I have to admit, that while I agree with the Judge Joe Brown in the fact that the pictures were not professional…the bride really should have gotten a little hint by it costing so little. $1,200 package = the photographer can’t afford to buy the best equipment which = bad photography. But really, shooting with a rebel??? And she didn’t even KNOW how fast her lenses were?? Good grief!

What is really stinky in all of this is the fact that they were able to pass themselves off as professionals who use better equipment. In reality, most brides don’t understand photography equipment, so how can brides know if what a photographer is using is up to par? Maybe some of those bridal books with questions to ask their photographers have some good points in there. So, here’s a little list of questions to ask (and the right answers) that will hopefully help some of you brides avoid this catastrophe!

How many megapixels does your camera produce?
The answer should be 10 or more (preferably 15 or more…mine produces 24)

Do you have 2.8 lenses?
The answer should be yes.

Do you have lenses FASTER than 2.8?
Again, hopefully yes, although I suppose it’s not totally necessary.

What type of camera do you use?
Now, although you probably won’t know exactly what they mean when they say Canon 5d Mark ii or whatever, write down what they say and just do a google search on it to find out the price and read a couple of reviews. It won’t be hard to notice that a Canon Rebel which is not even an $800 camera is probably not professional equipment.

How do you educate yourself in photography?
Now with this, you may not get an honest answer because they could always just say yes and rattle off some association names…but you can at least read them and see if they have a passion for learning about their craft. If they’re not educating themselves, then they’re probably not up to date on the latest technology and whatnot.

Where do you print your pictures?
I have to say, even though I don’t do it, I know some people that do their proofs at Costco and to be honest, the quality is perfectly fine and on professional paper (btw – FUGI paper is professional…not the best in my opinion, but it’s what’s printed on the paper that really makes the difference). However, ask them if they print their enlargements at a professional lab or, because some do this in house which is also fine, on a professional printer (again, you could ask the model name and google it to rate it).

Ask to see proofs from a whole wedding.
This will really help you out because it’ll show you what the quality is across the board, and not just the favorites and best images from a photographer. Keep in mind, however, that proofs are not meant to be a final product so under normal circumstances, they’re not going to be effected or retouched. Just take a look at them to look at the quality of the images in different, and especially in low lighting, scenarios (Judge Joe Brown had no idea what he was talking about as far as thinking all churches allow flash…that is so far from the truth), and make sure that the overall style of the photography is consistent with what you’re looking for. If you want photojournalism and notice that 50% of the images are traditionally posed, you’ll probably want to move on.

I hope I didn’t make any photographers mad at me for this! My goal is definitely to help brides out in their search for a photographer. I can imagine how difficult it must be to try and educate yourself on something that you don’t know about enough to make sure that your memories of your wedding are captured beautifully; it must be quite stressful!