The guide to photographer rules

Wedding Planning Tips

March 6, 2024

Don’t you wish there was a guide to photographer rules? Us, too! A lot of couples tend to ask if they can have a family member photograph their wedding in addition to their professionally hired wedding photographer. Or people think that if they have a 30-minute drive from the getting ready space to the ceremony, that means they should have 30 minutes tagged onto their time. These are big no-no’s for photographers, and there are a few more. Let’s dive in!

Rule 1 – Professionally hired photographers are the sole photographers.

We get it. You want your family friend who is trying out wedding photography to get her chance. Or maybe your uncle just got a super sick new camera and you think having him photograph a few more hours would lead to more photos. But, you’re hiring your professional photographer for a reason. If there are too many photographers, your photos aren’t going to be as good.

Think of this – you’re taking a family photo and there’s 3 photographers. Each family member is inevitably going to look at a different camera. Now all of the photos are just ruined for that pose. Or maybe your photographer sees a super gorgeous shot. But your uncle hops in and steals that shot. Now you don’t have that memory to look back on.

Your photographer is able to do their best work when they are in a comfortable environment. You trusted this person enough to spend thousands of dollars on them – let them do their job.

Rule 2 – Drive time does count as part of your _-hour package.

If you have an 8-hour package booked with a photographer, that 30-minute drive from the getting ready spot to your ceremony or the reception counts as part of that time. If this is something that you’re not down with or disappoints you, consider booking spots that are closer together.

Imagine if you were booked for a 10-hour shift at your job and they were like “okay you’re going to drive from this spot to this spot, but you’re not getting paid for that time and it doesn’t count towards your time.”

Rule 3 – Copyright

99% of wedding photographers are not going to give you copyright to the photos. BUT this does not mean that you can’t use them or share them on social media or whatever it is. It simply means that you don’t technically own the rights to the photos. This rule allows them to be able to post photos on their social media, website, etc. You still have printing rights, but just can’t use photos for commercial use.

Rule 4 – You can’t put an Instagram filter on your professionally edited photos

You are hiring a photographer for their work. You should love their work and the edits they use. If you look at a photographer’s work and aren’t drawn to it or feel that it needs adjustments, don’t hire that photographer. There are so many amazing photographers out there with so many different editing styles and photo styles. Hire the photographer that speaks to you, and stop editing things that have already been edited.

An amazing photo by *the* amazing photographer Little Daisy Photography

Keep reading for the guide to photographer rules!

Rule 5 – No RAW photos

If you aren’t aware, a RAW photo is a photo that is freshly taken. It hasn’t been color-corrected, edited, or anything. Some clients request these photos because they think that they might have better editing skills, or maybe there is a photo they’d like that isn’t in their completed gallery. But, RAW photos are not an accurate depiction of their skills. An artist most likely won’t sell you a half-completed painting. It’s the same idea!

Rule 6 – Most good photographers have rules

We totally understand that there are photographers who simply don’t care and won’t have rules – that’s fine! However, contracts are there to protect the photographer and the client. They aren’t just pulling these rules out of their butts; they’re there for a reason. A solid contract is helpful for everyone involved.

We highly highly encourage that each and every vendor you hire has a solid contract. Again, this is for everyone’s protection.

Some of our favorite photographers: