Tag: photography

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Things to remember when booking your wedding photographer

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Your wedding day may pass too quickly, but photos of the event will help you remember every detail of the day for years to come. Hence, the relevance of a wedding photographer cannot be overlooked. In the hands of a professional, your wedding memories are safe, and captured as you wish to remember them.

There are various styles of photography available today, and not all styles may appeal to you equally. Find one that suits your taste, and ensure your wedding pictures will recreate the magic of your wedding day, every time you look at them.

Once you choose the style of wedding photography – traditional, photojournalistic, the mix of both or artistic, it is time to find the bridal photographer to handle the task. Here is a checklist of things that will help ensure that you find the right photographer and freeze your wedding memories perfectly.

First and foremost, plan your budget

As with all other vendors, different photographers have different rates. Before you start your search, you should know how much you can afford to spend. There are great photographers who can do your job beautifully, without your having to spend a fortune on it. Start early, and you will have time to find the right candidate for the job.

Obtain reviews of the service from previous clients

Don’t be taken in by smart advertising and pictures that are available on the photographer’s website. Check with clients who have actually used the photographer, and ask them for their opinions on the service provided. If you are satisfied with what you hear, book an appointment with the photographer.

Ask to see a range of pictures

Photographers will usually have a set portfolio, which they share with their clients. While this allows you to get a fair idea of the quality of work, you should also remember that these are usually the best ones they’ve taken. So, ask for more pictures than what is in their portfolio. Or, ask them if you could have a look at a previous client’s album. You can get a better idea of their style and ability by looking at more pictures.

Discuss, clarify and question

Ask what all pictures your package will include. Discuss the available options, take time to create your own list of must-have photos, which will include the list of group shots you want and share it with the photographer. Most good photographers will be ready to accommodate their client’s requests, but make sure you check this is, before signing your contract. Share the timetable of your wedding day, and tell your photographer where he should be at a specific time, so he doesn’t miss any of the special moments on your big day.

Get it in writing

Make sure that you include every single detail in your written contract. There should be clauses regarding how emergency situations will be handled, when and how the photographer’s fee will be paid, when you will receive your prints and the total price including all overhead costs. If you make any further changes to plan, add it to the contract and have your photographer countersign it. This will help you get the service you signed up for, without any hassles.

For more wedding tips and advice, and for all your wedding needs, visit us at Best For Bride.

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Tips to look great in your wedding pictures

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via pixabay

Once your wedding day is over, it is the wedding photographs that will help you remember your lifetime event. These photos will be viewed again and again, not just by you, but by friends, relatives and even the next generations. You have to look great in the pictures, and making sure you do is not just the responsibility of the photographer, but yours too.

These tips will help you make sure that you photograph well on your wedding day. Check them out.

Relax and remember that you needn’t smile in all the pictures

With hundreds of clicks during the course of a single day, it is unlikely that you will be able to smile naturally through all of them. If there is one thing that spoils a picture, it is an unnatural smile. With jaws and cheeks hurting from smiling, you are bound to end up with a limp smile shortly. It is good if you realize this and do not attempt to keep at it. So, what do you do? Be happy, and let your joy radiate to your eyes. Your happiness is bound to be captured, even without the smile.

Make-up appropriately

The effect of your make-up may look very different when captured on camera. This is especially true if you use bronzer or spray tan. Make sure that you select your makeup appropriately, so you do not end up looking orange or yellow in the pictures. Check out old pictures of when you were in the same makeup and dress for your wedding accordingly.

Be yourself to look your best

Although you may be tempted to put on a Hollywood pose, or fake a smile in the hope of getting a great photograph, remember that you will only love the ones in which you look yourself. Breathe easy, relax your face and look natural; it will turn out great.

Mind your posture

The hectic pace of everything happening around you will cause tension to build up in your shoulders and back over the course of the day. You may find yourself stooping, shrinking or slouching as exhaustion gets to you. Remember that this will be visible in the pictures too. So, focus on your posture always. Pull your stomach in, keep your shoulders taut and chest forward. Relax when you feel tired, but take a deep breath and pull yourself up when it is time to shoot.

Experiment with different locations and times of the day

Make sure you have your pictures taken at various locations, and that you have your bridal photos shot in the day and the evening. You will then have a number of pictures to choose from, and you may even be pleasantly surprised to find some of them better than you anticipated.

