Wedding Photographer 'Tick List'
When booking your wedding photography, make SURE you book a wedding photographer who can provide and reassure you on ALL of these vital points!
The following FAQ are qualities and reassurances you should really seriously consider.
I do not believe these are optional and in my professional opinion, these are all essential requirements! Do not compromise on quality, owning all of the images, having them professionally prepared for you, your wedding album, having access to them in modern formats 9and your friends and family having access too!)
Its an obvious yet cannot be stressed enough - the photographs taken on your wedding day will be all you have to remember your wedding day many years 'down the road'!
Having been the wedding photographer at more than 200 weddings - I can see that these vital points are essential considerations and ones that no wedding couple should (or need to) compromise upon!
The wedding photos, your memories and your heir loom piece album is a to-be-cherished item! Precious? I think you'll agree this is an understatement! Read my key points and qualities and you will see how seriously and sensitively I as a wedding photographer will approach and consider all aspects of your wedding! This is my job, as a professional wedding photographer I consider it my duty to provide you with excellent images, using the best equipment available, both to capture the wedding photos, edit and prepare your wedding images and deliver your wedding photographs with - the finest materials, prints and albums to preserve and display (show off) your wedding memories in!
A simple priority that I will not overlook!
(you may need to remind yourself of this during your wedding planning - yet you can be sure I keep this at the centre of my approach!)
For the reportage to be personal and personalised, this will not happen by accident! I will listen to your hopes and wishes in both our meetings and in the booklet that I have designed for your use which will give me an invaluable insight into your priorities and the details of the day that matter most to you!
We've all been to weddings and seen the photographer boss the guests around and maul the couple into poses and group shots with a bewildering array of combinations (that if you don't want - why waste your precious day capturing them!)
With experience of so many weddings with such diverse cultural variations, I'm experienced enough to be able to adapt to your needs.
Many couples who book my Wedding Photographer Services explain that they are ‘camera shy’ or simply realize that they look better ‘unawares’ rather than in a formal ‘line up’ (if if this is the case, we’ll do one of these of your family to keep your grand mother happy – she’ll have a print for her mantle piece)
My unobtrusive discreet style in which I focus on ‘Capturing The Moment’ and recording your wedding day as it happened, the details of the day, the wedding ceremony and celebrations and proceedings.
Prior to Wedding Photography I was a public speaking coach, I worked with close to 900 individuals in small group workshops – many of these were ‘Best Men’ and ‘Fathers of the Bride’. I used to video each participants turn, so I am highly experienced in working with individuals when they are (lets less – ‘Less Than Comfortable’) also worked as a ‘Guest Speaker’ with trainee teachers at Bath Spa University and training other facilitators.
Thanks to the careful planning and the use of our ‘Wedding Photo Ideas’ Booklet, your wished for group shots and portraiture need not ‘eat into the day’
Relaxed, spontaneous reportage is far from ‘an easier option’ It takes, skill tact, sensitivity and tremendous awareness to do this well.
I specialise in Wedding Photography - this requires a broad range of skills and often requires these in a moments notice! Wedding Photography especially requires 'people skills' in order to capture a group shot, reflex and agility to capture natural portraits (and anticipation of a moment - often before it happens) creative awareness for the important detail shots, and skill in both architecture and landscape photography in order to capture all of the details of the day!
Experience of over 200 booked weddings in 7 countries
A dedicated Wedding Photographer (not a hobbiest, or a ‘weekend earner’) A Wedding Photographer must have people skills as well as creativity and photographic expertise!
An experienced wedding photographer will be able to capture the essentials and respond to your requests (even possibly the group shot requests insisted upon by Granny for her mantelpiece!)
An experienced wedding photographer (wedding skills cant be learned in a portrait studio or acquired from a book / course) capable of handling and coordinating a wedding event. This means far more than wielding a camera - it can entail coordinating with the event manager / catering staff / wedding driver, the band and your wedding party, to ensure things run smoothly and are coordinated on time. It is said that a 'chain is as strong a its weakest link' - a poor or inexperienced wedding photographer can certainly jeopardise an event! (we've all been to weddings and seen the 'sergeant major' photographer barking at the wedding guests and vulgarly taking over proceedings!)
