Hi! My name is Katie! I am a Maryland-based photographer who has photographed over one hundred weddings, and I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked the question above.

I personally love working at venues that I have never been to before, and here is why:

The biggest reason is that it allows me to potentially be more creative. I feel as though I can treat the experience as a blank canvas, so to speak. The unchartedness of the environment really sparks my imagination. When I see spaces for the first time, my mind kicks into overdrive with the moments that I can create and capture with the couple. For myself and other photographers, capturing a wedding at the same venue repeatedly can become monotonous.

I’d love to photograph at as many venues as I possibly can, and if clients do not trust me to do that I will never be able to do that! When you hire a photographer, you place within them a significant amount of trust. Your photographer should be able to handle any scenario including a new location, and most photographers will scout the venue prior to the big day.

Even though we have never been to the venue before the basics and fundamentals of photography do not change. In a darker preparation space, we will grab a flash, in a space, with tons of windows we will use that light to flatter the subject. We can make anything work and will do everything in our power to photograph your venue as if we have been there a hundred times. I personally will Google venues and find photos other photographers have taken to make sure I am not missing out on anything that should be captured.

One thing to always look at when selecting your wedding photographer is their wedding galleries. How do they handle scenarios like harsh lighting during a ceremony, dark preparation spaces, and most importantly, what do their reception flash photos look like?

What if they are a beginner photographer? Does this make a difference? If they are a new photographer that is totally fine. We all start somewhere. There are several things that you should confirm with them to make sure that they are capable of capturing your magical moments on your wedding day. It would be wise to make sure that they have at least one, preferably several, flashes. Another absolutely essential thing that they should have whether they are new or not is insurance and a backup camera.

Want to see more galleries from me? Check out my portfolio here.

Find more about Peach May Photography on Instagram linked here.