How long have you been a professional wedding photographer?
I started photographing weddings professionally in Somerset in 2006.Do you come and see us prior to booking or do we come and see you?
I advise couples to come to visit me to discuss their day. At the meeting I can take you through some example wedding albums and show you some framed samples of my work. You can also view the frames here.What if something goes wrong?
If you have asked for your wedding photography to start at the church or venue, I always get there 1-2 hours every. This not only ensures I can get photos of the backdrop to the wedding, but it also means that if there was a transport problem it would not affect me being on time.I also have backup camera gear and am fully insured.
How does it work if we book you to photograph our wedding?
Typically you pay a booking fee and then the rest of the package price three months before the wedding day. I do however have offers available if you pay the full amount up front. If you are opting for an album, you need not choose which package until the time before the wedding when the full amount is due, but again you can save money if you choose and pay early.Do we have to pay mileage?
Yes but only if the wedding day involves a lot of travel for me. To give an example, to attend a wedding in Bristol I would add £40 to the package cost.We've seen a lot of different photography prices, why are you more expensive than some other photographers?
What price you will see advertised will depend very much on the quality of work produced. A low price usually means little if anything is done to the photographs after the wedding day. Personally I feel the wedding day is only half the work, if that. I look at each and every image individually and use a number of photo editing tools to make sure the images look as best they possibly can. An image after editing can look totally different to the original. So ask yourself, do you want photos that look ordinary or photos that will shine?Are we required to provide you with a meal?
No, but many couples do and it is obviously appreciated as many weddings work out to be 10-12 hours for me. Sitting down for a meal does give me an opportunity to chat to the guests which I often find makes getting more natural photos of them easier as they see me more as a guest than an outsider.Do you include preparatory photos?
It's completely up to you whether you have them or not and it won't cost you any extra if you do. They are a good opportunity for me to get photos of flowers, shoes, children and the dress being put on with the help of the bridesmaids. What decorative details you want captured and how discreet you want the photos to be is completely up to you.
How long do group photos take?
This very much depends on the size of the group and the layout of the venue. People do tend to wander off so it can take extra time to get everyone together for each photo. Even when everyone has been corralled into
one spot, getting everyone to look at you and not blink all at the same
time is no mean feat! Expect the group shot of everyone to take 15 mins
and each smaller shot after that to take 3 mins each. That would mean
15 groups shots would take nearly a whole hour! Just remember every minute capturing group shots eats
into the time that could be used for photos of just the two of you. If you have a sound system already in place that day that can be used to call together the right people, that will be by far the most effective way of moving things along quickly.How long do you stay at the wedding?
Often 10-12 hours or until about 9 -10pm. I normally leave not too long after the first dance as by then all the events of the day have taken place and there is little more to photograph.How many photographs will you take at our wedding?
I aim for 250-400. Even if you have only opted for a package of 60 photos (all day coverage) I will still have this aim in mind so you have a lot of choice when it comes to picking the photos later.Will there be an online gallery?
Yes.
Do we get to choose the photographs or do you choose them?
You will be able to choose your photos for your album, print box or disc yourself using the online gallery I will create for you on my website.
How long will the photos be on the website for?
The photos will be on the website for around a month.Do you design the album?
Yes, I create a design and submit it to you by email and post for your approval. You then have one opportunity to swap any images you like or change the design slightly before it gets its final confirmation and is produced as an album.We just want a CD of high res images, do you offer that?
Yes, I have a number of packages that offer a CD, each with a different amount depending on which package you go for.If we go for a CD are they protected in any way, do we own them?
You won't own the copyright, but I do allow you to make your own copies for personal non-profit use. I even provide the images to you in several sizes so that you can quickly and easily upload the small versions to social networking sites such as facebook. I actually encourage you to make a backup copy of the disc as just like photos, CDs and DVDs degrade too. None of the images given to you on the final disc have a watermark or any other text or graphic over them.
Can guests order prints from the website?
Yes they can view the gallery and also purchase prints from it meaning you won't need to be involved in the whole process.
Can we order frames and canvases from you?
Yes you can order canvases and frames from your online wedding gallery. I have also set up a separate gallery on the website which shows all the frame and mount combinations available. This will help you make an informed decision when you want to place an order. You can view the gallery here.Overpriced or an investment?
My packages range from £999 - £3500
One thing I hear a lot is how expensive people think wedding photography is. I have also read on a few internet forums and on Facebook how people feel they are getting taken for a ride and photographers charge what they desire rather than something reasonable. Rather than post a link to someone else's tale, I thought it might be useful to use my own words to describe the investment you are making by hiring me as your photographer.No doubt a photographer is a large part of what is a very expensive day, but also a very happy day I might add. The photographs (and video if you hire a videographer - see my links page) are what will both help you remember your wedding day best and are what will last for decades to come. So exactly what goes into me photographing your day?
£999 upwards for up to 12 hours of coverage might sound like a lot, but let me show you how a professional photographer uses what he/she charges to give you a professional service.
When you hire me to photograph your wedding you are first of all hiring an artist and like all good artists they require tools to do the job. Below are the tools I use to give you the best value and highest standard of photography. I have noted the costs to illustrate how the fee I charge wedding clients is used to get the best kit to produce the best results.
• Professional photo editing software
• A state of the art computer costing over £3000 (replaced every 3-4 years)
• A professional camera where the body alone costs over £2500 and I have two of them
• My cameras are replaced every 3-4 years
• Several lenses for my cameras which often cost £1000 each and upwards
• A reliable car that is well serviced, insured, taxed and of course fuelled to get me to your venue
• Insurance for my equipment, public liability and professional indemnity
• I pay myself so I don't get sick pay or paid holiday time. If I am not working I am not earning
• Office related consumables like paper and printing ink
• Albums, due to their quality, cost hundreds of £s too so that has to be deducted.
• Postage of your images, discs and albums all add up too
• Taxes to pay of course
That gives you an idea of my hard costs. However I haven't yet mentioned where all my time goes.
• At each wedding I take over 1000 photos and spend a few hours sorting through them to select the best to edit in Photoshop
• Each wedding will incur up to 12 hours on the day, 20-25 hours of photo editing, and about 5-10 hours of emails, phone calls and consultations
• If you have opted for an album, that is another 15 hours of preparation, designing, consulting the design with you and actually making the album
• I also spend time updating my Facebook page with comments and your wedding images
• I go to photography events and business meetings, read forums and blogs and learn about new photo editing techniques
• I designed my own website and I have to update this as much as possible so it looks contemporary
• As I am self employed I take care of my own accounts too
Hopefully £999 as a starter price will now sound quite reasonable for all the time and skill involved, and of course the huge responsibility of photographing the most amazing day of your life. I know you wouldn't want to cut corners on your wedding day and I know I don't want to cut corners on the service I give you. When you hire me you are getting a professional service with professional results. Remember the photos will outlast your wedding day for decades to come.
I'm not in this for the money, I take photos at your wedding because I love doing it and I love for my clients to be thrilled with the results. That is job satisfaction for me and what makes it all worth it. :O)