Free Pre-wedding photo shoot

Book any wedding for £400.00 or more and receive a pre-wedding photo shoot before your marriage totaly free.

The Wedding Day

Well this is it – the Big Day. For the bride and groom it is probably the most important day of their lives. So we don’t want to disappoint them. In fact we want much more than that – we want to make sure the pictures we deliver go far beyond their wildest expectations. How do we ensure this? By very careful planning, by hard work, by thinking on our feet, by drawing on our experience, and by building on the rapport we have already established with the couple during the prewedding shoot.  All set then?
 

Advice about your wedding

CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER

When your wedding is over, what will you have? Of course, you will have each other and some great memories, but how will you preserve those memories, not only for yourself, but also for future generations? The easy answer is with pictures of your wedding, but the truth is that it’s not really that simple. When preserving such a special and unique day, you can’t trust just anyone.  To make sure that your special day is captured in the best way, make sure to choose a professional wedding photographer that meets a few simple qualifications.

Your friend's friend or his uncle may have a £4000 camera, but that does not make him the best choice - even if the service is free.  The part time photographer is still practicing so this could also be a risk.  You must ask if their daytime job is a butcher, works in a supermarket or is a chef who wants to be a photographer.  Some amateurs produce amazing results, but usually they take longer than the professional and this leads to problems at a  happening wedding,.  A professional will produce a consistant style about his work that makes him/ her stand out; and he will acheive these results quickly even including developing and printing the finished result.   Remember the professional has to keep earning a living from their art.   I personally think that I am only as good as my last photo shoot.  Any full time professional will always produce good solid results and some super shots, and some produce only super shots.  We are traditional wedding photographers and we pose many of our shots - even the ones that look photojournalistic. We cannot promise all super shots, but we promise they will be stylish and photos to treasure forever.  

One of the first things to consider is to make sure that you feel at ease with the photographer - If you are not, it will show in the pictures. When you talk to potential wedding photographers make sure that you feel comfortable with them. Is it someone that you can spend all day with? Is the photographer someone that will blend naturally with your guests? Look at the photographer’s other photos. If the photographer can’t make people feel relaxed it will be obvious in the pictures.

Another very important thing to look for in a quality wedding photographer is how organized and efficient they are. A good wedding photographer will have everything organized from the beginning. If a wedding photographer doesn’t discuss a list of desired photos it should send up a red flag. A simple  discussion about what you want will give the photographer an idea what you are looking for and ensure the best pictures possible.

Before you book your wedding with a photography company, find out who will be taking your pictures. There are many photography firms that snap out weddings in an assembly line fashion. With these companies, you don’t always know what or who you are getting. You should be able to work directly with the person that will be taking your wedding photos and not with a manager or sales person. If you don’t know who is going to be taking your pictures, you won’t know if you have the needed rapport with your photographer and it will show in the end.  Happily this is uncommon in the Highlands

Every couple is different and that means that every wedding is different. Of course, there are many must have shots that all couples want, but there are often unique requests. With family structures evolving and old divisions breaking down, the wants and needs are changing too. If you have interesting and distinctive wedding photography needs you will need a wedding photographer who is flexible and adaptable. Make sure when you to talk to a potential photographerand see how he responds to the unusual request. This will help you decide if they have the talent and creativity to get the look your want.

The best wedding photography is going to take some time.  Standing and posing for shots isn’t always the most enjoyable thing to do when there is food and fun waiting, but if you want the best photos from your wedding you should allow at least 60 minutes after ceremony pictures and up to 30 minutes for pre-ceremony photos. It takes time to arrange the groups and ensure that everything is in place. Make sure that you and all of your party are on time for the pictures. If people are late it will only rush the photographer and compromise the quality of the final product. After the event, allow the photographer time to print the photos. You don’t want rushed prints, although we usually manage to process and print one or two photos for viewing on the day.  Our choice includes a wedding costing where you are charged only for our time and therefore you can restrict the time we take.  For example you may only want us for the ceremony, and then buy whatever images you require.

The last and one of the most important things to keep in mind is how the photographer approaches wedding photography. Is he/she just taking pictures? Or creating art? Is your photographer passionate about photography or simply just doing a job? There are lots of wedding photographers that can take your pictures and do a good job. They can output posed pictures as easily as someone in an office creates a spreadsheet. To these generic photographers it is just a job. If you want something special you need to find an artist that loves photography and will combine skill, talent, and heart to capture your special day.  The first commision I sold was in 1962 and was actually a drawaing.  Some of my awards are for painting and throughout the years I have sold many paintings and drawings.  I have not always worked full time at photography but I have been full time for many years.  Experience is important for a wedding photographer.

