Questions to ask a photographer in 2024 : top tips on how to ensure you get the best photos

We spend all of our time dedicated to our clients. Being shooters and videographers is our full-time vocation. We don’t do any other part-time work and love what we do!

NOTE: A part-timer won’t necessarily provide inferior service. Established full-time professionals like us are full-time for a reason.

We offer a dedicated, client-focused, exceptional service. We won’t be burning the midnight oil editing photos while in the back of our minds getting up for our ‘day job’ the following morning!

Read our informative guide ‘How to choose a photographer – 5 essential things to check‘, then narrow your selection down to a handful of favourites and arrange to meet them one at a time.

Ensure you meet the person who’ll take your photos, not their assistant, salesperson, or studio owner. This is especially important if you’re at a wedding fair and the photographer isn’t available, as they’re shooting photos at an event.

Take away some details, but arrange to meet the actual person who shoots the photos and ask them a few of my queries later.

Don’t ever gamble by committing to booking when you only meet the sales rep at a fair!

You must trust and get along with your photographer.

You need to be able to rest assured that your photographer will create the photos you want.

You mustn’t only like the photos but also like the person creating your photos if they are going to get the best of you!

Remember you’ll be in each other’s company for several hours on your big day!

Overall, we agree that the best professionals can be expensive.

But being a skilled shooter takes a lot of investment, both in time and equipment.

Often, we carry over £20,000 of equipment to an event. We work 50-60-hour weeks, editing thousands of photos and completing an entire video takes several days.

Add to that insurance, taxes, advertising, albums, shipping, etc., and you’ll appreciate why paying for professionals costs money. It also explains why you generally ‘get what you pay for’.

Most suppliers offering budget photo services tend to do this work part-time, use cheaper equipment, have less experience and typically create pictures that don’t compare favourably with higher-end pros.

There are no hard and fast rules here. If you’re not getting married for another two or three years, take your time, do lots of research, and be sure to refer to the questions on this page.

As your big day draws nearer, your options will become increasingly limited, particularly if you get married on a Saturday during the busier summer season.

If you wait too long, your first choice might be unavailable, so you might need to expand your search across Scotland.

We have a varied client base, with some couples booking two years in advance, most about 12 – 18 months in advance, and each month we usually have at least one last-minute booking.

We usually shoot between 40 and 50 events yearly.

Not all of our couples get married on a Saturday (the favourite day of the week to get married is Saturday), so there are usually a few Saturdays we’ll still be available throughout the year.

Most couples agree that when you find your shooter, you’ll likely know you’ve found the one for you.

At that point, don’t wait too long to book; arrange a meeting, ask the queries in this guide, and if you’re happy, go ahead and book.

It’s another thing ticked off your ‘to-do list’ and means you can move on to arranging something else.

‘Shoot and burn’ describes photographing an event and supplying the images to the client without editing or post-processing the pictures.

‘Shoot and burn’ is usually cheaper than mid-to-high-end prices due to much less work required than a high-end photographer.

The photos are often handed over regardless of errors – forget about correcting poor composition, bad lighting, pimples, colour correction, etc. What was shot is what you get.

Ask your supplier to confirm precisely what you will receive.

Suppose you’re having a smaller ‘off-peak’ ceremony. In that case, you’re on a budget and research carefully; some bargains exist.

Try to get an experienced shooter with a good portfolio of images in a style you like, and ask if your photos will be in this style.

Ensure you receive a contract and compare prices to get a good deal.

Like most things in life, it probably is if it sounds too good to be true. Ask some of the queries from this page, and you will be better informed.

Remember, your big day is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. Make sure your shooter is up to the job, regardless of price.

Research by browsing our website, Facebook page, and our online 5-star reviews.

By this stage, you’ll know if you like our photo style. Contact us to arrange a meeting and take it from there.

We don’t make high-pressure sales.

There’s no obligation to book – we meet, either in person or via a video call, and have a chat.

Even if you don’t book us, we guarantee you’ll leave our meeting with helpful information about your wedding location and choosing someone to photograph your day!

Compare us to other shooters, choosing appropriate queries from this page to ask at your meeting with your photographer.

