The advent of the digital age has opened up the wedding photography industry to amateurs/semi-professional photographers. They describe their style as “documentary” or “reportage” yet have no experience or training in the discipline. Often the work is of a poor standard in terms of photography and re-touching (if they do that at all). The client therefore pays for a sub-standard product. Don’t be fooled by the price either, some wedding photographers can charge at a higher rate, but yet again have little to no experience or training.
In 2001 I passed the National Council for the Training of Journalists qualification in Press Photography. During my study I conducted work experience at The Daily Telegraph, The Press Association, and approximately ten regional newspapers. Afterwards, I worked for The Western Mail and Echo in Cardiff and then a national press agency in Manchester. 2002 saw the start of my freelance career and since then I have built up an extensive and prestigious list of clients.
What all of this means is that you can rely on me to produce high-quality work on what is most likely, the biggest day of your life. I have photographed a huge variety of people in different circumstances and locations and am used to dealing with pressure. I also use the best equipment and am able to re-touch and edit to a high standard. The result is beautiful documentary photography with the add-on of any set-up shots that you want.
Some issues to be aware of:
Some photographers have made it practice to offer the full set of images that they took for your wedding. For me, this is half a job. My job as a photographer includes the taking and post-production of photographs. When I go to a restaurant, I don’t expect to have included any waste product resulting from the creation of my meal. Photography, like any other art, requires refining during the creative process. A set of edited and re-touched images also means that you won’t have to work through hundreds of half-finished photographs.
Copyright. Some photographers provide full copyright under the guise of value for money. Any photographer willing to give up their copyright in this situation, in my opinion, holds no value or regard for their work and belies no understanding of what this means to them or the industry. It makes no difference to the client as what IS provided is a license to use those images forever as you would most likely to – to show other people, to print and share with relatives etc.
As I care about my photography in this way, I care also about you and your day, striving to ensure that you feel relaxed around me, knowing that I am able to interact professionally with your guests and will capture those important and intimate moments. It is important to me that you are 100% satisfied with the final product, and that you get the attention to detail that your day deserves.