Wedding Photography - Help

[davelodwig]

Right so as previously revealed I'm getting married in July and we are currently looking at wedding photographers.

Oh my isn't it a minefield of fancy websites, greyscale filters and massive prices.

Has anyone who's trod this path before got any advice or has anyone shot a wedding and can give me some tips for what I should be looking for or asking.

Obviously I cannot shoot my own wedding though stopping for a selfie on the way out of the church I may get away with.

D.

[clarion]

For advice on this tricky area, I'd be asking Charlotte, Mike, Bikepacker and Daniel Cadden

[geraldc]

Having done this on 2 continents now.

Go through other peoples wedding photos online, and find out what shots/styles you like don't like.

Collect examples of the photos you like. Find a photographer you like. Show the photos to the photographer and discuss.

My other half had a list of specific shots she wanted. She made a list, and we went through it with the photographers and made sure she got them. She wanted photos of her getting ready in the morning etc.

You can always say to a photographer, I like your work, I really want to use you, but you're slightly out of my budget, and see what they say.

One thing you may want to consider is asking your guests not to use cameras/camera phones, as you may get a lot of official photos of your guests taking photos of you.

The in laws wanted a video, it was out of our budget,so they paid for the video. It's actually our favourite memento of the day. well the trailer is, can't bring myself to watch the full video yet.

[Charlotte]

Okay, here's the main thing you need to know about wedding photography: it is expensive because it’s a luxury.  You can get married without hiring a photographer.  But if you're holding a wedding it may well be something you want to factor in to your budget for the day. 

You can commoditise the cost of venues, food, outfits and much of the rest of a wedding, but photography isn't like that.  You're hiring a creative visual artist to document your day in a way that meets with your aesthetic tastes and this is something which you cannot treat as a transactional cost.  If you do, you run the risk of being extremely disappointed.  You are hiring an artist and good artists are almost always expensive.

For practical help, Mike is your man here.  He's the best wedding photographer I know personally and if I were holding a wedding I'd hire him like a shot because his work is fantastic:

http://simpleimages.co.uk/

[hazeyblue]

I am a commercial photographer, with friends who are wedding specialists.

Have a budget set before making contact.

As mentioned, good wedding photographers work really hard - both on the day itself and in post-production afterwards.

This is more relevant to the cheaper end of the market, but if you see a nice portfolio that you both really like, double check that the photographer who is showing (said porfolio) is the one who actually shot it. There are one or two charlatans out there who have no problem gaining work with other (more able) photographers work.

Local wedding fairs etc are a good way to meet prospective photographers face to face, so to speak. Perhaps your venue may have recommendations - they may know someone who is just starting out, who may be good but not quite as polished as more established shooters etc.

Good luck!

[clarion]

Find out what the rules are at the wedding venue!  And communicate with the photographer about them.

[bikepacker]

Good wedding photographers have their own style and do not offer photography on the basis of “all things to all people” so check that the photographers style you choose is what you want. The likability factor of the person taking your photographs is as important. Beware, grumpy photographers with poor people handing skills, they have been known to spoil a Brides day.

Having been retired for over 20 years and not knowing where you are located, I cannot recommend any specific photographers. My brother who was a product of my training still takes weddings but he is based near Worksop. His website is: http://www.hearttoheart.co.uk/newweb/pagewedding.htm

[davelodwig]

All,

Thanks for the advice,

So far we've been making a list of things we like and things we don't and looking at websites of photographers to see what you get.  We are fortunate in that apart from the church the family owns the wedding venue, and even then the church are fairly laid back about what we can do.

We are getting married in Speen, Bucks if that helps anyone for advice, alas I don't think I could afford Mikes services even if I wanted to, the whole thing is being pulled off because we've managed to rope family and friends in to help make stuff and the reception is in TDM's parents garden, hell we are even doing the catering (buffet ) ourselves with the guides doing the waitressing.

There does seem to be a lot of have a go heroes out their and I just hope we manage to choose correctly, it's not like I'm planning on getting married again if I choose the wrong photographer.

Cheers

D.

[trekker12]

We did our wedding on a budget. Our aim was for a nice simple day without fuss - and spent the money on a party venue and a bar bill for the afternoon/evening. I do rather see weddings as an opportunity for certain types of company to print money for things that would be a much more sensible vale without the W word attached.

A friend of ours did the wedding photography. He's a keen amateur photographer and although he'd never done a wedding before, knowing us personally he knew what we would like. He did his homework, came to the venue in advance, met with us and asked what we would like and he really enjoyed himself. The photos and effort he put in were fantastic.