We don’t offer a ‘one-package-fits-all’ – we’re happy to tailor coverage of your day to ensure you don’t pay more than you need to.

We are perfect if you have the budget for two of us, with all-day coverage, and you want the best service, photos, and albums.

But our services aren’t exclusive, and we’ll do all we can to cater for smaller or midweek events on a smaller budget.

View our wedding photography packages and prices.

Some of our prices include two shooters as standard (Claire and Jonathon working together), which provides optimal coverage of your day.

A second shooter is helpful as it provides you with many more images and a different perspective.

When we work together, we can often cover both your and your partner’s preparations (discuss this with us at our meeting; we’ll need to consider the logistics and timings of your day).

During the marriage ceremony, we can cover two angles/viewpoints simultaneously without needing to walk around (often, moving during the ceremony isn’t possible due to the room’s layout).

During your drinks reception, one of us can cover the guests, capturing those candid moments while the newlyweds take their photos.

Ask your photographer how they prefer to work. You can get excellent results with one person covering your day independently, but almost always, having a second shooter will capture more of the day from different viewpoints.

Remember that many people offering a ‘second shooter‘ as part of their standard packages offer someone who will spend most, if not all, of the day working as their assistant.

This means carrying the bags, moving tripods/flashes, etc., checking off the photo list and other assistant duties.

Check what is on offer, as being an assistant differs significantly from working as a second shooter!

Discreet and relaxed, mainly combining natural/candid ‘documentary style’ photos with classic and captivating ‘wow-factor’ photos of the newlyweds.

We are relaxed, friendly, professional, and fast.

We blend seamlessly into the background, taking photos of the event as it unfolds.

Sometimes, we take a more ‘hands-on’ approach, offering direction to ensure the photos are taken quickly and smoothly.

We create timeless, natural, and unique photos, avoiding the use of ‘fashionable’ editing techniques and software/Instagram-style filters that can quickly look dated.

Instead, we focus on clean, colourful, and striking photos that will stand the test of time.

Yes, we’ll travel anywhere to photograph a couple getting married!

We mainly cover events in the Lothian region but regularly travel all over Scotland.

Travel and overnight accommodation costs may apply if your ceremony is taking place far from Edinburgh.

We usually won’t charge extra if you’re within central Scotland.

Yes, we will personally photograph your event.

We don’t outsource unless your event requires more than two of us to cover your day.

We take care of everything, from initial contact to delivering the completed albums.

NOTE: Make sure the person who will be your shooter is named in your contract and that the questions you ask are answered by that person, not their assistant.

We’ve been self-employed photographers and videographers since 2006.

We’ve photographed and filmed almost 700 marriage ceremonies in Scotland!

Yes. We regularly update our website and blog pages and create all the photos and videos you see on this website.

Yes, we think so, and we’ve been photographing couples getting married since 2006 and have seen it all.

On the day, if timings run late, your beautiful old classic car breaks down, a guest falls ill, or one of our cameras malfunctions, it’ll be OK (we carry spare equipment!).

We’re there to document the day, not to control the day, and if, for any reason, Plan A isn’t working out, we’ll move on to Plan B.

We’re here to work with you on the day.

On the rare occasion that there’s a problem on our side of things, you probably won’t even know about it.

Otherwise, as a team, in the unlikely event of any other issues, we’ll discuss them with you to ensure the rest of the day goes smoothly.

We have full insurance coverage, including Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance.

All of our camera equipment is comprehensively insured.

NOTE: All suppliers should be insured in case anything goes wrong. This is an essential question for any supplier!

Some locations may insist that all suppliers are insured; don’t leave it too late to find out your shooter isn’t fully covered.

Does your cheap photography price seem too good to be true? Ask to see original copies of their insurance certificates.

What other shortcuts are they taking if they take a chance by omitting insurance?

You should also buy comprehensive event insurance. Your big day usually involves a significant investment, so why take any chances?

We use top-of-the-range Canon cameras, lenses and lighting.

There’s a bit of a myth that says ‘it’s not about the camera or equipment’.