It takes tact and diplomacy, sensitivity as well as an ability to be delicate assertive if the need arrises (ie enthuse 150 guests to stand 'over there' so you can obtain the group shot that you have requested!
A friend or relative may be willing to photograph your wedding day for you, but will they remain enthusiastic the days after, when its time to colour correct and edit and prepare your wedding images, creating galleries for all of your family and friends to enjoy. Would they welcome your print order (even if its 10 months after the wedding!) and then mount them into an album for you? Will they want to remain sober enough to capture the whole event, including the wedding celebrations – that they really ought to be part of!
A full Time Wedding Photographer will be processing your images the days that follow your wedding, so you, your family and friends can enjoy the images within days of your wedding (and not months after!)
Editing every image from an 11 hour wedding takes time! - It isn't really possible to 'juggle' this with another job commitment! (and to do it properly!)
I usually have images online usually within 10 days (maybe more the peak months of July and September)
Own the images to YOUR wedding.
Reproduction Royalty Waived Images and Disks - YOUR Wedding Photos are YOURS
Sounds obvious! - but alas this isn't always the case! - some Photographers will charge for EACH image in addition to the 'complete' wedding photography package (£20 an image will rapidly become an additional bill of thousands!)
I tend to agree with most wedding couples - that their images ought to belong to them (I know that I will be demanding this on my wedding day! - So why should I treat anyone differently from how I expect to be treated myself!)
I go beyond the 'Royalty Free' and Copyright Free' - i enable you and your friends and family to help themselves to the wedding images - with Free download facilities on my Preview Gallery ( www.WeddingPreview.co.uk )
I also provide all the images at full quality on DVD (3 copies) and also resized on USB formats (4 copies) to enable simple, easy access and sharing!
I provide you all of the wedding gallery images on USB credit cards - all resized and web ready (ideal for Facebook and emailing to friends).
I supply FOUR copies - for 'squabble - free' access (the Groom and the Bride's copy) and 2 additional copies for sharing and circulating amongst your friends and family
I provide you EVERY image captured on a number of DVD Disks. Not just the ones im proud of, or as a photographer I think are artistically the ‘best’. The photos will be of your friends, your family, your wedding day and are therefore YOUR wedding memories.
There is even a FREE download facility for your guests visiting your gallery. These are your images to keep and to share - i'll even help you do this with the online gallery and 3 copies of the master Wedding DVD as well as a 4th disk with the images resized for email and web use!
I use top of the range Professional Canon equipment – I am currently using 2x of the phenomenal Canon 5D III (with over 20 megapixels quality) I also have a 2nd also a 2nd Canon 5D III camera (with a portrait lens always attached)
These cameras are ideal for a wedding photographer, bing portable and incredibly sensitive and responsive. - Ideal for that in-flight champagne cork, a confetti shower or throwing of the bouquet!) and incredibly (read as vitally) competent in low light situations.
There is far more to great wedding photographs than a high megapixel count! – a 12 megapixel pocket camera that slips into your shirt pocket will not provide the same results as a full frame professional CMOS Sensor! ‘The litmus test’ is when photos are blown up to enlargements, free of noise and pixilation, able to work in poor lighting conditions and indoor and winter wedding scenarios.
There is FAR MORE to successful wedding photography that a £15,000 camera kit that I carry! - As it is well known - its not a good oven that makes a good chef!
When I started out ‘many moons ago’ I could only afford one camera, (with each camera costing in excess of £5,000 its hardly surprising) I often became frustrated when I was juggling lenses whilst trying to respond to a scene! – There is no ‘pause button’ on a wedding day – especially if you are devoted to the Natural Candid nature of reportage!
I replace may cameras at least every 18 months, as things DO go wrong, (fortunately with backup cameras - this isnt the end of the world!)
The lack of backup equipment or inferior non professional grade equipment is reckless. I always have a back up camera - i don't like to gamble with peoples wedding day!
