Photography

Why Choosing a Photographer is so Important for your Wedding Day

With the age of digital cameras making more and more people budding photographers, some couples wonder whether it’s worth paying for a professional photographer to capture their wedding

Recording images through a camera onto a digital format is only 50% of what a good photographer will do for you on your wedding day. A professional photographer who specialises in wedding photography knows everything there is to know about weddings, the formalities, who not to miss out in photos with the family, and in many cases, they will end up being one of best helpers on the day.

Establishing a good rapport and feeling comfortable with your photographer is essential for successful photos. After all, the wedding photographer will spend the most time with the bride and groom on the day. It is important to note though, that although the photographer will be with the bride and groom for most of the day, a real professional will be unobtrusive, but completely in control within the background.

CAPTURING THE PERFECT MEMORY AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME

It is the photographer’s job to capture the perfect moment at the exact moment, and that is why it’s worth choosing a professional. They have the experience and tools to do it, as well as the speed and insight to be in the right position at the right time capturing the emotion of the subjects with just the right amount of lighting.

Although it is very hard to predict what will happen at each wedding, a good wedding photographer learns that there are foreseeable moments during a wedding to look for. They also have the experience to know that unforeseeable events may occur, and can prepare themselves and their equipment to minimise any such events spoiling the photos.

UNDERSTANDING AND ANTICIPATING THE EMOTIONS AND THE MOMENTS

There are certain times throughout the day when people will be a little bit more emotional than at other times. Prior to the ceremony, many of the images capture a sense of nervousness and anticipation from people, whereas after the ceremony, there is almost a sense of relief and jubilation. A great photographer knows that this is where the emotions start and where the beautiful images will start to happen. The first time a father sees his daughter in her wedding dress, for instance, is just one of these beautiful moments worth capturing.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE UNEXPECTED

A little trickier for the photographer however, are the completely unexpected moments, which often make the best photographs of all. You can’t plan for it. You can try to anticipate when it might occur, but when a great picture happens, a good professional needs to be at the ready and react in a millisecond. If they see something and then have to pick up the camera, the moment is already gone. Diligence and patience are two of the most important hallmarks of capturing these fleeting moments. But paramount to everything is the ability to think clearly and quickly. More than having a decent piece of equipment or a fast lens, the most important tool for the professional photographer is his or her brain. The camera has to be ready to fire instantly, sometimes from the hip, and you can’t be off letting your mind wander.

Not only does the photographer have to react quickly, they also need to make split second decisions on what lens is the one to use, which subjects to include in the frame, and what is going on in the background. In an instant, the image is there and gone. And once the moment is gone, a professional photographer does not ask the bride, groom, or guests to do it again so they can capture it. That’s a set-up, not a moment.

REAL MOMENTS

A professional photographer captures real moments. The bride isn’t always perfect, but the moment is real. It really happened and when the bride looks at it, she’s going to remember that moment and the emotion of that very moment. That is the wedding photographer’s goal. “To have them remember their day in a way where art and reality coincide.”

DEALING WITH LESS THAN PERFECT WEATHER ON THE DAY

A professional photographer’s aim is to document weddings with excellence, no matter what’s going on in the sky or on the ground that day. If it’s raining, the photographer can take creative shots utilising the environment. They will find a way to make it beautiful. Rainy conditions can present unexpected, extraordinary opportunities for your wedding photographer to capture lovely, funny and sometimes dramatic photographs. Every bride dreams of a perfect wedding day, where the sun is shining and birds are singing, but unfortunately it’s not always like that. It’s up to the wedding photographer to capture the feeling of the day, and any good wedding photographer will tell you that those less than perfect weather days are more exciting and have the potential to deliver some of the most dramatic shots.

QUALITY PRINTS THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME

Photography labs dedicated to the professional photographer often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for you, the discerning client.

The quality of paper and inks for prints and albums from these professional labs, ensures the client gets a finished product that will last. Not one that will fade after only a few years.

BEING A GOOD PROFESSIONAL COSTS MONEY

The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and with it, the ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process. However, with flexibility comes a price. Digital cameras and equipment are considerably more expensive than conventional camera equipment.

Therefore much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer not only has a lot to do with their time and experience, but a great deal to do with the equipment costs, artistic vision and the usual expenses associated with running any legitimate business.

ALBUM CREATION

Not only does the photographer have to be good at recording images on the day, they also have to hone their talents in photo editing. Gone are the days where photos of the bride’s face were altered to the extent that she looked like someone else! Nowadays, the art of good editing and ‘photoshopping’ is to manipulate the image so that the client and nobody else can tell if it has been edited. A great deal of time is spent on the post-production of the wedding event and the creation of the wedding images and albums.