We agree with this a little, but suffice it to say that we couldn’t create the photos we make using a basic camera and cheap zoom lens.

We could create something similar, but it wouldn’t be as good as we know we can craft with our current gear.

Do you want photos of a marriage ceremony shot in a candlelit room during winter? The use of flash will kill the atmosphere.

Try shooting without flash using a standard zoom lens and a cheap camera body. You’ll receive grainy, often blurry photos, and by the time you see them, it’ll be too late.

Think about it this way: our equipment is an investment to give us the tools to do our job correctly, promptly, with minimal fuss, in all weather and all lighting conditions.

Our gear can take a beating (ever tried walking down a narrow castle staircase with two cameras slung over your shoulders? Cheap equipment would be broken in a day!).

Yes, we take the photos; our critical eye decides what to shoot, but our cameras and lenses are precision instruments enabling us to get the results that we know you want and will love.

We’re happy to meet and discuss this with you. We have our signature style, noted above, but we’re flexible and accommodating.

Yes, we discuss this with you about a month before your big day.

You’re welcome to share your ideas; we’ll undoubtedly offer our input and give you a few ideas!

NOTE: Make this one of the queries you ask a shooter when you meet, and treat the reply ‘Just trust me’ as a warning that you might be dealing with someone who isn’t too keen on deviating from their comfort zone.

There’s a fine line between adhering to a definitive photo list to ensure you get pictures of all of your family and allowing your shooter to be creative and capture those candid shots (which can often be some of the best photos of the day).

Ask the question, and then get to the finer details nearer the day.

All photos are shot in colour, edited, duplicated, and converted to black and white.

All our clients receive all pictures in colour and black and white.

Some pros choose a limited selection provided in black and white.

We go a step further and supply all of your photos in colour and black and white at no extra cost.

Of course! We currently have more than 600,000 photos of entire weddings in our private photo galleries online.

Let’s meet and have a chat, and we can show you the most relevant pictures.

There’s a chance we’ve already photographed at your venue!

We can also show you sample albums containing full wedding days delivered to satisfied clients – not just an album with a selection of our favourite photos.

We won’t know until we discuss this with you, but the answer is likely a resounding yes!

We’ve photographed and filmed events of every size and location imaginable – castles, city-centre hotels, remote Scottish beaches and Registry Offices in Edinburgh and Lothians.

The smallest ceremony had just four of us present (Bride, Groom, Claire and Jonathon), and the largest, a traditional Asian ceremony, had over 300 guests.

We photographed Indian, Muslim, civil, Humanist, Roman Catholic, and same-sex ceremonies…you get the idea!

Quite possibly! We’ve been to over 300 settings across Scotland.

If it’s a new location for us and not too far from Edinburgh, we’ll pay a visit before the big day.

Otherwise, we’ll thoroughly research the location and, where possible, arrive earlier in the day to check out locations for photos.

There is a good chance we have previously worked alongside your other suppliers.

We’ve photographed almost 700 couples getting married and worked alongside thousands of fellow suppliers.

We always introduce ourselves to suppliers on the day, and we’re great at working seamlessly with wedding suppliers.

Please don’t take our word for it. Check out the positive reviews kindly written by our clients!

We don’t offer a ‘one-size fits’ package. 

Click here for details of our packages and contact us to check our availability.

Minimum coverage is one hour, and coverage can extend to a full day, with the option to include an engagement photo shoot.

Absolutely! The packages on our website are based on the service we’ve provided clients for almost two decades.

If none of the packages ticks all the right boxes, please contact us, tell us about your plans and let’s chat to get you the exact amount of coverage you require.
We’re here to fit into your plans, not vice versa.

Yes, we can.

We prefer to call this a ‘pre-wedding photo shoot‘, as most of our clients have been engaged for many months (or years!).

Sometimes this is called an ‘e-shoot’ or ‘engagement photoshoot’.

The service is the same, though – we meet a few weeks before your big day and spend approximately an hour shooting a range of photos of the two of you.

We get to know each other a little, and you can experience a professional photoshoot.

We guarantee any fears or worries you had about the photo side of getting married will vanish by the time we’ve completed our photoshoot!

