faqs
| FAQs |
| WEDDINGS Here are some of the most frequently asked wedding photography questions. There are so many variables to every wedding that there is no right or wrong answer but over the years I’ve formed my opinion on what usually works best, take it or leave it. Q. Why do you still shoot on film? A. Quality. As a professional photographer it’s my job to give you the best-finished product I can and with black & white in particular you can’t beat a hand print from an old fashioned negative. That doesn’t mean that I can’t get most of the benefits of digital technology. After being processed each film is then scanned, which means the images can go online and if necessary corrections can be made. Photography, as with any art form is not about how fancy the equipment is, what matters is how it’s used. Q. How long does the photographer usually stay at the wedding? A. The majority of weddings I shoot have me stay until the bride & groom leave which totals between 6 to 8 hours. If you are trying to economize and are having your event on a Saturday morning or on a Friday then please ask me about reduced rates for shorter weddings. Q. We don’t want to keep our guests waiting at the reception while we take photographs. Should we see each other to get all the formal photographs taken before the ceremony? A. The cocktail hour with it’s great food and drinks has taken the stress out of that problem. Guests are so busy enjoying themselves that they don’t miss the bride & groom. Now I am all about the “good light” so if the ceremony ends after sunset it’ll mean that you won’t get any natural light shots together so the you might want to consider seeing each other beforehand, so we can take some of those shots. We take no longer than 30 minutes to shot the wedding party, family groups and the bride & groom after the ceremony, that should leave time for the newly weds to relax for a few minutes or to join their guests. Q. What percentage of black and white pictures should we have? A. When you come and see my sample weddings you’ll get an idea of what will work for you. My theory is that the traditional shots should be in color and the candid, more artsy ones in B/W. A color photograph is often dominated by the colors of the bouquet, the dresses the landscape etc., whereas a B/W print makes you concentrate on the mood or feelings of the subject. It's really up to you, B/W or color, the most important thing is that I capture the right mood for you. Q. What is the difference between "candid" and "photo journalism"? A. Not much. They are both informal photographic techniques. A shot can be posed but still have a candid look if the subjects are relaxed and acting naturally. Pure photo journalism is completely natural, often using a wide angle lenses to capture not only the romantic stuff but everything going on around, good and bad. Q. Our church has very strict rules regarding photographs during the ceremony, what can you do? A. This is not unusual, so we have to honor the church’s requests. We will put the camera on a tripod and shot with no flash. We may not be able to get in as close as you’d like but most churches are lit brightly enough to get very nice shots. Q. Should we have kids in our wedding? A. Absolutely. I’ve got four children so I’m a big fan. Kids make the mood far more relaxed and stops you getting caught up in perfecting everything. Q. Do you allow family members to take photographs behind you? A. Yes, if grandma wants to snap away with her disposable camera no problem. However imagine someone showing up uninvited at your place of work, doing a bit of your job then taking some of your paycheck. We rely on the sale of reprints. So if uncle Bob has a decent camera (and is going to give the couple all his prints and negatives as a gift) then I will ask him politely not to shot the posed shots that I set up. Q. What is a Polaroid Portrait? A. About a year and a half ago I started shooting with an old-fashioned 4x5 camera on Polaroid 55 film. It’s a very unwieldy camera and extremely impractical but when you get it right the results are very cool. Each sheet gives a positive print (so you can see the image right away) and a negative which is 4x5”, makes beautiful prints and also has the edge detail unique to this type of film. Q. What is the Photo Booth? A. It’s basically a portrait area that I set up during the reception. The camera is stationary so it’s up to the subject to create the art which is why we only take the photo when they are being creative; or stupid, funny, whacky, daring, inappropriate, obnoxious etc. It’s a great way to get memorable photos of your guests having a good time. FAMILY SHOOTS Q. When is the best time photograph our neborn. A. As soon as possible. They'll never look that "new" again so don't miss it. You can always reshoot later but you can't go back in time. I often come to the hospital to shoot a newborn just a couple of days old. Q. What should we wear? A. Whatever you want, let the kids wear what makes them feel comfortable, sam e for you. Q. How long will our photo session it take? A. You never know quite what you are going to get from your children, same applies to a photo session. I'll know when i've got what i need and just as importantly, when the kids are done and won't give me any more. If all goes well an hour will be plenty but if snack and drink breaks are necessary it maybe two. |
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