georgeboyd_photography
A professional wedding photography service for really nice people!
georgeboyd_photography
PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR WEDDING
INTRODUCTION
At the end of your wedding day, after you’ve eaten the cake, after the flowers are gone, and once you’ve stored your wedding gown in readiness for the next time round, your wedding photographs are going to be the only thing which will clearly define your memories of the big day for the rest of your life.
One of the most critical elements in having a successful photography outcome to your wedding is preparation – not just by me, but by the bride and groom. You absolutely need to prepare ahead of time. You need to talk over together what you want, and you need to find a photographer who can help you achieve your goal. Throughout the entire planning process, it’s your shout.
And this planning is not just a case of where the bride and groom will be photographed, or how many dozen photographs of the bride are required. It is also about keeping the families sweet – not favouring one side over the other in the pics, remembering granny, and so on. It is about working comfortably with your photographer on what can be a stressful day for the key players. And it is about securing a quality record of the day, from start to finish
CHOOSING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
Shopping for a wedding photographer isn’t like selecting wedding outfits and bridal bouquets, and for one simple reason - you can’t see the pictures you’re buying until after you’ve made your decision. In the end, that decision will be largely a matter faith.
Before you begin your wedding photographer search, you'll need to decide what style of photography you like best. Generally there are two main types of wedding photography – traditional and photojournalism. Traditional wedding photography consists of posed photographs while photojournalism focuses more on telling the story of your wedding in candid and action shots. Your wedding photographer could be a specialist in one of the two types; he should really be capable of doing both.
Most wedding photographers offer a variety of packages to suit your budget and needs, although not all will flex totally to assist you, and many will have fixed packages which do not fit your own desires. Be very firm on what you want, and do not finish up with unwanted prints, or prints smaller than you would wish. So, how to proceed?
Now, the more questions you ask up front, the more confident and relaxed you’ll feel on and after your wedding day.
a) Ask what is his philosophy to photographing weddings
b) Ask what is his photography style; photojournalistic, traditional, mixed. Traditional wedding photography consists of posed photographs while photojournalism focuses more on telling the story of your wedding in candid and action shots
d) Ask if he will do a pre-wedding informal shoot in advance of the wedign day to get everyone comfortable with the camera and phootgraphy
e) Ask whether any pre-wedding meetings, pre-wedding photo shoots will incur additional fees for attendance, travel etc
f) Ask if he will stay for as long as you wish? Ask what are the costs of the various levels of attendance? Will a full-day stay incur additional costs?
g) Ask if there are any further unforeseen costs which may become chargeable
h) Ask the prices of albums, photobooks, DVD or prints; they can often be substantially-marked up for significant profit
i) Ask if he does a pre-wedding venue visit to do his homework before the day
j) Ask how he will show you pictures for selection (e.g., electronic, proofs, contact sheets, online gallery, etc.)? Will he help choose the final pictures? Ask how will he make it easy for friends and family to order reprints
At this stage, if you've taken the time to ask good questions, you’ll know whether this
photographer is for you. Keep in mind that photographers are trained professionals,
so if the photographer is right for you, if he is available, then make the commitment and relax;
this is undoubtedly one of the best and most intelligent decisions
you've made in planning your wedding.
SO, HOW CAN I HELP?
The opening paragraphs above seek to get you to think about what you want from the day, because only then can you reach that decision about who should be your photographer.
What follows is what I can offer to make your day memorable. As you read this, please be assured that I work with the bride and groom throughout to secure what they want, not what I think they want or should get. You will find me courteous to you and your guests at all times, for I appreciate that while they may wish to be photographed (for some of the key players, have to be photographed), they are there to relax and enjoy the service, reception, dance, meeting old and new friends, and so on.
When will I arrive and leave?
I will arrive at, and depart from, the wedding site as you require – for example, at least 30 minutes before photography is to start – that is, about 75-90 minutes before the wedding, to take photos of the setting, the tables and decoration, and the formals of the groom and his attendants. I can then stay for the entire duration - through the evening dance - or leave earlier if you wish. You are in charge. I work to your requirements.
How many photos will be taken during the day?
Quite simply, as many as possible. I do not offer a 40-photo or 60-photo package. I have a passion for photography, and I will take photographs all day in order to give you a very extensive choice to select from after the wedding. There is no such thing as too much photography at a wedding, for everyone will be taking photos by the bucket-load, so the photographer is lost amongst all this. At many events, the use of flash can be a nuisance; fortunately, weddings do not fall into that category, and many guests are also using flash throughout the day.
