Adelaide Hills Weddings

1. The Advantage To Adelaide Hills Wedding Photographer You want your wedding photographer to capture everything that makes your day special, to capture you at your best, to deliver photographs that live up to your expectations. Here are 10 tips for selecting wedding photography that you can live with throughout your new life together. A reputable wedding photographer should have a physical location. A physical location where you can find them when you need them and where you can meet with them safely is important. Brick and mortar wedding photography studios build trust within the community and with their clients. If your wedding photographer does not have a local address (not a PO Box) that they will share with you, it's a good reason not to trust them. They might work out of their house, but do you know where that is? A physical office or studio is paramount to them being trustworthy. Would be you be willing to have a random stranger come to your house, or for you to go to their house? It's safer and more reliable to choose a wedding photographer with a studio or office you can visit, Adelaide Hills Wedding Photographer and where you can find your photographer. A good wedding photographer should help make your day go more smoothly. Aside from a dedicated wedding planner, your photographer is the only vendor who is going to be spending the entire day with you. A good wedding photographer should make things easier for you. They should solve problems. Your wedding photographer should be flexible. They should be able to adapt and thrive in difficult situations. Find out more about their abilities and ask about a difficult lighting scenario, bad weather, or other catastrophe and find out how they dealt with it in the past. You need your wedding photographer to be focused on you. When you meet with any wedding photographer for the first time, do they ask about you, get to know you, and find out what you want? Or do they only talk about themselves and what they do? Find a photographer who is willing to spend time getting to know you so you know they understand you and your needs. This is the best way to find out if they are a good fit for you. Your wedding photographer should be knowledgeable and helpful. They should offer suggestions about options you have for different things, provide advice on scheduling and setup, be full of ideas, and be ready to make your day and your planning easier. A good photographer is big on planning. Your photographer should work with you before an engagement session to select clothing and location. Your wedding day photography should be scheduled as part of your day rather than as an afterthought. Photography does not have to be inconvenient - it can be a fun and integral part of your day. It might sound strange, but not all wedding photographers are the same and not all photographers are a good fit for every client. If your wedding photographer meets you and finds out about what you are looking for and then tells you that they don't think they would be a good fit for you, it might be surprising, but it's nothing personal. Wouldn't you rather a professional be honest about this than trying to change to meet your needs? Sometimes photographers realize that what they specialize in is not the same thing a client wants. Photographers don't want to make you unhappy, and if a wedding photographer thinks you might be happier with a different style of photography or with a different situation, we will tell you before you book so you are not disappointed later. Price is NOT the most important factor when choosing a wedding photographer: You definitely get what you pay for. Photography is like anything else in life: You get what you pay for. It is not logical to think you can hire someone for little to no money and get the same results you would get if you had spent twice what you paid. Price is normally a factor when it comes to quality. Photographers who charge more are usually backed by their reputation, their brand, and their experience. You should also understand that your photographs will become the lasting memory of your wedding day. There are two things you should spend money on for your wedding, it should be your venue and your photography. People will probably not remember the food, you will only wear your dress once, and most of the other things are not huge investments anyway (flowers, music, makeup). You will look at your wedding photographs regularly - perhaps even every day - for the rest of your life. Shouldn't your wedding photos be great? Your wedding photography studio should be insured and licensed as a legal business. Many venues actually require insurance from vendors working there. Camera equipment is expensive and you should make sure your photographer is fully insured by a reputable insurance company to make sure you are protected. Many photographers are just individuals with cameras and maybe a slick website. Make sure your photographer is backed by a legal, legitimate business. Your wedding photographer should have backup equipment and a backup plan. Mandatory: Cameras with two slots for memory cards that can be written to simultaneously in case one card fails, backup cameras and lenses, a data backup plan including off-site backups, and a disaster plan. Protect your investment. If your photographer only has one camera, it's not enough. Multiple photographers with your package are much better for you than having just one. Your wedding photographer should have multiple photographers on staff in case someone get sick or God forbid injured. A lone photographer cannot be in enough places at once to possibly cover a wedding day adequately. For all but the smallest weddings, your wedding photographer should have at a minimum a photographer and assistant/second shooter. Anything less and you will be missing out on important moments, angles, and opportunities. Your wedding photographer should NOT dump a disc of photos on you and disappear after the wedding day. Some photographers will sell you a disc of high resolution photos, give them to you, and that's it. Your wedding photographer should provide value-add services and products after your wedding day - for example, photo books or albums, photo prints, and wall art. Other services you should look for are in-studio viewings and selection, retouching and editing services, and gift options. A photographer that shoots photos for a disc is going to give you a result that is a completely different set of photos than a photographer who is shooting with an album in mind or to create artwork. You are going to get a much better selection of photos from a photographer focused on artwork and an heirloom album than one who is going to shoot-and burn a disc for you and call it a day. Will you really want to spend time and money designing your own album? Probably not. Make sure your photographer provides you with personal usage rights for the images, but you do not need raw files or ultra high resolution photos if your wedding photographer designs for you an amazing photo album, gives you a disc of JPG digital negatives, and offers print, artwork, and design options after the wedding. Consider what you really need and talk to your photographer about what they provide. If you choose a wedding photographer who you get along with, whose portfolio or example photographs you enjoy, who offers the products you want, and whom you feel you can trust, your wedding photography experience should be a positive one.

