Many of you may have seen an article in the news over the last couple of days regarding the unfortunate West Yorkshire couple whose wedding photography was ruined by a so-called ‘professional’. I couldn’t help but leave a comment on the national Daily Mail’s website and it seems that lots of other professional wedding photographers have done so too.
It got me thinking about what I do in the age of digital technology and why I am committed as a professional to the progression of the art of modern, wedding photography.
Over the past few years, there has been a massive influx of new photographers to the industry and to each and every one of them, I wish them good luck for their success. However, I wish them good luck as long as they carry with them the responsibility of being a professional wedding photographer – that means several things. It means at the most basic of levels, at least one back up piece of equipment for each critical part of their camera system; at least giving their clients a written contract/booking form which clearly states what the terms of business are and exactly what the clients will receive for their investment; It means having full and valid public liability insurance in the event of an accident in a public space and usually PAT testing for any equipment they take to a venue. These are all practicalities that professional wedding photographers take as given, even more importantly though are the other aspects of a photographer that you should consider well before booking.
Does the photographer’s style of photography make you tick? Does he/she have the relevant experience in all types of weather conditions to produce a consistently great image for your album ie. Does he/she have experience with lighting gear which will allow them to keep shooting creative images even when it is raining outside. Can you imagine your photographer spending upto 12 hours with you on what will undoubtedly be one of your most special days of your life so far? In an ideal world, you should be able to answer all of these questions positively!
I enjoy nothing more than meeting with clients after their return from honeymoons to show them the story of their wedding day – this to me is a big prize for the job I am lucky enough to do professionally. What I do know is that I am continuously getting educated as a photographer – I take courses, read continuously, go to seminars, join professional organisation s- basically I have an insatiable appetite for getting better at what I do everyday. When that desire is not there, I’ll hang up my Nikon and retire gracefully.
Bringing it all home, when you hire a professional photographer for your wedding, you can and should expect images such as the one above, you can and should expect a professional who is adequately prepared to deal with all that the stresses of a wedding day can throw at them and lastly – they should be ultimately passionate about their craft and how that translates to your wedding album – when the cake is scoffed and the hangover is long forgotten – you will always have your album to reflect on how perfect your special day was.
As an East Yorkshire Wedding Photographer, I cover wedding stories all throughout the north of the UK.
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