Wedding Photographer Hampshire

 Wedding Photographer

Informal, friendly and from an inside perspective. I cover weddings in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, as well as weddings abroad.

There isn't really a label to describe my approach to weddings, I try to keep the day very informal but unlike a true reportage wedding photographer I'm also looking for great light, good backgrounds and to use what the wedding venue has to offer.

I approach your wedding photography as though I'm telling the story of your day and rather than capture it from the point of view of an outsider, I try to integrate myself into your guests with humour and fun in order to try to capture your wedding from an inside perspective rather than that of an outsider looking in.

My coverage typically includes elements of reportage, a few informal portraits, groups and detail shots which is what my clients mostly ask for, a nice light day and a well balanced wedding album.

While I do have a proven approach to wedding photography that works, I'm also able to listen, so if you have your own ideas I'm happy to try to incorporate them into your wedding photographs. It is after all, your wedding and your photographs. I think this is why I'm often chosen by other creative professionals and amateur photographers to capture their wedding, as many wedding photographers will simply do their own thing rather than listen to any input you may wish to give.

Why Choose Me?

There are many other photographers out there. So why should you consider me over another wedding photographer? 

Assurance

I understand that as a couple choosing a wedding photographer, apart from liking the images and the packages being affordable, you will also be looking for assurance that I will be able to deliver on your wedding day which is why:

• I'm a Full-time, professionally accredited photographer.

• It is me who you will meet beforehand and me who will shoot your wedding.

• Your are provided with a contract which sets down exactly what you can expect to receive for your money.

• I will offer you a pre-wedding posing session so you can get used to and become comfortable with me.

• I invest heavily in equipment and every essential piece of equipment is backed up by a spare.

• Your images are backed up and stored in two separate buildings in case one set should set should be lost due to data corruption, fire or theft.

Not all photographers are created equal!

Over the last couple of years photography has become a very popular profession and there has been an explosion of cheap part-time wedding photographers. Many of these photographers have little training, knowledge or experience of weddings and while there are some excellent part-timers out there who supplement their other jobs through a little moonlighting, there is no substitute for an experienced professional.

Trading since 2003, I am a full-time specialist wedding photographer and by 2007 have shot over 70 weddings.

Having shot weddings in all seasons and weathers, you can relax knowing that whatever the weather, you will get a great set of photographs.

My Approach

I adopt a storytelling concept and try to tell the story of your day from the perspective of a close friend rather than simply a bystander. While many photojournalists take the view that there should be no interaction between the photographer and wedding party, I believe that by having a laugh and a joke with you and your guests I'm able to show a much stronger connection between the viewer and subject in your photographs.

I'm quite informal and easy going by nature and my goal is make you feel completely at ease, my clients often comment that I feel more like a friend than a hired wedding photographer.

On the day rather than just being 'the wedding photographer' I also try to play the role of super experienced usher, temporary bridesmaid and friend. Essentially this means I help out wherever I can and am needed. In the past this has involved showing the guys how to tie their cravats, putting on flowers, calming a nervous bride by relaying messages to her room and on one occasion helping a late running florist decorate the room with minutes to spare!

Value

My packages represent good value when you consider the number of prints included and compare like for like against the contents of other photographers packages. This is simply because whether I sell 40 prints or 200, the effort is virtually the same as all of the images still have to be created and prepared.

Please don't be fooled by photographers whose packages come in much cheaper but include much less, as often by the time you add on the additional prints you would wish to purchase it can significantly increase the total bill.

Reportage Vs My Informal Style

A reportage wedding photographer reacts to and shoots events as they unfold, strictly speaking without any interaction as a pure bystander.
I interact with you and your guests, putting you at ease and making your feel comfortable with me so that I can shoot from an inside perspective. I still shoot you as you go about your day but am able to achieve a much closer connection between the viewer and subject than a true reportage photographer.

What makes a wedding special are the people, many photographers record the event but few capture the personalities and their interactions, the essence behind your special day.

Winter, Wet and 'After Dark' Weddings

Winter weddings require a specialist skill set  that not all photographers possess. In many cases it is necessary to supplement the available light with both portable and much more powerful studio flash units.

With my own little studio working with artificial light is second nature to me and I am equipped with both a portable multiple flash system and a more heavy duty studio flash system for lighting larger areas.

Location

I cover areas in Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, including London. I can also cover your wedding abroad, easing any language difficulties and wedding photographs shot to UK tastes.

How to Book

If you are able I always suggest you come and meet me prior to booking in order to see work in print and satisfy yourselves that I am the sort of person you will want around on your wedding day.

If you are happy you would like to book, please complete and return the wedding photography contract along with the £150 booking fee (included in the overall package price).