2. The Best Way To Adelaide Hills Weddings Selecting your wedding photographer is not a difficult task. By learning my 10 secrets you will eliminate many of the pitfalls it is so easy to fall into. It is very important that you make your selection of photographer early on in your wedding plans. The best and most popular photographers get booked early, often a year or two in advance. So once you have set your date and arranged the wedding venue, the next thing on your list should be your photographer. If you were getting married a generation ago in the 1930's or 40's, your choice would have been rather limited. In those days photography was still something of a 'dark art'. Literally the photographer or his assistant would spend hours in the dark room developing film, Adelaide Hills Weddings and making photographic prints by hand. Your options for the wedding day would have been limited. The photographer would usually turn up at the end of your wedding service and meet you at the church door. He would then take a handful of pictures with his large camera. Usually a full length picture of the couple at the church door, a close-up if you were lucky and then perhaps a family group or two. Color pictures were a definite luxury in the 30's as color film was still in its infancy. A talented photographer might offer you hand tinted or colored pictures which he would make from black and white originals, but these would be an expensive option. It was not uncommon to take a trip to the photographer's studio either on your wedding day or shortly afterwards. The whole business became quite an occasion. Posing in front of hot studio lights was something you only did on special occasions. It was the only way to get photographs of a reasonable quality. Simple cameras were becoming more available to the public, but they were very basic with few controls. In those days the professional photographer still had a mysterious quality; part artist, part chemist and part magician. He could produce photographs you just could not achieve yourself with your 'Box Brownie' camera. Today things are very different. Photography has been turned on its head. Gone are the famous companies like Agfa and Kodak. A film based photography has been replaced almost entirely by digital technology, the quality of which improves dramatically year by year. Most people now have a camera of some type and are happy with the pictures they take. Rapid advances in digital imaging have ensured that the 'auto' function on your camera will give you an acceptable image. Today you don't have to worry about shutter speed and 'f' stops to get a reasonable picture. Point and shoot is the easy option. However, technical progress does not mean that everyone knows what they are doing. Look in any Yellow Pages or any other directory, Google 'wedding photographer' for any town or city and you will find an ever increasing number of entries under the listing. Why is this? It is simply because technology has improved to such an extent that even the most modest and affordable camera is capable of producing great images. Sadly, you will discover that not every so called photographer is a professional photographer. Some work on it on a part time basis and might be a cleaner, taxi driver or an office worker from Monday to Friday and a wedding photographer at the weekend. It has become a part time occupation for many keen amateurs looking to make some extra cash at the weekend. The questions you must ask yourself are; would I go to a dentist if I wasn't confident they had the training, experience and qualifications to take care of my teeth safely and hygienically? Would I trust a plumber to install a gas fire if he were not qualified and registered? No, it could be a matter of life and death. Would I trust my wedding pictures to a photographer who might be working part time on weekends, shoots everything with his camera set to 'auto', promises me hundreds of pictures on a disc for a few hundred pounds? Sadly, many people do! The reasons for doing this are intriguing. Apart from the technology issue I have already mentioned, the other current influence is fashion. The current fashion in wedding photography can be described by the term 'documentary', 'reportage', and 'lifestyle'. In a nutshell, today it is cool and fashionable to have wedding photographs that look like snapshots! Pictures that look spontaneous, which is not staged and capture the emotion of the day without being intrusive or formal in any way. What does all this mean in reality? Firstly, it is assumed that to achieve this 'documentary' or 'reportage' look, all you need to do is to take an inordinate number of pictures and chances are that you will get some suitable ones in the mix. So snap away is the mentality of many inexperienced photographers. After all, after you have bought your camera and memory cards, the images are free. There are no processing costs as with film, if the image is no good just delete it, it costs nothing! In reality, to take good 'documentary' images you also need other skills. You need to anticipate the action, be in the right place at the right time, know when to press the shutter to get that decisive moment, know how to cope with a variety of lighting conditions that will fool your camera, compose your picture correctly, and finally be able to control the guests in such a way that things you want to photograph happen naturally. How do you avoid the pitfalls? It can be difficult, but here are 10 secrets that will help you when choosing your wedding photographer! 1. Looking in a directory will only give you contact details. Looking at a web site is a good start; at least you get to see some pictures. Today a good and well produced web site is within the budget of most people who want to set up in business. So you cannot assume that someone with a fancy website is the best choice. He may have another occupation to pay the mortgage. Does the web site have a bio page? How much information does it give about the photographer, their experience and their professional qualifications? How long have they been in business? 2. Do they belong to a recognized professional photographers association, or just a camera club? Are they subject to a professional Code of Conduct? Will you have anywhere to appeal to if things go wrong? Sadly a man can go to town and buy a fancy camera with his redundancy money on Friday and call himself a professional photographer on Saturday. In the U.K. There is no regulation of photographers at the moment. Anyone can legally set themselves up in business as a photographer and they do not have to register with anyone. The public is not protected by any legislation. Over the years the major professional photographic associations in the U.K. Have lobbied successive governments regarding this matter, but without success. 3. Is a postal address listed on the web site, or just a mobile number and email address? How will you find them if there is a problem? Not every photographer has a high street studio, much work from home quite legitimately. A reputable photographer will always publish an address. 4. If the photographer works from home, he/she is unlikely to have a large studio unless it has been purpose built or adapted from a garage or other room. They are unlikely to be taking many portraits during the week. Can you arrange to visit them to view a recent selection of wedding pictures, or do they insist on coming to see you at your home? When it comes to looking at samples, albums containing a variety of weddings can look fine. Photographers always like to show off their best pictures. Always ask to see complete weddings from start to finish. That will give you a better indication of the photographers' skill level, rather than admiring pretty pictures. 5. Are they qualified? I'm not talking about a degree in photography. To my knowledge, there are no degree courses in wedding photography at any college in the U.K. There are degree courses in Documentary photography, but weddings or social photography is not covered in any depth. There are wedding, qualifications awarded by the main photographic bodies in the U.K., such as the MPA, BIPP, SWPP. These are awarded by the submission of actual work that has been undertaken. So look for professional qualifications. There are three levels: the basic level being a Licentiate (LMPA or LBIPP). This level indicates the photographer can produce work of a competent and professional standard. They will also have good business skills if they have achieved a Diploma in Professional Photographic Practice (DipPP). The second level of qualification is the Associate (AMPA or ABIPP). This indicates considerable experience and a talent to produce artistic and creative photography. The second level is difficult to attain, therefore there are fewer Associates than Licentiates. The top level of qualification and the ultimate aim of all aspiring professionals is to be a Fellow (FMPA or FBIPP). To be a Fellow is a rare achievement. It indicates the highest level of competence, experience and artistry and indicates the photographer has a unique style. These are the top professionals who have been recognized as leaders in their field. 6. Who will be taking your wedding photographs? Get to meet the person him/herself. Many photographers rather than turn a wedding commission away, will sub-contract the work to an assistant, keen amateur, or camera operator. Always find out who your photographer will be and get to see their portfolio of work. The boss might take good pictures, but what about his assistant? 7. Ask what insurance they hold. Your 'cowboy' will not have Professional Indemnity cover if his equipment fails. He will not have Public Liability cover should a guest trip over his camera bag. If he says his camera is insured that's not the same thing. That only covers him if his camera is stolen. 8. Don't be fooled by statements like 'award winning'. Always ask "what awards"! Are they recognized professional awards or something picked up at a Camera Club? 9. If you ask a technical question this will put everyone on the back foot. Ask if they shoot jpeg's. If the answer is yes, then beware! The vast majority of professional photographers worldwide will shoot RAW files in their camera, for maximum image quality. They will then spend time in editing these RAW files on a computer to produce jpeg's. If your photographer argues that he doesn't need to shoot RAW files because his jpeg's are spot on... Beware! JPEG files produced directly by the camera are never as good as those prepared by editing RAW files manually, because the internal camera software always makes general assumptions on the subject and lighting conditions. The photographer who edits RAW files manually can make specific and individual fine adjustments to the exposure, white balance, tone & sharpness of each image, together with an array of other specific controls which will produce the highest quality images. 10. Ask what happens if they become ill the day before your wedding? What happens if they break a leg or are involved in an accident? What back-up is in place? A reputable photographer will have a network of qualified colleagues, he can call upon either locally or via their professional association. So now you have the 10 secrets to finding your wedding photographer. Always meet them face to face and discuss your plans in detail. He will probably know your wedding venue already and will be able to put your mind at ease should it rain on your big day. If you are interested in having some group photographs of your family and friends, make a list with names so that no one is left out or hides away. 'Bride's family' is not very specific, list the people you want in the picture. If your dress detail is important or Aunty Betty made the cake, or you have a frail Granny who can't stand up for long, you must tell your photographer so he can make allowances. Your photographer will need time to take pictures for you, so it is important that you plan for and consider timings. If you really want a big picture with all the guests as soon as you get to the reception, it won't work. Guests always arrive in dribs and drabs and someone will be missing. Retire plan for that picture to be taken just before you all go into your wedding breakfast. There will be more chance everyone will be present. Once you have selected your photographer you will need to confirm your booking. Don't leave it until the last moment assuming your kind photographer is holding the day for you. He/she has a business to run so expect to pay a deposit or booking fee to secure the day. When you book expects to sign a contract which simply states what will be provided and the fee expected. This is usual practice. Generally, all outstanding fees are payable prior to the wedding. Finally, just to avoid surprises, ask about hidden fees. Is VAT included or are you going to get a nasty 20% addition at the end of the day.

3. Here's A Quick Way To Solve A Problem with Adelaide Wedding Photographer You might be getting married (congrats, by the way) and trying to decide whether or not to even hire a wedding photographer. You might be trying to decide now on which photography professional to choose for your wedding day. You might be a wedding photographer, trying to understand the delicate and the confounding psyche of those who engage in wedding planning. Whoever you are, for your reading pleasure, check out the top 10 myths of wedding photography as relayed by a photographer who still loves taking pictures. These are broken into three categories: a. Myths about not hiring a professional at all; b. Myths about the selection process; and c. Myths about how the photography should be done. CATEGORY A: I don't need/want a wedding photographer because: 1. My cousin's roommate from college just got the new Canon 999D and a plethora of 'L ' professional series lenses; it will be great (and, did I mention, FREE!). Is it impossible to find a good free photographer? No. Is it likely? No. Is it a good idea? Almost never. But hey, it is your wedding day. You can chance it on the stranger who could very well be overly intrigued by the bridesmaid who has just a little bit too much to drink at the reception, Adelaide Wedding Photographer and starts to dance provocatively. That way, the bulk of your photos could be of her. Perfect, right? And free. In this situation, you can just point out to your kids, twenty years down the road, that the photographer did take these photos with really cutting edge technology, which is why you can see just so much detail of the lewd woman at your wedding with, how shall we say... 'Perky' breasts. No, she isn't the bride, but doesn't she look like she is having fun? 2. Why would I get a photographer? Everybody and their dog has a camera (even cell phone pictures are creeping up in the 'megapixel' race). The snapshots of guests will suffice. Yes, it is true to state that most of us now carry a camera on our body at all times (on our phone at the very least). Moreover, at a wedding, many, if not most guests bring some type of additional camera to memorialize the event (particularly things that go wrong, if they don't like you; tears from the groom if they do). However, rigorous, double blind studies have been done on the data stream to which we are referring, and they all show one thing. These pictures have a 99.9982% chance of sucking. Really badly. There might be one great photo of the bunch, of a dog at the end of the aisle that meant so much to Great Aunt Esther. It will be perfectly exposed, focused, and display Sparky with a beautiful stance using great composition. 3. Wedding photography is too expensive - why would I support an industry of so-called 'professionals' who really only work a few hours a week. I don't know whether to be angry or jealous. You can be angry if you would like. You can even be jealous, since we have a job that (hopefully) we love, and take great pride in. If you think we work a few hours for a single wedding, you are fooling yourself. Those are the hours that you see us at the wedding; suffice it to say, many hours of preparation went into that particular wedding, countless hours will proceed upon the end of the wedding day in post-production. When done correctly, the work is extensive, fun, and pays decent. CATEGORY B: I do need/want a wedding photographer, but the selection process should be limited: 4. I'll hire my photographer after all the other planning is done. I'll select the flowers, the venue, the DJ or band, the bridesmaid dresses, the honeymoon hotel, and more. Then I'll think photography. Of course you will wait till the last few months to hire a photographer. Why would you want a wedding professional like a great photographer to help you with smart referrals for all the other services you will be seeking? While a good photographer will have worked with a spectacular cake business in previous weddings and gladly suggest that you check them out, you can spend forty-seven hours pouring over brochures featuring batman shaped carrot cakes (a theme which will certainly to take off when new brides really stop and think about it). Really, though, consider this - waiting will only limit your choices. Photographers contract for specific dates. When your arch enemy plans her wedding on the same day as you (out of spite), she will also try to wrap up the services of the best photographer in town. Beat her to that photographer for years of bragging rights. 5. I don't want recommendations - why would I care what some other couple says about this photographer? I love her website; it is shiny, happy, and new. It makes me smile on the inside. Classy websites abound among wedding photographers, for all of the obvious reasons. You are considering paying them money for an art, so the designs they use for marketing and information delivery, then, should be equally artistic. However, take a quick look at the photographers in your location, and I'll bet that you find one with an impressive website, with dramatic motion and animated vines growing out of the monitor and instant chat functionality with on demand videos... And other cool technological things I don't even know about. However, you may also find that this particular photographer has acceptable photographs, and nothing more. Then, I hope, you will realize that you deserve more than acceptable photography from a marketing guru who dabbles in photography. 6. I'm looking for a photographer who can take pictures - that is ALL. Give me the product, and then keep on your merry way, Mr. Camera Man. Well, it is not the case that I am going to suggest you develop a relationship with your photographer that you would develop with, say, the groom. However, the talent or skill of taking good photographs really is only part of the package. A photographer ought to also be able to show up on time, dressed appropriately, converse with the guests, corral the wedding party, and so on. Otherwise, you will have the photographer who shows up at the wrong location, late, wearing her parka in the Florida summer because of her 'extreme anti-social' nature and a desire to photograph only the frogs near the wading pool. Again, the frog photos might be great. But you will have to reminisce about your wedding without any visual evidence to support the memories. 7. I want a photographer who does the latest post-processing fad, and proudly displays it. An absurdly heavy vignette with color spot and 'double exposure'? Groovy. Some photographers, myself included, groan just a little bit on the inside when clients request a particular photographic fad that jeopardizes the timeless nature of photography. What we typically shoot for being photographs that will speak to the event itself, and not serve as an indication of the era. Granted, some of the content of the photo - the people and places photographed - will pick out clothing styles, automotive or architectural design, and the like. But the photography itself - the image - should fail to scream 'This happened in 1984 - no one superimposes a ghost-like image of the grooms head over the bride praying anymore.' CATEGORY C: I've got a photographer, and here is what is going to happen: 8. I want ONLY [formal or candid] shots. Any shots other than [formal or candid] are stupid, make me cry, and give me stomach pain. Use antacid and just stop it already! No, really. Virtually every wedding photography professional practices the craft in a way that utilizes the benefit of multiple 'styles' of wedding photography. Some photographers emphasize one over the other - mostly heavily posed fashion shots, say, with only a few candid shots from the ceremony and reception. However, understand that both styles, and so both sets of images, will tell the story of the day, whereas the absence of one of those sets would yield a collection that isn't as rich or descriptive. As you select your photographer(s), you will take a look at the collection of photographs that he or she chooses to display prominently, and these will speak volumes about the style of photography that is most important to that person. However, it is perfectly reasonable to expect (dare I say, assume) a certain amount of variety in the final collection of images. 9. I've got a shot list. It is important to me. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Deviation from this list will result in a world of pain. To the photographer who dares to cross me. Please understand, it is the opinion of this author that certain wedding planning resources overstate the rigid and unyielding nature of wedding planning, which can be far more organic and fun than you might otherwise believe. That is right, I just claimed that wedding planning can be fun. So that means that you don't need to hang your head in shame when you haven't selected the caterer by the 18th planning day when the moon is indecent. THERE AREN'T STRICT RULES ABOUT THIS STUFF. Nor is there a strict rule about the beloved (alternatively: dreaded) shot list. Such a list can be quite useful in many situations, particularly when family members in attendance are especially important (for whatever reason) and certain shots are needed of them prior to, say, their imminent demise. (This happens to photographers, unfortunately, with some regularity. The groom will pull us aside midway through the reception, and mention the fact the we should really try to get some great shots of the bride's father who "will not be with us much longer.") For those that can't resist looking over typical shot lists, your best bet will be to print out one that you like, highlight a few that are especially important ('a few' in English means three or so; I didn't write 'highlight all of them'), and hand it to your photographer. Nicely state that, while you are sure that she would capture these regardless of the list, the highlighted shots are REALLY important to you. Message sent, right? 10. I will direct my photographer throughout my wedding day like the pitiful waif that he is. (Alternatively, the photographer will direct me throughout my wedding day and I'll obey every command.) Neither of these options will occur; no one should allow it. Your wedding day is YOURS in every sense, and you are given enormous powers to direct the vendors you hire. However, the vendors you hire, including your wedding photographer, are professionals and know what they are doing. While this may very well be your third wedding day, presumably your photographer has had even more. The service provided by wedding photographers is one best performed in the presence of open communication. There may be a situation where your photographer has an idea, pitches it to you, and you decline (nicely, of course, but firmly). "No," you say. "I will not place that stuffed animal under my arm while humming the Battle Hymn of the Republic, gazing thoughtfully towards the east." Similarly, there may be a case where you suggest a shot and your photographer says 'no thanks.' "No," he says. "I will not take that photo; it makes me uncomfortable and I have never worked for Larry Flynt, so I don't have that kind of training." This type of open communication is the best (and only) way to conduct business for a photographer, and we expect it of our brides as well!

