Commissioning Wedding Photography

What is Wedding Photography?				ceremony. Equally, it is very rare for a couple not to
To many wedding clients, this might seem a strange				expect some photographs within a formal framework
question to pose, because after all, wedding				which shows them in their best light. And even the
photography must be, by definition, photography				most modern of weddings will still have a few
taken on your wedding day. Well yes it is, of course.				traditional family shots.
But such a simple perspective glosses over how				Many photographers will of course excel in one type
much wedding photography has changed in the last				of skill over the other and indeed emphasise and
fifteen years; and indeed, even today why it means				market it. I often describe my own style as classical
one thing to one wedding couple and a completely				with a fashion edge, although I have to rely on a mix
different thing to another.				of genres - including reportage - during the day. I
Years ago, a wedding photographer was a technician				emphasise the importance of directed photography,
who owned a mystical black box that very few				because, within the very tight time scales of a
other people would have been able to operate.				wedding, I think that it is important to spend at least
Wedding couples were employing this person to				30 minutes partially directing/posing the couple away
produce a few nicely exposed, technically correct,				from the attention of the guests. The key objective
record shots of the big day. And the photographer				for me here is to give the couple flattering, fine art
might have even attended up to six weddings in one				photographs that they will probably never have taken
day.				again.
In 2009, virtually all wedding guests own a camera				Choosing Your Photographer
capable of producing well-exposed images at very				As a couple, the key starting point for choosing your
little cost. So the digital revolution has meant the role				photographer is your aspiration for the photography.
of the professional wedding photographer has				Some couples see photography in much more
needed to change considerably. More importantly,				traditional sense: they would like a professional,
technological advancements have given				reliable record of the day; but they do not want to
photographers the flexibility and empowerment to				interrupt the flow of the day too greatly.
offer something radically different. This has attracted				Other couples love photography in its own right, and
different type of people into the profession and				having a creative and evocative set of photographs -
resulted in the general standard of wedding				particularly of themselves - is an important and
photography improving significantly compared to				integral part of the day. They might be aiming at high
previous generations. At their very best, wedding				end photography.
photographers offer stunning images that tell a				Once you are clear on aspirations, examining
narrative in a very artistic, flattering and evocative				photographers' galleries for quality and style is much
manner.				more important than descriptive labels as we have
But at the same time, the economics of setting up				seen. But galleries merely represent the
as a wedding photographer via the internet now				photographer's best work, so it is important to also
means that the range in quality and diversity of				ask to see whole weddings to check for consistency
photography has also widened immeasurably. It is no				and to see how the style translates itself into the
longer right to say all wedding photography is same,				different requirements of the day. Wedding couples
and no longer right to assume all couples desire the				and guests are not on a photo shoot, but there to
same photography.				celebrate the day and party, so it would be unrealistic
A Guide to Photographic Styles				to expect a whole set of images from a single
A benefit of the internet is the ease in which you				wedding to look the same as the photographer's
can examine the work of a large number of				portfolio!
photographers. Surf through just a few				Photography awards are another guide to the quality
photographers' websites, and not only will you come				of a photographer's work, and you would expect him
to terms with the range in calibre, but also the				or her to be a qualified member of a professional
proliferation of photographic styles. Many of the				body such as the British Institute of Professional
terms used to describe these styles can also be				Photography (BIPP) in the UK.
confusing because they are used interchangeably and				Equally importantly, as you will spend a fair amount of
sometimes inconsistently.				time on your wedding day with the photographer,
Reportage photography is also referred to as				you should ensure that you have a good rapport -
photojournalism or documentary photography; and is				and that you share the same photography goals. As
often used to describe an unobtrusive approach in				well as photographic flair, you and your guests are
which the photographer does not direct the wedding				likely to value a high level of experience, organisation
couple or guests at all. Instead the photography				and professionalism on the day. Finally you will need
captures the flow of the day - in a creative way as				to consider the album ranges offered.
possible - as it would naturally happen.				Budgeting For Photography
Traditional wedding photography is probably the most				It is, of course, impossible to advise generally on the
confusing description, but many people use it to				appropriate level of budget. But what should be given
depict old fashioned line-ups of wedding guests and				careful consideration is the allocation of your total
family. But it is also used to describe any				wedding budget between the competing elements of
photographic posing of the couple.				your day.
Contemporary wedding photography (sometimes				Professional wedding photography will shape your
confusingly used interchangeably with reportage				memories of the day. You are entrusting a particular
photography because it is modern!) can refer, for				photographer to use their skill to represent your day
example, to poses with modern, urban or colourful				through their eyes. Wedding planners often tell me
backgrounds. Or perhaps because the image has a				about couples who regretted not allocating more of
strong camera tilt, an avant-garde feel, or simply just				their budget on wedding photography. In fact, the
that it contains a new innovative fashion pose.				wedding planners who I work with often advise
My advice is not to get hung up labels. First, the				clients to budget for a few high-end suppliers and, if
labels can be sometimes more confusing than helpful.				necessary, cut back on guest numbers.
Second, styles of photography often do not fit				The price of wedding photography sometimes
neatly into one category or another anyway. Third, it				surprises prospective wedding clients. But is stands to
gives the impression that wedding photographers				reason that the scarcer the skill the higher the price
offer, or should offer just one style throughout the				that can be commanded by the best photographers.
wedding (indeed I get bored listening to				It should also be borne in mind that photographers
photographers' arguments about which style is				need to plan the day, shoot the day itself, and then
superior).				spend at least two further days on processing the
My view is that weddings are rarely suited to just				images and designing the album. Ultimately you have
one style. Photographers will typically need to draw				to make a decision on the importance of high quality
on many skill-sets during the day. Photographers				wedding photography and consider whether it is a
cannot for example, start posing couples - or ask				price worth paying.
them to move to a better light - during the wedding