How to Choose Your Wedding photographer

In the World of AI - How to spot an AI Wedding Photography Scam!
 

You are engaged! Now it's time to start planning. It can be overwhelming and honestly you have every right to feel this way but you don't have to do it alone or without help.  I’ve compiled a short list of suggestions to help make choosing your perfect photographer easier, and in the world of AI it got that much harder to determine who is the real deal.

Let's be honest, the landscape for selecting your wedding vendors that has been made significantly harder with the introduction of AI. To put it bluntly, some "wedding photographers" are altering their portfolio with AI images. Using AI images to falsely market their portfolio work. These are images that never existed in the real world and therefore are NOT a representation of their work. 

What does that mean for wedding photography? It means that this vendor may not have experience with wedding timelines, may not have the ability to shoot in every changing light conditions, may not know how to navigate fast moving wedding events, AND doesn't have REAL wedding experience.  Writing an AI prompt is not the same as photographing a wedding. 

 Hopefully, this blog will help you be a decerning couple and give you some insight into what to look for and what to AVOID. 

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What factors are important to you?
 

There’s a photographer for every price point, preference and personality. Wedding photography is like everything else; you get what you pay for. When you determine the factors that most influence your decision-making and how important photography is for you, then your options become clearer.  Consider things such as photography services offered, artistry, client care, wedding day experience, area of specialty and experience, your photography investment and how important they are to you as you search for your photographer.

Portfolios are important- Don't get Wedding Catfished!

But here is where it can be very tricky to determine what is "real" work and what is an AI generated wedding photograph or a completely AI altered image. Yes, people are using AI images to scam potential couples into hiring them as a wedding photographer. These people do not have the experience to navigate a wedding timeline, don't have the technical skills to master the ever-changing light and lack the awareness to know how they can potentially ruin a couples wedding day experience. It's awful. And yes, it's absolutely a scam. 

How to determine if a wedding photograph is AI generated?

Yes, I'm about to go on an educational tangent

At Rising Lotus, we believe wedding photographs should be real moments. Real light. Real emotion. Real venues. Real moments that happened between real people. As AI becomes more common in the photography world, it’s helpful to know how to recognize when an image has been generated or altered by AI.

AND no, I'm not talking about artistic editing, composite work or editing enhancements. These are the signs I look for when analyzing a photograph. (As a photography mentor I have spent years analyzing photographs)

Hands and Fingers

Hands tell the story. AI still struggles with them. Look closely at the way fingers bend and rest. Extra fingers, fused fingers, or hands that look too smooth are usually the first giveaway. Rings that float or sit strangely on the finger are another sign something may not be real. I call it the lobster claw hand. 

Eyes, Teeth and Facial Details

AI faces often look almost human but not quite. Eyes may appear glassy or light/reflections in the eyes does not make sense or is non existent. Teeth can look oddly shaped or melting into one another... the unitooth. Skin may appear waxy or poreless. Real faces have texture, warmth and tiny imperfections that make them feel alive,. Most are asymmetric slightly and this is beautiful! Recent AI content is replicated light imperfections and human imperfections. It's very scary out there. 

For clarification, I'm not talking about skin smoothing or eliminating blemishes I'm talking about an image that has lost it's human quality. I want every person I photograph to see themselves as I see them. Luminous. Beautiful. Perfect. But still human. These images lack the human element. I may spend hours editing a photograph to reach a perfect image but the human element is still present because they are REAL people. 

Emotion and Micro‑Expressions

This is where REAL photography shines. Genuine laughter, tear‑filled eyes, the way a bride leans into her partner during a quiet moment. AI can mimic a smile, but it can’t recreate the emotional weight of a real wedding day. 

AI struggles the most with the tiny, intricate details that make wedding décor feel real. Tablescapes and cakes are full of texture, depth, and natural imperfections. This is exactly why AI often gives itself away. AND this is what I look for when something feels “off” in a detail photo.

