16 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer Before Booking

Google this topic and you'll pull up a load of question lists compiled by wedding planners, brides and photographers. I have personally composed this list from my own experience with clients and photogs to assist you in making informed and satisfactory decisions on photographers. These questions focus on what I feel are the most significant "big picture" things to consider when interviewing photographers regarding customer service, artistry, personality and professionalism - all of which should be expected in high quality from The Right Photographer. I've also provided some rationale as to why it's important to ask these questions. This is a long article, but there is some creamy information here.
Click here to read my own answers to these.

Definitive List: 16 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer Before Booking
Consider it a red flag if your photog refuses or avoids answering any of these or does not provide a sufficient enough response for you.

1. How long have you been shooting weddings? It's a simple calculation of experience and allows you to sum your photog's intuitiveness for handling unpredictable situations with management or artistic challenges. However, mind that having shot 5 weddings in 5 years is different from having shot 20 weddings in 2 years. Since "how long" is relative, a better question would be:

2. How many weddings do you shoot in an average year? In a month? In a weekend? A well-seasoned photographer shoots about 15-25+ weddings per year. Narrowing it down to how many they shoot in a month will give you an idea how many clients your photog works with during any given wedding season. If yours is a Sept/October or April/May wedding (heaviest wedding seasons), it'd behoove you to know how many other clients your photog is working with during your season, which in turn may indicate how much personalized time they can particularly give you as a client. Be aware that some photogs are client hungry, and the more clients a photog picks up, the more likely it may cause extreme turnaround times for your stuff, or lack of personalized attention to you. Likewise, if a single photog books more than 1 or 2 weddings in a single weekend for top wedding months, they're more likely to get burned out creatively, hire some other photog to shoot for you, or be less able to manage your images efficiently due to workflow overload.

3. What degrees or certifications do you hold? Although this is a creative business, you're still the Interviewer and your potential photog is your candidate for employment. It's perfectly acceptable to ask corporate style interview questions. Obviously, you're looking for qualifications which relate to photography. These may also include degrees in mass media, filmmaking, art/design or even business degrees. A mixture well-rounds your candidate. All art and no customer service skills can backfire on you too.

4. What's the most difficult challenge you've ever had to resolve when working with clients or wedding guests? This answer will give you an idea how well your photog can effectively manage situations and people (bridezillas!), which is a large part of being an effective event photographer. Find out their goals on customer service and client satisfaction.

5. What's the most difficult photographic challenge you've ever had to resolve? Ever had equipment malfunction? Resourcefulness and problem solving success are top qualities. Ask about lighting with this question, because that's the number one technical issue amateur photogs come up against and often screw up quite easily.

6. What equipment do you use? Do you have backup equipment? It helps if you have a vague idea of professional camera equipment - which models capture best versus which are considered more "hobbyist" models. The backup gear question is insurance for your own paranoia if something should go wrong. All good photogs will be well prepared without any prompt. Knowing what other equipment they use also prepares you what to expect on your wedding day so you're not thrown off schedule by how much time it may take them to set up a lighting ensemble, or so you're not surprised and blinded by a super bright spotlight in your face.

7. What happens if you can't shoot? Do you have a backup photographer? The worst case scenario hardly ever happens with photographers who are truly dedicated to their business. Most problems which would delay any diligent, trustworthy photographer or cause a no show would be extremely few and far between (car accidents, Acts of God, extreme illness). Still, it will ease your mind to know who your photog would have lined up to take his or her place in case something prevents them from covering your event. You have little reason to be overly concerned about this if you trust your photographer, but if you're paranoid, see if you can meet with your photog's backup ahead of time. In a last minute situation, you would not be able to meet the other person and that could freak you out.

8. Can I see some of your client work from one entire event? This is a really good question which will prompt your photog to show you something they haven't sifted out as "home page best" to give you an idea what an average wedding they've captured looks like. Home pages and portfolios can often be deceiving as they are amalgamations of the artist's top work spanning select weddings, select couples, select situations. Not everyone's wedding will look like those, so be diligent and ask to see RECENT work from a wedding which may have similar locations to your wedding day venues. You should also request to see album designs from those "average" weddings too. Trust me, I've seen some amazing home pages alongside some extremely marginal client galleries, so beware!

9. Is this your full time job? This question gives you an idea how much commitment a photog has to their business and towards their customers. Not to say that a photog who works part time doing something else can't also be great and trustworthy (maybe the economy just wasn't kind to them?). But beware if you have a weekday wedding or holiday weekend wedding and they work retail or corporate jobs on the side (hope they can get the day off!).

10. What are your interests outside of photography? If you care to really relate to your photog beyond just expecting some dude to cover your event whom you'll never care to see again, it's good to ask personality questions. When you're considering a handful of great photogs, and maybe they all offer you a great package, sometimes the personality angle will lean your decision toward one over another. It's good to find things you and your photog have in common; it's a "bonding" aspect which makes you feel that this person is a good fit for you and is someone you'll enjoy working with. Mind that your photographer is the one vendor you'll continue to work with past your wedding date!

11. What sets you apart from other photographers? Another personality assessment question, this gives your photog the opportunity to state what makes them unique or what matters most to them in their business. Consider this answer as it applies to what you're looking for. Is their unique factor about the artwork (is your priority the artistry)? Is their unique factor about their astute client attention (is your priority the customer experience)? Lots of things to weigh here. Look for answers that really move you or impress you.

12. What are your turnaround times for images? For products? Good to know what to expect! Ungodly turnaround times, I'd say longer than a month for services OR products, is an indicator that this photog either has too many clients going on at once or is not organized enough to streamline their workflow system. Even if you love their work, this could turn sour for you in the end.

13. How long do you keep my images on file? Most couples barely touch their disc of images after about a year into marriage, but what if something happens to it and you need access to your memories? Losing that information is a scary concept, especially if you're unsure the ins and outs of digital storage. If your photog has time limits on long term storage, make sure you are aware of them.

14. What print quality can I expect from images on my disc? DO ask if images on disc have a  resolution good enough for you to make your own prints. Some photogs are still not hip to giving clients this privilege. Proper resolution for printing 4x6 up to 8x10 should have at least 200 dpi with the long side of an image being 800 pixels or more (the more the merrier). Also ask if there is a watermark that would be slathered all over the center of your image, because that is their method of making you order prints through them instead.

15. What are the most efficient ways to reach you? And hopefully their answer is actually an efficient means of reaching them, rather than efficiently reaching a recording or an email that says they'll respond to you in the next 24-48 hours. Ask if they prefer email, phone, texting, Facebook messaging or online chatting. Everyone's gotta have some one method they prefer best. Might be a red flag if it takes too long for someone to get back to you. You'll probably already figure this out before you even consult!

16. Are you licensed and insured? Being licensed by the city in which your photog does business means that the business is legitimate. Any business owner with a true commitment to their business will be licensed. Ask to see their business license if you'd like hard proof. Liability insurance is significant to you because if your photog is not insured, you may be held liable for damages to a venue or to a person caused by your photographer or their equipment. Insurance is something all responsible photographers should have, but if they are not covered it doesn't mean they aren't trustworthy... doesn't mean they're not accident prone either. However, unpredictable things can happen and you never know what could go wrong on site, so it's good to have a photographer who is insured for that slight possibility that something could go wrong. If your photog seems really awesome and totally trustworthy and you LOVE them, but they are not licensed nor have insurance, it may assist any paranoia you may have by seeking out references in the form of online reviews your photog has received. See if they have a Google, WeddingWire or Knot listing where you can check out client statements made about them.