Beautiful documentary photography unique to you
How I achieve documentary photography that tells your story
Plans for your wedding day are slotting into place nicely. You’ve sorted your venue, your flowers and even your caterers. Now you need a photographer; someone who will capture your day exactly as you imagine it. But how do you go about getting your ideas into the head of someone you may not even know, let alone met.
Here are my thoughts. I hope they’ll help you
Create a plan
Remember it’s your day and so creating a plan, or having a wedding planner help you create that plan, is a great first step. And from this plan will flood all manner of ideas for photographs that provide you with amazing memories to cherish for ever.
Tip 1 – if there are things you don’t want, now is the time to jot them down and that can include anything big or small that might have a negative impact on your day
As your photographer, I’m there for you, to capture the magic as it happens, scene by scene
Click with your photographer
Ok, I know it’s a deliberate pun, but trust me when I say that knowing you’ve chosen the right photographer for you couldn’t be more important. Research their work, follow their social media and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Do they match with your style, your inspiration, your theme and above all are they authentic
Timing is everything
Even the best plans can end up with an unexpected wrinkle in them that impacts on timing. Exploring what you want and when it might be achieved is so important. If you’re getting married in a registry office, timing can be really tight, especially during peak wedding season. Being late isn’t an option, however traditional it may seem.
I always liaise with a venue about their protocols regarding photography dos and don’ts, partly so you don’t have to worry about them, but also so I know exactly what I can achieve for you on your day. No venue is the same, but I’ll have the detail all sorted.
Rushing won’t do us any favours either. So I’ll always factor in magical time to achieve the results. Creating incredible moments that make magical photographs aren’t choreographed. They evolve and patience is most definitely a vertu.
I never forget that a few formal groups and family moments are key, but they shouldn’t be focus. I’ll work with you to ensure we get everyone to smile and look at the camera before moving on, but without the endless ‘just a few more minutes’ while everyone is watching and indeed waiting for their first glass of bubbly.
Being flexible is the name of the game
Being flexible is part of my mantra. Even the best laid plans can go awry and I will always work out a solution to a problem should something unexpected crop up. At the same time, flexibility is a two way thing and if I see something that I feel will make a brilliant memory, I will ask you to explore it with me as I’ve no doubt you’ll agree it’s something that will create a lasting moment in time.
Give your friends and family heads up
I love nothing more than photographing people having fun, most the time they don’t even know I’m there and that makes for much more natural, story telling pictures. It’s not that I don’t want the occasional posed photo, but I’d much rather they were being themselves.
That said, if I’m photographing without an assistant, I may ask to borrow an usher or bridesmaid for a few minutes to be a lighting assistant for me. Equally I may get someone to corral various groups for some fun shots as they will know who needs to be corralled far better than me.
Trust me and relax
When you book me to capture your wedding day, I’m part of your team. Here to help in any way I can to ensure you have the best day ever. From problem solving to having a tissue to dab a weepy eye. I aim to be mostly unseen but always at the centre of the action.
My aim to get under the skin of every wedding. Often acting as a sounding board for you to bounce ideas off. I’m passionate about paying attention to all the little details that your have incorporated into your day and my photos very much reflect this.