Unnatural Repetition in Florals or Decor

Real flowers never repeat themselves perfectly. AI often copies the same bloom or greenery shape over and over, almost like a wallpaper pattern. If the arrangement feels too symmetrical or the petals look identical, it’s usually a sign of AI involvement.

Melted or Warped Edges on Plates, Glassware or Cutlery

AI has a hard time rendering clean, crisp edges. Plates may look slightly warped. Forks may bend in ways that don’t make sense. Glassware can appear soft or uneven, as if it’s been painted instead of photographed. Real objects have structure. AI objects often look like they’re melting.

The “Foggy Haze” Behind the Details

AI loves to blur backgrounds in a way that feels like a soft mist, but not the kind created by real depth of field. It’s what I call "a digital fog" that wipes out texture and clarity. Linen folds disappear. Chair backs fade into nothing. The world behind the table looks airbrushed instead of alive.

Lighting That Doesn’t Match the Scene

If the candles glow in one direction but the shadows fall in another, something isn’t real. AI often creates lighting that feels disconnected from the environment. Highlights may appear in places where no light source exists. Shadows may be too soft or missing entirely.

Cake Texture That Looks Too Smooth or Too Perfect

AI cakes often look like porcelain. They are overly smooth, overly symmetrical, almost plastic. If the cake looks like it belongs in a video game, it probably isn’t real. Same goes for tablescapes... wrinkles happen even to the most OCD decor team. 

Impossible Details in Flowers or Decorations

AI sometimes invents flowers that don’t exist. Petals may be arranged in strange directions. Leaves may attach in ways that defy gravity or not attached at all. Sugar flowers may look like they’re floating or fused together. Real flower work has structure and craftsmanship. AI florals often look dreamy but are often physically impossible.

Reflections That Don’t Make Sense

Glassware, chargers, and polished flatware should reflect the room naturally. AI reflections often look smudged, mirrored incorrectly, or missing entirely. If the reflection doesn’t match the object or the environment, it’s a red flag.

This is my number one RED FLAG

Lighting That Doesn’t Make Sense

Light is honest. If the light doesn't make sense. Conflicting light patterns, non-existent light source, flash or strobe lighting that doesn't match the set up are all potential indicators the image is not real. Sun patterns ARE the truth analyzer. Shadows should fall in the same direction. Hair and veils shouldn’t have a halo of light around them unless the light source makes sense. As a photographer we are trained in light manipulation. Using flash and strobes to create aesthetic lighting and finding natural reflectors. Part of the editing process is enhancing light to add to the emotion. But when images defy the laws of natural light and don't make sense for flash or strobe or reflector my BS radar starts going off.  Photography is writing stories with light. How we view light, utilize light and create light is our art. We learn to create drama, add softness, emphasis on emotion with the use of light. So when that light is wacky... my spidey senses are activated.

That Foggy Haze You See in AI Edited Backgrounds

One of the easiest ways to spot AI involvement in a wedding image is the strange “fog of declarity” that washed into the background. It looks like a soft mist or Haze at first glance, but not the kind created by real atmosphere or lens choice. It’s a digital haze.. a kind of artificial blur, almost declarity filter, that washes over trees, buildings, and sky in a way that gunks up the background. 

You’ll see a cloudy softness meant to mimic depth of field, but it looks fuzzy... not creamy. Depth of field should have a creamy quality not a mass-produced haze. That's not lens blur, that's not depth of field, that's not artistry in a photograph.  It’s subtle, but once you know what you’re looking for, that foggy veil becomes one of the clearest signs that an image has been altered by an AI editing program.

Looking at Photographs with Discernment 

The Image below is a REAL wedding photograph. Based on the information above can you pick out aspects that help you determine? Hint: Look at her hair, the texture of her hair. Look at the natural folds in her neck that happen with the pose. Look at the natural depth of field in the image. It's creamy and dreamy not hazy and foggy. Look at the shadows, the light source, the details of the veil. Even the blue tint to the shadows in the left corner of the photograph tell me a split tone edit was applied with slightly blue shadows a film inspired effect. 

