Wedding Layers

Wedding Photographs – Expensive or Priceless? Here are 10 simple ways to get the best wedding photographs on your day.

1. Look at each other

Please remember you are marrying each other not the minister or the registrar. As a former church minister I just want to assure you its okay to face one another. You have spent a small fortune on wedding photography, but at the crucial moment all that anyone sees in your backs – talk to whoever is doing the wedding and TELL them you want to look at each other.

2. Do, do crazy things on the day

Please do act on the spur of the moment. Spontaneous things can work really great on wedding photographs and a good photographer will lap it up.

3. Colour or Black and White?

Some will say what goes around comes around. But the reality is that black and white and colour photography are very different. Black and white is much more atmospheric and dramatic. Look at samples of photography because colour photographs should be either subtle or vibrant never wishy washy. Make sure you get both in your album. Ask what the mix will be, i usually do 70% black and white for intimate shots and 70% colour for group shots. Ask the photographer which they prefer and why.

4. Do it for real NOT mock

Beware the part-time wedding photographer who will want to do MOCK cake cutting and MOCK first dance so they can get away. Don’t accept MOCK anything. If your photographer is not there when you actually cut the cake, then they’ve missed the speeches, and the meal and that special moment, and the… You want your photographer by your side all day.

5. Can you trust your photographer?

Trust is important. You have to feel you can trust your photographer, after all they will see you all made up and completely un-made. You have to feel you can trust your photographer so when they ask you to do something or pose in a particular way, its going to make a great photograph.

6. Style and approach

A photographer can’t be all things to all people. Ask what their photographic philosophy is – reportage, traditional, journalism. Does their approach agree with yours?

7. Listening

The first time you meet your photographer, check whether you feel they listened to you. At the end of the day you want to open your album and get the wow factor, that happens when the photographer gives you something of what you are expecting, with things your were never expecting.

8. Flexibility

“Customer is King” is a true saying, or in this case ” Queen” and being flexible is essential. I guess all wedding photographers go through the “Packages” stage in their career, I know I did. Here my package, take it or leave it. One thing to know about your wedding is that its UNIQUE. Therefore, you need a photographer who appreciates your uniqueness. If a photographer is not flexible to your desires before your wedding day, they will be even less flexible on your day.

9. To be seen or not to be seen

There’s a big difference between being seen and being noticed. Its your day so do you really want a photographer taking over? – And it happens in so many ways – from telling the couple what to do – to making everyone wait for their meal. I’ve even known a photographer stop the ceremony because he missed a shot. Remember its your day and your photographer is there to guide you NOT dictate to you. However the thing that annoys me most is the photographer with the big flashgun. With the right investment in high speed lenses and a proper understanding of exposure 95% of photography can and should be taken with available light. In the last 12 months I’ve only used flash once.

10. Know what’s going to happen in case of bad weather

You can never guarantee the weather, especially in the UK. When the sun is out photography is easier because there are usually lots of places to go with the bridal party to get great photographs. But when its raining its a different story. Space is usually limited and locations likewise. Without exception I always checkout the wedding and reception venues if i’ve never photographed there before. Because I try to use only available light I need to see where the light is good – but I also check out where we can photograph on a rainy day.

http://www.imaginethat.uk.net Keith Beesley BTh. (Oxon)

Author: Keith Beesley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Gadget reviews

Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the key decisions you will make
in preparing for your wedding. In your preparation, it is important to find a
photographer that is providing the package that will best meet your own
personal requirements. It is useful to focus on 4 key areas in your selection:-

1. Quality and Styles of Photography
2. The Photographer’s own Style and Rapport
3. Any Additional Services required
4. Your Budget and the Photographer’s Price and Package Details

By working through the following questions and options, we believe you will be
better prepared to make the right choice.

1. Quality & Style of Photography

What type of photographs do you want?

Formal Photos.
Most couples want some formal family and group shots of their wedding. They
are often the “set pieces” of the day (Best man and bridesmaids, Brides family,
Grooms family, Confetti shot, Cutting the wedding cake etc). These, if you like,
are the historical record. For some couples this may all that may be required.
For others these shots may be a small part of the photography, and the couple
may want to keep them to a minimum.

