Frequently Asked Questions

General Wedding Photography - over recent years wedding photography has progressed to include the concept of telling a visual story of the wedding, like a classic photo story from Life magazine or The Sunday Times. Wedding photojournalism allows a creative photographer to record images of your celebration, emotion, romance and fun with the quiet moments that can be missed in the excitement of the day.

Personally, I like to blend several different styles of wedding photography (photojournalism or reportage with editorial), to produce for you an album of photographs which captures the event in a realistic way with a few relaxed portraits, detail shots and formals included. This reduces the formality and structure of traditional wedding photography and allows you more time to enjoy the day - your wedding is a celebration not a photo shoot.

Wedding Albums - I use some of the world's finest albums from Australia and New Zealand.

Can we have an album made?
I offer several styles of wedding album -

Queensberry - these magnificent albums are designed by Jonathan and are all individually made in New Zealand.
Examples and related pricing on request.

Digital (aka Magazine) Albums - these are designed by Jonathan and bound by a master bookbinder in Australia. These have a more modern look and feel.

Wedding Insurance - an often overlooked aspect of wedding planning. Here are some useful contact details:
Marks & Spencer - 0800 3165985, Weddingplan - 0870 7744055, MRL - 0870 8704401, Debenhams - 0870 7744196.

If you have any questions not answered then please do get in touch.
General questions
Practical questions
Contracts, cameras, negatives and food

General Questions


Explain your approach to wedding photography?
I often feel my clients do not want the photographer to take over the day. I allow you both and your wedding guests to get on with having a good time and we interact directly for portraits and formal photographs. I will try not impose myself or take longer than necessary.

It's important to choose a photographer you feel at ease with. The connection made between you and the photographer will come through in your photos. Therefore it's fun to meet and have a pre-wedding shoot to develop our understanding.

Why do you like shooting weddings?
To quote a master photographer, Yervant from Melbourne Australia.
"I have to be a portrait photographer, landscape photographer, fashion photographer and photojournalist all within a few hours of a wedding day".
To me, photographing a wedding is not just another day at the office. I like to document each event and tell the real story of your wedding day.

What is your photographic style?
I practice photojournalism (also called documentary or reportage photography), which is "capturing" the image, not "creating" it. My objective is to tell the story of the wedding using the camera. I like to set up as few shots as possible, remaining unobtrusive. However, I will usually get in the midst of the fun at some points too. I like to photograph people, emotions, and the details of your wedding day. All you need to do for most of the day is to act naturally and enjoy being the centre of attention.
View my Portfolio page for a varied selection of my wedding photographs.

We want something contemporary but our parents want some traditional posed photos too. Can you do both?
Yes I can - I enjoy documentary style and informal portraits, but I am also properly equipped and experienced enough to take simple posed group portraits, synonymous with traditional wedding photography.

What is included in the 8 hours?
For a typical wedding, I would normally cover the following - preparations at the bride's house, the groom and family at the ceremony beforehand, the guests arriving, the bride arriving, discrete shots of the ceremony (if permitted), the signing of the register, the couple leaving, group shots of the immediate families and a private moment with just the couple, shots at the reception including guests mingling, the cutting of the cake, the speeches, toasts and first dance. All shot with a little creative flair and an eye for the spontaneous moment.

Do you offer an engagement / pre wedding shoot?
Yes. If you book me to photograph your wedding I will try to arrange a pre-wedding shoot - weekday evenings in Brighton or along the south coast are fun. The engagement photo session is a great way for us to get to know each other a little better before the wedding day itself.

Practical Questions


After the wedding, what happens next?
I then edit and present your photographs as a slideshow on CD, carefully sequenced in a storybook format (normally producing between 200 and 300 shots) to select from. I provide you with order forms and there is no deadline on ordering reprints and no limitations on quantity ordered.

What happens if it rains on our wedding day?
I will shoot as much as practically possible and you may get a bit wet. Wedding reception venues will often have an indoor space to set up flash lighting if required. I have studio lights to make the best of the situation.

Can we get a wedding album made up?
I offer individual Queensberry albums, examples and related pricing on request. Queensberry can be designed by you using my Powerbook laptop - unique and fun.

Can you supply Thank You cards?
You can select an image from the your wedding day which is printed onto card to send to all your guests. They are unique and individual to you and always receive a good response from recipients. These are printed in batches of 25 and include envelopes.

Can you make a web page of photographs?
I make a web page of every wedding I photograph. Your family and friends can go online to view and even place a print order from them. This web page also serves the purpose of me allowing potential clients to view my style from wedding to wedding.

Are you a full-time photographer?
Yes, photography is my only income. I take my photography seriously and work hard to make each wedding and album unique, and that's how I want to stay in business.

Do you travel?
I am based in Brighton UK, and work mainly in Sussex, Kent, Surrey & Hampshire, although I am also happy to travel throughout the home counties, midlands, anywhere M25 related, the south east and south west. Please call or email me for a quote.

We live overseas and are returning to the UK for our wedding.
No problem – I have worked with clients who live in Abu Dhabi, San Diego, Haiti, New York and several in Australia.

What do you wear to weddings?
Do I wear a suit and tie? No, because it make me feel restricted. Eight hours working with two cameras means I dress neatly but in a practical manner.

Questions about contracts, cameras, negatives and food

What kind of cameras do you use?
I shoot with professional Canon cameras that are fast and allow me every opportunity to actually "get the shot." These cameras have a large variety of lenses usable with them. This means a greater possibility of unique and creative photographs.

Do you shoot digital or film?
A camera is just a tool. A professional photographer should use the right tool for the job. I operate a full digital workflow.

Do you have backup equipment?
You never know when something could fail at an important moment, so yes.

Do you have insurance?
Yes, I have Professional Indemnity and Liability insurance.

Do you shoot colour or black & white?
I shoot in colour and you can choose any image and convert it to black & white or sepia.

Food and soft drinks
It is appreciated that the couple provide a hot meal (vegetarian please - cheese, milk, nuts all ok) and soft drinks for the photographer whilst the wedding party and guests sit to eat.

Can we keep our negatives / files?
I am happy to supply all the edited files as jpgs on DVD at 300dpi (high resolution) ready for printing up to 12x8 inches in size.

Contract
I have a simple contract which ensures there is no misunderstanding between the couple and photographer on the agreed terms and conditions. I recommend you take out wedding insurance and have written contracts with all major parties / suppliers.

If any questions you have about my wedding photography service are not answered then please do get in touch.