The 5 Questions you should ask your Wedding Photographer
Organising your wedding is an epic task, choosing your suppliers can be daunting and even more so when you come to choose your photographer, you can trial the food and visit the venue’s but how about when you come to choose your wedding photographer? Read on for my top five MUST ask questions to ask any potential wedding photographer before you book them: -
First off let’s think about the style, how do you want your photos to look? Do you want candid unposed photo’s or are you more traditional and want lots of posed portraits & formal group shots? Do you like dark muted warm colours, or do you prefer a bright airy kind of look. When you look for your photographer, they will describe themselves as “Fine Art”, “Editorial” and “Documentary”. My style is documentary and slightly editorial meaning, I mainly shoot natural candid’s for around 90% of the day and 10% will be gently guided portraits and minimum group shots. I like to shoot in a fun creative way, so everyone is at ease. My editing style is natural and colourful, I like to maintain an authentic. true to real life feel! It is vey important to know the style you want and be sure that the photographer is consistent in that style.
How do you organise for the Group Shots? This is the part of the day that I personally like to keep to a minimum only because they can be time consuming when really all everybody wants to do is celebrate with you both. Organisation here is key and can mean a straightforward fun experience rather than a time-consuming headache! When I have my ‘chat’ with my couples before their wedding day, I recommend that group shots are planned into the timings of the day and I ask for a list of the important group shots they want and will suggest how long should be allowed to get through them. I carry the shot list with me on the day & with assistance from your elected responsible person/groomsmen/bridesmaid each group will be rounded up in readiness, to avoid standing around wasting time waiting and you therefore are not having to be thinking about them on the day.
How do you handle different lighting conditions? Light is everything and can make or break your wedding photos. Capturing images on a very sunny day, is very different to capturing images on a cloudy, dark day! You might think a bright sunny day are ideal conditions on your wedding day, to a photographer it is a nightmare! Your photographer would need to know how to position people to avoid shadows, eye squinting and glare! Experience & knowledge of how to handle these situations is crucial and experience in flash lighting to balance light and shadows in very bright conditions and darkly lit rooms. Not forgetting about getting the best from those night-time sparkler shots .
What if it rains? If your wedding is in the UK, there is a good chance of rain on your wedding day! The trick is don’t fret about the weather, its something you cannot change so there is no point wasting your energy worrying about it. Check your photographer has a plan in place if it rains; consider if are you happy for the group shots to be done indoors? Would they have researched another location as an alternative to shooting the group shots outdoors? I always check the forecast during the week leading up to a wedding, and come the day if there is rain, I will chat to my couples to see if they can be flexible in the timings of the day to either change their schedule to suit gaps in-between the showers or just grab an umbrella, hitch up your dress and embrace the rain! I have got some wonderful portraits in the rain & the light after rain can be amazing! I also try to find backdrops that are outside like doorways, any location that has a roof with open sides to let the light in.
Can you shoot candid’s? Documenting your wedding day naturally is what makes up 90% of your wedding gallery. These are the photos that tell the story of your day, being able to spot & capture important moments is very important. Its capturing emotion, documenting real reactions and feelings in real time, so you have those memories to treasure forever. I focus on you, your families, and the guests. There is an art in doing this in a way that looks authentic in your photos, and I try to be discreet too!
Ensuring you have a photographer that is experienced and knows how to deal with these important questions is vital! A good wedding photographer needs to carefully plan for, and consider weather conditions, lighting, organising group photos and perfectly curate your perfect love story on the day…. It is your wedding, your way. If you want to find out more about how I can help you with your dream wedding day and to answer all of your wedding photography questions, why not get in touch and book in for a chat x
