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Photography by Michaelangelo

Does the Camera Brand your Wedding Photographer use Matter?

13/12/2018

For the vast majority of you, the brand or type of camera your wedding photographer uses makes little difference. You've seen the photos they can take, the proof is in the pudding, right? Well 5 or 10 years ago this wasn't the case, and there was quite a big difference between the big companies and everyone else, both in capability and prestige. Unfortunately there are still some online blogs or magazines that make asking this question a big deal, and if you get the wrong answer, you are encouraged to pass. Here's why you should still listen to the answer and, if anything, just carry on chatting regardless. If you happen to be a bit of a photographer yourself, this can be the perfect chance to get geeky with someone who knows their stuff!

The Best Group Photo Ideas for your Wedding

8/12/2018

So you've just had the ceremony and finally married the man of your dreams. You walk back down the aisle followed by your guests, have a drink or two, chat with your friends and family. Generally what happens next are the formal group photographs. You know, everyone runs around trying to find Auntie Margret or Uncle Bob so we can all line up with the bride and groom in the middle. The group photos can be a challenge to coordinate, and if you're not careful they can take a long time away from the day. So where do you start to plan it all? What are the best groups of people to choose so everyone's happy? I've compiled a list of the most popular groups to include in your formal photographs.

Quality vs Quantity

21/11/2018

Everyone want amazing wedding photos, and most people would likely want a lot of them. How many that is, I guess is a little subjective. If you're looking at booking a photographer for your wedding, you may notice some mention how many photos you will receive. Some may say a few hundred, some over a thousand, some may even say every photo that was taken. The problem is that it becomes unrealistic to expect upwards of a thousand photos to all be good photos. Then the question becomes, well why deliver those bad photos at all? It's important to not be swayed by number alone, as it doesn't always represent better value, and the chances are there will be very little editing done to make them as good as they can be as it becomes a very time-intensive process that many photographers just will not do.

Natural Light vs Flash Photography at your Wedding

15/11/2018

At first glance these two phrases seem worlds apart in their application at a wedding. While this can be true, with some photographers focusing purely on natural light and some using flash for most parts of the day, to really make the most of every situation it’s often best to use a combination of both and know how to do this properly. Weddings are happy times and the norm is to take very bright and airy photos using mainly sunlight through a window or be outdoors. Sometimes this isn't enough, or you are somewhere inside for parts of the day. This is when having a bit of extra power from flash makes a big difference. It should always compliment the natural light and be realistic, rather than make it look too obvious flash was used. Unless that's the look you're going for!

Backups and Redundancies

3/9/2018

This may seem a bit of a boring thing to talk about, especially as it's something that tends to go on behind the scenes anyway, but for something like wedding photos it can be very reassuring to know that there are several copies of them that exist before they are delivered to the end clients. The reason is pretty obvious I hope, to safeguard against potential loss due to computer failure. Having several copies in multiple places and multiple devices serves to protect your precious memories against damage, corruption and potentially loss altogether. All this is something all professional photographers should be doing, especially when dealing with paying clients.

Why Contracts are so Important

19/7/2018

You buy a house or take out a mortgage, you sign a contract. You lease a car, you sign a contract You get a new plan for your mobile phone, you sign a contract. These can be significant and financially important decisions to make, so why should wedding photography be any different? For most people you will be spending hundreds if not thousands of pounds on a service provided by someone you will only see a handful of times. While there is of course an element of trust involved, there really is no reason for a photographer not to insist on a contract to cover both parties. If you are booking with someone who doesn't use a contract, or when you haven't seen or read one prior to paying a deposit (or in full), I would be extremely wary and perhaps look elsewhere.

Wedding Photography Styles

14/7/2018

There is lots to think about when planning a wedding. The food, the venue, the flowers, the dress, the photography. But did you know there are a number of different styles of wedding photography to choose from? Some you may love, some you may hate, some you have probably never heard of before! It's always best to find a photographer that tends to gravitate towards a particular style that you like, as you'll be more engaged on the day and have a better idea of what they are trying to achieve. Wedding photography is a team effort, and the most important thing at the end is that you receive photos of a look and feel that you expected to get, and that matches the style that most speaks to you. Every couple is different - so book the photographer that 'gets' you and what you're looking for.

Should you feed your Photographer?

4/7/2018

A man enthusiastically eating fried chicken and a large burger

Ah the subject of food - one of the most debated topics on bridal and wedding forums or social media. You've booked a wedding photographer and they're going to be there for a large part of the day - longer than the majority of other suppliers - so should you be paying to feed them as well? People in normal jobs don't get a free lunch after all. While there is some merit behind this, they aren't getting the other perks of this other work as well. I don't know many self-employed photographers with health insurance or gym membership for example. Ultimately, whether you choose to provide food for your photographer should be a personal choice. Oftentimes they will not mind either way, but make sure to discuss it so they know the situation and can provide their own if necessary.