Getting the best from your Wedding Photographer

Choosing the right person for wedding, the biggest day of your life (no pressure there then?) is a daunting affair.  Choose wisely and you end up with some very special photographic memories that will live on forever.  Memories that will invoke feelings and take you right back to the specific times during your big day.  On the other hand you could end up with a set of images that over time you may come to resent.

Whether you do it yourself or hire a wedding planner, the amount of time and effort you invest in planning for your biggest day will probably be the biggest project you will undertake in terms of attention to detail.  Of all the weddings I have been involved with, I know this to be true.  I remember how much effort my daughter put into planning her wedding and the level of detail was close to awe inspiring.  Suffice to say she did not allow me to shoot that particular day!  She said something about giving her away and I suggested remote cameras.  I left my kit at home!

From experience as a photographer, I can't plan enough.  Some say I am bit OCD when it comes down to gathering in the details from my clients and then planning-out the shots I aim to get.  It is easy to take for granted as many amateurs do, that simply turning-up, gathering a group together and firing a few frames makes for good results.  Oh no, nothing could be further from the truth.  I remember attending a friend's wedding many years ago, as a guest and being part of the group photos.  I also remember visiting said friends a few weeks later to view the wedding photos and what stuck in my mind was the bride's comments about so and so not being in the picture and why auntie Mavis was in the back row partially obscured by one of their larger friends.  When the big day has come and gone and all that is left are memories and your wedding photographs, it's these little things that stand out so glaringly.  That's why I pay particular attention to detail and that is why I always take along an assistant.  Whilst he or she are busy herding people into position and searching for missing relatives and best friends, I keep those we have captive entertained, although my jokes do stink a little!  That said, if I have planned with the happy couple for everyone to be in the large group photo, they will be and I will certainly make sure Auntie Mavis takes pride of place towards the front of the gathered crowd or at the back depending on my client's wises.

The big difference in attending a wedding as a professional supplier is that you have the disadvantage of not knowing everyone assembled.  As a minimum I will know the bride and groom and will have established a rapport with them and in some cases I might also have met parents or siblings.  Often this is because someone is paying for my services as a wedding gift.  This is why it is so important that I extract every bit of detail during the pre-wedding photography planning meeting.  I created a planning pack a while ago and believe me it is detailed, very detailed but as my motto is 'forearmed is forewarned' then you can never have enough information.  In effect I have my clients complete a sort of family tree which also includes friends.  If there is a requirement for formal group shots I agree these in advance with the happy couple but also remind them that it can change right-up to the last moment and they can send me as many revisions as they want.  The various groups are agreed in a second planning meeting which takes place closer to the event together with any other special requirements they desire or I suggest.  Once I have the final plan I then set about breaking this down into a shooting schedule.  I always start with the largest number of people and dwindle it down to close family and finally the bride and groom.  My assistant dutifully trots off to gather the chosen and I begin organising them by size, shape and importance and throughout which I gently remind them that it is by request of the their gracious hosts that are we having to man-handle and cajole them into place and position. Though I say it myself, my group shots have become a thing of legend.  It is amazing what you can get people to do if you capture their imagination and more importantly their attention.

People ask me how much I charge to shoot a wedding and I always say, how much of the wedding do you want me to record and capture?  I have had clients that want only the ceremony and a few formal photos taken afterwards and those who want me to start shooting the minute the bride or groom wakes-up right through to being carried over the threshold.  I draw the line at the hotel wedding suite and a very private shoot!!!  A sixteen hour shoot versus a two hour session calls for a big variance in my fees.  However, irrespective of how long I spend photographing a wedding, a similar level of detail goes into my planning.  I leave absolutely nothing to chance.  To my knowledge, I have never, ever let any of my clients down.  I have never not been unable to turn-up but always plan for that unlikely eventuality.  Should I not know a particular venue then in my own time I go and view it.  I meet the venue planners and scour the entire location to make sure I know where I will get the best pictures. I create a plan with timings, phone numbers, post codes, notes and comments.  I leave nothing to chance including the good old British weather.  I have contingencies for bad weather when it should be good and similarly a contingency for good weather when it is forecasted to be bad.  To crown it all off, I also communicate efficiently.  I send emails and texts, more for reassurance than anything else.  Once a client has confirmed and paid their deposit, they need not worry about the photographs or me turning-up.  This is one of my big successes and has seen me win repeat business time after time.

