REPORTAGE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | TELLING THE STORY OF YOUR WEDDING DAY
I love being a reportage wedding photographer. To look at my website you may think I spend large amounts of my time at weddings doing couple portraits, creating stunning contemporary photographs of the bride and groom to hang up on their walls. This is something I enjoy, the creativity involved in creating something truly beautiful and unique for each couple, but this is not what drives me to be a wedding photographer. My bridal portraits only take up a small portion of a couples wedding day.
The real joy I take is in telling the story, to capture all the moments of joy, all the nerves, all the laughter and all the tears. It’s such a beautiful and emotional occasion and I love to be involved in this and to create a collection of photographs for couples to look back on and remember of those little stories that made up the best day of their lives.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD REPORTAGE PHOTOGRAPHER
The key to being a good reportage photographer is being able to capture all the emotion and joy of the wedding day. Experience has taught me that to do this well, it’s about getting in and amongst everyone whilst at the same time blending in and going unnoticed. Ideally I want to capture people when the are unaware, getting the natural shots as a natural laugh and smile will always look better than a forced smile whilst saying cheese. With my approachable nature and laid back approach, I find I can get closer to the action and with my experience and awareness of everything going on I look for moments, for the stories of the day. It is definitely a skill that I have developed over time and it is a style of photography that I enjoy as well.
BEING A GOOD REPORTAGE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER REQUIRES PREPARATIONS
One of the things I always like to do is meet my couples at their venue before the wedding day. I like to have a chat about how their day will run. If there are any special surprises the couple have for the guests (or for each other) I can make sure I’m aware of them and in the right place at the right time to capture the guests reactions.
I like to do this for a few different reasons. Firstly, meeting a couple before hand, introducing myself and taking a few shots with them is a great way to break the ice and means they seem more relaxed on the day itself. Secondly, by making plans for where we might best get our couples portraits, it means on the day we know where we are gong and when. It saves us losing time looking for good opportunities on the day itself. By doing this I don’t need to take my couples away from their friends and family for too long. This is better for the bride and groom as it gives them more down time with their guests. It is also better for me as it means I have more time capturing all the candid moments between the couple and their guests too.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: STUNNING COUPLES PORTRAITS AND REPORTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY TOO
There is no reason why you have to choose between getting those beautiful couple portraits and that full day of coverage capturing the special moments from he nerves during bridal prep, the emotion of the father of the bride seeing his daughter in her dress for the first time, that moment walking down the isle or the couples first kiss. An inpromptu confetti throw outside the church or the quiet moment between the bride and a loved one. The partying in to the evening or the laughter during the best mans speech. I want to capture all of this on your wedding day and more. This is why I love my job and why I am a reportage wedding photographer above all else.
KNOWING YOUR WEDDING VENUE
I have had the pleasure of working at a lot of the North’s most prestigious wedding venues, including Saltmarshe Hall & Allerton Castle which I am now a recommended supplier for, as well as many others. Knowing a venue gives you the advantage of having some ideas when it comes to the wedding photography, but new venues are also great opportunities to get the creative ideas flowing. By having a pre wedding get together at your venue it does mean I can come up with plans for the day and these plans make the day run that bit smoother, allowing me more time to get those special moments too.
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