4. What Everyone Ought To Know About Adelaide Weddings How to choose a wedding photographer? With so many wedding photographers, so many prices, and styles, choosing the right wedding photographer can become quite a big and unwieldy task for the modern couple To begin with, the internet makes things easier, because you can see lots of work side by side, but this does not immediately let you know the most important bits of information, which will in the end determine the best choice for you 20 top tips for choosing a photographer #1 Whoever you choose, you must click with them A website will only go part of the way of finding out about the attitude and the person. You will be with your wedding photographer, on your special day from dawn to dusk in some cases, inviting them into your dressing room, while you are getting ready. The photographer will then work with you and your family through the day. You need to find someone you trust, Adelaide Weddings and get on with #2 Whoever you choose, you must click with them Yes, that's point one! But it is point 2 as well. Anyone shooting your wedding need to get the best out of you, and this ultimately is a mix of communication, and camera craft. You need to be confident your wedding photographer can guide and instruct you and your family during the poses and group shots. If they make you smile, put you at your ease, the job is half done #3 Know that wedding photography is both a business and a vocation Wedding photography is a business, and professional wedding photography is one of the hardest and stressful disciplines in the photography game. You need to choose a photographer, who is a good in business and photography. I am not talking about profits here; I am talking about the way they run the business. You need to look at the business and think - will they be here in 5 -10 years' time, when I have lost my disk, and I want a re-print. #4 Can you communicate with them easily Like all wedding suppliers, you need to know - can you communicate with them easily. A hotmail account and a mobile phone number are a giveaway. Look for a landline number, open during office hours. Ask yourself - how quickly do they reply to e-mails, and at what time of the day. However, remember we don't work 7 days a week, and we don't answer the phone if we are shooting a wedding. It is not uncommon for busy wedding photographers take off a day in the week With a wedding photographer, you need to be clear on this issue, because unlike nearly all of the other vendors, you will be communicating a lot with the photographer a long time after the wedding #5 Choose what style you like There are a number of different styles of wedding photography ranging between stiff and formal, through to totally documentary (nothing at all set up). There are also photographers that pull in aspects of other photographic disciplines such as fashion, fine art, avant-guard etc.. On top of that, there are a number of ways the photographs are processed, ranging from standard color, black and white to totally gimmicky processing. Before you seriously look at choosing a photographer, choose the style you want first #6 Matching a photographer to the style you want This is obvious, but more often than not, the photographer is chosen for another reason, and their style is foisted on the couple. You need to know that good professional photographers can change the style they shoot a little from shoot to shoot. However, you do not want to choose a formal photographer to shoot a reportage style etc. Most of us are in the middle, and lean one way or the other. Look at the photographers work, try and look at whole weddings if they are available, and if many weddings are available to view, look to see that the photographer does shoot in the way you want. #7 Portfolio shots are different to general wedding photographs Photographers choose images for their portfolios because they are either the best of the best, or they fit a certain format, or both. They tend to be dramatic, show stopping images. The 99.9% of the images the wedding photographer shoots are the ones you need to be interested in.. #8 Recommendations Nothing is better than a recommendation, but nothing is worse than an unqualified recommendation. If someone recommends any wedding supplier or wedding photographer to you, then you need to know: have they actually shot the wedding yet? What is the relationship between the photographer and the person doing the recommending? I am often approached by the venues, wanting a 10% cut, so that they can recommend me. I always say no. This goes on a lot If you get a recommendation from a happy couple, who have had the album, and enjoyed the service provided from start to finish, then go with it, but still ensure you like the personality and style. #9 Deliverables Getting the wedding photographs shot is the most important thing. If you have little money, invest in getting the day covered before investing in products. All other products - albums, canvases, prints - need to be considered separately. What is the photographer's attitude to longevity, and quality of the products? Your wedding album should last generations if it is done properly, and will last a few years if poor quality materials are used. Consider this to be an investment. Do a little research first - find out about acid free materials and pigments, and why using them is important. On the subject of deliverables, find out how reprints, albums and products are delivered, and if online galleries are provided, and if reprints can be purchased online. #10 Get a short list and have a meeting If you can get a very short list of photographers, and go and meet them at their studio. At the meeting you need to cover a few key things. Look at complete wedding albums. Are there any surprises, or inconsistencies? Look at the quality of the work, does it match the website? Do you click with the photographer? Does the studio and business look efficient and organized? If the photographer is coming to you, ask them to bring a few complete albums, but remember they take up a lot of space and are bulky. With sample albums, expect to see fingerprints, dings and the like, they tend to get carted from pillar to post, and lots of people thumb through them. #18 Ask what backup kit / contingency plans they have Any professional wedding photographer worth hiring will be able to immediately tell you this. You need to cover - what if a camera breaks or stops working? What happens if the photographer gets ill on the day? What happens if the weather is bad? The correct answers are - I have a full duplicate kit (and some), I have a network of professionals I can call on at the drop of a hat to cover for me, I know the venue, I have a plan, I will do XYZ. #19 What to look for at the photographs When you look at wedding photographs, and you are comparing photographers ask: Has the photographer got the attention of the subject? (Ignore if the photograph is purposefully a candid). Are the eyes, and face shape? Is the background distracting? Are the poses natural or awkward looking? Do the photographs work well as a set in terms of color, skin tones and lighting? Is there annoying traits like every background blurred, or every image heavily tilted? On the straight images - are the key parts of the shot straight and parallel to the edges of the photograph? #20 Get the balance right The relationship, meeting and conversation you have with your wedding photographer needs to be two way. In other words the best place to be is where you bounce off of each other creatively. If it feels like your potential wedding photographer is telling you what he will do and need to the point where you feel you are changing what you want, or if you feel you have to spoon-feed the photographer with ideas - then you have the wrong photographer. Again, this is just like the hairdresser. You won't go to the hairdresser and be bullied into having a perm and a color, but on the other hand, you expect your hairdresser to react to what you say construively, and come up with ideas.

