5. Who owns the copyright of my wedding photographs?
ANSWER
Technically speaking the copyright of any image is always held with the photographer unless agreed otherwise. In most cases the ownership of copyright will not pose a problem as it is unlikely the Bride and Groom will use the photos for anything other than their own private use. Problems can occur however if the photographer is intending to commercially use the pictures, for example sell them to a picture library, or use an image to advertise a product. In the case photographing a celebrity it is very important to work out beforehand what acceptable usage is and what's not. However for most couples getting married this should not pose a problem or need for concern.
6. What qualifications should my wedding photographer have and what are the professional bodies that they should belong to?
ANSWER
Wedding photography is a totally unregulated sector and anyone with an interest in photography can set themselves up as a photographer. This is potentially very problematic as quite often people choose their photographer on their portfolio and don't challenge their processes or working methodology. Once you have found a photographer who you are interested in hiring the first thing that you should do is ask if they would be happy provide you references from previous clients. Some photographer's include testimonials on their site however if they don't it's a good idea to ask if you can speak to some of their former clients. It's a positive sign if your photographer has a degree or MA in photography however this also should be backed up by membership and qualifications from a recognised association. The MPA (Master Photographer's Association) and the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographer's) and the BIPP (British Institute of Professional) all have a qualifying structure for wedding photographers. If someone is accredited with one of these organisations you can rest assured that they are a competent and have demonstrated a high level of creative flair.
7. Why do most photographers not offer a high resolution CD as part of their packages, as most photographers shoot digitally should this not be included?
ANSWER
Back in the days when photographers used to shoot weddings in film a fairly significant proportion of their income used to come from extra reprints. This has been replaced by online ordering however it was extremely rare for the photographer to hand over the negatives as by doing so we would forgo any future income from additional sales. Photographers took the same approach when most of them switched to digital thinking that by giving away the pictures the revenue would dry up. I personally thought that this practice was unfair and if someone was spending thousands of pounds with a photographer they should have the peace of mind knowing that they could buy a CD of the pictures if they wanted to. Thankfully the mindset amongst photographers is changing and many now are including a CD within their packages. This is however considered as an additional sale by many photographers who are charging a premium fee for the CD for the reasons that I have outlined. If your photographer is charging an exorbitate amount for the CD you should consider negotiating this into the package or changing photographers.
Blog
Common Wedding Photography Questions Part II
Commonly asked wedding photography questions
1. I am not sure what style of wedding photography to go for what are the main types and how different are they?
ANSWER
When most couples get married most of them not unsurprisingly don't know a huge amount about wedding photography, or the various styles. We have come a long way from the day when all wedding photography was formal and simply documented the key events of the day. Nowadays most couples prefer a more relaxed approach and detail photos such as the bride getting ready and photos of the shoes can set the scene and help to create the overall atmosphere of the day. Ultimately though couples need to choose a photographer on the basis of their style and portfolio. It's also imperative to get on with the photographer as in most cases they will be working with them for the duration of the day and will be capturing some very intimate moments.
Once you have chosen your photographer deciding on the style that you want should be very straightforward as in most cases you will want something similar to the photos that you have seen in their portfolio. The main wedding styles are Traditional which mainly focuses on staged and set up photos. The Wedding Book style has become very popular over the past few years. With this style the photographer will produce a custom made book for the couple with the pictures being printed directly onto the page. The third photographic style is reportage which is sometimes grandly described as wedding photojournalism. This is where the photographer captures the day as it happens and focuses more on the general ambience rather than focusing on the "traditional" set up pictures. In reality most couples like a combination of Reportage and Traditional pictures however it will be down to the couples beforehand to explain to the photographer what they are looking for to ensure that they are happy with the end results.
2. I love fashion and really like the storybook wedding albums what are the pros and cons of having this opposed to a traditional album?
ANSWER
Wedding books have become very popular over the past few years and are a good alternative to the traditional wedding album. Companies such as Grahistudio in Italy are very good and produce professionally produced books at most price ranges. If you are looking for an alternative to a wedding album this could be just what you are looking for. My concern with wedding books is that many are designed in a manner which will look very dated in a few years time. Techniques such as spot colour and split images looked great a few years ago however in my opinion have not stood the test of time. Ultimately a wedding album should be an eloquent and self contained body of work which needs no explanation and most importantly looks wonderful in 40 years time. Unfortunately this is not achieved through fashionable gimmicks of the day but only by great photography.
3. My photographer has lots of heavily retouched photos in his portfolio, does this make him a better photographer?
ANSWER
The skill of a good wedding photographer will be to provide a beautiful body of work which will look fantastic in years to come. This is achieved by a skilful use of light, composition and interaction with the bride and groom and guests. It is possible through retouching to make a mediocre picture look acceptable however better still it's much preferable to take a great picture to start off with. Limited amount of retouching such as improving light, contrast and getting rid skin blemishes is great however I would not overdo it as you will end up with an unnatural looking picture. Earlier in the summer I covered a wedding where unfortunately the page boy had a very bad dose of chicken pox. The parents were upset as they wanted a reminder of their son at his uncles wedding. Thankfully using Photoshop, a software programme designed for manipulating images, I managed to produce a very clean blemish free picture. This would have been impossible to do ten years ago and shows how when used properly can produce great results. My advice to Brides would be to make sure that their photographs are free of gimmicks in that way hopefully they will look great in years to come.
