There will be signs...
Finding a reliable wedding photographer is crucial to preserving the memories of your big day.
Here are 10 red flags that your photographer is illegitimate, overbooked, or not real at all:
1) Negative Reviews or Bad Reputation
The first and most obvious way to spot a scam photographer is to check their reviews! This can be tricky as some photographers are just starting in the wedding industry and don’t have many reviews listed on their socials or websites. The best way to find out a client’s experience with a photographer is through word of mouth. Talking to past clients or someone who has referred you to a certain photographer is a great way to get a real perspective from a real client. If this isn’t possible, there are so many bridal groups on Facebook where past brides share their experiences with photographers. You can type their name in and see what others have to say.
2) Unclear or "Too Good To Be True" Pricing
Scam and beginner photographers are looking to make fast cash. If you find your photographer is asking for things like: Full payment upfront, transactions made through apps like Zelle or CashApp, constantly changing prices, or surprise fees, it’s probably a good sign they’re operating an illegitimate business. Sometimes they’ll offer extremely discounted rates like “8 hours for $500!” There’s just no way a real business can be operating off of these prices, so you’re either looking at an extreme beginner or someone who is not a real photographer. You should have a clear pricing guide in front of you before booking.
3) Poor or No Communication
Your photographer should provide copious amounts of information throughout your booking, including but not limited to: retainers and contracts, their booking process, or even their experience or portfolio. They should be available to answer any questions you have and communicate when their “Out Of Office” hours will be. Your photographer should not be taking weeks to reply to an email. We’re all human and sometimes can’t get to all of our emails, but weeks for one response is unprofessional. You should have clear responses for questions concerning: deliverables, turnaround time, pricing, and contracts leading up to your wedding. After your wedding, your photographer should continue to contact you about your gallery whether that be current status, a sneak peek (I usually deliver these within 72 hours of your wedding), or even your final delivery date. If you run into any problems, I give my clients my phone number in case they have a question that needs a quicker response.
4) Photo Delivery
Most photographers have an average turnaround time of 4-12 weeks. Depending on the season and how many weddings the photographer has booked will determine their overall delivery time but this is standard. If your photographer is telling you something like 1-2 weeks or even 5-6 months, this means they’re either overbooked or an extreme beginner. I take upwards of 3000 photos for an 8-hour wedding day. This will vary based on your timeline pace and wedding size, however, I have a delivery time of 6-8 weeks. This allows me time to walk away for a day or two and revisit your images with fresh eyes before sending your final gallery. Scrolling through 3000 images alone will take a day of work, then you have to back them up and upload them into your editing software. Photos should be edited consistently with the photographer’s style as well as the rest of the gallery. On average, I can shoot anywhere from 50 to 200 photos per hour, AT LEAST 50 of these should be delivered to the gallery. Make sure your gallery aligns with your contract in terms of the number of photos promised and the amount of time the photographer was scheduled.
5) Digital Presence
All professional wedding photographers should have a website, a business Facebook, or an Instagram page where they share their work and operate their business. Websites and social media show the photographer has a consistent and legitimate digital presence. Not all photographers will be constantly posting, but if they haven’t shared an image in months, or even years, it’s probably not a good sign. For Facebook profiles, if their account was created within the past 2-3 months, it’s usually a burner, scam account. Look for things like profile pictures, client posts (watch for AI), and even tagged images.
6) Unprofessional Behavior
Good and established photographers will know the ins and outs of the industry. They should know how to dress for formal events like weddings, things like jeans, sweatpants, or graphic t-shirts should be considered unprofessional. Punctuality is another tell-tale sign of an overbooked or overworked photographer. Your photographer should arrive early or at least at the same time as you for engagements or meetings. Any other arrangements or delays should be communicated with you before the start time. If your photographer has been consistently late throughout your booking experience, it’s usually not a good sign. Unprofessional photographers will also talk negatively about past clients and other photographers and should NEVER share these thoughts on social media.
7) Lack of a Clear Portfolio
Usually, photographers will have their portfolio as their Instagram or a designated website page. Here they should display a variety of images all within one cohesive shooting and editing style. If you spot any Stock, AI, or styled images versus real wedding galleries, it’s probably a sign to look elsewhere. You should always ask to see at least one full wedding day gallery from your photographer.
8) Overall Experience & Wedding Knowledge
To be considered a professional, your photographer should know how a typical wedding day timeline flows, basic terminology and events throughout a wedding, and the overall pace of a wedding day. An inexperienced or unprofessional photographer will be unable to adjust to difficult lighting situations and will seem unprepared for fast-paced moments (first kiss, introductions, exits). The biggest red flag is missed key shots due to lack of experience.
9) Equipment Reliability
Most wedding photographers will have two camera bodies, one main and one backup. Although this isn’t an industry requirement, it’s nice to know your photographer won’t have to leave early due to equipment malfunctions. They should have backups of SD cards and batteries to get them through their contracted day successfully. Be sure to ask your photographer what their image backup process as well so you know your images will be properly stored and secure.
10) You Should Feel Comfortable With Them
The most important thing when booking a photographer is that you should feel relaxed and comfortable with them. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to be stressed about whether or not your photographer has captured the key moments you’re looking for. I always recommend clients book a consultation call with their potential photographer so that they can virtually meet them before proceeding. Social media can be extremely deceiving, your photographer should be at least willing to meet you before taking your money…
Overline
Enter a Heading
Subtitle
spotting a scam photographer
At The End of The Day...
A photographer is not just someone who shows up to your wedding a presses a button. They’re preserving your memories for years to come. If your potential photographer has checked multiple boxes, it’s a good sign that you should move in a different direction.
As a photographer, it is heartbreaking to hear stories about brides waiting MONTHS to receive their images and having to hunt to photographers will poor communication just to ask for a delivery time, or those who pay thousands of dollars to a photographer who doesn’t even show up the day of. Please be careful, find a creative you trust, the right photographers will be worth the money in the experience alone–your final product will be much more pleasant with someone you’re comfortable with.
If you have had a poor experience with a wedding photographer and would like your story to be shared anonymously on the blog or TikTok send me an email: juliannapmedia@gmail.com