5. The Complete Guide To Understanding Adelaide Hills Portrait Photographer Getting married is an amazing experience. It is a day filled with emotion, joy, happiness and sometimes a little sad when a family member or friend who is no longer with us is not there to share our special day. As professional wedding photographers, we know how stressful arranging your wedding day can be. With so many photographers around, where do you start? What do you need to know when looking for a wedding photographer? With prices ranging from a few hundred pounds to many thousands, how do you know if they are right for you? It is a simple fact of life that with the arrival of digital cameras, many people now call themselves a "photographer". Over recent years there has been an explosion of people offering their services as wedding photographers, many of who have never received any training, have no insurance, do not use professional equipment, Adelaide Hills Portrait Photographer and do not have sufficient backups in place to cater for any eventuality. A professional photographer will have all of the above and this post is a quick "Help Guide" to the things to look for and the questions we recommend you ask when choosing a wedding photographer. Grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy. This is not a definitive guide, merely a general overview of what to look for. Looking for a Photographer: Personal Recommendations: Have you been to a wedding recently? What did your friends think of their photographer? As a Yorkshire wedding photographer the majority of our clients come from personal recommendations from either Bride and Grooms who have used us, or from Venues that know the quality of the work we produce and the fantastic value for money we offer. Google And Other Search Engines: A quick search on any of the major search engines will produce a mind numbing amount of choices. For example, if you type into Google the search terms "Wedding Photographer" it will return millions results. Simply going through each result would take you years, so as a general rule of thumb, stick with those on page 1 or page 2. The reason for this is simple: If they are on page 1 or 2 then they have taken the time to ensure that their website is well designed, optimized and placed, to ensure that their products or services are easy to find for prospective Bride and Grooms. Choosing A Photographer As soon as you have decided on a date, have booked your wedding venue and received confirmation, then book all other services required for your wedding day as quickly as possible. Leaving it to the last minute to book your wedding photographer is not a good idea. Many Bride and Grooms start looking for their photographer the day they get engaged. Web sites: The first thing to do is look at a photographers website, but do NOT be fooled into thinking this is the be all and end all. Always concentrate on the images and not the website design. These days, for a few hundred pounds you can have a real classy looking website designed. Never forget that a website only shows the content that the photographer WANTS you to see. You will only generally see the best images, the ones they want to use to showcase their abilities so take a good look around the website. Have a look and see how many different weddings you can see. If there is only one or two, have them only photographed a few weddings? Also, how much information does the photographer give you? Are they up front about their prices or do you have to go in and see them to find out how much they charge? Do they give you specific detailed information about their services? Also, be VERY wary if they say they are a member of a "Professional Trade Organization". Some trade organizations only require photographers to pay an annual subscription fee to join then allow the photographer to use the organization's logos on their website. Indeed, some organizations have absolutely no joining requirements, you do not even have to own a camera and your Granny, who has no idea about photography, could join if she wanted. Do your homework and check out Trade Organizations carefully as they are not all the same. Some are for full time professionals only and Members are required to undergo evaluation, inspection and have insurance documents checked, others simply let you pay a nominal amount and declare you to be a "Professional Photographer". Remember that the photography industry is not regulated and anyone can claim to be a "photographer". Price: If it seems too good to be true, chances are it is! Many photographers just starting out tend to charge really low prices and only cover their costs. Many see your wedding as a way of building a portfolio of wedding images. Now this will not apply to all budget priced photographers, but as a general rule of thumb, if the price seems really low, then there is a reason for it, so try and find out what it is. For many Bride and Grooms, price ends up being the determining factor. You spend hundreds, if not thousands on the dress, the venue charges a small fortune, then there are the cars, the Grooms attire, Bridesmaids dresses, the cake, the flowers - cutting costs on your wedding photography can result in poor wedding photographs resulting in huge disappointment and photographs of the day that you simply do not want to look at. Remember, it is a one shot event - to get everyone back to retake the photographs will be time consuming and very expensive. Make An Appointment: Until you go meet the photographer, you will not be fully informed if they are the right person for the job. At the meeting, ask to see photographs from AT LEAST five recent weddings. Ask if the photographer has worked at your venue before and if so ask if you can see some images from that wedding. Ask to see the demo albums - is there a good range to choose from? Does the photographer have letters of recommendation from previous clients, if so ask to see them. Does the photographer work from home or from a Studio? During this meeting there are some really important questions to ask, a few are detailed below: Q. How long