Burning questions about wedding photography
How do I pick a good photographer when there are hundreds available in my area?
Narrow your search down to a few favourites and set aside a time to meet with them. It is important to meet the actual photographer that will be taking your photographs as you need t like, trust and really get along well with them. Finding the right photographer is like finding a soul mate – when you meet the right person you will just click and you will know. This way you can leave the important part of capturing your wedding entirely in your photographers hands and trust that they will do an incredible job. Remember that you will be spending many hours with them on your wedding day and that they will be capturing intimate personal details of your life. It is important that you adore their work and that you like them as well.
How do I describe what I like in a photograph?
It would be a good idea to collect a few images that you like and show your wedding photographer. From here describe in as much detail as you can what exactly tweaks your fancy. Is it the pose, the light, the location or the composition? Technically speaking is the image in crisp focus throughout? This is called maximum depth of field. Is the image in focus just in one section and the rest of the photograph in soft focus? This is what we call shallow depth of field. Again the importance in describing what you desire from your images will require you to get together with your wedding photographer over a cup of coffee to discuss and chat about all the options.
Why do all photographers have a different look to their images? Some of their portfolios have an antique look, others clean and modern and some soft and pastel?
Every photographer has a unique way of photographing and a unique way of processing and editing their photographs. This is why there are so many different photography styles to choose from. You could consider the photographs as artworks. In the same way that one painters work will differ from another, so will one photographers work differ from his contemopries. The old fashioned dark room has now been replaced by the high tech version of post processing using professional photographic software to create unique styles.
Some example styles could be;
Clean and Natural, delicate processing so that images appear natural with an enhancement on light and general editing elements like skin tone etc
Vintage, muted low or high contrast colours similar to that of old fashioned film photographs
High Contrast, vibrant colour saturation where the colours and the image pop off the page
No matter what style you choose your images will look amazing, it is just important that you love the style that your photographer is most inclined to shooting in.
Why is wedding photography so incredibly expensive?
Wedding photography may seem like an easy way to make money. However most professional wedding photographers I know, have several years of tuition and hundreds of thousands of Rands worth of photography equipment. Running a photography studio is an extensive business with large overheads such as insurance, studio maintenance, advertising, software upgrades etc… The list is endless.
In terms of the 800 odd wedding photographs or coffee table books that you have ordered, these take days sometimes weeks to process and design. So your 8hr wedding extends far beyond when your photographs enter our studio and may be worked on for months to come, until we are 100% happy with our results.
I really want to look good in my photographs but feel very self-conscious in front of the camera. How can I make sure that I look great?
You need to trust your wedding photographer so that you can relax. If you are relaxed this will come through in your photographs. Ensure that you leave enough time throughout the day in order to capture or document your wedding. This will ensure that you are not racing round the clock to capture everything which will lower your stress levels. Have fun! It should be a fun experience working with your photographer and not a chore. Get plenty of sleep the night before your wedding and make sure you are well hydrated with water! Wedding day hangovers not only change the colour of your skin, they are not fun to deal with.
Why should I do prints or commission coffee table books with the photographs, why don’t we just archive the digital files?
For exactly that reason! You don’t want to archive your wedding photograph sin a “be there done that” fashion. Digital files are not ordered and are clumsy to access. We always advice our clients to do something with their wedding photographs. It is an affirmation of a beautiful day and an important life happening. We would suggest getting one or two large format photographs printed as artworks for your home as well as an album and a coffee table book with your vows and special quotes that define what this day meant to you. In this way you will always be able to remember something beautiful when you are having a rough day, just by looking up at your hanging photographic artwork.
I keep hearing about a “first look” session. What is a first look session?
This is becoming more and more popular and really helps take the nerves out of your wedding day. A first look session is a time that the bride and groom get together for a few hours before the ceremony. In this time we capture their bridal portfolio in a private intimate session that works really well and affords you the advantage of awesome photographs of the two of you without the rush. Some couples even choose to get ready in the same place and we document the whole preparation and the bridal portfolio thereafter. In this way you will be able to enjoy the whole cocktail part of the day just after the ceremony and enjoy the company of your guests who may have travelled from far to be with you. We find that the first look Photographs are some of our favourites.
Why do I need a second photographer?
No one needs a second photographer, however if you consider the magnitude of what is happening on your wedding day, you might see the value in having a second pair of eyes to document the moments that you miss and that the primary photographer might miss as a result of their dedicated focus on the bride and groom. Some photographers may choose to work with an assistance to carry gear and lighting for smaller weddings, and only choose to work with a partner photographer for large weddings. Discuss this with your photographer beforehand and ask them how they prefer to work.
Photoshop can fix anything right?
It depends on what needs to be fixed. It is preferable to take the photograph as perfectly as possible instead of relying on photoshop to fix it after the fact. As photographers we try as much as possible to choose the correct lighting, backgrounds, locations and equipment in order to create the perfect shot before we have even released the shutter. Thereafter we edit minor things using out professional editing software. For example if there is a joker at your wedding that runs across the frame as I take a photograph, I will reshoot the photograph instead of editing it in photoshop. Photoshop editing of this nature is very time consuming and most photographers charge extra for that sort of “fix”.
If you are looking for more answers feel free to get in touch with us and we will try and assist as best we can.
