MIKE POTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHER NOWRA AND SHOALHAVEN, NSW.

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

So, your wedding planning has officially started and you’re determined to find that perfect wedding photographer for your big day.

You’ve found a few in your area, scouring the internet and Instagram but however you're still unsure of what you need....

You have this lingering question...How do you know which photographer is the best one for me?

I’m here to make that process easier for you. 

Here are my top five tips you need to consider before signing up your dream photographer - 

Tip No. 1 – Don’t ask your friend or family member to do your wedding photography

his might have crossed your mind already and perhaps at face value, it seems like a good idea. I can fully understand why it would appeal to you. You might be more relaxed with your friend, you might not have to pay them and they are coming as a guest already. These are also some of the reasons, when considered on the flip side, why they might not be the best option. Let me ask you a few simple questions to help you decide on this.

• Is your friend/family member a professional photographer?
• Are they good at managing time and people?
• Do they have the best kit for the job?
• Are they going to work hard all day and be completely focused on the most memorable moments, documenting one of the most important events in your life for you to treasure for years to come?
• Are they going to edit all of your images conscientiously and supply them in good time?
• Will these images be used to provide a high quality album?

If you have answered yes to all of these questions then, of course, your friend sounds like they will be perfect for the job. However, if you have answered no to any of them, and have the tiniest suspicion that they might be at the bar while you are having your first dance, then it is time to reconsider. It also might be nice for your friend or family member to be able to enjoy your special day as your guest, rather than worrying about the pressure of getting your images spot on. 

Tip No.2 – Be in harmony with the style you want.

Experienced professional photographers have spent a great deal of their career honing their own particular ‘style’ and a couple of photographs may have already caught your eye and are guiding you to the type of style that will record your dream day. 

Next, have a brainstorm with your fiance. Chat about what you like and don’t like, what you are worried about and what your dream photographs might look like. What would work practically, is your photographer local to your venue, have you allocated enough time for photography in your schedule, which photos can’t you do without? Thinking about this early on can give you a great starting point and help you to stick to what is important to you.

Here are a few images that will help you understand the basic styles:

Traditional

Traditional wedding photography style refers to classic portraits of the couple, the families, and the wedding party.

The good thing about the traditional style is that it timeless and will always age well – you won’t be looking back at your wedding photos wondering what you were thinking.

A big benifit of traditional photography is that you will ensure that everyone will be in the photographs.   

Traditional photographers will organise the guests in groups so no one will be missing.

If you think that traditional photography with its classic family portraits are boring, I would encourage you to think again. The experienced photographer will find the right poses and ideas to capture your wedding day in a way that expresses the emotion of the day and your personality.

Candid or Photojournalistic Style

These are natural, unposed shots. You will likely get some of these from all photographers but some do this style exclusively. This style often catches those moments where people are unaware of the camera and are therefore incredibly natural.

The photographer acts like a fly on the wall to capture the special moments and emotions of the couple.

The candid or photojournalistic style lets things flow naturally.  This is more likely to capture authentic emotions on camera.

Cinematic Style or Fine Art Style

As the name suggests these are heavily stylised images with extensive editing, colouring and a filmic quality. They are often more posed and intentional in their approach.

This style provided more artistic photos than the average wedding pictures. In the end, what you’ll get is a visual masterpiece.

Each fine art wedding photographer will have their own unique style – which is why it’s very important that you see the work of the potential photographers and understand their ideas.

Fine art photography is usually quite expensive because you’re not just paying for the photographer’s time and work, but also for their creative view.

Life Style

The photographer will direct you very little on the day. They will choose specific shots that tell a story about you and your wedding. This style can overlap with candid.  

For lifestyle pictures, the photographer will give you some guidance – so you’ll be perfectly aware that your photo is being taken.

However, unlike traditional wedding photography, they won’t pose you for classic images. The idea is to capture casual-looking photos that were actually planned and organised.

Many photographers prefer to use prompts or suggest activities instead of posing you. This way, you’ll look more relaxed, and the photos will be more authentic.

Editorial Style

Choosing editorial wedding photos is like having your very own magazine photoshoot.

This style isn’t for everyone, as it involves a bigger production, posed photos, and a different type of photographer. However, this will surely create stunning images.

