Photography

A vital part I feel of anyones wedding day is the photography.
Choosing a good photographer is key, after all these images are your memories of tomorrow. Your photographs are the one thing that you will be able to look at in years to come, those captured moments will remind you of your special day.


Before looking for a photographer, consider what kind of photography it is that you are wanting as there are several to choose from:


Traditional or Classic Photography

 Essentially it will consist of posed groups and portraits and to a large extent work to a script.
 This is the type of wedding photography that has stood the test of time and will always produce the record shots that you will look back at in years to come as a permanent reminder of your magical day. Also bear in mind a wedding is a formal affair and the traditional images will always record it in this way.
The benefits are that you will get all the pictures you expect and the final album will be attractive if predictable.

Photojournalistic photography

Much more in fashion at the moment a photojournalistic approach will do what it says and, if correctly executed, produce for you a story of your wedding day. The aim will be to record the events of your wedding in a more or less chronological order from a slightly more remote viewpoint. There may not even be any formally posed pictures and the photographer may simply stay in the background and catch snapshot images of various parts of the day. At the end of the day you will probably have a wonderful storybook of what went on which will always bring back happy memories. Be careful however! Some photographers, and even some couples will insist in shooting in black and white. Avoid this, why? Because it will always be possible to get black and white pictures from colour but to get colour from black and white is at best difficult and normally impossible. Also remember these will not be the pictures that mum will want to proudly display in a frame.
The biggest single benefit of this style of photography is that your will be able to tell a story in pictures. The disadvantage however is that you are relying on the photographers instinct and the results can be unpredictable. You may also regret the lack of formal images in your album.

Contempary photography

Contemporary photography is by its nature very difficult to quantify and can mean different things to different people, to be fashionable or contemporary it must by definition be constantly changing. This means that your pictures can date very quickly. The way this type of photography works is that the photographer finds settings where the lighting is good and the backgrounds beautiful and then photographs the bride and groom in a more idealised setting – when done properly the results can be stunning! These will always be the pictures that win awards and grab people’s attention simply because they look like they have come from the glossy magazines.
The major benefit of this type of photography is the feel good factor it generates – doesn’t everybody want to look good and imagine themselves in the glossy magazines? Of course you do it’s only natural and so you should on your wedding day – you are the star! The downside however is that it doesn’t really provide a true record nor will it always fit the bill for the photo to hang on the wall. Initially it will but as fashion and style changes it will date quickly and you may end up feeling a bit behind the times!
So what is the answer?

Try and find a photographer that will give you a mix of Traditional and Photojournalistic, that way you get the posed group shots that you like for the album at the same time as the photographer being in the background taking some more natural shots.

Alot of photographers nowadays produce discs of your photos too.

Other words of advice

Always Always go and visit the photographers to view their work, as well as seeking out personal reccomendations from friends, relatives or wedding planners.

Once you have chosen your photographer, make sure you give him a list prior to the day detailing who you wish to be in your group shots, just makes life easier and saves time on the day.

One of the latest trends is to use old picture frames at your wedding, it adds a different and fun dimension to photography. I think this is a great idea for once the photographer has gone and finished his official duties, what fun your guest could have taking snapshots.

I also love this idea, you can add them to the pews in church or around your chosen venue for that personalised touch

So take some time to do your research first, dont be one of those dissapointed brides who find out when it is too late that he has taken photographs of everyones feet and chopped your guests heads off.

 This is a day you cannot recreate again.