Frequently Asked Questions

Since choosing a photographer is not an everyday event, nor is your wedding, Eliot Khuner answers the most frequently asked questions about wedding photography.

Can you recommend a photographer for San Francisco City Hall?

Yes. Have your City Hall wedding photographed by San Francisco City Hall Wedding Photographer

Why should I hire a professional photographer?

A professional will be timely - arriving at your wedding promptly, and getting the results to you on time. A professional has just the right equipment. Having attended many weddings, an experienced wedding photographer will be at ease at your wedding. When you want prints, a professional uses a color laboratory that is in the business of meeting high professional standards of print quality. And, a professional is used to working with individuals, couples, and groups to make the formal photography go smoothly. When you think about the cost of photography, remember that the photographer's fee is only part of your investment: You, your parents, your extended family and your friends will be investing time with the photographer during your wedding. Don't waste time on your wedding day with a photographer who won't produce results you love!

After years of experience, the professional knows which images are important, requiring the investment of time and energy on the wedding day. And, the professional also molds his or her style to match what the couple and their family are looking for. The results will reflect the work of a competent wedding photographer as well as a "friend of the bride."

What do I look for - how can I tell good from bad photography?

Look for the photography to meet these standards:

Impact. The images must be more than illustrations. If you have a visceral or verbal reaction to lots of the photos, the photographs have impact.

Correct color, density, focus. Most images should have a full range of tones, from black to white. We usually want to see details in the brightest spots: the dress and flowers. If the photograph has weak blacks or washed out whites, is it a mistake or deliberate? Skin tones should be believable, not merely acceptable. Poor lighting and substandard technique produces off-tones. It is reasonable to expect gorgeous color and rich tones from beginning to end of each wedding. We usually want the eyes to be in focus. If the images are soft for no reason, the work is unacceptable.
Meaning. If a picture doesn't have impact, at least there should be a reason why the photographer included it in the collection: Does it capture a significant detail, person, or moment? Does it help tell the story? does it set the scene?
Composition and other visual cues. Ideally, the viewer's eye is either drawn to the drama of the main subject or is led to there by compositional techniques, such as leading lines - a path your eye can follow into the picture. We are also drawn to areas of highest contrast. If the most visually interesting (most contrast between light and dark, sharpest, most colorful) part of the image is not the main subject, then the photographer has not created a professional image - the eye is taken away from the subject.
Corrective Lighting and Posing: We all have part of us that make us self-conscious. The experienced and skilled photographer brings out the best by highlighting your best features with light, camera angle and composition. Every bride is beautiful, let's hope the photographer captures that beauty.

Is it fair for photographers to charge so much?

Fortunately for you, your professional had the opportunity to rehearse at dozens of weddings by charging low rates. With enough practice and training, a photographer may becomes worthy of making a living. Couples who see the difference between the expensive photographer and the apprentice should spend the extra bucks. If you can't see the difference, then maybe you won't mind saving money in this area. However, when your children and grandchildren look at your wedding photos, you will feel wise having stretched the budget to get the photography you really wanted.

How many is too many? Most of us are overwhelmed if we have to look at a few hundred wedding images, but if it's your wedding, you might want to see five-hundred images or more - there are so many wonderful moments you may have missed, and now you get to see them. The professional's goal is about one hundred album-quality images per wedding.