Photographers and Videographers
This group of people spends more time with you than anyone else.
The photographer is generally with the Bride while she is going into the final stages of preparation. (S)/he will photograph the Groom and the Groomsmen, then the Bride when she eventually arrives at the venue for the ceremony. Just a quick one here please. Brides, be on time for your ceremony. The inconvenience that being late causes and the stress that this puts the groom under is horrendous. Also, remember in an outside ceremony guests may be waiting in weather that is 85 degrees in the shade. Please be on time. That�s all I�m going to say.
The photographer will be with you right up to when you depart. I know some will do a mock up of the cutting of the cake and the garter and then disappear, although most will stay for the entire proceedings. It�s a long day for them.
It is a very large responsibility, which they carry with no room for error, except to have two or more cameras. The photographer really does have to work hard and fast.
But what about you? What do you look for in order to obtain a good Photographer, one that will capture your memories with flair, style panache and reliability?
Personality needs to be high on the agenda. �Why�, I hear you ask?
I�ve seen photographers upset the entire bridal party and the guests by their attitude. Personality needs to be very high as this person is with you and your guests a long time and the photographer will come into contact with each and every one of your guests at some time or another. Group photos and individual photos all touch on you and your guests at some time during the proceedings. It is very important to have personality, coupled with talent.
Anyone can become a photographer. Anyone can operate a camera, especially these days with automatic focus and automatic lenses, but not everyone has the ability to achieve rapport, make people relax, remain calm when all around is making whoopee and work almost non stop for 8 hours plus. The photographer starts the day hours prior to the ceremony, checking equipment, removing any possible chance of anything going wrong. He or she should produce quality prints with flair and artistry, be creative, look after you both, and then go away into a dark room and produce proofs for all to compare, often with their own photos. That�s what all your guests will do as soon as they see the proofs! I guarantee it.
OK, so how do you find this super person. Again ASK! ASK! ASK!
Look in the local newspapers. Look in the telephone directories, go and see the previous work that they have done. Ask if you can contact a previous Bride and Groom. Why not? After all, they�ve had dealings with the photographer and parted with their hard-earned money, so they will tell you the truth, hopefully.
Ask how long they have been doing photography, especially wedding photography. There�s a huge difference between taking a photograph of a building and real live vibrant people who move around. Most people really do not enjoy having their photo being taken, so ensure that the photographer is a people person.
There are some photographers who will take the photos and develop them and then give you the negatives, so that you can go along and enlarge them yourselves. Do your own album and order the prints, which your guests want. It really is a personal preference. Either way is a good way.
Now the video. Much applies to the Videographer as applies to the Photographer. Anyone can operate a video camera, but how many can really capture the event with style, class and artistic flair. Not many. Believe me. I�ve seen them. If you want a job done properly have it done by a professional.
Do you need both? My answer is yes and the reason that I say this, is this, a still photographer is a still photographer. He or she will capture the moment, the memory on paper. With a video, the movement is captured and much more is captured for you to treasure and look at, to giggle and laugh at over and over again.
To look at this another way, imagine going to the movies and the film is shown as thousands even millions of slides. Do you think that you would still capture the emotion, the laughter, the sadness, that you would have if this was shown in the normal way?
Interesting isn�t it? Food for thought.