Our strength is our enthusiasm.  We love taking wedding photos and although we like to think many of our brides choose us for the service and attention to detail as well as the quality, they probably first choose us for our inexpensive prices.  Hopefully a bit of both - and maybe when they get to know us they might even like how fussy we are to get the right photo.  Contact us and we promise good advice and all the photos you want.

Whether you use our services or not we hope you enjoy your day and the years to follow.  Finally we offer all our brides that if ever they get divorced we want to take the pictures, but no one has taken us up yet.  Maybe they are all still married as Annie and I are. (married in 1967)

Can't afford a professional photographer?

YOU CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO!

WHETHER YOU USE OUR SERVICES OR ANOTHER FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL WE ADVISE YOU ALWAYS USE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT.  Even if you take a time limited package such as we offer for £140.00 plus prints at £10.00 or £12.00 each.  Your wedding day cannot be repeated. We carry insurance and special backup precautions to make sure your images are not damaged or lost, and of course if something goes wrong with equipment we carry duplicate cameras etc.  Most amateurs will have lens that are rated at f5.6.  professionals will use high quality prime or zoom lens with f2.8 or even f1.8.  These lenses are expensive but make a difference and not only in low light.  These top-shelf professional lenses designed for use at wide open apertures produce phenomenal sharpness at just one stop down at f/4, and some remain constant through the zoom range. Amateur series lenses that start at f/5.6 don’t reach their optimum performance until f/8 or so and by then focus subject distinction is lost.  Also it is possible for anyone to make a mistake but we always manage to correct it by taking duplicate shots and not missing important shots.  Your uncle may have an ex[ensive camera and lens, but that is not enough to guarantee 100% success.  Don't take the chance phone us now.

Well we think you can now use a professional service with our prices starting at only £140.00 plus the cost of each print costing only £10.00, £12.00 or £20.00.  The time allowed is for one venue and we promise a wide selection of photos for you to choose from, that will enable you to remember your special day forever.  There are other packages designed to keep the cost down and keep the quality of photos to a very high standard for you to treasure and show to your grandchildren. Please phone and chat to us about your requirements.  Maybe one of your guests can give you a present of the photo shoot and the guests can buy their own copies.

Book one of our less costly options and get your guests to take photos at the reception.  On these pages we intend to include a simple guide to taking, editing and printing good photos.  It is not comprehensive but it is a start. it may help any any guests taking casual photos on a simple camera. For more advanced photo taking we can meantime direct you to various websites.


1. When we take photos we try to frame the shot.  Use the zoom control or better get in very close for a good portrait.
2. Include only the subject - missing out unwanted backgrounds etc.
3. Camera check.  Set the camera correctly - red eye on and use the flash for 'fill in'.
Check the batteries, memory card and equipment before the start.
on DSLR cameras set the ISO and set the white balance as required.
4. Try to take from a different angle or turn the camera to portrait for variety.
5. Make sure you focus on the subject and not the background.  Many modern cameras use predetermined settings for portrait, landscape etc.  Have a look at this and decide on the depth of field.  Even if you still use the automatic settings.  You can for example blur the background by setting the program to 'portrait'.   When used in automatic give the camera time to process; you may find if you are too quick for the camera the photo will be out of focus etc.
6.  Aim at a neutral area (not a light area like the sky) lock the exposure by pressing half down on the shutter, then move the camera back to the subject.
7. Compose the photo by using the rule of thirds.  Putting the subject 'off centre' can often produce a more interesting picture.
8. Watch out for bright sunlight and harsh shadows.  We carry white umbrellas to soften shots of brides - not just for the rain.
9. It is very important to hold the camera steady or use a tripod - hold your breath for a fraction of a second then breath out and gently press the shutter.  Use a tree or a wall to help steady the camera.
10. Don't be afraid to ask someone to move to get a good group photo.  We are quite determined to do this if we think it is necessary.
THEN: Enjoy! (we do) Learn about your camera and what are its limits, such as the inbuilt flash.  Then start using the post photo software supplied with your camera.

COMMENTS WELCOME - Is this advice of use to you?
Basically know your camera and your camera technicalities should be second nature and then you can concentrate on the shots you are taking.

IF YOU NEED HELP OR ADVICE PLEASE SEND A MESSAGE TO US.  DELIGHTED TO HEAR FROM YOU.