Candid, Reportage, Informal Photos.
These are much more relaxed shots, catching the bride and groom and their
guests during the day. The shots aim to build a story of the day, and to get
pictures of the wedding couple and their guests as themselves and enjoying the
day.

Creative, Artistic shots.
The wedding couple may want to hire a photographer who can also add an
artistic, contemporary style to some or all of the pictures. This may include
fashion magazine type shots, or adjustments to colour and contrast.

How much coverage do you want?
Do you want your photographer to be with you from the moment you rise until
the last dance or do you only want them at the ceremony or until the first
dance? Most photographers will have a range of packages to suit your needs,
ranging from ceremony only to full day coverage (and some will even go
beyond that if required and join you on the stag night or include some studio
or on location engagement shots in the package).

Check photographer capabilities.
The internet gives you a great opportunity to view the work of a wide range of
photographers and help you to build a shortlist of the photographers you
would like to go to see. Most photographers will have an on-line gallery which
will give you a good indication of the type of photography they like to do. When
you meet with a photographer, ask to see further samples of their work, and
look for examples of a full wedding rather than a “Best of..” compilation culled
from a number of weddings. (If you want a candid photographer, do the
example pictures tell the story of the day? As a quality test, do the photos show
the subtle details of the wedding dress). Does the photographer have
Professional qualifications (not just memberships)? Has the photographer won
any awards for their wedding photography, or do they have testimonials from
previous weddings?

Does the photographer’s style match your ideas?
Does the style of photography match your own ideas on the resiults you want
to see in your wedding photographs?

Time, Location and Advice.
Has the photographer worked at the Church/Reception you are using? Does the
photographer have ideas on good location shots either at the Church/Reception
or close by to get the best results? Do your wedding timings(season/time of
day) enable the photographer to get the results you are looking for? If the
photographer is pro-actively giving you sound advice on how to get the
pictures you want, or offering options you have not considered, it is a good
sign that you will end up with good results.

2. Photographer Style & Rapport

Meet the Photographer.
It is fundamentally important to meet the photographer that would actually do
your wedding. You need this to be confirmed to you. Check that the work you
see is the individual photographer’s work, and not examples from the company
he/she works for.

Do you like the photographer?
If you like the photographer (and he/she has met your criteria for the quality
and style of work you want done), you will have a much better wedding day,
and get much better results if you enjoy being with the person who will take
the pictures.

Will the photographer take time to build a rapport?
What pre-wedding activities does the photographer offer to provide? For
example: Pre wedding run-through, Site visits together, Studio portrait
session.

3. Additional Services.

Do you need any additional services?
If not, then it is important to make sure that these, if stripped out of a package,
are not included in the price. If you do want additional services, identify those
that are important to you and test the photographers capabilities in these
areas. For instance:-

• Advice and range of Wedding Albums
• Advice and range of picture frames
• Uploading images to the Web
• Providing pictures on CD
• Providing pictures on DVD with/without music.
• Digital manipulation/compilation.

4. Package and Price

Decide your budget for photography.
There is a wide range of cost and levels of service in Wedding Photography and
you need to have a clear budget in mind before establishing your photographer
shortlist.

Check what is in the package and what is not. It is important to spend time to
understand what exactly is in the package you are signing up for. This can
avoid dis-satisfaction from misunderstandings later. Some points to consider:-

• How many prints (and what size) are included in the package?
• What is the cost of extra prints and reprints?
• Is a wedding album and/or folder mounts included?
• Who has the copyright to the pictures?
• Are additional services (e.g Web upload) and miscellaneous expenses
  (e.g.postage, travel costs) included or not.
• Back up and Insurance. What happens if your photographer is ill and is
  unable to photograph the wedding? What happens if the images are lost or
  destroyed during processing?
• Does the photographer have professional indemnity insurance?

The photographer is an important part of your wedding in that they not only
provide a lasting record of the people, events and emotions but thay are also
an integral part of the structure and organisation of the day. A photographer
who can work quickly and easily and who you feel is someone you can rely on,
can make a big impact on your enjoyment of your wedding day. It usually pays,
therefore, to invest in a photographer who has the experience to deliver the
pictures you want and to work with you to make the day a success.

Good luck with your search and have a great wedding day!

Author: Tony Eatough
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty tariff