As with fine art photography, the unique style of the photographer is particularly important. In fact, you probably won’t be working with a wedding photographer but a portrait one that specialises in this photography style.

In this case, you may want to hire another photographer focused on event photography to capture the wedding day in more detail.

Vintage Style

Vintage wedding photography style is all the rage today. People like the feeling of nostalgia, evoked with such photos. Many newlyweds hold their wedding ceremonies in a rustic style, which indicates the relevance of this direction.

It is possible to get retro-style photos using the following ways: a photo shoot with a film camera, photographing with special filters that cover the lens of the camera and editing manipulations at the post-production stage. To give your pics a vintage feel, think of adding graininess to them and highlighting brown tones with sepia coloring.

Black & White Style

Some people like colour photos, while others appreciate the simplicity of black-and-white shots. Many photographers often turn their colour pictures into black and white to hide some flaws associated with lighting or to add more drama to the image. This is one of the wedding photography styles, where the main focus is on the objects.

Couples like to have some monochrome photos in their wedding albums. In this modern age, photographers do not have to use black and white file to produce this drama.  Much of it is done in digital post-editing, however many high end cameras can be set to take black and white images.

Blurred Style

This style using blurred features within the photograph to assist in isolating or drawing attention to the main subject in the photograph.  Many modern couples like to include such photographs in their wedding album.

Dark and Moody Style

This style is not to every couples liking due to the dark tones relied upon to create a dramatic scene of emotion and sense of location.  It is however becoming more popular with modern day wedding couples.

Tip No.3 – Research!

Once you have an idea of what your preferred style is, you can start researching properly! 

An obvious place to start are sites where you can save and organise your favourite images, like Pinterest and Instagram. Reviewing advertising sites such as LocalSearch or Easyweddings.com.au or local wedding business sites such as southcoastweddingfair.com.  They will provide you with a plethora of options to make your wedding planning less stressful.

Your chosen location will need to be reviewed with any proposed photographer to verify that your location is conducive with your preferred style (for example underwater wedding ceremonies may lack dramatic cinematic scenery if there is little dramatic light or features).  It will also help you to make sure you allow enough time to reach all the locations you want to capture whilst it is still light! 

Feel free to ask them lots of questions, don’t be afraid of communicating what you want. The closer you all are to having the same expectations, the more likely you are to be happy with the finished results. 

Tip No.4 – Choose a photographer you feel comfortable with.

A good photographer will consider correct lighting, composition and colouring, but when it comes to wedding photography there is more to it than meets the eye. Your photographer is sharing some of your most intimate moments and how comfortable you feel will come across in your photos. Think about what sort of people you work best with and what type of person will suit you as a couple.

Many photographers will offer pre-wedding shoots beforehand so you can talk through the wedding and they can take a few shots so you can all get to know each other better. This can go a long way to ironing out any anxieties you might have and help you to be more comfortable in front of the camera before going into the wedding day itself. 

Tip No.5 - Have Fun & Improvise

Planning is important but don’t be afraid to improvise on the day! Some of the best shots candid and photojournalistic shots might be moments you never thought would happen. Indeed, they might be unexpected opportunities. If you have a good relationship with your photographer then listen to their suggestions and see where it takes you.

What is the style of Mike Potts Photography?

Having experience in Wedding Photography as well as numerous other genres for over 40 years, Mike Potts Photography recognises that every wedding is planned.  Couples will often spend considerable finances to ensure that they have their ideal ceremony location, wedding attire and post ceremony venues.  

Experience has led Mike Potts Photography to provide subtle advice on the poses that will make the bride look more gorgeous than she already is, and the groom to be a more handsome and masculine man than ever.  This posing (Cinematic Photography) advice is integrated with Candid and Photojournalistic photography to record the story of your day ready to be presented in a wedding album. 

A good professional wedding photography must have the capability to shoot in all styles in order to cater for the client's need.  Therefore adability to the required style to suit a particular time within the wedding story is essential.  Mike Potts Photography provides that for you.

Do you really want to rely on an inexperienced photographer or your wedding guests to capture the story of your day?  

It is the professional goal of Mike Potts Photography to not only meet your expectations but exceed them.  Your challenge will be to resist purchasing more pages for your wedding album.

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