How I deliver your wedding photographs and wedding videos!
Perfection can’t happen overnight!
So, here’s the thing: having beautiful photos and photofilms is one thing, but equally important is how you get them and how you can share them!
The reason I’m writing this article is because my previous couples have told me I should: who am I to argue with people that have been the other side of the camera? More importantly, they were once doing exactly what you are: trying to find the right person to be part of their day!
Firstly wedding photos
Upfront let me say that I am not one of these people that will rush them out in a week. Your wedding day is one of the most important in your life, and therefore it is really important to me that these photos are perfect, timeless and live FOREVER. We’ve all been there where you’re proofreading an essay or an email: you read back what you thought you’d written or typed, not what you actually did! Photos aren’t that dissimilar: it’s only by stepping back from them that you can go through them with a new set of eyes seeing things you’d like to change to make them perfect.
It might be small little things like a bit of discarded rubbish, an AA sign drawing the eye given that it’s bright yellow or a fire extinguisher poking out over a table. But if your photos are to be perfect they need to go! So I might take 4 to 6 weeks to finish the photos: but I promise you it is worth the wait. My previous couples will testify to that: they have below!
Don’t please think for a moment I disappear into the ether and you don’t know what’s going on: if anything the opposite is true! I’ll often communicate with my couples at least weekly (and often more than this) letting them know where I am in the process, what I’m up to and why. I’ll also often be sending over before and afters to give a rough idea of why I’m doing what I’m doing so you’re always up to speed and in the loop.
You’ve probably seen, like I have, photographers saying 400 photos, or 500 photos etc. There is some legality to this: as a professional you need to set an “expectation” of what the final number will be. But firstly, when I deliver your photos it will sure as hell NOT be a round number! If a photo has meaning, gives an emotional reaction or makes me think it is totally staying in – no buts! It might be that your collection is 532, 628 or 426 – but EVERY photo is there for a reason.. Yes it means it might take a little longer to develop: but for me it might be the most random picture but if Nan’s pulling a smile, one of your little ones is doing something daft or even Aunty Gwen having fallen asleep on a table then they are as important as any other photo.
How you get them
I don’t do USB sticks! It is FAR too easy to lose a USB stick and then have your memories gone. It is for this reason I invested in my website and the platform it is on so you can always get them wherever you are: as long as you have an internet connection you can get to your special memories. You also get an “app” for your mobiles devices: this way you can download any or all of your photos and photofilms to your phone, your tablet or your computer. If ever you are feeling a little down on a bad day at work then your photos are there for you at lunch to perk you up and remind you of the special day you had!
It also works for family as well: we all have got extended family miles away or even the other side of the world. You can share your gallery with them as soon as you are ready to do so; you can also ask me to restrict what they can see, and what is hidden from them. This way even those special people miles away can enjoy your memories when you are ready for them to do so: you don’t have to wait for them to be back in your area or back in the country to sit down with and play with USB sticks.
It’s also easier to understand when you see it for yourself. So you’ll find pictures of the app in the app stores, some screengrabs and images of the app and website in action with wedding images to explain more. And if you’re unsure if this is for you, just give me a nudge and I’ll send you over a sample gallery so see can see it for yourself!
(And yes – I know this bit doesn’t look that pretty with the different size screenshots and so on. “But function over form” or something like that!)
Ordering extra prints
Yes you could take your USB stick down to a local chemist (other facilities are available). But you could also use a professional lab and get a better quality of print for only a few pennies more. The majority of high street stores use a four colour pass whereas the professional labs are at least 8 colour giving your photos more definition and “bite”.
Also the labs I use give you the option of metallic printing ink: this makes the photos seem almost 3d in nature. These labs are all integrated into my website and the app making it as easy as making a list of favourites and then heading through the lab. (If you use an IOS device unfortunately the app won’t let you purchase, this is due to Apple wanting a £ cut on everything you do on your phone. Create a list of favourites and then head to the website either in Safari or Chrome).
So what does this mean?
After years of shooting weddings I’ve learnt a few things! One of the most important things is that you can get unfettered access to your photos wherever you may be, and that you can share them easily with your nearest and dearest. That is why I’ve invested in my website and the app and listened to my previous couples about what they’d like to make their lives easier. Beautiful photos and photofilms are no use to you if you can’t enjoy them every single day that you want to!