Wedding Photographer

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Now I mostly do wedding photography. I think a love story is the best story one can tell. The event is packed with interesting subjects to capture. From the dressing of the bride to tear drops of the father. Producing a wedding book always bring satisfaction to me and joy to the bride and groom. Most of my books are printed at Graphistudio in Italy, where there are a variety of styles to choose from. The finished product is always a masterpiece.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. In this age, when everyone has a digital camera, it is easy to believe that photography is point-and-shoot. I would advise customers to focus on quality and artistic ability and not on price. Your event is a slice of your life that can seldom be relived, so your images are priceless!

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Customers should have some idea of what it cost to hire a professional photographer. One of the questions I ask potential clients is what is their budget for photography. Invariably the answer is I don't know. I would advise clients to always have a budget.
Clients should also know or have some idea of how they want their images delivered... an album, a DVD or prints in a box. Because the price is also dependant on the medium used to deliver the work.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I take pride in what I do. This has always been my style. I am never quite satisfied with my work, as such I continually strive for perfection. I pay attention to detail and spend time on each image or video clip to ensure that the finished product is the best it can be. Also I invest in state of the art equipment, using Nikon top of the line cameras and lenses. Additionally I keep sharpening my skills by attending workshops and other training programs to perfect my trade.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love photography, but this is very tedious work, particulary the editing. However, I like the gratification I get from seeing the expression on the faces of my clients when I produce good work and they say... wow!

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. The question that frequently comes up is about price for the service. I have difficulty with the answer, because this is art and unlike a widget, art is difficult to price. Unfortunately, the value is not seen until the work is done. The photograpner/videographer for an event has a big responsibility. Imagine if after the event there are no images (still or video) to look at. How would that make you feel?

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I think a perfect photograph is taken when the moment is right, the composition is right and the exposure is right...and that calls for profesionalism. I want my customers to know that i am a professional. It took me a long time to reach this level of professionalism and I am still learning, because it's a journey, not a distination.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I started more than twenty years ago just for the love of capturing beauty. Anything that looked beautiful, I wanted to capture. I started with sunsets and landscapes but soon move into people and events. I was also facinated with the chemistry of developing and printing images in the darkroom. Then my interest began to wan. Then came digital. This was the rebirth of my interest in photography, because the possibility was endless. The computer was now my dark room and I did not need to change film to get various speeds. This new technology was awesome!

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I recently "shot" a wedding in Barbados. I haven't done the book as yet, but the comments from viewers of the images were very encouraging. I am looking forward to the finished product. I am proud of this shoot because I was able to use various light modifiers to get the quality of light I wanted. Shooting on the beach is always challenging. You have to battle with light reflected from the sand and the see. Then there is the fact that my subjects were of dark complexion with light garments. So “fill flash” was absolutely necessary. What was important to note here is that if brides want to have good images for their albums, they need to give the photographer time to create those images.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Photography like many fields today is very dynamic. The photographer does not only have to keep up-to-date with equipment, but also with software. I attend every possible seminar and workshop to educatate myself in the field. In addition I subscribe to several publications as a means to my continuing education.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. First, I would suggest that they do not expect a quick return on their investment. It takes time to gain reconition. This is now a very competitive field.
Then attend as many workshops and seminars as possible to learn from the pros. Submit images in various competition. Also, you have to continuely frame images in your head and when ever possible captuer those images.
Don't just shoot, but analyse your results to see how you can improve.