Wedding at Ca' d'Zan. Photo by Rising Lotus Photography.Wedding at Ca' d'Zan. Photo by Rising Lotus Photography
 

We've Determined this photographer does real work... What's next?

Look for the right match
 

Now you may be thinking, “Well, that’s obvious.” But hang on a second. You see, some people subscribe to the theory that a photographer is a photographer is a photographer; just pick one and you’ll be fine. That’s like saying a Ferrari and a Camry are both cars. While that statement is technically correct, both cars fit entirely different needs and wants. A car buyer with a family may be wowed by a Ferrari but it will never be a good fit (literally) for transporting a family of four. And the person who’s eyeing a Ferrari will never be swayed by the Camry’ fuel mileage and other practical features. So how does all this car talk relate to hiring a wedding photographer?
 

As you research a photographer and look through their portfolio, website, and social media accounts, be mindful of the following: Are you drawn to their work and is his/her approach to wedding photography a good fit for the way you envision your wedding day unfolding? For instance, if you’re getting married on a beach but the photographer you adore has gallery after gallery of ballroom weddings on their website, then you need to address that with the photographer. The point is to look for a photographer that’s a great overall match for what you like and the wedding you’re planning. 

The couples that choose us see the artistry in our work. They pick up on the emotion, see the nuance and appreciate who we are as people and artists. 

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Schedule a meeting
 

You are entrusting your photographer with the responsibility of documenting one of the most important days in your life and you’ll likely spend a significant amount of time with them during your wedding day. So it’s important that you like and trust the person you’ve chosen to work with. Also, you will be able to tell immediately the skills of the photographer by how they talk about their work and your wedding day. If you’re not comfortable with him or her it will detract from your experience. It also becomes more challenging for a photographer to capture genuine emotion when a client feels guarded, making it a chore for everyone involved. Set up a meeting (in-person, Zoom or over the phone), get to know the person behind the lens, how they work and let them get to know you and your fiancé. 

If you’ve reached out to a multi-shooter studio, make sure you get the chance to meet the person who will actually photograph your wedding. This one is HUGE. You want to know ahead of time who will be with you on your wedding day! At Rising Lotus Marilyn is the owner and lead photographer, Jeremy is the lead cinematographer. When you book us... you get us. 

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Communicate your expectations early on
 

Discuss your expectations so there’s a clear understanding of what you’re looking for and what the photographer can realistically deliver. This covers a wide range of topics such as: services offered, printed products, contracts, payment, production timeline etc. When all parties agree on what to expect, a lot of misunderstandings are avoided and we have a recipe for happy wedding clients!

Finally, trust yourself and enjoy the process. Most wedding photographers want you to have a wonderful experience and give you images that you will treasure forever. Professional wedding photographers are experts in our field and have great insight into custom timeline development, photographs shot lists, wedding details and flexibility. They will have the best ideas for the locations with magical light that highlight you as a couple. 

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Top Suggestions

1. Discuss as a couple what is the most important aspect of wedding photography to you?
2. Learn how to determine if a photograph is AI generated or not. 
3. Research potential photographers work paying attention to their style and methods.
4. Schedule a meeting to get to know your photographer personally and professionally.
5. Communicate your expectations and what is important to you.

WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU:

Your wedding day deserves a team who understands connection, emotion, and the beauty of real moments. Remember if the offer seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Do not fall victim to scammers pretending to be wedding photographers.

Everything we’ve lived, learned, and loved shapes the way we document your story. A wedding photographer works with intention, artistry, and heart.
 

Planning your wedding in Ocala, Central Florida or beyond? We’d love to document your story with photography, film, or both. Reach out and let’s create something unforgettable together.

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Contract us today!

Rising Lotus Photography & Films is an Ocala‑based wedding photography and cinematography team serving Central Florida, Gainesville, Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, and destination weddings worldwide. We are an award-winning team that has been published worldwide. We love what we do and if we can be a part of your wedding day it would be our honor.