So when you start trawling through potential candidates for wedding photographer, ask them about their planning.  Ask to see paperwork, as this is often a good indication of whether they pay attention to the right level of detail.  You need confidence in them because unlike your dress or the table dressings, it will be too late on the day to start having to help them plan and organise.

Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

Well, the easy answer is choose me!!  OK that's far too easy and doesn't really help you.  So here we go.

There are essentially three things to consider, style and quality of the photographer's work, cost and for me the most important factor, rapport.  If you don't gel with your shooter then the finished results will show.

Style

There are numerous styles to choose from and you need to know what it is you want before you begin your search.  My preferred style is documentary or reportage as I think it brings out a natural look to the finished images and my importantly tells the story of the day.  Many clients now request this style and very often they end-up with a mixture which includes formal group shots.  I think there is a desire to ensure everyone who is important to the happy couple are included in at least one image and I actively encourage this.  On my last assignment my clients were adamant that they did not want posed images which was fine and we had not discussed options however as I knew the venue I knew, should the need arise, how and where I would take the shots.  Guess what!

A good photographer will always plan for the unplanned so it might be worth asking a few questions when considering who to commission.  He or she will know what shots they are looking for including any special requests from the client.  For documentary coverage they will looking to tell the story of the day and capture the special moments as well the unexpected.  For me I am looking to evoke memories and to provide images and scenes that the happy couple will not always have been aware of or scene.  After all they will be preoccupied by each other, the plans they put in place and of course the endless attention from guests.  So it is very important I capture a lot of detail in addition to the people who share the day.

Cost

Cost is an all important factor irrespective of the overall budget for the day.  I am certainly a firm believer in the 'you get what you pay for' philosophy as I have heard far too many scary stories about cost cutting resulting in disappointing wedding photographs.  We are in the age the digital camera and camera phone and everyone believes they can take great photographs.  It's true many people do take some great shots but in many cases it's by accident rather than by design.  Anyone with a camera can take pictures but when you place them side by side with a professional then you will be amazed at the world of difference.  I've known countless weddings where a 'friend' with a good camera has been the official photographer and I've also heard the regrets over such decisions.

There are photographers that will charge as little as a couple of hundred pounds and those who charges thousands.  I guess from what I have seen the average stretches between £850 - £1500 for a true professional.  To the lay person someone earning around a grand for a few hours work seems excessive but it's not just about the time spent behind the camera keeping your special day's memories alive.  If you consider there's the investment in equipment.  I carry approximately £10,000 worth of cameras, lens, lighting and accessories with me when I shoot a wedding or event.  Financial investment aside, most photographers have spent many years perfecting their art.  Before the event there is the client meeting sometimes at their home or at the venue and sometimes at my studio.  I usually like to meet at my studio so I can do a pre-wedding photo shoot which helps to build rapport and gets them use to being front of a camera.  On the day of the wedding, I usually make an early start.  I check and double check all my equipment and familiarise myself with the running order for the day and get to the first location with plenty of time to spare.  I sometimes shoot in three or four separate locations and I have plan for each.  After event, the real work begins.  Depending on the size and length of a wedding I have to download thousands of images from camera to my PC and then create back-ups to be safe.  Then comes the task of sifting through every single image to determine it merits.  I sort them in star ratings between one and five.  Starting with the five star images I begin post processing, tidying-up images, removing stay hairs from faces, adjusting colour and tone.  I then crop the images and begin final processing of converting to a format that can be used by the client.  In total the post processing can take 3-4 days.  Once I have completed images I then create a slideshow and order test prints.  The last task is to arrange a viewing with the client and again this can be in their home or at my studio.

Once you start to break-down the work involved hopefully you begin to appreciate that if say a photographer charges £1,000 he or she has probably put several days time into the whole commission and by anyones standards the returns are relatively modest.  From any fees, tax, national insurance, public liability and equipment insurances needs to be paid.  So too, there is the cost of upgrading equipment and software.  Running costs of a vehicle and so on.  So if you pay between £850 - £1500 you really are getting great value for money.

