We’ve all seen ’em…wedding photos so cheesy, the folks in ’em might as well actually be drenched in Velveeta.
Rather than simply documenting what is taking place, allowing the joy of the day to flow naturally into his or her photographs, your photographer may feel the need to heavily influence what is going on. She may do this by interrupting your friends and family, (who are already having “Kodak moments” on their own, thank you very much) to shout things like, “Okay, now everyone get together and scream, “We Love you, Bill and Melissa!” Yikes.
Or, the cheese might start to show up during the bride and groom portrait session, when she proceeds to rotate between the same three commands for an hour: “Okay, now chin up,” “Okay, now gaze into her eyes,” and “Okay, now kiss.” Also yikes.
That‟s a fantastic approach if you’re aiming to end up with photos look like the ones that come in the picture frame when you first buy it from the store (you know…stiff, unnatural, and like the people in it just met on the set an hour earlier). It is not particularly effective, however, if your aim is to have photographs that look natural, authentic and that sing of the real emotion you and your sweetie have for one another. Just sayin’.
Preventing yourself from unwittingly hiring Ms. McCheeserton:
Now, this may be more difficult than you think, as the very same brand of Cheesiness that causes Ms. McCheeserton to take weird, contrived photos, can also have her occur as friendly, charming, and eager when she meets with you.
Cheesiness is sometimes the result of a lack of authenticity. So, when you speak with your prospective photographer, friendliness and charm are not enough. Does she seem genuine? In other words, does she seem real? Does she seem at home in her own skin? Is she authentic?
If so, the next step, here again, is to ask to see her “potatoes.” Generally speaking, they won’t have cheesy shots in their portfolio, so examine how people look in their pictures. Do they look at ease and confident? Do they appear to trust the person who is taking their photo? Or do they look like they have just been asked to say or do something cheesy? It’s fairly easy to tell the difference if you are looking for it.