It is very important to make sure you get a booking confirmation back from me, otherwise it's possible your contract could get lost in transit and I would be unaware of your intention to book!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Are you a member of a professional body
A: Yes, I belong to and am accredited by the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP).
 
Q: What does that actually mean?
A: It means a body of my work has been assessed by a panel of industry experts and has been deemed to conform to a professional level in creativity, impact, storytelling, technical excellence, lighting, posing, expressions, print quality and composition. 
 
It means the SWPP accredit me as a competent professional wedding photographer, its also a qualification which can only be gained through merit. Its not simply a case of joining an association as a member.
 
The LSWPP is an accreditation in wedding and portrait photography, so I qualified in wedding and portrait, not art, journalism, commerce, wildlife or anything else!
 
Q: Do you work alone or have an Assistant?
A: I started using a regular Assistant who has been with me since 2006, a photography undergraduate whom I'm hoping to develop. Her role is to assist me but I also often ask her to act as a second photographer.
 
Q: Do you have professional indemnity insurance
A: Yes, I have professional indemnity insurance and public liability insurance.
 
Q: Do you have backup equipment?
A: I always carry a backup photographic equipment in case of failure or accidents, these include spare camera body, lenses, flash, batteries and compact flash cards, basically a complete backup system.
 
Q: Do you provide a contract?
A: Yes, this protects both of us by outlining exactly what is paid for and what you can expect to receive. By formally writing everything down we can reduce the scope for misunderstanding or unpleasant surprises.
 
Q: Is there a booking fee?
A: Yes, this is currently £150, which is paid at the time of booking to secure the date and is included in the overall package price.
 
Q: Do you charge extra for putting in a gallery of images from our wedding?
A: No, this is a free service.
 
Q: Can my gallery be password protected?
A: Yes, please let me know if you want to password protect your gallery, again this is free.
 
Q: Can my guests and family buy pictures online.
A: Yes, although in many packages rights to make additional copies from the CD's provided are included. However I realise sometimes this is a hassle, so your family and guests can buy images directly from me should they want to.
 
Q: How many pictures do you take on the day?
A: I take as many considered photographs as I can in the time available, I don't shoot at anything that moves, but I don't worry about how many shots I'm taking either. I work on the principle that it's better to have too many than too few. I usually shoot over 500.
 
Q: Do you edit the pictures?
A: Yes, I do reserve the right to edit and control the standard of my work through editing, I overshoot to allow for this, for example by taking 3 or 4 pictures of every group so that I can remove any where people are blinking.
 
Q: Do you use digital or a film based camera?
A: As of March 2005 I am entirely digital. Image quality of digital SLR's are now superior to 35mm film and there are a number of other advantages such as the ability to make backup copies, enhance the images and generally have much more control post capture.
 
Q: How safe are my wedding photographs when taken with a digital camera?
A: Very. Images are captured to compact flash cards which have been chosen because they have absolutely no moving parts and are therefore less susceptible to mechanical breakdown or scratching.  Back at the studio these cards are copied to a hard drive which is regularly backed up onto a separate disk stored in a different building!
 
Once I've finished working on your images, they are stored long term on at least two separate DVD-R media and filed for later retrieval.
 
As films don't have to sent off to a lab, it's impossible for them to be lost in the post or by the lab, if they are, another CD can easily burnt and resent!
 
Q: What about travel costs?
A: If you are based within an hour of Farnborough travel is included free. Other travel over an hour away is charged at 54 pence per mile for the whole journey.
 
Q: What happens if your sick on the day or suffer an accident the day before?
A: This can and does happen to photographers, for this reason I have established links with several other selected photographers and we have an informal agreement that should one of us fall ill, one of the others (if available) will step forward and try to fill in.
 
Q: How long does it take after the wedding?
A: I generally have your previews back within 2 weeks of your wedding, occasionally this can take up to 3 during busy periods but no longer. The rest depends on how quickly you order, but prints can be returned within 2 weeks of you ordering.

Please note at certain times of year, particularly December I can get very busy and if you delay ordering from your summer wedding until then it's possible I will have moved on to other weddings and portraits and will not be able to process it immediately. For example last December I received orders for 1,153 prints from 8 different weddings on the same day!

Q: Can you give me any advice on planning my photography?
A: In order to help existing and prospective clients I have compiled a few articles explaining key points to consider in relation to photography when planning your wedding. I'm also happy to talk to all my clients about any aspect of the wedding in relation to photography. I've written a few short self service articles here.
 
Q: How long will it take on the day?
A: Typically 3 minutes per group in good weather, 2 minutes per group in winter when your guests are more focussed on getting back into the warm! Larger groups generally take longer than small ones owing to waiting for more people to come when called. Portraits of the Bride and Group can be done within about 15 minutes. I can shoot all day if required, the real question is how long do you want to spend on photographs!
 
