Some top wedding photography tips and an intimate wedding in Mayfair…

Although most of my wedding bookings come from a venue or previous client recommendation, which is fantastic, some people do find me via Google.  Competition is obviously hot but it’s still an important way to pick new clients up.  Deborah and Rupert are just such a couple and I’m so glad they found me!

Rupert is from the UK and Deborah from Brazil.  Their wedding was an intimate and stylish affair held at the Mayfair Library in London and this lovely couple are planning their full celebration in Portugal next year.  Fingers crossed I can do it for them! 

Mayfair Library is to be found in a quiet location between South Audley Street and Mount Street Gardens and is a hidden gem of an open space which means you can escape the hustle and bustle of London and get some stylish wedding photos.

This led me to thinking about how a couple go about choosing a photographer for such a special day amongst so much competition and what help I could give in this area;  here are a few tips on how to get the very best from your wedding photography.

Firstly the most important message is PLANNING!

Your wedding photos are something you will hopefully treasure for the rest of your lives so make sure you’re going to be happy with them.  The key is communication with your photographer so definitely find someone you think you can get on well with!

There are 4 main styles of wedding photography – firstly decide which one works best for you.

Traditional/Classic –

Lots of intervention and direction from your photographer, mostly posed shots.  Your photographer will usually work from a “wish list” of shots you have worked out you would like.

Reportage or Documentary Style –

This style aims to capture all those impromptu candid moments of the day.  Less posed shots and more purely natural shots.  Your photographer will be busying himself in the background and will intervene less in your day’s proceedings.

Fine Art –

The creation of stand-alone images that can be used as wall art.  The style of capturing these is often reportage, although photographer controls the pose, lighting etc and then the image is treated by the photographer in post-production to create a piece of fine art.

Vintage –

Very on trend, the photographer hones in on certain vintage elements of your wedding and may use film or special filters to create a “vintage” feel.

I guess my style is all of these but maybe a bit more fine art and reportage rather than classic.  If a wedding is styled in a vintage way then it's great to use some effects in post-production.  However, I have been asked to supply vintage style when the styling is classic.  It does not work with stately homes and top hats and tails and can look a little bit strange!  Anyway it seems everyone has jumped on the “classic” bandwagon which is now getting quite tired.  Most important thing to remember is you have to live with your pictures for life. 

There are some important questions you should ask your photographer when selecting the right one –

What is your photography style?

Do you have a gallery I can see?

How much of the day do you cover?

Describe your working style?

Do you know/have you already worked at my chosen venue?

What is included in the package?

What is your “fall back” position in case of illness on the day?

How to look good in your photos –

Don’t get too drunk!

Don’t hunch - stand with your shoulders back and head up (slightly forward and chin up prevents the dreaded double chin!)

Engage with the camera – use your eyes to show your happiness

Avoid pressing your arms against your body, instead leave a slight gap

Relax and enjoy your day – this WILL come across in your photos

I hope this has been helpful.  Have fun planning your wedding and enjoy these photos!

Best wishes,

Roger

The physical stamina of a photographer...

So I hate to have to admit it but it’s already nearly the end of March.  For me, like anyone else doing the infamous London Marathon this year, the days feel like they’re slipping away all too quickly!  32 days encounting, my fellow marathon runners…

Thought you might enjoy a little update on my journey so far.

Now it’s not an excuse but with all the travelling I’ve been doing lately all over much of the UK and in Europe, it’s been a struggle to fit in my training.  I’m just about managing 3 runs a week, including at this late stage, a longer 2 hour endurance challenge each week.  If I’m honest, everything’s hurting, my knees, my Achilles, you name it (no rude comments about my age please!)

I must be running on adrenalin as I’ve also signed up to do the London To Brighton Bike Ride in September and may even consider another marathon in Turin in November, so I’m either addicted to exercise or just plain crazy?!

On a more serious note, I am doing these events to raise money for The National Osteoporosis Society which is a really worthy cause indeed.  The National Osteoporosis Society is the only UK charity dedicated to ending the pain and suffering caused by osteoporosis and fragile bones and I really want to help raise some much needed funds for them.

If you’d like to sponsor me I’d be very grateful and my Just Giving Page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/Roger-Brown3/.  Thank you – even the smallest of donations really would make the pain of marathon training worthwhile.

Having said all that, I’m sure my job does go part way to helping with my training, as it’s no mean feat carrying a 30 kg rucksack full of equipment on my corporate shoots.  I’ve managed over the years to formulate my own hybrid kit, including lighting, lighting stands etc and get it all down to this one backpack but it weighs a tonne!  I’m sure I was about 6 foot tall when I started this job!

Over the past 6 months, there’s been quite a bit of corporate work mainly for Finance companies but also including a shoot for Hello! Magazine.  As you can imagine, this kind of work is very different for me than when I photograph a couple’s wedding.  Some organisations want a more informal approach so that the client’s personality comes across, whereas for some, the more formal business-like image works best.  Apart from a short brief, there’s very little time to get to know anyone, you fly in, usually have to drag the busy client away from their desk, shoot some images with them and then fly home.  It’s very intense but creatively very challenging and enjoyable.  Yesterday’s shoot in Nuremberg for example was an 18 hour day involving hours waiting for planes and travelling to end up only shooting for about 45 minutes! 

Anyway, here is a selection of my favourite corporate photos from the past 6 months – I hope you enjoy them and I promise to keep you updated on the marathon over the coming weeks.  In the meantime, if you work for a company who might like some corporate photography done, please give me a call or drop me a line and we can have a chat about it.

All the best,

Roger