While there are many lovely albums in the department stores, professional photographers have access to high quality wedding albums that are not accessible to the public. A great deal of design work and time goes into an album created by the professional photographer, and that’s why you will pay more for them. Each album creation is always one of a kind.

Styles of Albums offered by professional photographers:

• Traditional matted style wedding albums
• Flush mount magazine style albums
• Magazine or coffee table albums.

Melissa Jean Photography

We treat every couples’ family and friends
as though they were our own.

• phone: 0402 439 453
• email: photos@melissajean.com.au
• website: www.melissajean.com.au

Karen Buckle Photography

All the love, emotion and magic is captured to create
your Beautiful Love Story.

• phone: 0407 246 300
• email: karen@karenbuckle.com.au
• website: www.karenbuckle.com.au

Greg Gardner Photography

Greg’s pictures tell the story of the day.
His unobtrusive approach to wedding photography
reveals not simply the events of the day, but also its spirit.
Studio by appointment, Caloundra QLD.

• phone:  0754916861 or 0419700770
• email:  greg@greggardner.com.au
• internet:  www.greggardner.com.au

Photography by Bambi

Bambi (owner/photographer) is easy going, fun & creative, servicing all areas of the South East.
With Bambi, the focus is on You!

• phone: 07 5483 9898 & 0417 811 932
• e-mail: info@photographybybambi.au
• internet: www.photographybybambi.com.au

Jodi McDonald Photography

Authentic Lifestyle Photography ……. Natural  Fun  Elegant

• phone: 07 54433457  &  0404 863 953
• e-mail: info@jodimcdonald.com
• internet: www.jodimcdonald.com

Jennifer Oliphant Photographer

Jennifer captures all the special moments on your wedding day in fine detail.
The result a collection of unique images you will treasure…..

• phone: 0404 879 169
• e-mail: jennifer.oliphant@bigpond.com
• internet: www.jenniferoliphant.com

Chesterton Smith Photography

Images to Inspire – Love | Laughter | Cheer

Professional Photographer Tanya Chesterton Smith offers clients
a photography experience featuring stunning imagery, elegant design
and exceptional client focus.

• phone: 07 54717083 & 0439717083
• e-mail: tanya@chestertonsmith.com
• internet: www.chestertonsmith.com

Professional Photography

Expenses mount when planning a wedding but can you afford not to have a professional capture those memories that will be cherished for a lifetime?

“That’s a great picture, you must have a really good camera…” It’s something every professional photographer has heard many times. It’s as if it’s the camera that takes the picture rather than the photographer.

Indeed, research conducted by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography has revealed that a startling number of couples do not hire a  professional photographer at all! Presumably they rely on friends and family to document what is possibly the most important event of their lives, no doubt on the basis that ‘they have a really good camera…’.

Yet, when the food has all been eaten and the drinks have been consumed, all a couple has to remember their wedding by is their photography. Every couple who are planning their wedding firmly believe this will be the only wedding they will have in their lives so it does make sense to ensure they have the very best wedding photography they can afford.

What’s the difference?

So what really is the difference between a professional, a talented amateur and ‘Uncle Bob?”.

First is consistency. While a talented and knowledgeable amateur may produce very good – even an occasional great image, a professional has to produce many hundreds of very good images every time he or she goes to work. It’s what they’re trained and paid for and what their reputations are made of. Every professional has to deliver or they’re very soon out of business.

Second, photographers at the top of their game have a clear and defined style by which they can be recognised. It may be the way they interact with the bride and groom, it may be the post-production techniques they apply, or it may be the way they construct an image that demonstrates the uniqueness of their eye. This is the result of years of experience and while it doesn’t necessarily make them better than other wedding photographers, they do often get hired purely because of their individual style.

Third, all good professional photographers guarantee their work. The terms of their guarantees will vary so it’s a very good idea to ask your photographer just what their guarantee covers.

Copyright and the ‘digital negatives’

Copyright is misunderstood and can get quite complicated. So here’s all you really need to understand. In almost all cases a professional photographer will retain copyright of all their images.

Now this doesn’t mean they won’t sell you image files for you to print for yourself. Many photographers do. But it does mean that you can’t, for example, sell those images to a publication for gain, use them in promoting your own business or materially alter them in any way. As an example, this last point means that you can’t take a photographer’s image and photo-montage it with one of your own. But you won’t have any problems printing files
you have been given.

Calli B Photography

Natural and relaxed. Capturing those spontaneous and emotional
moments along with the fine detail of your day.

• phone: 0413 415 001
• e-mail: calli@callibphotography.com.au
• internet: www.callibphotography.com.au