Q: How can I get across what style of photography I like?
A: Come and talk to me, I have a portfolio broken down into different styles especially for this purpose.
 
Q: How do I preview my images so I can make my selection?
A: All of the images taken on the day are provided to you as low resolution preview Jpegs on CD. No hard copy physical proofs are made. The advantage of this is that you are provided with the colour and Black and White version of the image, so you can choose which you prefer.
 
Q: Do I have to write all of the filenames down once I've made my selection? 
A: No, I've developed an automated process to make that easier.
 
Q: Do you charge extra for a mix of Black & White and Colour?
A: No. Your are provided with a colour and Black & White version of each image as a matter of course.
 
Q: What if its raining?
A: If the group photographs are important to you then you should choose a venue that has a suitable large area that can be cleared on the day in which to take photographs. I can provide lighting, but you must provide the space! For informal and 'reportage' photography we can work in almost any space available.

It rarely rains for a whole wedding, but it has been known to. Consider your venue!

Q: Will you cover my wedding abroad?
A: Believe it or not, White sands and sunshine are always a bonus to this wedding photographer! Please see my wedding photography abroad page for more details.
   
Q: What are the different styles of photography?
A: In terms of style, I group wedding photography into three classes:

1. Traditional

Traditional photography has been around a long time, it's associated with a more 'formal' approach. For example, it would be normal to have neatly arranged groups of people with the tall ones in the middle of the back row to form a triangle. It's very orderly, very neat. It requires good people skills from the photographer and a lot of interaction with the guests. As a style it's currently unfashionable, but still has a number of advantages.

Advantages

Because I can exert some control over where you stand, I can make the best use of the venue and available light.

I can help you position yourself in the most flattering way. The picture can be composed by arranging people and props so they look their best and fit into the overall picture in a more balanced way.

Traditional photo's don't age as much. Wedding photographs taken 10-20 years ago still look pretty much the same as traditional style wedding photographs taken today.

Usually provide great enlargements and framed portrait material.

Guaranteed way of getting a picture of certain relatives.

Disadvantages

The style isn't as popular as it once was, definitely 'safe' rather than 'stylish'.

The group shots can take a long time to organise depending on your family and guests.

Don't really capture the emotions or personalities of the day.

Really needs a working space big enough for organising group shots. Some hotels don't have them.

2. Informal

Informal photography is currently much more fashionable and popular, its characterised by an informal approach, often with tight framing of an individual or couple. It's roots are in photojournalism and requires quick reactions and a good eye from your photographer rather than organisation or people skills.  

Advantages

Tells the story of the day much better than traditional photographs, informal is about capturing people as they really are, traditional is about making a record.

Takes up less time for the couple and guests as most of the photographs are taken informally while the couple are going about and enjoying their day.

It better captures of the emotions and events of the day.

Very fashionable at present.

Very informal, may suit people who are self conscious in front of a camera and more informal couples.

Disadvantages

Photography is unstructured, people and events are captured as they really are and happen which may not always be 'pretty'. For example the photographer is not in control of backgrounds as he is working around where people are rather than directing them.

As reportage is based on 'picture taking' rather than 'picture making' If little excitement is happening at the wedding, the pictures can be bland. Reportage requires either action or emotion to be successful.

Pictures are not designed to show people in their best light, it is their natural body positions and behaviour that is photographed. This can be both for and against the style.

Key family members and friends can be missed. Attention tends to be given to people are are animated, smiling, laughing and joking as this makes great reportage material. It is very easy to miss quieter relatives hidden away, particularly if they are trying to avoid the photographer, which isn't uncommon!

3. Contemporary

Contemporary is often mistaken for reportage. A contemporary style is characterised by a strong element of design, but designed to be fun and informal. This allows balanced images to be created that are kept informal and capture the joy of the day. Contemporary blends the strengths of traditional and reportage styles and requires a high degree of people skills and creativity from the photographer.

Advantages

Images can be 'made' rather than taken and designed to be balanced, interesting, stylish or fun.

Informal and often fun.

Better capture of the emotions of the day.

Much more modern than traditional images, much neater than reportage.

Often produces material suitable for enlargements and framing.

Disadvantages

Works best outdoors with an interesting set of backgrounds and areas to use.
Fun contemporary works needs fun people, stylish contemporary works best with stylish people.

Time consuming to setup as the photographer has to think more carefully about each shot. This means a lot more time taken out of your day.

Can be 'quirky'. You either like a shot or you don't.

4. The Most Common Approach

By far the most common approach is a mix of styles, with couples opting to have most of the day recorded in an informal style, with some traditional group photographs  and then a small selection of contemporary images taken of the bride and groom along with some detail shots of table decorations, flowers and dress etc.

In many ways I feel this is the best approach, giving a well balanced album with some variety without taking up your entire wedding day having your photograph taken.