A category full of blog posts and articles to do with wedding photography.

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Why Does It Take So Long To Get My Wedding Pictures?

One of the questions I’m asked most about the weddings around North Wales and Chester I shoot is, “When will I get the photographs?”

The thing is, there isn’t one specific answer. It depends on many factors, for instance, if your celebration takes place during the height of the season when I am out shooting back to back weddings, it can take up to 9 weeks to get your photographs. Couples often wonder why, so here’s my short guide to what happens to your photographs after the Big Day.

I shoot literally thousands of pictures of your wedding. That may sound excessive but remember, one photograph captures a tiny moment of the day.

Once I get back to the office I then have to download and view the pictures. I look at each frame in great detail and this can take hours. Imagine looking at 1000 pictures and you take 30 seconds to look at one image, that’s 8 hours of work alone! Once I’ve looked through all the pictures it can take another few days to decide which will make the final cut of around 600 photographs. This is often tricky as there are so many good shots.

Once I’ve chosen those 600, it’s now time to start editing them. Because I am so passionate about delivering each couple with stunning memories of their day, I don’t like to rush this process. I would never want to compromise on quality!

So, what does editing involve? And why does it take so long to do?

Editing photographs is a creative process that brings out the very best of the images taken. This can include things like:

 

  • Cloning – removing exit signs or the odd wine glass that’s been left lying around. At one wedding I had a beautiful picture on the Menai Straits but had a tree coming out of the groom’s head! It was such a good shot I really wanted to use it, so I spent a few hours editing that one image. It was totally worth it.
  • Dealing with colours – this is a bit difficult to explain but as an example, church colours can be quite yellow and difficult to work with as it can make everything washed out. It takes lots of time to reduce the yellow tones, so everyone looks a more natural colour.
  • Cropping – I may decide after looking at certain shots that are quite wide and include lots of background that they might actually look better as a close-up. Getting the right composition is really important on any photograph.
  • Black and white or colour? – should a photo be colour or black and white? It may seem like a simple decision, but believe me, it isn’t!
  • Saving a gallery – once all the photographs are edited and I’m happy with them I put them into a digital gallery for you to see. Each photograph is a big file and so this process takes hours.
  • Backing up images – I like to have 3 backups, one on my iMac, one on a hard drive and one on the cloud. This in itself can take a long time, a good 3-4 hours per back up.

I think we are so used to taking photos on our smartphone and instantly uploading them to our social media pages we expect that it will be the same with wedding pictures. Editing your wedding photographs is truly a labour of love – and you can’t hurry love!

 

Below, you can find some before and afters to see what I’m talking about.

 

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Why You Need To Hire A Professional Wedding Photographer

I often get asked is it really necessary to have a professional wedding photographer these days when smartphones have such good cameras and apps that can make your pictures look awesome. Or maybe Uncle Bob has offered to take some snaps for you on the day with his fancy new camera. Friends and family offer their services in good faith,  but wedding photography is more than having a  decent camera and an ability to take a good shot. It’s about having an eye  to capture those special moments, to tell the story of your day – as well a s all the technical expertise.

When I am booked by clients to shoot their wedding, I am as invested in their day as much as they are. I can’t wait to take pictures of the preparations, capture that moment when family see the bride in her dress for the first time or catch the groom wiping a tear from his eye as his wife-to-be walks down the aisle. A professional will have scouted out the best places to take photographs and where the best light will be at a certain point in the day. The pictures that usually get the biggest reaction are candid moments I’ve spotted, when the bridal party or guests didn’t even realise they were being snapped. This is where a professional makes all the difference, we already know what shots we are looking for and make sure we get them. It’s why I love what I do.

Being a wedding photographer isn’t just about knowing how to compose great shots or make the best of the light and location. There are moments when I have to take control and organise lots of people for group shots, get guests to relax whilst they have their picture taken, even show people how to pose! Being able to communicate and get the best out of people so you have the best wedding photographs possible is a real skill that Uncle Bob may not be able to pull off. (Sorry Uncle Bob!)

