Wedding Photography Questions

I meet with anywhere from 1-5 couples a week, and I often hear the same questions over and over. However, many couples are not sure what questions to ask a wedding photographer to determine if they are the right photographer for them, so to help you out, I have compiled a list of questions that I think every couple should ask when they meet with a wedding photographer. I know various wedding magazines have compiled lists, but hopefully my perspective as a wedding photographer will give you a little more insight into what you should be asking.

Will you be the person shooting my wedding?
Are you a full time professional photographer?
Do you have any photographic qualifications?
Do you have more than one camera body? (Should be AT LEAST two)
Do you have more than one lens? (Again, at least two)
Do you offer both contemporary (reportage) and traditional styles of photography?
Do you travel?
Do you offer an online proofing facility where friends and family are able to view and purchase prints?
Are you willing to customize a package if none of yours fits our needs?
Do you provide the digital files in certain packages?
Do you include an album in all of your packages?
Do you shoot digital and film?
Do you offer a professional digital retouching and airbrushing service?
Are you fully insured?
Are you a qualified member of any photographic association? (Some of the larger ones are the SWPP and the MPA)
Will any assistants and other photographers you hire to help shoot my wedding be people you have worked with before?
Can you confirm that you won’t be covering another wedding or event on the same day as our wedding?
When shooting digitally do you shoot in digital RAW format? (This format offers the best quality digital capture available )
If you do shoot in RAW format are you experienced and proficient in processing these type of files?
Would you be able to offer a free demonstration on your RAW processing and digital airbrushing prior to us booking you?
Andrew Beveridge LSWPP of Silver Birch Photography can answer YES to all of the above questions.
We also use portable flash heads and lighting for indoor photography during inclement weather and also off camera radio triggered strobes for outdoor work.

Silver Birch Photography are based in Bridgend, South Wales and offer professional photography to clients in South Wales and the UK – please click the following links to view our websites :

Wedding Photographer Bridgend

Wedding Photographer South Wales

Wedding Photographer Cardiff

Free Adobe Photoshop Color Actions

Processed Image

Unprocessed Image

At SIlver Birch Photography we are often complimented on the color saturation and general ‘pop’ regarding our finished album prints. I have included before and after post processed examples above. The second image is a ’straight out of camera’ jpeg file, while the first image is the same image using the free action available below.

The important point to remember is that all digital images, whether shot in jpeg or raw format, will require a certain degree of post processing and it is very important that your photographer is experienced in this field (or uses somebody that is).

Years ago we used to use fuji velvia film which is renowned for it’s color saturation, but even then various results were obtained from different labs – which proves that image processing now is just as important (maybe even more so) than it was in the past.

We are in the process of making certain photoshop action availabe for download – the first free action is our ‘Pop Pop Bang!’ action (used to process the above image). This action is an ideal starting point for flat gray image fixes. We aim to upload one action per week – the more intricate ones are available for purchase but many will be free downloads.

N.B. Once you run this action you will need to adjust the opacity slider in the layers palette to acheive the desired effect before flattening the image.

Please click the following link to download this free action : http://www.easy-share.com/1907847863/One Click Poppers.atn

Please bookmark this site and check back regularly for freebies and offers.

Silver Birch Photography are based in South Wales, UK and offer reportage and traditional wedding photography coverage to clients throughout South Wales and the whole of the UK.

Please feel free to view our websites by clicking the links below :

Reportage Coverage

Classic / Traditional Coverage

SWPP or WPJA ?

Wedding Photographer South Wales

Wedding at Tedegar House

I have been a member of the UK based SWPP for sometime and agree that membership is well worth the £99.00 per year. I realise that opinions on photography, as well as any other art form, are subjective, but my personal belief is that the majority of clients that I meet prefer my documentary (photojournalistic) images other than the more staged (posed) examples.
I regularly enter the SWPP image competitions and over the last few months have gained numerous awards in the various wedding categories but really would like to enter more photojournalistic wedding images to a body that specialises in this subject matter.

Therefore I have just applied to join the WPJA as I feel that this organisation more befits my photojournalistic style.

I will continue my membership with the SWPP as I still believe that for traditional and classic wedding photography then it is still the best organisation available but look forward to how my WPJA membership application will unfold. I have recently uploaded a new website that contains a few of my reportage shots – to view please click the link below.

Andy Beveridge

Silver Birch Photography

Contemporary Child Lifestyle Portraiture South Wales

Little Oliver having a whale of a time during a recent lifestyle photo shoot at Dunraven Bay, Southerndown, South Wales on a pretty bleak July morning.

http://www.cardiffweddingphotography.co.uk

Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer South Wales

Beverley arriving at her wedding at Castle Coch, near Cardiff, South Wales on the 1st August 2009.

http://www.cardiffweddingphotography.co.uk

Bride at Gilt Room Window in Wedding at Tredegar House

Bride at the window of the gilt room in Tredegar House, May 2009.

www.silverbirchphotography.co.uk

Wedding at the Orangery, Margam Park, South Wales.

The wedding of Rachel and Damien at the Orangery, Margam Park, South Wales on the 2nd May 2009. This image was taken within the beautiful Margam house which is located just a short walk up the steps from the actual orangery.

www.silverbirchphotography.co.uk

Wedding at St. Mary’s Church and Heronston Hotel, Bridgend, South Wales.

Nik and Rhodri

Bride and Dad - 'Wedding Walk'

Little Angels

The Kiss

Images from Nik and Rhodri’s wedding at St. Mary’s church, Coity, Bridgend, South Wales on the 28th March 2009. The reception was held at the Best Western Heronston Hotel, Bridgend – the weather was pretty kind to us, although a little cold and blustery. The lighting early afternoon in springtime can be pretty harsh – us wedding photographers are never easily pleased !!!!!

http://www.silverbirchphotography.co.uk

Wedding at St. Mary’s Church, Coity and Court Colman Manor, Bridgend.

The wedding of Cara and Luke on the 21st of March 2009. St. Mary’s church, Coity,  Bridgend for the ceremony and then on to Court Colman Manor for the reception. The happy couple left for sunny Florida soon after the wedding – although on this particular day we were quite lucky with regards the weather in sunny Bridgend !!!! – here’s hoping that this summer will be a little less soggy than the previous two.

Wedding at St. Martin’s Church Caerphilly

Pageboy and Bridesmaids

Bride and Groom at wedding in Caerphilly, South Wales.

Emotional bride at wedding in Caerphilly

First wedding of 2009. Jennifer and Charles at St. Martins church, Caerphilly, South Wales on Monday 26th January. I’m off to Scotland now for a few weeks break before the ‘mad season’ starts in the middle of March.

I’ll try and post a few images from each of our wedding photography commissions in 2009. In the meantime please feel free to view our websites :

http://www.silverbirchphotography.co.uk
http://www.photographerwales.co.uk
http://www.cardiffweddingphotography.co.uk
http://www.weddingphotographyexpert.co.uk
http://www.wedding-photographer-south-wales.co.uk

Andy