Q & A

01. How would you describe your style? TOP

The industry has coined a few phrases, some of which mean the same thing. In our opinion no wedding is absolutely one style but a blend of traditional and documentary styles. The art is to know which to use and when. Every wedding should have their family shots but they can still be handled in a quick and easy fashion lending to a relaxed set of pictures. At other times it is to hold back and simply observe as the wedding flows past our lenses and we capture candid moments for you to relive and enjoy.

02. Can I see pictures from a complete wedding? TOP

This is the minimum a photographer should be expected to show you. Anyone can take a few fantastic shots if they shoot enough but a wedding requires a consistency of great shots unlike most other photographic disciplines. An album is the only way to see an accurate example of this and so at our studio we will have a number of albums on display.

03. Do you shoot groups? TOP

If you want them, we will shoot them. We like them because the way we do them they are fun and done quickly. The trick here is to distract the groups from the fact that you are taking their picture at all and often it is the shots captured either side of ‘the’ moment that end up being the best and most relaxed.

If you are concerned about how long family shots can take then you should look to have about 8 different group shots. This will mean about 15 minutes if everyone is present but we are happy to shoot as many as you want. When we shoot Chinese weddings there can be 35 listed group shots and in the same way we make sure we get relaxed pictures without calling everyone to attention.

04. Can our guests take pictures?TOP

Definitely, we actively encourage it as it makes your guests happy and also provides us with great image opportunities as the focus shifts from us allowing us to blend in and take the candid shots that are so popular. As long as your guests are not jumping up on our shoulders or leaning on us for support then who are we to deprive your friends and family of some magic moments.

The only time we ask to be left alone is when we take you off for about 20 minutes to do your couple shots. We like this to be a time when you can step away from your guests and take a step back and spend some time alone as the magic of what you have just achieved sinks in. We get most of our couple shots as you walk and talk, with the occasional sit down on a bench or wall. This is all pretty natural stuff and that is the way we and our couples like it.

05. Who owns the image rights?TOP

The photographer by law retains the image rights which means it is considered to be his/her work and creation. It protects an artist be it painter, writer or photographer from their work being used for financial gain without their permission. In reality all this means where shooting your wedding is concerned is that we get to use your image if we want to for promoting what we do so that other couples may book us.

The most important aspect of this for you is that by selling you your images on DVD we are transferring the right to you to print your images for yourself and family and friends. You no longer have to come back to the photographer to get images printed.

06. Do you do any air-brushing?TOP

Everyone deserves to look their absolute best on their wedding day and so we treat every image individually and air-brush them accordingly so that they are print perfect. Every image is checked for: colour balance, contrast, exposure and sharpness as standard. We air-brush spots, blemishes the odd line and always with subtlety and taste in mind. We see too often images that are noticeably edited and it ruins the truth of a photograph instantly.

07. When will I get my images and album?TOP

You will be booked in to view your weddings about one week after your honeymoon. At this viewing you will get to sit back and enjoy your images after which you will take away your images on a DVD to enjoy right away.

We will have a draft design of your album ready for the viewing and we will sit down with you and go through the design making any changes you wish which usually means swapping images of people to be sure you have the most important family and friends represented in the album. From this point an album takes 4 weeks to be delivered back to us. So from the viewing we always aim to have your album ready for collection in 4-6 weeks.

08. Can I spread the costs?TOP

The answer is yes. We prefer that you pay by standing order over 12 months or less if your wedding is sooner. This can help couples but it also helps us regulate our finances through the peak and off peak wedding seasons. As an incentive for paying by standing order we will offer you three free prints of favourite images any size up to 16″x12″.

- Your booking fee is £750
- If you would prefer not to pay by standing order then you can pay the balance no later than 4 weeks before your wedding by BACS, Cheque or Cash.

09. Have you ever shot at my venue before?TOP

With over 200 weddings shot to date it is likely that we have been to your venue before. However if we have not it should not affect your decision about how suitable we are as photographers. With our level of experience and technical ability we are confidant enough in what we do that we can scope a venue out as we arrive to determine the best places for photographs.

A visit to a venue before the wedding day does not allow for the change in weather, light at different times of the year and any other unforeseen circumstances such as building works that come the day of the wedding mean any pre planning that might have been done becomes redundant on the day of your wedding anyway. The decision about the suitability of a photographer should be how nice they are and how good they are from the work you have seen and of course how much they cost. It is all of these three factors weighed together that will tell you if you have found the right photographer for you.

10. How long will you stay on the day?TOP

We shoot to tell the full story. That has meant getting to a beach for 5am to shoot the groom and his ushers surfing and often it ends with us taking pictures of you and your guests dancing with ties around your heads at midnight. It does happen, maybe not at your wedding but such is the diversity of the couples and weddings we shoot.

Usually however we begin from about 2 hours before the ceremony until enough dancing pictures have been captured after the first dance to allow us to design 3 or 4 pages in your album. Your album should reflect what you experienced and end with images from this last and often most fun part of the day.

We do not cover a wedding for 6 or 8 hours etc. We do not think a couple should have to worry about things running over and then having to decide about extra costs to keep a photographer or worse still lose their photographer when 6 hours is up and regret what they then miss.