I’m lucky that I’ve never had a wedding where equipment has failed but should the worst happen on your wedding day and a camera stops working, or a memory card crashes, I always have a Plan B. I carry extra equipment and have contacts I can call on in a real emergency.

Imagine walking down the aisle, the special music you chose is playing, the flowers adorn your venue, your husband-to-be is waiting nervously and everything looks perfect – but all you can see is a sea of people holding up their smartphones, looking into their screens and not at you! Smartphones are a blessing in our modern world, but can be a curse on your wedding day. You want your guests to be fully present in this once-in-a-lifetime moment. A professional photographer will know exactly where to stand to get the best shots as you make your way to your groom and capture people’s reactions on seeing you in all your finery.

I know couples who have been upset when guests take photos during the ceremony. It’s the most intimate and important part of the day, full of emotions, and can be ruined with well-meaning people who just want to get a picture of you both. Many brides and grooms ask their vicar, registrar or celebrant to ask guests to refrain from taking any pictures so that they can take in every moment of the ceremony they’ve been invited to attend.

Having a professional photographer at your wedding is a big investment, but it’s an investment that will give dividends forever, and be one that you will look back on without regret… And Uncle Bob can relax and enjoy the occasion without worrying he left the lens cap on!

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A Romantic Scottish Wedding

When Helen asked me if I would travel to Scotland with my camera to capture her wedding day, I instantly said yes. Helen and I share a mutual friend and so it was a fabulous opportunity to catch up with friends and visit one of the most beautiful venues in the UK.

Helen Langthorne and Matthew Dixon were married at Inglewood House and Spa in Stirling.  It really is a most stunning setting to hold a wedding; magnificent Jacobean architecture, a spectacular ballroom, sweeping landscaped grounds and a rather lovely duck pond.  It’s no wonder Inglewood House and Spa was voted the Romantic Venue of the Year 2017 at the Scottish Wedding Awards.  As I drove up to the venue I knew it would lend itself perfectly to a fairy-tale wedding.  Although I’ve travelled a lot with my work, this was my first Scottish wedding, and it didn’t disappoint.

Whenever I’ve visited Scotland in the past, it had rained so when I arrived in the sunshine it was nothing short of a miracle…but, yes, you’ve guessed it, rain was forecast for the wedding day. But nothing was going to stop us.

Happily, we woke up to a sunny day and everyone was very excited. One of my favourite parts of any wedding is seeing the bride getting ready for her big day. It’s such an intimate time spent with those nearest and dearest to her and can often be quite an emotional experience. At some point, the tissues come out and tears of joy are wiped away before anyone’s mascara runs!

Helen and Matt’s morning was no different. In a wonderfully romantic gesture, Matt sent Helen a card with some lovely words in…she let me have a peak and even I shed a tear (no, I’m not going to tell you what it said, but believe me, it was beautiful).

Of course, you can’t have a wedding in Scotland without going the whole nine yards, and it was great to see all the boys in kilts. I have to say they looked very handsome indeed! Their outfits made the day such an authentic Scottish experience, although I’m afraid I was too shy to ask exactly what they were wearing underneath their kilts (or could say “ too shy to ask THAT question”).

The humanist ceremony was conducted by celebrant Mary Wallace and told the story of the world Matt and Helen have built for themselves, how they met and what they have achieved together. It celebrated how far they have come and the solid bond and love they share. Hearing such personal anecdotes made the wedding very special and there were lots of tears and laughter throughout. Even Helen’s sister, Ruth, shed a tear, and according to Helen, she never cries!

Eventually, the rain did come at around 6 pm, but it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the bride and groom and all their guests as they danced the night away in traditional Scottish Ceilidh style.

Thank you, Helen and Matt, for letting me share such an amazing day.