Would You Know What To Look For When Choosing Your Wedding Photographer?
Think about this.......
You have been planning your big day for months or for some people years but, do you know what to look for when deciding which photographer to choose, to capture your precious loving moments.
What am I going to achieve from this post....
This article will give you personal accounts plus, recommendations if your in the Yorkshire area but even if your not its still a fantastic insight.
What sort of wedding photographer do I want?
Well this is down to personal preference but what he or she can do is to be your fly on the wall (in a manor of speaking), letting the day unfold naturally while you enjoy your special day.
If you are looking for Modern, Vintage or even Artistic photo styles make sure you ask if they can do what you are after.
I personally think a mix is very good as it gives you the best of both worlds.
Other questions to ask.....
- Do you have my date available
- How long have you been in the business
- How many weddings have you shot
- Do you have a portfolio I can see
- What type of equipment do you use
- Do they provide full- day coverage from early morning ( from your house or event place till late evening ) what also is included in the package
- How much will it cost me
- How many photos do you generally take
- Do you work with assistant
- Do you use digital or film format or both
- How soon after the wedding will I receive my proofs
- Will they be any additional charges
- What information do you need before the day
Now you have this information I will tell you how I came about mine.
After 7 years of being together with my partner and having two amazing kids we had booked our date plus venue,around a few months into planning I put on my personal page a call out if anyone knew of any good wedding photographer that they could recommend. I was swamped with so many I did not know where to start, but with my favorite coffee in hand I went through each one.
One of them stood out for me in a good way may I add his name is Jonathan White of Jonathan White Photography .
I plucked up the courage to ask him first if our date was available and got the answer back I was after it was a "yes" I had seen some of the work Jonathan had already done due to work with Bliss premature baby charity events for my friends so I knew he was legit and trust worthy .
Pictures that made us want Jonathan for our day!
All rights and credit of the two pictures below are from Jonathan's website - credit to - http://www.jonathanwhitephotography.co.uk/
About Jonathan White Photography I am a Leeds based professional wedding photographer covering, Leeds, Wakefield, Harrogate and all of Yorkshire. Although these are my main areas of experience I am able to travel to suit the needs of the client.
I have experience of photographing some of the top venues in Yorkshire and use my style of photography to capture every moment and detail of your day.
I am a modern, relaxed photographer and although throughout your day I do take formal shots, I also specialise in capturing those moments and details that make your day so special and unique.
My packages cater for all budgets and I am able to tailor a package that suits you and your day. With all my packages I will arrive early and capture the important moment of the bride getting ready, and of course that special moment between the bride and the father. I will then cover the full service and reception up until the first dance. This enables me to ensure I do not miss a moment of your day.
After shooting your big day I am able to edit a post a selection of your shots, that night, so that you are able to view and enjoy them the morning after the wedding. With your permission i will post these to my Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonathan-White-Photography/404782626263010I have to say I did put into play lots of questions and emails back and forth to each other to make sure this photographer for our wedding so after some good thought time if my hubby to be he was the right one for our special day and yes we had booked him.After a few crazy hiccups with my wedding dress we ended up meeting Jonathan for a meeting and some shots just to get a feel for things.
It's so important to meet your photographer before hand to get to know each other and to discuss in more details what you are after and do think it makes you feel more at ease for the day.If you are like me and very nervous and don't like other people taking pictures of you then this is the guy to tun to as he is such a kind-hearted guy who will make you so welcome and feel comfortable with taken pictures of you and your partner.
Skipping forward to the big day.....
I was nervous and scared the morning of the day due to not being so well anyway but I was getting married "oh my lord"
Jonathan arrived around 10:30 am and all seem to settle down as soon as I saw familiar faces, first shots taken of preparation & make-up, as a successful wedding photography is all about telling a story through a series of photos starting your big day off.
How Jonathan captured me in this picture is one of such true perfection.Jonathan's character was sure coming out on the day as a photographer with such dedication to his work you could see it was more then just a job to him.
Your Wedding Dress....
The dress that took months of searching for is going to be one of the main focus points of the day so make sure your photographer gets some shots before and a nice few of you getting laced up as Jonathan did with mine.
Wedding Rings....
Find balanced backgrounds as symmetry and balance are the key to good ring shots making you see all the details from the rings in focus and the background fading out.
The Wedding Cake Photo .....The photographer needs to get a clean and clear shot of your cake as shown in ours above,also remember settings as no one wants to see any old rubbish in background so make sure you have a good background.
Background we had wedding curtain twinkle lighting to give a little extra wow factor.
A Scenic Shot....
While your guests are having a few drinks at the bar take a little journey around your chosen venue you never know what you could find!
Show in the picture above that Jonathan had taken it's simply breathtaking romantic waterside setting.
Braving the elements is very rewarding as we walked through woods and yes I did it in my high heels and my hands tightly on my dress trying to not get it all dirty but by this time I thought what the hell I am only doing this once.
How outstanding pictures such as these are and rare finds around your venue.
Going wide on pictures has the ability to capture interesting graphic shapes if you choose the right photographer you will find him or her doing shots as Jonathan White did for us with him laying on the ground.
This kind of work from the Jonathan can give some unique images from an unusual perspective.
Confetti Shot.....
Make sure you get a good confetti shot by getting your guests to stand as close as they can together and getting them to throw the confetti as high as they can so you end up with a perfect flutter.
Alone Together.....
Those quiet moments together are ones to cherish so make time to have a few minutes alone so your truly emotionally connected with each other.
Remembering back to the day Jonathan made us smile with his enthusiastic work ethic never have we seen such a talented photographer with our best interests at heart.
One time he got so giddy seeing yellow fields it was a joy to see him enjoying our special day with us.
Silhouettes......
Are a wonderful way to convey drama that engage viewers for dramatic photographs, relying on shape and often-times vibrant, saturated color to tell a story.identifiable by their outline or black shape against a colourful or well-lit background.
Flashguns......
Flashgun delivers the potential for versatile lighting techniques in wide-ranging conditions,even working in daylight it can be used.
Our photographer (Jonathan White) brought along his and have to say its a very impressive bit of kit.On behalf of both us ( Bride & Groom ) would like to say a huge Thank You to Jonathan White for being one outstanding unique photographer we have had the pleasure working with,you truly are 100% dedicated to your work.
I would highly recommend Jonathan for all types wedding, family and events if you are looking for someone who will not let you down, then this is the guy.
Please pop over to Jonathan's website - http://www.jonathanwhitephotography.co.uk/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonathan-White-Photography/404782626263010Twitter - https://twitter.com/j_white_photo
