If you’re on the market for a wedding photographer, you may have seen the term associate photographer on websites and thus, you might be asking yourself, what is an associate photographer. An associate photographer is a partner, an assistant, essentially, another photographer that works under the brand of the photographer you’re inquiring with. An associate photographer give the lead photographer of a business the option to be able to provide their excellent brand experience for more than one wedding or session at once.

In this article we will do a deep dive into what an associate photographer is, and the many benefits to working with wedding photography brands that have associate photographers. Along with what an associate photographer is, we will go over questions you will want to ask when booking an associate photographer, why you might want to hire one, and what to expect when working with one.

What is an Associate Photographer?

An associate photographer that is a part of the KP team is a photographer that works under the Kriztelle Photography brand to document a wedding day.  As a photographer I have a handful of colleagues that I rely on and offer associate weddings to that I can trust will give my clients a great experience.  

How Does Hiring an Associate Photographer Work?

When you hire an associate photographer for the KP brand, typically your process starts just like all of my client processes do: you inquire!  After inquiring, if I don’t happen to have your date available, on our consult call, I will get to know you and your wedding day to get a feel for what kind of photographer will best fit your day.  From there, I will reach out to some of my associates that I prefer, and that I feel will best fit for your wedding day, and see if they are available!  After that I will share their portfolios of work with you so you can choose your photographer, and we will book your wedding.

After we reserve your wedding da, we will work together just like all of my other clients and you will receive the full Kriztelle Photography experience.  Prior to our final call, you and I will touch bases on whether or not you want to meet your associate photographer via zoom prior to your wedding day.  If you want to I will set up a group zoom call for the four of us.  Then on your wedding day, my associate will document your wedding day, and after they are done, they will deliver the memory cards with your wedding photos to me!  From there I will edit, retouch and deliver your wedding album to finish up the KP client experience.  

Why You Might Want to Hire an Associate Photographer

There are SO many reasons why you might want to hire an associate photographer to document your wedding day.  Here are some of the top reasons that couples hire associate photographers though!

If You’re on a Budget

Typically if you’re hiring an associate photographer, the prices to hire them are going to be significantly less than what the pricing would look like to hire the owner of the business to document your wedding day.  Because the work is split up differently than if I were to document your entire wedding on my own, there are typically less costs when hiring them.  

If You Love Your Photographers’ Editing Style, But They Are Not Available

Hiring an associate photographer for your wedding day is a great option if you fell in LOVE with a photographer and their editing style, but they already booked a wedding for your day.  Though you will not have me there with you in person on your wedding day, you will still receive the full Kriztelle Photography experience, with the exception of me not being there on your wedding day.  

If You Have a Friend that is a Photographer but You Also Want Them at Your Wedding

If you have a photographer friend that you were really hoping to document your wedding day, but you also would love to have them as a guest for your wedding day, hiring an associate is a great option!  Your friend can then be there for you documenting your day up until the party starts and then their associate can take over!

Your Wedding Day is a Better Fit for Their Associate

Sometimes, though the photographer LOVES you, and wants to serve you, they have an associate photographer with a skill set that might better fit your wedding day. Photographers that do have transparency in their business and the confidence that they will be able to give you a better experience with an associate is HUGE. That level of transparency just shows you how much the business owner cares about their clients.

What to Ask When Hiring an Associate Photographer

Because this isn’t the standard setup for documenting a wedding day, and every brand works differently from the next, here are a handful of questions you will want to ask when hiring an associate photographer.  One, will you have the opportunity to meet your associate wedding photographer prior to your wedding day?  If it is important to you to meet your wedding photographer prior to your wedding day, make sure to ask before you sign the contract.  The second question you will want to ask is to see your associate photographers portfolio.  Though they are working under the brand of the lead photographer sometimes photos do have subtleties that differ from the lead photographer.  Then, last but not least, if you are hiring an associate photographer and also booking an engagement session with your wedding package, you will want to know who will be taking your engagement photos! 

Hiring a photographer for your wedding day is a BIG deal, so when hiring an associate photographer you will want to make sure you understand what an associate photographer is and what your experience will be like working with one. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer for your wedding day and are not sure where to start, send over an inquiry with my contact page to see if I’m available or if I am not available, which one of my associates is the best fit for you!