4. How much should I pay for my wedding photography?
ANSWER
The prices that wedding photographers charge vary greatly depending on their reputation, client base and demand. Some top wedding photographers charge can excess of £5,000 for packages that include coverage at Hen, Stag parties and even honeymoons.
The money that you pay for your photographer should be in line with their experience and demand for their services. As a general rule your wedding photographer's fee should be roughly 10% of your overall budget. This normally equates between £1,500 and £2,000 however this price can be less at quieter times of the year. Photographer's pricing policies vary greatly however for a £2,000 package you should expect unlimited coverage on your day, at least 200 high quality proofs, a photo CD containing high resolution images all of the images, and a Wedding Album. If you are keen to work with a photographer however don't like the way that the packages are set out on their website suggest an alternative. At the end of the day it's only fair that you can create your own bespoke package if you can't find what you are looking for.
ANSWER
When most couples get married most of them not unsurprisingly don't know a huge amount about wedding photography, or the various styles. We have come a long way from the day when all wedding photography was formal and simply documented the key events of the day. Nowadays most couples prefer a more relaxed approach and detail photos such as the bride getting ready and photos of the shoes can set the scene and help to create the overall atmosphere of the day. Ultimately though couples need to choose a photographer on the basis of their style and portfolio. It's also imperative to get on with the photographer as in most cases they will be working with them for the duration of the day and will be capturing some very intimate moments.
Once you have chosen your photographer deciding on the style that you want should be very straightforward as in most cases you will want something similar to the photos that you have seen in their portfolio. The main wedding styles are Traditional which mainly focuses on staged and set up photos. The Wedding Book style has become very popular over the past few years. With this style the photographer will produce a custom made book for the couple with the pictures being printed directly onto the page. The third photographic style is reportage which is sometimes grandly described as wedding photojournalism. This is where the photographer captures the day as it happens and focuses more on the general ambience rather than focusing on the "traditional" set up pictures. In reality most couples like a combination of Reportage and Traditional pictures however it will be down to the couples beforehand to explain to the photographer what they are looking for to ensure that they are happy with the end results.
2. I love fashion and really like the storybook wedding albums what are the pros and cons of having this opposed to a traditional album?
ANSWER
Wedding books have become very popular over the past few years and are a good alternative to the traditional wedding album. Companies such as Grahistudio in Italy are very good and produce professionally produced books at most price ranges. If you are looking for an alternative to a wedding album this could be just what you are looking for. My concern with wedding books is that many are designed in a manner which will look very dated in a few years time. Techniques such as spot colour and split images looked great a few years ago however in my opinion have not stood the test of time. Ultimately a wedding album should be an eloquent and self contained body of work which needs no explanation and most importantly looks wonderful in 40 years time. Unfortunately this is not achieved through fashionable gimmicks of the day but only by great photography.
3. My photographer has lots of heavily retouched photos in his portfolio, does this make him a better photographer?
ANSWER
The skill of a good wedding photographer will be to provide a beautiful body of work which will look fantastic in years to come. This is achieved by a skilful use of light, composition and interaction with the bride and groom and guests. It is possible through retouching to make a mediocre picture look acceptable however better still it's much preferable to take a great picture to start off with. Limited amount of retouching such as improving light, contrast and getting rid skin blemishes is great however I would not overdo it as you will end up with an unnatural looking picture. Earlier in the summer I covered a wedding where unfortunately the page boy had a very bad dose of chicken pox. The parents were upset as they wanted a reminder of their son at his uncles wedding. Thankfully using Photoshop, a software programme designed for manipulating images, I managed to produce a very clean blemish free picture. This would have been impossible to do ten years ago and shows how when used properly can produce great results. My advice to Brides would be to make sure that their photographs are free of gimmicks in that way hopefully they will look great in years to come.
4. How much should I pay for my wedding photography?
ANSWER
The prices that wedding photographers charge vary greatly depending on their reputation, client base and demand. Some top wedding photographers charge can excess of £5,000 for packages that include coverage at Hen, Stag parties and even honeymoons.
The money that you pay for your photographer should be in line with their experience and demand for their services. As a general rule your wedding photographer's fee should be roughly 10% of your overall budget. This normally equates between £1,500 and £2,000 however this price can be less at quieter times of the year. Photographer's pricing policies vary greatly however for a £2,000 package you should expect unlimited coverage on your day, at least 200 high quality proofs, a photo CD containing high resolution images all of the images, and a Wedding Album. If you are keen to work with a photographer however don't like the way that the packages are set out on their website suggest an alternative. At the end of the day it's only fair that you can create your own bespoke package if you can't find what you are looking for.
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All images © 2008 John Rahim. All rights reserved.