How to find your perfect wedding photographer on Instagram
Instagram is an amazing resource for those trying to find their perfect wedding photographer. As it’s a purely visual medium, it’s the ideal platform for wedding photographers to showcase their skills and portfolios. Soon-to-be-weds who haven’t yet decided on a photographer can browse at will, search by style and/or location, as well as glean tips for other accounts they follow. Here’s more on how to find your perfect wedding photographer on Instagram.
Hashtags for inspiration
Some couples will know exactly what style of wedding and wedding photography they want, even before anyone’s got down on one knee. Others, however, will be looking for inspiration before deciding which route to go. If this is you, search for some general wedding-related hashtags and see what takes your fancy. (You can search for hashtags on Instagram either by clicking on a hashtag in the comments section of a post or searching for it with the search function up top.)
Popular non-specific wedding photography-related hashtags include:
#weddinginspiration
#weddingphotography
#bridalphotography
#weddingphotographer
#weddingstory
Once you’ve searched through a few of these you’re bound to find plenty of wedding photographers waiting for your call. Those worth their salt will have a link to their website in the bio section of their profile.
And while you’re at it, FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM!! @aligphoto!
Hashtags by style
If you know what style of wedding photography you’re after, you can narrow down your search a whole lot more. Search for related hashtags in the same way you would for general wedding inspiration. Photographers who shoot in that style should be tagging their photos accordingly.
Popular wedding “style” hashtags include:
#indianwedding
#bohowedding
#fairytalewedding
#luxurywedding
Location-specific Hashtags
Nowadays, location seems to matter less and less for many people choosing their wedding photographers. At least half of the jobs I’m booked on are destination weddings. I would definitely advise picking a photographer you love, as opposed to one who’s just in your city, but if the physical location of your snapper is a concern, Instagram can help there too, either by searching for locations or via hashtags.
Simply add your chosen location to a wedding photography hashtag, for example:
#weddingphotographyhk
#weddingphotographerhk
#weddingshongkong
#hongkongweddings
If you haven’t already guessed, I’m based in Hong Kong!
Accounts to keep an eye on
Different players in the wedding industry, especially in specific locations, are normally pretty familiar with each other. If there are certain venues, dress designers, makeup artists and wedding blogs you like, therefore, keep an eye on their accounts. They’re bound to give a shout out to wedding photographers they work with every now and again.
For example, I often work with amazing celebrity makeup artist Natasha Moor, The Peninsula Bangkok, Four Seasons HK and Mandarin Oriental HK, as well as dress designers Manish Malhotra and Sabya Sachi. See how the Mutual Appreciation Society works?
Stalk your prey
Once you’ve found some wedding photographers whose work you like the look off, it’s time to get down to some shameless stalking. Watching their accounts and their “Stories” will give you a real insight into how they work and whether or not they’l be a good fit for you. Look out for behind the scenes photos and footage that show their connection (or lack of) to their clients.
Finally, if you’re not following me on Instagram already, you can find me at @aligphoto. I don’t just post my wedding snaps, but also all my work from events, fashion shoots, portraits, family shoots and creative projects too.
Please also show us some love on Facebook: Ali G Studios and Twitter: @AliGStudios
A big thanks to Phottix for the professional lighting equipment provided to Ali G Studios.
All photos are © Ali Ghorbani and Ali G Studios