Follow-Up: Photography Considerations

After writing the previous post Photography Considerations, I continued reading up on wedding photography and found some interesting blog articles. All upcoming couples getting married should take a look through these to get a better understanding of the industry they are hiring, photography requires passion, creativity and patience.

Wedding Photographers Deserve Our Respect.
A good read for brides to get a better idea of wedding photography. It make's you realise that even though you have a list, list the non-common or special "must-have" moments and try to keep the list short. The photographers are professionals and have done this many times before. Give the photographer freedom to shoot what they see as unique moments, as photography is an expression of art after all.
Zack gives a great example of the work required doing weddings in his blog entry; "I figure the only harder job in photography is war photography because you have to do your job with bullets whizzing past your head".

As Darren Rowse states in his blog entry 21 Tips for Amateur Wedding Photographers; "Weddings are about celebrating – they should be fun." Organising and setting up posed shots all day doesn't encompass the atmosphere of the event, nor does a moment that did not go exactly as planned mean it's ruined.
Take the day as it goes and trust the professional. If the budget allows hire a photography team of two to capture the event, this will lead to a bigger range of shots to tell the story of the day.

My personal favourite are photojournalism style shoots (in colour) with a minimal amount of planned shots. If you have any tips or links to add to this, we'd love to read them in the comments below.

Photographer: Andrew Noble Photography.

Photography Considerations

Photographer: Browne Photography

Every wedding has a "must-have" photograph list, whether it's as simple as the 54 Must-Have Wedding Photos For Photographers list, family tradition shots or ones that hold that "extra" meaning to you as a couple.

During the wedding process make sure you and your fiancé look through photographer profiles and sites like Pinterest together to gather shots that will hold special meaning to both of you in many years to come.

Photographer: Deyan Photography
Source: Modern Wedding Blog

In this time it would also be a good idea to discuss the idea of a "first look". It is a new tradition where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony.
It may be too untraditional for some couples, though the "first look" has many benefits, if only to photograph the special moment between you and your fiancé when you see each other for the first time that day.

Seeing each other before the ceremony leads to a smoother schedule for the day, this opportunity can be used to take some bride and groom shots while the make-up is fresh and the atmosphere is calmer than between the ceremony and reception.

Now you have the photograph types you need for the day set out, time to look for a photographer. When looking for photographers search for those within your region, useful if you want to get them to shoot the engagement shoot as well, and then start narrowing down the list by what style you like.

Once you have a list of photographers, discuss as a couple what you would like to be able to do with the photos once they are taken. This step is essential for the photographer to know so they can work out whether you as a client need to keep copyright on the photographs, or if it is signed over to the photographer, what licencing rights are going to be needed to be organised. More information on copyright can be found on the Australian Copyright Council website.

When meeting your photographer, take a mental note whether you will feel comfortable with them and discuss it as a couple after the initial meeting. The job of the photographer (and videographer) requires them to fit in and to inspire natural shots by both the couple and guests feeling comfortable with their presence. If you as a couple don't feel comfortable with them, be polite when confronting the situation and be mindful of what is the best approach for both you and them.

The important part of working out how to record your wedding day is to have fun, imagine yourself and your fiancé in similar shoots to what you choose, and be mindful of not putting too many expectations on the person who captures your day.

Photographer: DelCastillo Photography
Source: Junebug Weddings

Further Reading:
Wedding Wednesday: Photos Before the Ceremony?