By Peter Edwards Photography

10/22/2012 Many people forget that having fine equipment doesn’t always make for a fine craftsman. Owning a Steinway piano will not result in a Mozart, just as a Hasselblad, Leica or Nikon wont result in an Annie Leibovitz.



A specialist wedding photographer is developed over time. He or she will have a creative eye that is attuned to see things and anticipate behaviours and emotions that others may not. They will have an understanding of light and shade and how to best use this to creative effect. They will have a natural love of being with people and an ability to stay calm when all around seems chaos! Your professional photographer will have excellent communication skills. Not only will he or she be organizing the family photographs you want and the bridal party shots, he or she will also assist in coordinating the flow of the day by liaising with make up and hair stylists, celebrants, limousines drivers and function coordinators. Importantly a specialist wedding photographer knows what photographs are important and ensures the bride and groom and their parents are not disappointed that they didn’t get a photo of.



Of course a specialist will be able to advise on timing and will be able to deal with whatever weather comes on your wedding day.



After the dress is dry-cleaned, the suit packed away and the flowers have browned, the photographs will be the lasting momento of your day of celebration.



We live interstate/overseas is this a problem?



Many of our clients live interstate or over seas. This is no problem for us and we try to make the distance seem no distance at all for our clients. We generally communicate via email. We provide all the information by email that we would normally chat about at an interview, this way our clients get a feel for what we’re like.


We then suggest that if you have a trusted friend (eg bridesmaid or best man) or relative (a mum/dad or sister/brother) who lives in Perth you’re very welcome to send them to our studio to ‘check us out’. Ask them to call first for an appointment.



If you decide to go ahead with a booking a payment is usually transferred or paid on credit card.



We then keep in contact by email regarding other arrangements like timing, locations and then once you arrive in Perth we meet face-to face and go over the final details. We have photographed couples and produced wedding albums for couples living on the East coast and as far a field as Singapore, London, New York, Japan and Bahrain.



How will I choose the photographic location?



Your specialist wedding photographer will be able to recommend locations to you. Specialist wedding photographers will take into account what the ‘light’ is like at the time of the day and the time of the year that you’ll be using a location and also if it’s suitable for the number of people in your bridal party. If you have a special location in mind, mention it to your photographer so that he or she can ensure it’s suitable.



How long before the ceremony will the photographer arrive?



This will depend on a number of factors, how many people there are to photograph, if there are children in the bridal party, traveling time to the ceremony. Be guided by what the photographer recommends as he or she will know how long it takes to do the job well, just as the makeup and hair stylist will know how long it will take them to get two or five women ready.
How long does the photo session take?
Generally a photographer will need about an hour and a half plus travel time to photograph a bridal party. This will once again depend on a number of factors such as the number of people in the bridal party, the distance between the venues on the day and how many locations you want to go to for photographs.



What happens if it rains?



Fortunately in Perth we rarely get a day when it rains non-stop. But we do get the odd wet day. This is where your specialist wedding photographer is worth his/her wait in gold! A professional photographer will not only have alternative locations to take you to he/she will also have the necessary equipment to get great photographs in low light conditions. Wet weather on a wedding day is not a problem for a professional wedding photographer.



Do you provide the images on a cd or dvd?



These days most photographers will make available some images on a cd or dvd. Some specialists are reluctant to do so as there are a great number of variables that affect how an image can look in a final print (see ‘A Few Technical Details’). If a professional photographer is not overseeing the prints there is no longer any quality control, and poor quality images reflects badly on a photographer’s reputation.



A fee will be charged for images to be burned to a cd or dvd. Of course the ‘burning’ takes little time, the charge is for the time it has taken the photographer to convert the data to images, the processing of the images and the printing of the images. Then of course once the images are sold on a cd or dvd they can be printed many times, this is income that a photographer will no longer receive. The fee paid is for the creativity and skill involved in producing the images.



Do I have to purchase an album?



Most specialist wedding photographers will produce a wedding album, it is seen as part of the creative process. Even when a photographer is shooting images on location he or she will have a vision as to how that image will be processed, printed and cropped in the album, perhaps even what will go on the opposing page. The photographer will usually assist the couple in the selection of images for their album and in the design stages. The wedding album is a unique and creative way to illustrate the story of your wedding day. Specialist wedding photographers take great pride in producing quality work for their clients.



Do you stay at the reception?



Generally wedding photographers will be present until the bridal party is seated or for the first half hour of the reception. During this time images of place settings, table decorations, the cake and views of the room will be taken, – of course this depends on the practicalities of the venue and time permitting. Generally a few people shots and a photograph of the bridal couple with the cake will also be taken.



A fee will be charged for staying longer than described above. It may be an hourly fee or a two tiered fee eg one fee to photograph speeches and dancing and another fee to stay until the end of the reception.



When will I be able to view the photographs?



A wedding specialist will have your images (previews) ready to view usually two weeks after your wedding. The previews are produced to assist you, family and friends in the final selection of printed images. Once an order has been placed you can reasonably expect to see the completed order within a month and the completed wedding album with in 10-12 weeks. This may sound like quite awhile but remember that a specialist wedding photographer will be processing these images from data and then printing each individual print. The albums are generally custom made and designed to suit the cropping of the images and the number of images you choose. What you finally receive will be a unique work of art, which you will cherish and enjoy sharing with loved ones.