What can I provide?
The following ingredients can be assembled in any shape or form to make up any photographic package you wish, as part of my commitment to the bride and groom. There is no limit; as I say above, I do not offer 3 or 4 restrictive packages, but prefer to enjoy taking the photographs and to see the bride and groom’s pleasure at being able to select from an extensive choice. So, you tell me what you want.
I can:
attend at the wedding from start to finish (or less if you wish - eg until the cutting of the cake)
take all the photographs and provide all the necessary digital photography kit
process the photographs, including computer software to achieve the perfect photos
provide you with a proof-copy DVD or CD of all of the selected quality photographs (not simply 40 or 60 or whatever), to allow you to freely choose
provide a pre-wedding photo shoot — photos some weeks before the wedding to get comfortable with the camera
provide wedding preparations shoot — photos as the bride prepares — eg makeup, hair, photos of dress and shoes, plus some nice shots of the bride ready and looking out of the window etc):
provide a custom-designed, published and bound wedding photobook - to your requirements – eg layout, photos, sequence, photo size, cover, colours, text etc
provide a traditional wedding album with as many prints as you wish - again, you select your wedding album photos (you can ask for photographs alone, to place in your own album if you wish)
provide a DVD, with photographs and music selected by you, and with pan and zoom, animated titles, text, wedding venue setting; I can provide you with as many copies as you wish, to give to friends and family
provide as many prints of formals as you wish for framing or for a traditional album
upload photographs to my website (www.georgeboydphoto.co.uk), making available your wedding photos to all your friends and family
seek to help you with any other photography aspect.
HOW MUCH DOES ALL THIS COST?
My fee is a flat-rate £150 plus the no-profit cost of all used materials.
In other words, my overheads cost is £150, no matter how long you need me to attend (and this includes all meetings, correspondence and (if you wish) a rehearsal photoshoot at your venue). I will not increase this cost, no matter how frequently we have to meet; travel (eg -pre-wedding visits to premises), wear-and-tear on equipment and kit, administration, etc are all covered by the fee.
I will also supply all materials at purchased cost, with no high-profit addition which is so characteristic of photographers. For example, the maximum-size photobook (78 pages at A4) currently costs about £40, a traditional wedding album will average £30-80 depending on size, quality and the number of prints, DVD’s are less than £5 each including case, labels etc, and so on. I can detail costs for your specific needs.
If you require a specific cost, just tell me exactly what you want and I can get this to you within 24 hours. But if you calculate the costs, you can have a full wedding service plus album, photobook, DVD and archive DVD all for about £300!!
Transport costs will generally be ignored unless the distance is excessive; thereafter, at fuel cost only. Any overnight accommodation for very late or distant venues may need to be charged.
Why am I prepared to do this and keep your costs as low as possible? Because I have a passion for photography and I love the challenge of wedding photography; taking photographs during a hectic wedding day has the buzz (or is that stress?) of stepping out of an aircraft without a parachute! And as a professional photographer, this is not just a business to me, but also a privilege and a pleasure. And anyway, you have other things to spend your money on!
PROVIDING THE ALBUMS AND DVD
I have found that the work to produce final photographs, draft DVD and draft album takes many many hours. However, I will try to deliver a preview of your key photos within 14 days. I will not let friends and relatives see your photographs before the client sees them! I cannot emphasise this strongly enough; the photographs are yours and you should decide which ones others get to see.
Do we get to choose the final photographs?
Absolutely. I will select the best photographs from all those taken. I will then let you have sight of these. And we can then work together to design your album(s) and DVD to fully illustrate the story of your wedding from beginning to end.
So, you make the final selection for your presentation yourself using only the best photos. Select a series that tell the story of the day for the album and also – if you wish - a selection out of the posed shots to frame, place in your own album, or simply hang on the wall.
How long does it take for the albums to be ready?
The albums should be available 3 weeks after final approval. The photobook is custom made in Spain, which takes time and care, and the photographs and text need to be thoroughly checked before despatch. Likewise for the traditional album, which takes time and care with the printing and mounting of the photographs.
Any questions?
Please, feel free to contact me without any obligation or commitment whatsoever.
George Boyd
Tel: 01463 235005
Enquiries please to George Boyd at info@georgeboydphoto.co.uk
With forty years of photography experience, and a graduate in Professional Photography from the New York Institute of Photography