have you been trading and how many weddings have you photographed? If the answer is "6 months and 2 weddings, both of them friends of the family who I did not charge because I need the experience and the images for my portfolio" - is this the right photographer for you? Q. Are you insured? All professional photographers should carry Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance. If they do not, then tread carefully. Q. What are your prices, and what do I get in my package? Seems a silly question to ask right? Well, no! There is nothing worse than handing over your hard earned cash only to find that after the wedding you are not getting what you thought you were. Is there an album in the package? How many hours coverage do you get? What additional products are included in the price? Does the price include image editing? Do you have an overtime fee if we run over? Q. Do you contract out your wedding photography service? Picture this scene..... You spend months researching photographers, finally decide on one, get them booked then on the wedding day, someone you have never met before turns up to photograph your big day. How are you going to feel? Angry? Make sure that the person you book with is the person who will attend and take your wedding photographs. Sounds simple I know, but you will be surprised just how many photographers subcontract out their work to another, often inexperienced and uninsured, photographers. Q. Is this your full time job? Many photographers have full time jobs and photograph weddings on a part time basis so may not necessarily be available to answer your questions or emails during normal working hours. If you have a last minute question, it may take some time to get a response or you may not be able to schedule meeting times that are convenient to you. Q. Do you provide a written contract? It is absolutely critical that you receive a written contract detailing your exact expenditure and what products/services you are getting. Q. How many weddings do you cover per day? If the answer is anything other than ONE - be careful. Many photographers will cover more than one wedding a day and this can lead to problems at YOUR wedding. What if the first wedding runs late? This will mean that the photographer may be late for yours. Q. Can I see some of your work / view the demo albums? Make sure you have a good look at the photographers work. Look at image quality, look at album quality. Looking at images of babies, sunsets, buildings or family portraits will not give you any idea of their abilities as a wedding photographer. Also ask the question "Is this from a real wedding?". You will be amazed just how many photographers use images taken on training days in their portfolios. They attend a training session where a Trainer sets up the shot, then tells the photographer how to take it. The image may be amazing, but can they reproduce it during a real wedding with all the pressure and stresses involved? Q. What backup equipment do you bring to the wedding? It never fails to amaze me that photographers still attend a wedding with only ONE camera! If that camera breaks down what they are going to do? Pop out their mobile phone and carry on shooting? Q. Do you do a pre-wedding site visit? Have you ever been to a wedding and when it comes to having the photographs taken, it is absolute chaos? Uncle John has gone to check in, Aunty Flo has nipped to the loo, your Best Man has popped into the bar. Surely the Bride and Groom should have been a bit more organized shouldn't they? Well, actually no! This is down to the photographer and not the happy couple. Site visits allow photographers to create a plan for the day and are a critical component to the overall planning of the day. Q. What "style" do you photograph in? There are different styles such as Traditional, Reportage, Photojournalistic, Fashion, Glamour - does the photographer photograph in the style YOU are wanting? Do they do it weekend in, weekend out, or are they trying to photograph in a way they may not necessarily do on a regular basis. Get this bit right and you will love your wedding photographs as you will receive what you expected. Get it wrong and you could end up hating them. Q. Will you put my wedding photographs online for our guests to see? The majority of photographers now do this as standard, though some still do charge extra for it. Check if there any additional costs involved. Q. Do you do a pre-wedding meeting? A professional photographer will prefer to sit down with each and every Bride and Groom at some point before the big day to discuss the day itself. Topics covered may include things like what photographs are to be taken and where, any special requests by the Bride and Groom etc. This helps ensure that the day runs as smoothly as possible. Q. What will you wear when photographing my wedding? Again, seems a silly question, right? You will be surprised how many "professional" photographers turn up to photograph a wedding dressed in jeans, shirts and trainers. Smart business attire is the norm, but do check! Booking Your Photographer: As soon as you have decided on the photographer who is going to cover your big day... PHONE THEM! It is not unusual for photographers to work on a "first come, first served" basis and there is nothing worse than doing all the hard work only to find that someone booked your date 2 hours earlier. Many photographers will require you to pay a retainer to secure the date. This will be either a fixed amount or a percentage of the total package price and will be deducted from your total photography costs. Remember: Make sure you get a written contract which details the amount you are paying and what you are getting. One final thing to think about: Personality. Chances are that your wedding photographer will spend more time with you than any of your other suppliers. Can you spend a whole day with them? Can you work with them for an extended period of time? This is a point that is often forgotten about! Hope this has helped and if you are getting married in the near future, I hope you have a wonderful day!