Sun, wind, scenery, portraits

Last week, I undertook an assignment photographing a couple on their Wedding day. This came about as the result of a referral passed by one of our corporate clients some months ago, and just goes to prove the value of networking and the power of recommending trusted suppliers.

This was not a 'Wedding photography' job, per se, as the couple were having a very low-key ceremony and did not require our coverage at the West Sussex registry office where they 'tied the knot'. Instead, they asked us to meet them at a rather grand five-star hotel about an hour and a half away, up in the glorious Bedfordshire countryside, where we would simply concentrate on some nice relaxed portraits within the picturesque grounds.

One thing which I did take from the 'Wedding photography' check-list was the need to have a look at those grounds ahead of our meeting. We always insist on conducting a recce with every couple we photograph, taking in all locations where photography is required (for example, the Bride's preparation address, church, Reception location etc). Typically, this occurs about one month before the Wedding day, and let's us make an initial connection and look for possible areas for photography, as well as taking stock of potential issues and considerations such as the need for a contingency plan, should the weather be less than favourable.

On this occasion, though, logistics dictated that it was not feasible to make two trips and so I simply arrived about an hour ahead of time, in order to have a wander around and see what photographic opportunities awaited us. What greeted me was something of a photographer's playground - rock gardens, freshly-mown lawns, stone statues and gardens created by the famous landscape designer Capability Brown. All good stuff, and I couldn't wait to make some images!

There were two main obstacles that we faced here: One was the strong overhead sunlight - lovely to walk around in, but less than ideal for portraits, as it casts heavy shadows at every opportunity and people have a tendency to blink! No worries, though; I simply 'filled-in' these darker areas with some complimentary subtle flash light, and took the couple into shaded areas where suitable. The second concern was the wind - it was a very breezy day; but again, we made use of natural shelter where possible and exploited those moments of facing oncoming headwinds so as to inject a little humour into the images. Hey, you have to make the most of what you're given!

Following that day, the pictures were placed in a secure, password-protected album on our website, allowing the couple to take advantage of the Slideshow function and share them with friends and family.

A printed Preview Album is also on its way to them, together with suggestions of how best to display these pictures. And our services do not simply end at 'pressing the button' - as I have often said, pictures are there to be looked at; because we want our clients to get the most out of images, we will happily discuss the wide range of presentation options available to suit all tastes and budgets.

Yes, we do 'do' weddings!

Weddings. Ah yes, the eternal question: Do you or don't you? A fair enough question, and one which many photographers seem to stumble over when trying to answer. Funny, really, that there appears to be stigma attached to being labelled as 'a wedding photorgapher'...

I must admit, for many years I was one of those people. And for exactly the same reasons as the majority, I should imagine... For one thing, it is often viewed that if you are, say, an industrial photographer and you suddenly start shooting weddings at the weekends, you have somehow 'sold out'. "Trying to make ends meet, are we? Things so bad that you have had to resort to the 'unthinkable'?!...".

Actually, in my case, this could not be further from the truth. My introduction into wedding photography was via another photographer - someone who already had a succesul business set up in the sector, and who was looking for an additional photographer to join him. Of course, I made the usual excuses as to just why his 'very generous offer' just wasn't for me, but ultimately he won me over to his way of thinking. How? Slowly. And in a very gentle 'take it as it comes' fashion.

In hindsight, it was a great a great opportunity and a great decision of mine to go along with the offer. At that time, the weddings which I photographed for him filled a few income gaps in my commercial and editorial work throughout the year. And besides, my weekends were generally quiet, so it was something of a no-brainer: get out and about, meet some great people, take pictures (which, of course I loved doing), have lots of fun, whilst at the same time earning some additional income.

As a quick side-note... I think it is also interesting that there is clearly still a certain public perception/expectation of what it means to be a photographer. Many is the time that I have answered the question 'What do you do for a living', only to be asked the immediate follow-up 'So, you do weddings, then?'

Weddings are actually great fun to photograph. And as a photographer, you are in a priviledged position. Personally, my approach is one of being led by the couple's preference of imagery; some like more formal shots whereas others (and increasingly, this is the majority) prefer the more candid 'reportage' feel. Either way, I feel it is the photographer's duty to record the event not just as technically and professionally as possible (that goes without saying), but also as discretely as possible, too. Yes, there are times during the course of the day where instructions need to be shouted, and people need to be arranged, but in the most part you have to remember that as their photographer, you are simply there to record events for the bride, groom and their wedding party to enjoy in the years that follow.

So here it is - Yes, I (and by that I mean we as a company) do 'do' weddings!

But to be clear, this is just one of the many wide-ranging services offered to our clients, in much the same way that there are also many add-on products offered to compliment the work we produce.