While you are busy capturing the biggest event in your life, don’t forget to enjoy the experience. Looking fantastic on your wedding day will help you look fabulous in your wedding photos too. We, at BestforBride can help you choose the wedding gown that will do this for you. Visit us online to see our extensive collection of wedding gowns, and also for valuable wedding advice.

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Finding The Right Destination Wedding Photographer

If you’re in the midst of planning a destination wedding you probably have already figured out that finding the right photographer can be a pain in the butt. It is always hard to book vendors in a location where you don’t actually live, as most want to meet face- to -face with you before your wedding day. The first step in tackling this necessary chore is to determine whether you are more interested in hiring an independent photographer or a photography studio.

An independent wedding videographer will likely have more freedom to meet your needs than one who has to answer to someone else. They usually work closely with their colleagues and can often give you more personalized services than you would get from a large photography studio. You will also generally be able to work out an agreement with an independent photographer that you may not be able to get otherwise, especially when it comes to shots and poses that are not standard in wedding photography.

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In any case an independent photographer will likely ask you to pay their travel expenses in order to get to and from your wedding destination. If you really want to make sure you click with the photographer you are hiring (and this is always important) it may be worth it for you to travel to them or them to travel to you for a face-to-face meeting. Just be aware of the fact that independent photographers often charge a higher rate for their services than a large photography studio would. This is because they can set their own rate and that usually means they are in demand so you might have no luck negotiating for the lowest deal possible.

We all know that a destination wedding is expensive, so if you are trying to cut costs in other aspects of your planning you will likely be better off hiring a photography studio. Most offer a few choices of basic photography packages but do allow you to come up with a customized package that meets both your needs and your budget. However, most photography studios have a list of the poses they will photograph and you may be forced to stick with that list.

The larger the studio you work with is the less likely you will get any real one on one time with your photographer before your wedding day. This can cause problems if you end up with a photographer that makes you uncomfortable, produces poor results or annoys your guests.

If you have no choice but to hire a photography studio it is important to see examples of their work from each photographer on staff if possible. The last thing you want to do is end up with wedding pictures that don’t properly capture the beauty of your big day.

For more tips on finding the right photographer for a destination wedding or any other type of wedding check out BestforBride.com. The smartest brides believe in Best for Bride.

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Hiring the Right Wedding Photographer

The first thing most newly engaged brides do (other than tell everyone they’re going to get married) is go to pick out their dress and decide what their bridesmaids are going to wear. However, as important as the dresses and the location of the ceremony are, there’s one thing that’s often overlooked as a very important aspect of the wedding day: the photographer.

Having a photographer at your wedding isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity and it’s just as important as the rings and the dress. It can also be just as hard to choose a wedding photographer as it is the aforementioned items.

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Photography by Marc Daniel Photography; used with permission.

The best practice is to first use Google. While friends recommendations are nice, they can also be bias, so you need to make sure that you are doing plenty of research. Reading about your photographer is great, but meeting them in person over coffee is even better. You might not think that a photographer’s personality has anything to do with the way that they take photos, but that’s not true. You and your photographer should have the same idea of what kind of photos you want, and some examples from wedding magazines or blogs can help show what you are looking for to your potential photographer.

Don’t forget to take a good long look at their portfolios. You don’t want to have your photos not taken well or over-edited in post processing. Many photographers, if they haven’t gone to school to hone their craft (and they don’t need to in order to produce brilliant results), have trained with other photographers or have years of experience. A wedding is not the ideal time to hire an amateur photographer just to save some money.

Never be afraid to ask questions. By asking questions, this ensures that there won’t be any surprises on your wedding day. Types of questions can include whether or not they bring an assistant, their photography style and equipment they use. While the last one is not particularly important, if you want to know, don’t hesitate to ask. More ideas for questions you can ask them can be found here.

Most importantly of all, if you are booking a photographer and they have a contract (most professionals do) make sure you read it thoroughly and ask any questions in case you don’t understand. Signing the contract and paying a deposit will reserve your photographer for your date: don’t be stuck looking for one last minute.

For more tips and tricks for the bride to be, don’t forget to check out Best for Bride’s blog for everything you are looking for.