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There
is so much to consider in preparing for my wedding that it is a
little confusing and overwhelming at times. Can you offer any advice
about what I should know about wedding photography?
There are basically
two types of wedding photography. The more predominant, traditional
type is heavily dominated by posed shots. Generally a more traditional
photographer will take many posed shots and then a few "candids."
Because traditional photographers have lists of what they will/may
shoot, many wedding albums tend to look the same. The second less
common type of wedding photography, sometimes called wedding photojournalism,
takes place without that lengthy portrait, posing, staging session
in favor of a quiet, sensitive documentation that really captures
the natural happenings of the day. Every wedding is unique, so recording
the actual events means that your album will be unique or different
instead of looking the same as everyone else's.
What type
of photography do you do?
Everyone shoots
both ways; however, one of the hallmarks of traditional wedding
photography is long posing sessions, lasting an hour or more, with
the photographer the center of attention, very involved in posing
people a certain way. Typically there is a fairly long list of poses.
In addition there are fewer images made. Many people like that type
of photography, but it's just not me. Honestly, if that is the kind
of photography you are most interested in, I'm not the photographer
for you. I try to do the traditional posed shots in about 20 minutes
or so and then let you go enjoy your guests and celebrate while
I quietly observe and document the real happenings of the day.
Why have
you chosen to shoot weddings that way?
The quickest
way to explain that is to tell you a little bit about myself. In
March of 1994 I decided to purchase a new "point and shoot"
camera that would allow me to take better pictures of my kids than
what was possible with the camera I had been using. Then somewhere
between December of 1995 and February of 1996 the flash burned out.
When I found out how much it would cost to fix it I decided to buy
a whole new camera - the kind that uses interchangeable lenses.
I did that because I wanted to be able to zoom in closer than I
could with a point and shoot camera. By then, I had become a serious
amateur photographer and I had decided that I really wanted to be
able to document all the cute little things my kids did, without
their being aware of the camera, because I noticed that as soon
as they were aware of the camera they acted differently. I wanted
to be able to document and preserve on film our family life as my
children grew up because I knew that childhood was perishable and
I would never ever again be able to take those pictures. Then in
May 1997 I read an article titled, "Celebrity Wedding Photographer
Tells All!" in a photography magazine I subscribed to, which
described the photographic style of the photographer Town and
Country reported to be "the great wedding photographer
of our day." As I read the article I realized that after taking
the normal, posed, traditional images he took pictures the way I
was trying to take pictures of my kids - documenting the fun, spontaneity,
and joy. I thought about it for about 5 months, and then I decided
that if I were to start shooting weddings I could afford to buy
some of the camera equipment I had been wanting. So, I got his phone
number and called his office, and to make a long story short I ended
up taking a course from him. I began shooting weddings in late 1998.
So what really
sets you apart from other photographers?
First of all,
it is really hard to capture joy and happiness in posed photography.
If you look at most posed photographs, you will notice that a high
percentage of the images consist of non-excited expressions. I choose
to be a historian of one of life's great experiences. My mission
is to document the most important day of a couple's life; to record
all the little details, that all taken together tell the story of
your wedding day. My job is to tell your story. I know that the
one thing that will be left after the wedding, other than your new
husband or wife and the wedding dress is the pictures. I want your
wedding pictures to help you relive the actual memories of the day.
I want them to bring back the feelings you had the day you got married
- the fun and happiness. Doing this requires knowledge of photography,
but it also requires a photojournalist's "eye" and good
timing. Often, the difference between a good picture and a great
picture is about 1/4 of a second. Eisenstaedt, a great photojournalist
who worked for Life magazine for several decades, once described
many photographers saying, "They know more about photography,
about lighting, equipment, but not about seeing. You know it's not
the camera which takes the picture, it's the eye."
What about
your pricing?
I typically
shoot somewhere between two and three times as much film as a traditional
photographer, so my costs are much higher than most photographers;
however, I have priced myself competitively with even the traditional
photographers. My goal is to fill my calendar, because I know that
other weddings will come from those I do today. I have priced myself
so that virtually anyone who can afford a photographer will be able
to afford to hire me, if their wedding date is still available when
they contact me. I might add that it is a good idea to choose a
photographer as far in advance of your wedding as possible, since
it is common for people to book photographers 6 to 9 months or more
in advance, especially for popular dates.
Do you charge
for travel time for weddings that are outside the San Antonio area?
No. If your
wedding is some distance away in another city or state, I may charge
for travel expenses, what it actually costs to travel there, but
not for travel time.
You say that
you go through a lot more film than most photographers. Does that
mean that the bride and groom get more pictures than with other
photographers?
Yes, which brings
up one other difference. Does it make sense to you that after you
look at the proofs of your wedding, you have to give a lot of them
back? If I give you 300, 400, or 500 plus proofs, why shouldn't
you keep all of them? I think you should. Why should you just get
a few? I put together what I call the "Wedding Day Story",
an album which you can keep - including all the photographs.
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