So Who Books Me ...
Generally couples that are not really that comfortable on being in front of a camera but they do want beautiful photos of their day and really want to enjoy their day without a photographer dictating and totally controlling their day. If your looking for overly posed photos of you touching each other faces etc , you know the ones...then I am not the photographer for you.
If you want beautiful natural photos of yourselves and family and friends enjoying their day which reflects you and not worrying about posing for photos all day, thats where my style but most of all, my 30 years of experience comes in.
Your wedding day isn't about me, I won't be the centre of the attention all day. I photograph for the couple, not my ego or my InstaG grid. Thats not to say I'll not be friendly and chatty with everyone, I am always up for a giggle or two and I'll keep you both on track with a little gentle guidance in the afternoon just so you can make the very most of your day with your family and friends and I always like to give my couples time after the ceremony to just mingle with everybody, just take it all in and its also a great photo opportunity for candids.
So I won't be asking you to do kissing photos all day nor up dancing with you or the guests on the dance floor but I will be looking for all those crazy, fun and emotional moments that happen throughout your day and capture them. Thats what documentary photography encapsulates.
I don't want you to be reacting to me all day, I want to capture genuine moments & emotions between both of you reacting to each other!
I actually photographed my very first paid wedding in 1995 and since then my photography has always been more documentary with some creative couples photography too.
I was doing this in my sports photography so I took that style of "capturing the moment" into my wedding photography right from the start, so even then I preferred the more candid natural style of photography.
Personally, unlike others I like to take a little step back during most of the day, what this does is lets me see images most others miss, these are the details and images that are personal to you like little touches of hands etc. I don't create these I look for them.
I also like to let weddings flow without interruption but I won't be hiding in a corner somewhere like a mad stalker either but blend in with people and watch for moments that unfold.
I'll bring my drone to capture something different on your wedding day
One of the things I always do when I am at a wedding is look at the wedding from the family & guests perspective, do they really want to see the back of my head all day or me standing in between the couple during the ring exchanges or first kiss...
Less experienced creatives tend to fixate on the final image which of course is important thats what your paying me for but they are very hands on to achieve it. Your B&G photos become more like a commercial photoshoot, its another part of your wedding day, you want it to be a fun experience and not to be "oh god now we are doing photos on our own" feeling, we go for a lovely walk in a park or a beach and capturing you naturally when your both having fun and concentrating on each other.
With over 30 years of experience, how you capture a photo on the day is as important as the final image delivered, this helps create a more enjoyable experience for you on your wedding day
I'll take you away for 30 minutes & get you lots of stunning images, which means you have more time to spend with family & friends
Its about blending in & making people comfortable
when your walking around with a camera when people are comfortable and enjoying themselves it makes better photos. I tend to travel lite when I am photographing a wedding, I use a pair of the latest Sony cameras with their silent shutter to capture those moments you don’t notice on the wedding day...
Most of your wedding day is shot documentary style but I also like to do some creative shots of you both too but your wedding day is not an advertising photoshoot so I won’t have you away for hours.
The only time I am really “hands on” is during the group formal photos which I still think are important and relevant even today but just not 50 of them! I always suggest around a dozen and I'll call and arrange people in order from a list I’ll request from you before the wedding day and this is something we can chat over at our pre wedding meeting but I won't be barking orders at family and guests to achieve this.
Being a wedding photographer is also about people management skills too, getting the best out of folk when they don't know it...
When we meet up to discuss your wedding day I will give you options & there's maybe photos that you would really want like the first look with the father of the Bride or Bridesmaids etc, I am more than happy to capture these for you, its about what you want.
Having a second photographer gives you more options, I utilise my 2nd differently from others instead of being with me during the formal photos, when I am away photographing the formal groups and the Bride & Groom the 2nd photographer would be with your guests taking candids, couples and family group photos too and you'l also get photos from a different perspective too throughout the day.
I also don't use associate photographers to stand in for me or outsource bookings, I don't process my photos using batch AI either they are all hand edited and barring breaking a leg ... you book me you get me.
A note on Videographers...
Its also important to match up your photographer & videographer with matching styles, not just the aesthetics of the final product but the style on how they actually go about capturing your day too.
A more hands on posed style may be the right thing for you to get the look you want for your wedding, asking a Groom to put on his tie on 4 times to get the footage right, or asking the Groom to start dancing in front of the camera, yes it happened, alot of the couples that come to me are uncomfortable with this approach. Hiring me with my style of capturing a wedding day and hiring a videographer like this, its a mis match so be sure on the style you want on your wedding day. I've worked with many amazing filmmakers with similar styles to myself and I am happy to pass this list on.
To round off your wedding day ...
You'll have the option for a little photo session in the late evening, this doesn't take long to do, 10-15 mins of your time. It could be an incredible sunset in the summer or some lo light flash in the darkness of winter. These will have a different look and feel to you day photos and can be a lot of fun to do. Again its just an option, if you want to just stay on the dance floor thats absolutely fine
... its your day , I want you both to enjoy it!
