one fine day photography

If you’re looking for a wedding celebrant and haven’t found the right person yet, have you checked out wedbykez? Kez is a friend of mine and this is a brand new venture for her, but I’m super-excited about what she’s doing!

I’ll say more about Kez soon, but for now, I thought you might like to see how I answered some of the questions she asked me for a business profile page she’s setting up. Hopefully there’s something useful or entertaining in here!

How long have you been in business? Since January 2008.

What’s the best thing about what you do? I think this is best summed up in my tagline: “say no to cheese”. I’m not the sort of photographer who sets up the same cheesy photos week after week, and shoots a few candids as an afterthought. I consider it an immense privilege to be entrusted with the stories of my clients, and I’m committed to making sure I tell the right story … by interfering as little as possible! So, I guess I’d say my non-cheesy approach is the best thing about what I do

Any advice for brides? When it comes to choosing a photographer, ask to see 50-100 photos from a recent wedding. This will give you a much better idea of their style than their best photos from a dozen weddings. Also, make sure you like your photographer! You’ll be spending most of your wedding day with them, and you’ll enjoy it far more if they’re fun to hang out with.

Any memories from your own wedding? Michelle and I got married 5 years ago, and we still can’t get over how quickly it came and went! It’s hard to remember everything (we were silly and didn’t go for a documentary photographer ), but I do remember loving every minute of it … the sleepless night beforehand … the worrying wait for Michelle to arrive at the church … the thrill of promising to be devoted to each other in front of 300 people … my incredibly bad speech … Michelle’s incredibly nice speech … the way we forgot how to cha cha when the time came for our bridal waltz …

And to pretty up the post, here’s a photo from our wedding, way back when:

I often receive enquiries that go something like this:

My fiance and I love your photos and would love it if you could shoot our wedding! The only thing is that we don’t want to have a photographer there all day. What would it cost for you to be there for, say, 6 hours?

I hope you don’t mind if I answer it here once and for all … just to save a little time

First, the short answer: 6 hours of wedding coverage costs the same as 14 hours of wedding coverage. I totally respect that some people don’t like the idea of being photographed throughout their entire wedding day, but I don’t discount my wedding package on this basis.

Here’s why (just read the bold bits if you’re pressed for time):

• The best moments happen all day. The energy, emotion and beauty of your wedding day will start early and finish late. If I’m only there for a few hours, I’m going to miss many of the details and interactions that make it yours, and as Aerosmith would say, “I don’t want to miss a thing”. I don’t want YOU to miss a thing either, which is why I don’t give discounts for short coverage. I’d hate to give you an incentive to choose it!
• I only book one wedding per day. Whether I’m shooting for 4 or 14 hours, I give each wedding my undivided attention for the entire day. If I were to offer a cheaper wedding package with shorter coverage, I’d need to start photographing multiple weddings per day, and that’s just not the way I roll.
• You won’t even know I’m there. Some couples ask about short coverage because they’re worried about the whole paparazzi vibe thing, which I can totally understand! It’s why I include an engagement session to help build your confidence, and it’s why I work very hard on being invisible throughout your wedding day. Not using much flash helps, too

Don’t like my answer? No worries! My approach to wedding photography isn’t for everyone. But if you like my photos, you need to know how much time it takes me to get them

Well, there you have it. My first “frequently asked questions” post! I hope it was useful.