It is important to be extremely careful when selecting a wedding photographer in Beirut. For other wedding vendor selection you can smell, taste or hear what output you are going to get but in case of wedding photography there is no such help that you can get. You have to do a proper research and have to be selective regarding artistic skills, professionalism and the personality of a photographer. Here are a few steps which you should take when hiring a local photographer in Beirut
- Choose the style of photography – Your first step is to know what kind of photos you want to get clicked – candid, portraiture, fine art, edgy or bold. There are many photographers, who could blend their styles and give you a combination of portrait and documentary or a mix of colored and black and white pictures, but there is a typical style of pictures you like and there is a photographer who is an expert at it.
- Perform some homework – You should read reviews posted by the newlywed, ask for their recommendations and check out their weddings pictures. Sometimes by seeing the style of the website of the photographer, you can understand the taste of the photographer. You can check the photos which the photographer has uploaded on Facebook and Instagram too which would give you a basic idea of the kind of photography he does.
- Set up Interviews – You can meet with at least three to five shortlisted photographers in person. Before setting up the meeting just be sure that you like their website or the photos taken at other weddings. The tentative prices of the photographer should be in your budget and he must be available on your wedding date.
- See a full wedding album – You should not finalize a local photographer by only seeing the highlighted photos on the website or gallery. Generally, photographers select the best clicks of different weddings and prepare a gallery. You should ask the photographer to show you a full album of a wedding that is similar to your wedding setup. Like – if you are planning a wedding in dark lighting, then you don’t just look at shots that have been clicked during daytime in natural light.
- Photographer’s personality – When you have a huge guest list, then depending on what your pocket allows, you can go in for a subordinate photographer. With two photographers you get more coverage. Like during a formal photo session, the main photographer captures the formal photo and the second photographer clicks behind-the-scenes. At this situation, the personality of the photographer matters. The photographer should be assertive enough to seek for the best moments, be calm to get all the guests in control by a positive force and able to click natural moments.
- Compare packages – It is good to find out about the packages and what all it covers at what best price. You should compare the prices of the different photographers you are interviewing and choose the best one who fits your budget.
- Ask your rights – Most contracts stipulate that the photographers owns a right on all your pictures. There is a policy that you cannot share your own photos without the photographer’s watermark. You have to negotiate these terms and also buy your rights in case that is important to you.
There is a long list of local photographers in Beirut which could be found on the internet or from word of mouth. A proper research following the steps mentioned above could help you hire the best one in town.
