5 ways to find an amazing photographer [near you]?

There are plenty of ways to find a good photographer near you. I am a professional photographer myself and so I believe I can provide some useful tips in what to look out for when selecting your photographer. Also, I will give you some advice how to actually find a photographer that meets your expectations.

Firstly, when deciding to look for a photographer I would first decide what your price range is – as this will largely dictate both what to look for due to quality and also where to find them. Once you have that in mind, you are half way there.

Wedding fairs

Wedding fairs are a great place to find a wedding photographer. Not only does this give you the opportunity to meet the person face to face but you will also be able to ask them questions regarding their style of photography.

Usually if the photographer Is at the wedding fair than they will be relatively established. This is often seen by the fact they will have to have on display an album full of pictures of the multiple weddings that they have.

All this comes at a cost though. Of the fairs that I have been to wedding photographers often charge a premium rate at around £1500 range. If this is not in your price range than I would suggest looking at the next 4 on this list.

Online advertising (Google and Facebook)

The second way, and potentially the easiest way is through the world wide web. This is because you will have access to hundreds of photographers and you can also narrow down your preferences. Whether it is location or price you should be able to find everything that you are looking for within minutes.

One thing you may notice is people never want to put their price on their website. This is so you have to make an enquiry – by making an enquiry you then become more psychologically sold towards the photographer, and so it acts as a marketing trick.

This is why on my website I have made my prices clear – and also work with you to select a price and package that you can afford.

But anyway, another tip when looking for a photographer on google is that those shown on the first page, organically, at the top of google will often be the most established (or the ones most informed on SEO). For this reason, they will often be the most expensive. From the searches, I have performed in the Berkshire and Buckinghamshire area, photographers at the top of google generally start at around £1200 and go up from there.

Wedding websites (Hitched)

Another great way to look for wedding photographers is through established wedding magazines and websites. This can be quite a positive way of searching as you are aware that the company must have vetted or thought it appropriate to recommend the photographer and so you have some check over the quality of the person from the start.

One thing to be weary of is that they may be recommending the person however the person may have paid for that privilege – so I would still recommend looking through his portfolio of pictures on his website in order to grasp whether the images suit the style you were looking for.

Wedding Venues

Another great way to find the photographer of your dreams is to go through the venue that is hosting your wedding. These are not generally paid to be at the location – they generally tend to be photographers that have performed at the venue on multiple locations and so have built a network and reputation.

This has the advantage of the photographer having experience over the sort of photographs work best at the venue. However, this does not guarantee that the photographer will know what he is doing. For one, he may be limited by just taking the same pictures at every wedding – instead of thinking more creatively or working to the style that you appreciate.

The prices for these photographers vary. One tip to take away is too ask plenty of questions to the venue and really get the vibe that they know the photographer personally and trust them.

Word of mouth

The fifth and final way is through word of mouth and through selection by choosing a photographer at a friend’s wedding.

No one wants their wedding to be the same as someone else’s however if you have been to a friend’s wedding and really like the photographs the person was able to take – then there is no issue with using them as well. The photographs will still be personal to you. Moreover, there may be less uncomfortableness since there is more familiarity.

Again, this method does not guarantee a price.

Final thoughts

Hopefully this has helped you gain some idea over how to select the photographer that suites you. Overall you want a photographer that you can feel comfortable with since the best photographs are taken when people are relaxed. This means it is worth communicating with the photographer and potentially meet up beforehand.

If you want an affordable photographer that works with you to ensure that the photographs are in keeping with the style you want than please feel free to check out my portfolio page. Or please fill out your own bespoke questionnaire in order for me to understand the sort of couple you are – and we can check if there is still availability for next yea