His only payment was a gift voucher for the LBS and a bottle of champagne.

I appreciate what has been said about professional photographers and the fact you are hiring artists. I shared a house once with someone who did it and I'll grant you the photos she took were of a more professional standard. The personal touch that can come from a close friend - so long as you can trust them to go the extra mile for you - is also worth considering. Also consider their thoughts as they have to be something of an outsider on the big day but our friend couldn't be more pleased we had asked him.

[sojournermike]

I've done a couple of wedding for friends who couldn't afford a pro and it's really hard work. Getting someone good will cost and there are a lot of people who will offer a cheap(ish) service and deliver very poorly. For one friend we took some pictures as guests and made up a nice pack of 10 by 8 prints as a gift. They were overjoyed as it gave them some nice photos, unlike the pro who attended.

So, if you want good work be prepared to spend the necessary and invest time in understanding what they do.

[Otto]

I've done a few weddings and its a bloody hard long day.
The main thing is to communicate with the photographer he/she may have one vision for the photos and you may have a different one.

[Afasoas]

There are lots of chancers out there. And one of the biggest problems seems to be last minute cancellations.
I have stepped in at the last minute for lots of friends and friends of friends when their official photographer has let them down.
Charlotte has already touched on how wedding photography is something you can't commoditize so I won't labor it. But do make sure

Your photographer has a sample contract
Your photographer is insured
Your photographer has spare kit
Your photographer has a backup plan if they are I'll on the day
Your photographer shoots to a consistently good standard. It is easy to cherry pick the best images from twenty or so weddings, but you want a photographer who knows how get the best out of every situation in terms of lighting and composition

Be clear on exactly what coverage you are getting
Don't ask a friend to do it. You can't be a guest as well as a photographer. Covering all but the simplest of weddings properly is truly exhausting.
Finally, on the practical points, if you expect a wedding album from your photographer, make sure they have
 Some sample albums that show their album design and suppliers are on par with the pictures.

One last point. It is important your wedding photographer is personable. I received a lot of praise from couples after the wedding day even before their pictures are ready because of the way I entertained* the guests, particularly during the formal shots.

*I personally prefer to stay unobtrusive but I will work throughout the day to get a nice informal and flattering head shot of every guest. Folk generally aren't comfortable in front of the camera so there is just as much skill in putting people at ease for having their photo taken as their is in taking their photo

**PS I am not touting for business. I've retired from it. Depending on where you are I could make some recommendations

on edit: I see you are in Bucks .. will have a look through my list tomorrow night. And I see you are on a budget, you could look for someone who is portfolio building. But only if they have gone the right way about acquiring experience by say shooting with a fully seasoned wedding photographer. People who have just picked up a camera and have no wedding experience are generally not a good choice. I have met some very good aspiring wedding photographers, and they are good because they have learned from an experienced professional instead of from a book and a few blog articles

[mike]

Hi Dave, Dan and charlotte make all the points I would have made, far better than I could! I'll pm you....

[HTFB]

6 September 2015 is not a long way off.

My beloved stoker and I haven't given ourselves very much time to organise ourselves, and need to find a photographer for our wedding in Greenwich.

Are any of you admirable folk the right sort of professional^*? Or can you recommend anyone?

*We know Mike is, but we also know he's otherwise engaged. Off cycling, quite unreasonably.

[Exit Stage Left]

I quite like weddings. Pretty much everyone is taking stills and video these days, but it doesn't get edited. I went to a Hindu wedding a few weeks ago. There were pro-photographers there, but Heather thought I should do some impromptu stuff. The pros soon realised that I was shooting to edit.

The most useful tool was a Canon Mini X, which is a fisheye camera with excellent sound. The wedding was very informal by most standards, and I could get that on the dias, showing the ceremony. If you get that in front of the altar you'd get the exchange of vows.

Weddings are highly choreographed these days, and there's a gap for something unpolished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBw8sMaUa0I

[hellymedic]

A long time ago, I went to a wedding where the hosts left a disposable camera on every dining table and collected them for processing at the end of the evening.

I know film is a bit passé but I'm sure I saw disposable cameras on sale at Boots just a few weeks ago.

Seems like a great way to get informal photos of the guests for minimal expenditure.

Formal group shots are another matter. I have heard it is best/easiest to set up the Big Group first, then whittle it away to leave smaller groups of core celebrants.

[davelodwig]

We used Marcus from class Weddings,

http://www.classweddings.co.uk/

He's not the cheapest, but he has got bags of energy, takes really good pictures, and is a really great chap.

D.