“Writing Stories Without Words”

As with anything you can buy, there’s a good, better and best version. Think shoes: Do you like Jimmy Choo Shoes or a street side flip-flop? Make sure you find the JCS of wedding photographers to fit your style.  You will always find a photographer more expensive and you will always find a cheaper one too.

A picture is worth a thousand words… this refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image or that an image conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a description does. Well, at least that is true for those of us who are not writers.  Choosing your wedding photographer will determine how you remember a lot of the detail of your wedding in a big way. Your photographer’s view and approach will influence how your story will be told.  You will probably look back on your wedding day years from now and when you look at your album, you should still be smitten with your photos. So the question I ask is will those photos resemble your wedding day in the finest detail?

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My Style

My style has been described as light, airy, and whimsical. I have a very relaxed approach on the day, and I love shooting natural images and moments for the most part. Together with a few minutes of more formal photography for the family and bridal party photos, I like to make this as brief and enjoyable as I can!  An Engagement shoot is a perfect time to get comfortable in front of the camera, your photographer and also to check out the images afterwards...

If you love your photos it will be worth every cent you spend on them. I am not suggesting taking out a loan to hire a wedding photographer. I am suggesting that you do some research, ask around and choose a photographer who you will be comfortable with on your wedding day. Technically the photographer might be good but if you are not comfortable with the person it can show in the photos.  I love searching for beautiful moments. As a photographer, I love to prove that life is beautiful by looking for unique moments at every wedding I get to capture. This gives me the pleasure of saying I do not have one favourite wedding – but rather favourite moments of each wedding.

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Tips to help find your perfect photographer

• Does the photographer have good quality images? Look at skin tones and wedding dress colour, etc.
• Do the photographs have an altered colour or editing style that is not natural or timeless?
• Does the photographer fit the style of what you’re looking for (soft and dreamy, loud and fun, funky and sexy, etc)? And most importantly is that style consistent throughout the wedding?
• Do you notice wrinkles, blemishes, unattractive angles, awkward poses or distracting backgrounds in the pictures?
• A good way to see this for yourself is to ask to see an entire proofing gallery and make sure that the quality of photography is consistent throughout like this one of mine.
• The photos should tell a story – and if you view a complete wedding the style should be consistent.
• An engagement shoot is a great way to see if you are comfortable with the photographer. Part of the job of a professional photographer should be to make you feel comfortable so that you will look and feel great in front of the camera.
• If you are planning on printing images make sure you will be getting high-resolution files, typically 3mb-10mb for printing larger than a jumbo print.
• Do not expect your photographer to re-create photos from other weddings in an exact way, but you can expect that they can work in difficult light situations as well as under pressure.
• Is the personality of your photographer one that you’ll love working with over the next year – Your photographer is one of the wedding vendors that you’ll have contact with the most before, during and after your wedding, so make sure they have a personality that’s knowledgeable, calm and has pleasant demeanour that you’ll want around you for a while.  When my clients laugh at my jokes I know we will be a good match!

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Show me the album …

Your wedding album is the first family heirloom that you’ll pass on to your children and grandchildren and will be in your family’s homes for generations to come. Rather invest in high-quality prints or albums later if you cannot afford it now. Most photographers will be glad to design your album even if it a few years down the line. You receive the design with your photos electronically. We discuss the design and if you are happy with the design, I send it to the printers.  It will then takes between 3 – 6 weeks before you can collect your album.  No albums will be printed without your final thumbs up.  In a standard album, you can use around 60-100 images to tell your story. Take these points into consideration when looking at a sample album.

• Look at the seam of the page. Is there cracking, pinking or discolouration of any kind?
• Look at the corners and sides of the pages. Are they peeling up or not laying flat?
• Look at the book closed and view the sides of the pages. Are they waving or warping in any way?
• Look at the printing itself. Is it colourful, vibrant and matching to the quality of the images you saw on their website?

Check out a recent album I designed for a bride and groom that had their wedding over two days.…

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Happy wedding planning – The Girl With The Camera

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