I use world renowned lensesTop of the Range Canon Lenses -
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Canon 24-40mm L f2.8 S lens,
Canon 70- 200mm L IS f2.8 ,
Canon 50mm f1.4
Canon 16-35mm L II f2.8
These wedding photographer lenses are all famed for their bright optics, low light handling and image stabalising.
There is no substitute for quality, nor the importance of bright sharp optics. Quality does not come cheap – 2 of my lenses retail at £1800+ each.
The Canon 5DIII professional camera has a hyper sensitive sensor - which can be used with up to ISO 25,600 - thats sensitive enough to be able to capitalise on candle light alone!
Love it or loathe it (I prefer to use natural light when ever possible!) Flash is essential. I use top of the range wireless flash guns, I have 3x the famous Canon 600EX RT (radio controlled and can be fired from great distances wirelessly)
I also sometimes use an extra kit bag of 6 wireless 2.4Ghz flashes on a TTL remote system for the exterior shots and having around the wedding venue to 'go off' when required. (and no need to carry equipment around your wedding interfering with the flow of your wedding guests and the catering staff!!)
Their quality and professional results speak for themselves. Capable of lighting the most awkward of wedding venues – be it an 11th century castle with high ceilings and dark tapestries on the walls - to illuminating a group photo and the outside of a huge tythe barn exterior at night.
@ flashes are better than 1! - and 9 flashes are a professional proficient tool that overcomes 99% of what might be an issue for some photographers!
I ‘edit’ your wedding images to make sure that the colours are ‘flattering’ and pleasing and reflect the atmosphere of your day. Alas, this is a service not offered by many wedding photographers (I can understand why – it takes HOURS to post edit an entire days reportage) Images will have a universal colour profile for easy and faithful printing.
I use colour calibrated Apple Monitors (screens) to assure accurate colour reproduction. I use a Spyder Pro Screen Calibrator. I do not compromise on quality at any point in the capture and post production of your precious wedding memories
I use the finest Graphistudio Wedding Books for my wedding couples.
These books are famed for their quality thick pages that open and lie flat offering spectacular double page spreads.
I offer a 'unique next-to-no-profit service' by providing Graphistudio upgrades and extras at some of the lowest prices in the UK (in fact you won't find anyone selling them cheaper than this without seeing them shed a tear in doing so!)
Hardback Parent Books (exact copies of your main Graphistudio Album)
A hardback 30x20cm Album costs just £100 - equally 4: hardback 13cm x 10cm albums cost just £100! (thats £25 each!!!!) You can find many wedding photographers charging £175 each for a medium sized copy (I'm charging £50)
Paperback copies are offered by Dominic Kerridge Wedding Photography from £3.30 each
Wedding Book for your Parents, Bridesmaids, Best Man, Grandparents ….. from as little as £25 for a hardback book!
I use professional labs who use top of the range archival Kodak and Fuji Archival Papers.
Home Made Inkjet prints and the cheap rapid postcard print services are simply not up to the grade
The essential Insurance needed for Professional Photographers - I am covered by this insurance – and therefore the reassurance that your wedding day deserves!
The complete Wedding Gallery of around 350 - 900+ images will be online within 1-3 weeks.
Your Wedding Album delivered with professional prints within 3 - 4 weeks of your order. (a bit longer during peak wedding season!)
Anything else is ‘Half Hearted’ and unnecessary. This is the difference of hiring a professional wedding photographer!
Don’t YOU want to see your wedding photos as soon as is humanly possible? ( I know I am going to!)
Wedding Photographs remain online with my free download facility for a minimum of 1 year.
My wedding photographer photo galleries have a FREE DOWNLOAD facility for all your wedding guests, friends and family! They can help themselves (thanks to the password that you personalise) to their wedding images (a sure way to get your wedding party smiling!)
You can also create a personal gallery within my website of your favourite wedding photographs and view these as a slideshow, email photos front he page and invite others to view your personal selection.
Wedding Photographs remain online with my free download facility for 1 year.