Yes, our clients will receive the photos as high-resolution, watermark-free JPEG files.

You’ll also receive an email with a download link containing the images and your password-protected web gallery for viewing online.

We retain the copyright to the photos we create, and you’re licensed to use them for personal use.

This means that you can share your photos with family and friends.

You can display the images on your own social media pages.

You cannot share the pictures with other suppliers/vendors without our permission.

We’re usually happy to share photos with other suppliers.

We want to ensure that you and your photos are only ever shown at their very best and that appropriate credit is given when an image we’ve created is displayed or used for commercial purposes

You can usually expect between 50 and 100 photos per hour of coverage.

All-day coverage (preparations in the morning until dancing in the evening) usually means 600+ unique photos.

We currently require a booking fee of £300.

Payment of the booking fee is due at the time of booking.

Your date is not reserved until we receive the booking fee and booking form, and we reserve the right to accept other booking enquiries until your booking is confirmed.

The balance is payable one month before your wedding.

Yes, we can accept payment via instalments.

We’re happy to discuss this with you, and we can set up reminders for instalment payments.

We accept payment via bank transfers and credit/debit card payments via PayPal.

If we haven’t met and all communication is done remotely, cancellation by you within seven days of booking to receive a full refund of your deposit (Cancellation by you beyond seven days means you forfeit your deposit).

The deposit is forfeited if we’ve met in person and you cancel at any time.

Suppose you move your event date due to unforeseen circumstances. In that case, we’re usually happy to switch dates (subject to availability) and transfer your deposit to the new date.

In the unlikely event of us cancelling, we’ll fully refund all the money you’ve paid.

We’ll email you an electronic copy of our contract when you tell us you want to book us.

The electronic contract contains the terms and conditions of the business.

To book us, sign and date the contract and click send. We’ll receive a copy of the contract via email.

The contract includes payment details for your deposit.

Our booking is complete as soon as we receive your signed contract and deposit payment.

NOTE: Don’t book any supplier who won’t provide a written contract.

Yes, this is important.

We have lots of excellent feedback from our clients, which is available on our website and independent sites such as Google and Trustpilot.

Absolutely! We highly recommend the Love My Dress blog.

Make sure you also read our guide to choosing a photographer and how to create the perfect photo album.

Relax and enjoy being with your family and friends.

The best advice we can give you is that if you feel relaxed when we take your photos, you’ll appear comfortable in the photos and have a good, positive memory of having the picture taken.

If you feel awkward or uneasy when taking your photo, you’ll often feel the same way when you look at the photo.

So relax! In the unlikely event that you feel awkward or uncomfortable, we’ll happily move, rearrange or do whatever is necessary to make you look fabulous.

Factor in a bit of time in the schedule to allow for delays – if the bride arrives late, there’s a traffic jam on the way to the reception, or the speeches take longer than expected – you’ll feel rushed and hassled, which can show in your photos.

Importantly, try and relax the night before you get married without having a lot of alcohol – get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water.

Hangovers aren’t ideal for looking great in your photos!

We have a network of full-time colleagues who are our first contact should an emergency arise.

If we need to call upon a trusted colleague, you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands.

About a month before your big day arrives, we’ll email the details that we need – typically the timings of the day to ensure we’re in the right place at the right time and the list of group photos.

We’ll detail what’s required, and when you supply the information, we’ll check it and discuss with you anything that might not be an obvious problem; for example, your reception hosts might suggest timings for shooting the group photos which don’t allow for the number of groups you’d like photographed.

We’ll discuss this with you and indicate if we feel it will make the day progress more smoothly.

Part of the benefit of booking us is that we’ll do all we can to ensure your day goes smoothly, including discussing with you on the day and making sure you have the final say in any changes to the schedule.

For as long as it takes to get the job done!

If you book us for all-day coverage, we’ll cover all the main parts of your day, from start to finish (pre-ceremony preparations through to dancing), with no clock-watching.

Suppose your package includes coverage of the preparations. In that case, we’ll arrive with enough time to get the needed shots and then move on to the guests arriving at the ceremony location.

We’ll discuss the timings with you before the day.

Suppose you have a good idea of your wedding day timings when we initially meet before you book us.

In that case, we’ll advise you whether your requirements are practical or if we need to tweak the timings or amount of coverage slightly to ensure you get maximum coverage in the time allocated.

We will dress smartly – no jeans or T-shirts!

It might seem trivial but don’t assume all suppliers will try to blend in with your guests.

We recently filmed a ceremony where the shooter wore jeans, trainers and a shirt.

To say they looked out of place was putting it mildly!

If having your shooter in suitable attire matters, ensure this is one of your questions!

Delays can, and often do, happen at live events like yours.

A few minor delays can add up over the day, meaning the evening reception/cake cutting or first dance begins later than expected.

We won’t usually charge extra if there is a delay in the proceedings, and we’re happy to stay longer to ensure we cover the essential parts of your day (cake cutting, first dances, etc.).

Significant delays are rare, but occasionally, they may result in a pro-rata charge for extra coverage, and we’re happy to discuss this with you.

Food is always appreciated but never expected.

If your ceremony location is in the middle of the countryside and there’s not anywhere convenient for us to purchase food, we would be very grateful if you arranged a meal and a soft drink.

If you prefer not to provide food, that is fine, but bear in mind we will need to leave your location to source something to eat and drink.

NOTE: Some suppliers insist on being fed when you have your meal and have this as a clause in their contract.

We believe that being paid to work and then insisting on food is cheeky.

If you had a kitchen or bathroom installed at home, would you expect the fitter to include a ‘feed me’ clause in the contract?

We don’t feel comfortable with that.

Go with whatever makes you feel comfortable.

We use identical cameras, multiple lenses, and multiple flash units.

Basically, we have at least two of everything we need to continue taking photos in the event of a technology meltdown.

It’s OK, don’t worry.

It’s unusual to have an entire day of non-stop rain.

We always have a ‘Plan B’ for wet weather, as will most wedding vendors.

Suppose it’s wet and you prefer to stay indoors. In that case, we’re equipped to shoot beautiful newlywed photos of you using our portable studio flash set-up.

If you feel brave, we can head outside, even in the rain, and shoot a few photos of you walking together under an umbrella.

Some of our favourite images that we’ve taken have been shot in the rain, so be bold, and if you’re up for it, so are we!

The most significant difference will be when it comes to shooting the family/group photos.

Suppose many family members and guests are present, and your location has restricted space.

In that case, shooting a high-quality group photo of everyone might be impossible.

But we can still shoot pictures of the smaller groups of family and friends.

Yes, definitely!

We actively encourage people to take photos, and we certainly have no issue with anyone present wanting to capture photos throughout the day.

Some shooters object to guests taking pictures during the ceremony (and often during other parts of the day)…we disagree with this view.

It’s the most important day of your life.

A professional shooter should be able to capture great photos even if guests want to shoot a few snaps of the newlyweds!

We’re there to capture a significant and historic occasion, including the guests who happen to be taking photos. We’re happy for guests to take pictures as long as you’re happy!

Your celebrant/minister/registrar/priest might refuse to allow photos during the ceremony.

If you feel this is a problem, check with them before you book their services.

As a guide, we recommend a maximum of ten groups and allow about 20 minutes to create these photos.

Bear in mind some people will be at the bar, at the toilet, or smoking, which can slow things down a little, but twenty minutes for about ten photos is a reasonable timescale.

Ten group photos might not sound much, but if you start with a picture of everyone present, newlyweds with their families, newlyweds with siblings, and one with grandparents, you still have five other combinations to choose from.

Don’t go with every possible combination of every family member present; it’s boring to shoot, boring for everyone present, and it takes you away from the pleasure of celebrating.

Keep it short, enjoy it, and then get back to having a glass of champagne and relaxing.

Possibly.

We prefer to ‘get it right’ when we shoot each photo – location, poses, and camera settings should ideally all be ‘just right’ when we take your photos.

If your Best Man photobombs us, we’ll re-shoot the photo rather than spend an hour editing the image in Photoshop.

