Having an overseas pre wedding photoshoot is a common tradition especially if you are a local based couple that gonna get married in the next few months. If you got your own photographer nearby your house or who live in the same cities than everything will gonna be alright but how if you book international photographer who never meet before.
Dear lovely couple my name is Bima and thank you for stumble upon my photography blog. I’m a photographer by the way and nowadays I run an overseas photo shoot services for various couple that expect me to fly thousand miles to such wonderful locations. Since 2014 I got few deals with international couple who ask me to hosted wedding and pre wedding photoshoot in Bali and Maldives, generally it’s kind of a beach photo shoot as well and majority of my couple are not coming from my country based here in Indonesia. So when I hosted a pre wedding photoshoot than it must an Asian based couple who generally coming from Hong Kong, Singapore, or even Malaysia and the most important thing is between me and my couple are NEVER meet each other before the photo shoot.
When I look from your side as a bride and groom to be, having a cooperation with someone who never meet you before is quite challenging cause it’s about trust so may you gonna ask yourself such as “Can I trust this photographer?” or “Will he seriously coming after I pay him a full payment?”…….so it’s a common question for me as a photographer actually.
How to Check the Photographer’s Integrity If You Never Meet Him Before?
Fine, if you gonna book an international photographer who gonna shoot for your wedding or pre wedding photoshoot than there are several steps that you gonna do. Don’t be too rush to decide which photographer will gonna captured your moment cause if you do in a wrong way than you’re not only lost your money but also your prestigious moment which is more valuable than money at all.
1 – Find Him on His Official Website/Blog
Website or blog is number one platform that you gonna have to check, website or blog is like a legal company right now in this digital era. Having a website is way more important than simple social media platform like Facebook or Instagram cause it gonna be more formal and affected to worldwide trust.
By the way I ever work as a assistant for Hollywood Wedding Photographer who shoot for J-Lo, Christina Aguilera, Lisa Marie Presley’s wedding. This bald guy who known as Joe Buissink even don’t use Instagram or Facebook for selling his work cause the only one platform that he got is only his website. Once day he shoot in a nice garden in United States and there is a guy who belong to father of bride to be who sit back and look how Joe shooting like a maestro and suddenly this guy falling in love with Joe’s work and wanna him shoot for his daughter’s wedding.
Surprisingly when the guy ask Joe about business card than Joe told him that he DON’T HAVE any business card and if he gonna see Joe’s work than just go to internet and type ‘Joe Buissink’ cause he will find Joe’s official website.
So when you wanna book your photographer than make sure you know that this guy owned a nice and great website where you can see the photoworks and some story about him. If you visit my homepage than there will be some guidance or links that help you to discover my blog, if you are a bride groom to be than you can see my works on portfolio than if you want to see some information related to your wedding than you can go to bride and groom information page cause here I am will share everything about wedding, portrait, or even engagement in those page due to bride and groom side.
Once you find your photographer’s website or blog than go browse so deep about his work and make sure you love for what he did. You can’t push your photographer to do as you like cause he definitely has his own style and passion for sure.
2 – Find His Daily Life on Social Media
Once you love about the artworks than number two that you gonna do is checking so deep about his life, here you’re not going to know some privacy but only know about how this photographer gonna serve you as a special person. The best way to know he could help you or not is checking his daily activity, make sure that he is not posting any sarcasm or racism topic on his social media.
Down here you gonna see my other part of life while learning to fly with a small aircraft here in Yogyakarta. I got a joyflight experience hosted by Jogja Flying Club and fly up 4000 feet with a nice single propeller Sky Ranger Nynja
The most important thing about this second step is you must feel so comfort to work with him cause these guy will definitely become your eye witness of your glamorous day.
Once my couple visit my blog (the same blog that you visit today) they will easily also find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube cause I put all those links together in my blog.
3 – Find Him on Other Business
Photographer should take care some businesses like workshop, seminar, or even photography judging, it can be rely with his primary business or even not but the most important thing is he ever work with other network that rely on personality and branding.
Me, my self is working together with my wife developing airbnb property so generally if I’m not shooting wedding or attending some seminars or workshop than I will sit down on my cafe, making a great cappuccino and toasted bread for my guest. I love hospitality for sure and already did it since 2013, it seems like I learn more about how to serve my couple better and ever.
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4 – See How He Works in Real Session
The easiest way to check this step is visiting his channel on Youtube, or even Instagram TV for this new era.
Some photographer also share some behind the scene while he shoot and through this video you gonna see and imagine how is the feeling if there were you on those video which mean you feel how is looks like to be his client. I posted regularly about my behind the scene on Youtube even I will give also this video for free for my client, so some of my couple also coming from Youtube before sending me an email about asking my collection.
Just see what I did when shooting for 4 generation portrait in Jakarta, Indonesia below…
5 – Once You Love His Way of Life and Artworks Than Test Him by Sending an Enquiry
Your goals about knowing your photographer is about knowing what we called as a package or pricelist even I will called it as a collection cause I let my couple able to grow up their needs for some reasons. They might need more albums, more hours or even some details that I need to be concern.
Now is your turn to test how he serve you in business, just send him politely about package of session that he got and read carefully about his explanation. Great photographer will reply your email max. within 48 hours cause this is one of business ethic that every professional must know than he must call you by name cause it will be more comfort to get called by name for sure.
Great photographer also will deliver a great details and preview about his work, he could even give some suggestion about what the most suitable collection that you must book related to your need.
I hope you got an inspiration or answer from your question about how to prepare overseas wedding or pre wedding photoshoot when meet with a suitable photographer who not live in the same area with you. So I’m gonna post other articles about preparing your wedding so lets keep in touch in this blog…Cheers!