Engagement sessions are so much fun in the summer time. I like to give away engagement sessions with all of my wedding packages. I think its a great way for the couple to get to know me and my style of photography before the wedding. Most couples like to have their engagement photos taken at a location that has some significance to them. Cleveland is full of great photo spots! These photos were taken at Huntington Beach, Enjoy!

Hi everyone!

If you’re taking the time to read my blog, I think it’s a safe bet you’re looking at choosing a photographer for your wedding. I think that’s great, and I’m glad to share my helpful hints with you.

In my humble opinion choosing a photographer might be the most important decision you make while planning your wedding. Think about it this way: when your cake is eaten, your flowers have turned brown, and have dried out, and you’ve put your dress away in the closet forever, suddenly this day you spent countless hours planning has passed! All you have now is the memories. Photographs are the absolute best link to preserving our past. They give us the ability to remember even the smallest of details.

There are many MANY photographers that shoot weddings in the Cleveland area. But just because there are so many to choose from does not mean they are all created equal! I ask all of my brides to consider the importance of this day, and to please choose carefully the photographer they will entrust the huge responsibility of capturing the priceless memories. You need a photographer who is very educated in what they do, one who is vigilant with file handling, one who is charismatic, and has the ability to make your wedding party laugh during pictures.

If you can tell, this is a responsibility I take very seriously. My images are beautiful because of the care and love I put into creating them. I know how confusing it can be to try to pick the right photographer. -Believe me- I’ve been to that crazy Today’s Bride show at the IX center too! You have photos coming at you in all directions, seemingly talented photographers on every corner, all with their own niche. So I’m writing this post to hopefully help clear out some confusion, and to give my readers a good list that can help you wade through the riff raff to find the photographer thats right for you.

Questions to ask your photographer during a meeting:

1. Where did you study photography?…..(Its a safe bet that a photographer with a degree truly knows how to take a picture.)

2. How many weddings have you shot?…….(Don’t be a guinea pig, you want a photographer that has at least 30-50 weddings under her belt. In this line of work experience is a must)

3. What is the turn around time to get the wedding photos?…..(We have hall heard the horror stories of couples waiting for their wedding photos for a year or more, get a guarantee up front that your photographer is going to deliver!)

The next thing is to look at the quality of the images. There are a few things that can catch your eye right away that should serve as red flags. Look at the background of the images. If the sky in the photos is pure white, its very possible it is over exposed. It takes great skill to correctly expose an image during a wedding while the subjects are all moving around, and the light levels are changing. For this same reason, if the photos are very dark, or if they are not sharp with crisp edges, these are all major issues.

You may look at the price tag on the wedding package with some skepticism as well. But I encourage you to think of your wedding photography as an investment in preserving your lifelong long memories.

I hope some of that was helpful. Just a few tips from a pro!