If you are someone searching for a photographer online for your wedding or portrait session, look at the first page that google throws at you, but I highly recommend looking beyond it as well.

I was recently checking for various common search terms (called keywords my online marketers) relating to wedding/pre-wedding photography and all I could see for many of them was online marketing companies – also called wedding planning companies taking up most or all of the first page. These obviously are paid results and the companies pay good money to stay at the top of the first page.

Nothing wrong with it and thats how google works and profits. But if you are keen on choosing the right photographer, my suggestion is to go beyond the first page as well. Also check the “images” option in the search which fetches pictures relating to your search terms from various different photographers rather than just showing you the URLs of companies.

This approach is time consuming initially but its an investment you make. Its very important that you lookup the photographer’s works directly and shortlist about 2-3 based on your taste rather than just sharing your contact with a company which then shares it with hundreds of photographers who then bug you to death with calls. This eventually saves you time and also lets you directly communicate with the photographers without the intermediary company in between.

 

Do check out Preparations for pre-wedding

and How to choose a wedding photographer

For much more in-depth information.