WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY Tips, Dos And...donts

Athanasios Papadopoulos

"ap photography"

MB: +30 6944 851 861

Email: info@thanasispapadopoulos.com

Web1: www.thanasispapadopoulos.com

Web2: www.earthsvibes.com

Blog:   www.thanasispapadopoulos.blogspot.com

Skype: oo30athanasios

Wedding Photography, styles and aesthetics

Photography is the only medium with which your wedding day will still be «alive» and unforgetable.

As a result of that fact, the choice of the most suitable photographer for you is a key element. Your best memories will be recorded so make sure you choose wisely.

Your wedding pictures will become precious memories and mementos for your children and grandchildren to enjoy, why not choose the best possible photographer you can. Even if you have to reach a little above your budget, your pictures are not the place to skimp.

Wedding photography is nowadays a respected photographic area, which is escorted by creativity, quality, perfectionism (and the oopposite of course), competitions, accosiations, organizations, etc.

Wedding is probably the only event in our world that is known and applied to every culture and nation. Sometimes is regarded as the most important fact at somebodys life.

Wedding photography has many styles and aesthetics, «wedding photojournalism photography», «fashion wedding photography», «glamour wedding photography», «traditional wedding photography», «experinmental wedding photography» to mention but a few..

«Filtering» wedding photographers

Many times a photographer has his own unique style which is a result of a mixture of the above.

First you need to define which style and asthetics is the one that you are looking for, which one suits you better and meets your expectetions.

Then you need to make a research and filter the photographers and the quality of their photography.

The photographers website is the mirror of his style, his aesthetics, the general quality of his work, even his personality at some extend.

Photography is a discipline that belongs to the Art & Design area and therefore the presentation that the photographer chooses for his work not only is vital but it is part of his work.

A bad designed website is most likely that will include bad quality photography.

It is not necessary that you have to find a photographer that is based at your city, not even at your country... «International» or «Destination» wedding photographers are willing to tundertake any wedding project everywhere in the world (you have to expect to cover all the travelling and acomodation expenses though).

The photographers work quality is very important but equaly important is his character and personality, after all during your wedding day you are going to spent more time together with your photgrapher than even with your friends or relatives. «Read» the signs.... is he formal at his/ her emails, sounds professional, honest, sense of humour?

In a few words...do you think you can relly on him/ her?

Your Wedding Photographer can make or break your day.

The photographer is going to be your colleague on that day not your employee.

Presentation, negotiations, questions and answers

Lets say, that you found the photographer/ s you would prefer to cover photographically your wedding.

It is time for negotiations, questions and answers...

• Does he/ she provides you with high resolution images? If not, then you have to calculate the expenses for prints, reprints and enlargements....how much will he/ she be charging you everytime you need something.
• Photo Book or Digital album? It is a matter of taste... (e.g. Me personaly find Photo Books more elegant.
• Slideshow? Is it provided or even included in the price?
• Prints? As long as the photographer hands in high resolution photoshop adjusted images, you dont have to worry about that.
• Is there a second photographer included in the price and if not what is the price? Have in mind that the second photographers job may be assistive but it may also provide you with even better images (and more)
• «Location studio», «wedding portraits» or «TTD» (Trash The Dress)? Included and/ or how much does it cost? If you are not familiar with those terms... «location studio» is the photographic session before and/ or after the wedding, sometimes adressed as portraits or portraiture. «Trash The Dress» is the more adventurous variation...

Since we mentioned all the above you need to clarify what you would like to get from the photographer. If you want and how many Photo Books, Albums, Slideshows, Prints, etc...

Of course, all the above has to do with presentation and therefore the most important is the quality of the images themselves!

what you give is what you get

As in almost everything in life, the rule «what you give is what you get» apllies to wedding photography as well.

A few tips in order to lower the price follows:

• Consider a weekday wedding.

Many professional wedding photographers charge less for weekday weddings.

• Consider the «Shoot & Burn» photographic service. This is a service in which the photographer submitts only photoshop adjusted high resolution images and sometimes a slideshow as well. You may not get photobooks or albums but you can always order them at a later stage or even spent sometime and make them yourselves using one of the many websites that offer that service at very low prices. It is better to cooperate with a high quality photographer on a «shoot & burn» aggreement than with a low quality photographer that offers «everything» but at the end of the day... «nothing».
• Consider getting married during «out of season» months. Many professional wedding photographers charge less for winter weddings.

In a few words

• Choose wisely
• Your wedding photographs is the only thing from your wedding that will last for ever!
• Define the wedding photography style you prefer
• The photographers website and blog shows his/ her creativity and professionalism
• Do not limit your search within your neighborhood photographers, consider also «Destination Wedding Photographers»
• The images are far more important then the presentation
• Make clear what sort of presentation you require (photobook/ s, album/ s, slideshow/ s....etc)
• Let the quality be your priority and not the quantity
• Have in mind that as in everything in life «what you give is what you get»

About Athanasios

Athanasios Papadopoulos is an award-winning “Destination Wedding Photographer” and Travel Photographer.

«Master in Photography» (London Guildhall University), member of International Photographic Associations, his images are characterized by an impeccable aestheticism and technical perfection.

His work has been featured at well known and prestigious magazines, websites, image banks, media and blogs.

Athanasios is based in Greece and he is availiable on wedding assignments worldwide.

www.thanasispapadopoulos.com