Rapport

I really believe that if you can't build rapport with your photographer or more importantly if the photographer cannot build rapport with the clients, then it matters not that they may be the best in their field or that they charge a modest fee.  Rapport counts for everything.  I know some great photographers and some who really should keep to commercial and product photography as their people skills leave a lot to be desired.  One of the easy tests when considering the hire of a pro is to call them on the phone and have a chat.  It won't take you long to work out whether you will warm towards them.  If you don't then ring the next one on your list.  Remember it's not only you they need to get along with, they need strong interpersonal skills as they will likely at some stage need to command groups of people and it can be very easy to upset people especially once it gets to the group photograph stage.  For many it's already been a long day and either they want to sit and relax a while or more often or not, hit the bar!  A good photographer if you've asked them to include group photos will be stealthy and organised.  They will start with the largest group and dwindle this down until they are left with the nearest and dearest and finally the happy couple.  Personally I employ an assistant who helps me to organise groups and search for the missing friend or relative.  It is akin to hearing kittens at times but worth all the effort when the married couple finally get to view my work.

So there you have it.  My three top tips to consider when hiring your wedding day photographer.  1) Choose your style, 2) Don't scrimp on the cost and 3) Choose wisely and get the right person for you!

In the beginning - How Jeremy Howells Photography started in the photographic business.

Welcome to Jeremy Howells Photography's new blog.

Welcome to my new blog.  I am hoping that it will be of interest to you whether you are prospective client, fellow photographer or just someone with an interest in wedding and portrait photography.  If I  am truthful and I always try to be, this blog is for me to keep a journal of my professional events.

I bought my first SLR camera at the tender age of 16, far too many years ago!  I mastered the very basics and eventually moved into darkroom processing of images which gave me a greater insight into the technicalities of the overall process of film based photography.  As I grew so did my hobby but it became a little stunted when I started a family and the cash wasn't available to keep investing in kit.  I still continued to shoot film and as a result I have a great collection of family photographs spanning three decades.

As with most of us we all suffer life's up's and down's and following my divorce some years later I decided to make some life changes.  One of those changes was to develop my photographic skills and begin to carve-out a part-time career as a freelance shooter.  Photography is an expensive hobby and as with most enthusiasts I wanted the best and the latest kit and to get paid for practising my art not only gave me confidence and it also provided much needed finances to invest.

A few years on and the digital revolution began and I bought a basic Canon 400D DSLR.  Months later and I upgraded to a pro-level Canon 5D and have remained with the 5D every since.  I also have a fine collection of lens and accessories and much depleted bank account!

'I Shoot People' is my strap-line because it is what I do.  Whilst I love all styles of photography, I love taking pictures of people the most.  Those who know me say I am a natural people's person able to build a rapport with pretty much anyone I meet.  Not wishing to blow my own trumpet, there is some truth in this and it reflects in the finished product.

Building a rapport is probably one of the most important aspects of people photography

Building rapport with the people you are photographing is crucial.  Clients visit my studio regularly and nearly always apprehensive about the session you have booked.  I am very fortunate that my studio is part of my home.  In fact it used to be a snooker room which is now my workspace and doubles as a yoga studio for my partner.  So welcoming clients at my cottage is quite a relaxing affair.   They sit down with me in my lounge and drink tea and coffee while we get to know each other a little better.  I also explain how the session will work and make sure I understand what it is they want in their portrait.  I try and encourage all my clients to try different things, be it using a white or coloured background or using some of the props for more formal shots.  Having nearly an acre of beautiful gardens means we can always take the shoot outdoors, weather permitting and this is particularly good when I have to shoot children and pets.

During a normal portrait session I will shoot upwards of 300 frames and I love looking back over the sequence as I begin the post processing.  The first 30 or so shots I can almost always discard as my subjects can appear a little wooden as they acclimatise to being photographed and then something suddenly clicks (and not just the shutter!) and I begin to see the person within.  It is really very magical.