Cumbrian Weddings 7
Moving pictures make the day
Your essential guide to finding the perfect wedding photographer
Discuss the detail: Take time to talk to your photographer
to get the shots you're happiest with DAVID HAYWARD
W
edding photographs
are a lasting
memory of your
special day. They
should capture the spirit of the
day and your album is
something you should enjoy
looking through in years to
come.
Finding the right photographer
should feature high on your list
of priorities. Once you've chosen
your venue start to look for a
photographer as soon as possible
as popular ones get booked up
very quickly.
The cost of a photographer can
be a strain on your budget but is
worth spending as much as you
can afford as your wedding
album will be with you for the
rest of your lives.
If you are on a limited budget a
weekday or a less popular season
to get married may cost less.
You may already have a
preference of the style of
photography you want and this
may have an effect on how much
you spend.
To start with you should check
which photographers specialise
in particular styles of
photography. If you are unsure
about different styles you should
look at a few to get an idea.
You could ask around for
recommendations from family
and friends, from your venue and
from professional bodies such as
The Master Photographers
Association (MPA).
When you have a shortlist
check availability and then meet
them to get an idea of prices,
styles and their personality.
When you meet a photographer
ask yourself whether you like
them. It is crucial that you feel
comfortable with them and can
trust them as they will be
spending most of the day with
you. Above all, you must feel
relaxed with them.
Think about how many images
you will get or how many you
will be given to choose from. Will
you have to pay for additional
photographs? Is the album
included in the price? How long
will the photographer stay at the
wedding? Think about reprint.
Will you get the negatives or can
you buy them from the
photographer? If the
photographer has copyright then
any reprints must be ordered
through them. Will the
photographer expect a meal?
How far will they travel and will
they charge for mileage?
Before committing yourself,
ask to see a few previous
wedding albums. Make sure they
are whole albums from a single
wedding rather than single shots
from lots of different weddings.
Look for a consistently high
standard in their work.
David Hayward, of The
Granary Studio, near Penrith,
said: "As well as looking at
things such as personality and
recommendations, you should
look for people with a recognised
qualification such as the MPA
because this demonstrates that
they have reached a certain
standard."
Meet your photographer before
your wedding, possibly at your
venue to discuss shots.
If your package includes your
preparation, you need to let your
photographer know when and
where you are getting ready as
well as the times of the ceremony,
posed photographs, dinner and
evening reception.
You should also mention if
there are likely to be any
awkward family situations.
Everything should be agreed in
writing.
Some photographers can set up
a mini studio at your venue. Each
guest can have a photo taken,
which is printed straight away so
they can take it home with them.
Stewart Groves, of Visual
Events, Carlisle, can set up a
studio at a wedding for free.
Guests then pay �10 for a print.
He said: "We go to a wedding
with a full photographic studio,
computer equipment and printer.
"People tend to be more
relaxed in the evening. The
photographs are printed while
they wait."
For a quick and easy way of
accessing the top photographers
in the area, visit the wedding
sections at www.cumberland-
news.co.uk, www.timesandstar.co.uk
or www.whitehaven-news.co.uk
and go to the online version of
June's Cumbrian Weddings.
Who to trust with
precious memoriesBY EMMA MORLEY
Showtime: Stewart Grove's
Visual Event set-up
IN addition to having an album
of stills photographs, many
couples want to have their big
day filmed. The things you need
to consider when choosing a
videographer are similar to when
choosing a photographer.
Stewart Groves, of Stewart
Groves Video, Carlisle, said: "In
the past wedding videos have had
a stigma for being too intrusive
but now videographers are more
discreet.
"Couples like to have their day
filmed because it goes so fast and
there may be things that happen
that they miss."
Couples should find out exactly
what they are getting for their
money. How many hours will the
videographer shoot and how long
the edited version will be?
As with choosing a
photographer, it is important to
see samples of work and to check
what the options are for having
wrong and find out how long they
have been working in video for.
Go and view clips and ask to see
a recent wedding they have
filmed."
It is important that your
photographer and videographer
have a good relationship so they
don't get in each other's way.
"I capture the whole day," said
Stewart. "I find out when and
where the wedding is taking
place and whether there is
anything special happening that
they want filmed and also check
who the photographer is so I can
work alongside them."
Stewart then edits the footage
to produce a highlights DVD
which includes slow motion and
five minutes of stills which are
put to music. The rest of the
footage is used to create a DVD of
about two-and-a-half hours. He
can shoot in high definition if
couples want the highest quality.
music, special effects and
captions added.
Stewart advises couples to
check that the camera and
microphone being used is of
broadcast quality to ensure the
best quality picture and sound.
He said: "The equipment used
determines the quality. Check
that the videographer takes spare
cameras in case something goes
Relax: It's crucial you're com-
fortable with a photographer
ESTABLISHING a
relationship with your
wedding photographer is
crucial and pre-wedding
photoshoots are one way of
building up these crucial
bonds.
They give the bride and
groom, as well as the
photographer, an idea of
how well they will all work
together on the day.
It will also help the
couple to relax and feel
more confident about
having their photographs
taken.
Husband and wife
photographic team David
and Pat Hayward, of The
Granary Studio, Reagill near
Penrith, can cover every
aspect of the wedding day,
from the couple getting
ready to the first dance and
also offer increasingly
popular pre-wedding photo
shoots.
David said: "Building up a
rapport with your
photographer is so
important.
"We meet with couples at
least four to six weeks
before the actual wedding
on an informal basis to go
through a timetable of the
day and to get an idea of
their expectations.
"We can do informal
photo sessions with them
and give them tips on how
to pose and also to get to
know them.
"This makes it all easier
on their wedding day and
helps to break down any
barriers."
Building up rapport

Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5Page 6Page 7Page 8Page 9Page 10Page 11Page 12Page 13Page 14Page 15Page 16 Produced by PageSuite