You need to be aware many photographers will charge extra for extensive editing in Photoshop as it’s time-consuming.

Our advice? Get it right when you take the photo and do this by hiring pros like us!

During the off-peak season, January – February, your photos can be ready to view online in about one to two weeks.

For events during the busier summer and Christmas seasons, we aim to have the gallery ready to see by your first month’s anniversary.

Occasionally, more time may be necessary if we’ve been particularly busy or on holiday.

We will update you shortly after your wedding so you know when to expect your photos.

Yes, we do.

Every single photo is individually checked and edited.

The editing can include pimple removal, cropping, and skin smoothing, and it always includes image colour correction, contrast adjustment, and sharpening.

The final editing stage is making black-and-white copies of all of your photos.

We offer a comprehensive range of luxury photo albums, all handmade right here in Scotland.

We design your album using the photos you select.

Most couples receive more than 500 unique photos.

We’ll advise you on choosing the photos for your album (explaining how to tell the story of your day with your selection).

This allows you to include all the photos you want to include in your album.

Add this to your list of queries to ask, as some suppliers prefer to dictate the entire album design process from start to finish.

That’s OK, and we’re certainly happy to do this if you prefer to be less ‘hands-on’. But beware: You might receive an album that is missing a few of your favourite photos, as your favourites might not be your album designer’s favourites.

When we place the order with the album manufacturer, the completed album takes about ten days to arrive with you.

UK delivery is included in the price, and worldwide delivery is available for an additional charge.

As a guide, from choosing the photos to designing your album, receiving your completed album typically takes about four weeks.

When you receive your download link to your photos, we’ll help you choose the photos to go in your album.

We think it’s essential that you choose the pictures and we design the album.

This ensures the album contains only the photos that you want.

We’ll then design your album and show you the layout via a PDF file.

We’re happy to tweak the design to ensure your complete satisfaction, and then the design is sent to the manufacturer.

It then takes approximately ten days for the finished albums to be completed.

To summarise, the sooner you select the photos to go into the album, the sooner we can design it and send it to the manufacturer!

Yes, of course.

Your photos will appear on your password-protected gallery, which you can share with family and friends.

You can order a range of gallery-quality prints directly from your gallery.

All prints are created here in Scotland by the UK’s leading print facility (trust us on how good these guys are, for seven years before becoming a professional shooter, Jonathon ran a busy print and design business in Edinburgh; we know top-quality when we see it!).

Smaller prints are usually shipped the same day (Monday – Friday) for orders placed before noon, with larger prints, such as canvasses or framed prints, typically taking up to seven working days.

Our advice is not to let your photos sit hidden away on your hard drive or disk.

For orders placed before noon, smaller prints are usually shipped the same day (Monday – Friday), while larger prints, such as canvasses or framed prints, typically take three working days.

Remember – one or two wall-mounted prints of you and your beloved on the best day of your life can make you smile on even the most miserable winter’s day!

Possibly, as long as you’re happy for us to do so, we usually post a small selection of our favourite photos of your day on our Facebook and Instagram pages as a little teaser within a few days of you getting married and might follow this up with a blog post containing a more comprehensive selection of photos of your big day.

Remember that sharing a few photos is the fundamental way to promote what we do to a broader audience, and we’d never share images that show you at anything other than their very best.

Remember that almost all of our couples’ first impressions of what we do is seeing someone else’s photo/s on our website/social media/advertisement.

We respect your privacy, and if you’d prefer to keep your photos private, then we’re happy to oblige!

Possibly.

Your photos will always remain private if you’ve indicated that you prefer total privacy.

Sometimes, a bridal magazine or blog will approach us to ask for images.

For example, they might be making a feature on cakes and asking if we have any unique/unusual cake photos.

Or they might require photos of shoes or a confetti shower.

Or a blog writer reads our blog post about your wonderful day and loves it so much they’d like to feature it on their blog.

In these instances, we’re usually happy to share photos, as we get credit for the photo (a credit is a link to our website or our name next to the image).

This, in turn, is a great way to showcase our work to future clients looking for someone to photograph their day.

This, in turn, is a great way to showcase our work to future clients looking for a photographer.