Warwickshire Photographer
What can I expect if I book a wedding and how much work is involved.
Pre wedding shoot
An engagement shoot is highly recommended in advance of the wedding and in most cases I insist on them. This would usually be 2 hours or longer if desired at a location of your choice. This will be included in any wedding package.
This shoot serves several purposes, firstly and most importantly it allows the photographer and the couple to get to know one another, and establish a rapport. A good rapport is crucial to getting great images on the day. It also allows the photographer to understand the couple and what they do and don’t like. Lastly it gives the couple an insight into the photographic process, some practice at posing and of course some lovely shots for them to keep.
Many couples opt to mount a shot from this shoot in a special frame and mount that can be signed by all the guests at the wedding reception.
Sometimes the shoot will be combined with a consultation, this will involve a series of questions from the photographer; such as who are the important people, family friends, groomsmen, bridesmaids? What is the schedule for the day? Are there any special shots that need to be taken? What style of photography do you want? The list is key to ensuring the photographer captures all the important moments and people for you and your family to treasure for the rest of your lives.
On the Day
The wedding day for example can vary from 3 hours for a simple church only coverage upto around 12 hours for full coverage. The majority of my weddings usually include preparation shoots and run up until the first dance which are around 8 to 10 hours on average.
It will be expected that the Best men and/or Bridesmaids help in getting the right people gathered for the photos you have specified. We can only capture all the important guests if they co-operate in the photography.
After the wedding
In the days of film, a photographer had to take their films into the dark room to develop the images and get the best quality from them. He or she was also heavily restricted in the number of shots they could take.
In the modern digital world the perception is that technology is instantaneous and the work is done for us by the camera. Modern professional cameras produce a digital negative that has to be processed on computer by the photographer to get the maximum quality from the image.
In the digital age we are not restricted by the limited capacity of film and so we can take many more photographs, this of course results in a lot more images to process and assess. Selection and processing of the images, takes around 20 hours for a 50 image album, upto 30 hours if full retouching service is required.
Album design is now technology based, and around 5 - 10 hours will be required to design the album and incorporate the images.
With all of this in mind a typical wedding can require 40 to 50 hours of work from start to finish.
How far will you travel?
Pricing will include travel within 30 miles of Coventry, travel to further afield will be chargeable but any distance is acceptable.
I dont want prints or an album, I just want a CD of my pictures.
Many people prefer the thought of showing their photos on the internet or printing via a local high street printer. Any album purchased will include a CD of the album images in hi resolution as part of the price. A CD will come with a license agreement to allow you print the work as and how you wish. Licenses for individuals prints are also available where required. Any album purchased will also include low resolution photographs suitable for use on social networking sites such as Facebook.
What albums can you provide?
I offer several album styles and designs from professional suppliers, namely high quality products such as Graphi Studio, Loxley and Sim2000. Affordable high quality parent/family books are also available which are often identical in design and layout but smaller in size.
How long until I get my photos?
Printing of albums can take upto 3 weeks from the supplier, with this in mind albums will be delivered within 6 weeks of your wedding date to allow for photographer and supplier lead times.
What can I do with my photos?
Under current copyright law, it is not permitted to copy an image to reprint, even if you have purchased a physical print. However affordable re-prints are available and your images will be archived for at least 5 years. A really good article which covers copyright and the law at a high level is available here
I always provide low resolution branded images for use on sites such as Facebook as part of an album package. This will allow you to share your wedding day with friends via the internet quickly and easily.
Also recommended reading is the article on why wedding photography is important on your day