WHY YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
WEDDING ADVICE |13/05/2020
Why you need a professional wedding photographer
You’re getting married – YAY!
So you’ve fallen in love, got a gorgeous ring on your finger and you are about to take the leap and start planning for one of the most important days of your life! But suddenly you panic… There is so much to do, and I can guarantee you’re thinking, “where do I start?”.
Norfolk wedding photographer advice to couples tying the knot
I often hear the words “wedding photography is really expensive.” or “as soon as you say the word ‘wedding’ the price jumps up!” But there is a lot more to being a wedding photographer than just “taking a few photos for the day.” Choosing a professional wedding photographer is one of, if not the most important decision you will make for your wedding. Because after the day you’ve spent months or, even years planning for has passed, the cake has been eaten and the flowers are past their best, all you have left to remember the day with are your wedding photos (or video if that’s also on your list!).
In this post, you will find out what it really entails to be a wedding photographer. Including what justifies the investment you make when choosing a professional wedding photographer, instead of a ‘family friend’.
When you consider all that is involved, hiring a professional wedding photographer may not be as expensive as you first think. There are an array of skills, time, costings and knowledge involved which takes it beyond “just taking photos’.
Professional Equipment
Firstly, we have to have top quality equipment, and by this I don’t just mean one camera. We need to have at least two, preferably three or more camera bodies and several lenses – just in case! The chances of this happening during a wedding day are highly unlikely, but with technology, it is always better to be safe than sorry! This is why any professional wedding photographer will always be prepared with back up equipment including flashes, batteries, light stands and memory cards (the good ones aren’t cheap) to name a few. The list is endless and that’s just for the day itself.
Experience and skill
Secondly, it requires a huge amount of skill to work in all manner of conditions. This includes varying weather. If the rain decides to make an appearance and you’d planned to have your group photos outside, your photographer needs to work quickly and efficiently to seek out a new indoor location, that is also well lit. In some cases, here is where flash comes in. We need to know how to use external flashes to create a soft yet natural light, without blinding your guests or creating harsh shadows.
Come rain or shine
It also takes years of education, practise and skill to confidently work during any season and with the ever-changing light throughout a wedding day. Every bride wishes for sunshine on their special day, but during the group photos, this can actually cause issues. Nobody wants the sun in their eyes forcing them to squint and look uncomfortable – this wouldn’t result in a nice image. So again, we use our knowledge to check a location either on the day (if time allows it) or at an earlier date, making sure we know the all best places to shoot.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing
These skills enable us to foresee an event before it even happens, giving us a split second to get our camera ready and in the correct settings, to capture it. Confidently using cameras in ‘Manual Mode’ is another skill required so that the camera captures the moment – exactly how we want it! This is a hugely important factor, as events like “the sealing of a kiss” during the ceremony, only happen once. Knowing how to successfully document these moments, really highlights the difference between a hobbyist and a professional wedding photographer.
Public Liability & Professional Indemnity Insurance
There are then things like insurance. And not just for the extensive amount of equipment, but a professional photographer must have public liability and professional indemnity as well. Let’s say, for example a flash stand gets knocked over and damaged part of the venue. This is very unlikely but indicates why insurance is so important.
It is more than just one day’s work
You may have found a photographer online via their website or social media platforms, a blog post, recommended supplier list or even in a magazine or business card. Most of these forms of advertising cost money too. Website’s for example include running costs, such as hosting and domain names and require continuous updating. Print advertising doesn’t come cheap either, although this is becoming a thing of the past. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to even land a place within the first page of Google. We’re constantly battling against millions of other users for the top spot and then there is social media advertising on top of that.
Before your wedding day
Prior to the day, there are quotes, contracts, back and forth emails, calls, face to face discussions at either the couple’s house or venue and quite often a Pre-Wedding photo-shoot. The day before your wedding, we need to be making sure that all batteries are charged, memory cards are clear and everything is packed and ready to go. The ability to travel to the venue includes a vehicle, tax, MOT, insurance and running costs. Then there is the electricity to charge the batteries and the computer, the software and the internet required to edit and upload the images. With all of these considered – maybe it doesn’t sound so expensive?
During your wedding day
A wedding day is often 8-12 hours, plus journey time, but believe me the day goes quickly! One of my favourite parts is the constant fast paced buzz of a wedding day. I like being busy, and often I forget to eat as I’m so engrossed in capturing your wedding day. (Which just shows how much fun I’m having, as I really love my food!). It involves constantly being on our feet and carrying heavy equipment around for a long period of time. We don’t usually stop for a break until the wedding breakfast is served, later in the day. It requires being physically and mentally switched on, to be prepared for the next event or micro moment.
You will see most professional wedding photographers using two cameras during a wedding day. This is because we use different lenses to shoot different angles, create different effects and some like to have the ability to zoom. When we do take the shot, we have a back-up memory card in both cameras, so that every image is saved twice – just in case!
After your wedding day
Your images all have to be carefully selected and individually edited, which takes several days’ work. The need for a powerful computer and editing software to cope with hundreds of images at a time. And not forgetting a backup computer. We also need external hard drives to store all of your images in case you happen to lose yours. Again, these don’t come cheap! When selecting your photographer, you may have chosen them for their particular ‘style‘. This is unique to each individual photographer and involves a high standard of editing and making sure each image is consistent.
The images must then be uploaded to an online gallery and a USB box. After that, an album is designed, ordered and delivered to your photographer to be gift wrapped. Finally, the photos are added to the USB, before being uniquely packaged and delivered to you. The presentation process also takes time, and a significant amount of detail is involved to give you that WOW factor when you receive your images.
The Risk
Not missing any moments takes large amounts of skill. And when you only get one day to nail it, as a bride or groom you need to really be able to trust your photographer. I’ve heard so many people say they regret not having a professional wedding photographer capture their day and are too embarrassed to show their photos to anyone which I find so sad.
Summary
So not only are you paying for high quality “Instagrammable” photos, you are also paying for the skills, time and costs involved in being a professional wedding photographer… (And of course, the saviour of not having that awkward encounter with Uncle Bob while he’s showing you your photos, having missed your first kiss and over exposing the group shots!) Remember, these photos are all you will be left with to remind you of your perfect day – something to show your grandchildren that will bring back happy memories, for years to come.
So if there is one decision you make, please, please do invest in a professional wedding photographer to document the wedding you’ve always dreamed of, the way it deserves to be captured!
If you are planning your Norfolk wedding or anywhere else in the world, then I would love to be your photographer and capture the unique story of your wedding celebration for you.
Please get in touch here https://www.hannahbrodie.co.uk/wedding-photography/
Hannah x
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