your expectations.

If you’re looking to get a pre wedding shoot done before the wedding itself, it is also a great way to assess the capabilities of the photographer. By hiring them for a smaller assignment, you can be a much better decision making place to finally go ahead with them for the big day.

Passion and Enthusiasm towards your special day

When you speak with them over the phone or in person, ask a lot of questions about their approach and ideas for your wedding. Listen to them carefully and try to see if they have a passion for photography or are looking for just another business assignment. The one with a passion for this art is much more likely to challenge his / her abilities and use the skills to get the best pictures.

Referrals and Recommendations

A photographer’s biggest source of advertising is through word-of-mouth. Seek help of your siblings or friends. Chances are they may know of someone really good as a photographer. This way, there will be an already established connection between you and the photographer. Moreover, you may want to speak with the earlier clients. Good words and recommendations will further strengthen your faith in the photographer.

Remember, your wedding pictures are the most precious memorabilia that’ll stay for generations to come. It’s important to take your time to research and understand your options before making the decision on which candid wedding photographer best suits your tastes and budget.