Lyn & Peter's E-Shoot
On Saturday I met with Lyn and Peter for their much anticipated e-shoot. Lyn had been very excited about her shoot and even had a collection of props on hand. Lyn is also a reader of some of the following blogs – you should check them out for inspiration for either your wedding or e-shoot. The imagery is just divine on all of these sites. It makes such a big difference when people bring to their shoots something that really reveals them as couple!
Polka Dot Bride
Green Wedding Shoes
Style me Pretty
Lyn and Peter are getting married at Hope Island Links Golf Course which is a beautiful location. We did Part 1 of the their shoot at the Golf Course and I am sure you will agree Lyn is wearing the most divine dress and Peter is also dressed for the occasion. After our fun there we just drove around and found a beautiful location with beautiful views (wink wink Lyn)!
I have posted way too many photos but I couldn’t help myself – they are just too cute. I was going through the photos tagging ones for my blog and then I did a filter on them and 55 came up – I think you would be very upset if your web had to load that many images lol.
{Lyn and Peter – thank you again for choosing me as your photographer. I love love love your e-shoot photos and hope you do too. We are going to have so much fun at your wedding – enjoy your sneak peak x}
Till next time (and another awesome e-shoot to show)
Nax
Sneak Peak & Top 5 Tips
I had such an amazing weekend! I had two e-shoots with the most fantastic couples that were just soooo in love and so into their shoots! It really makes a big difference when couples make an effort to get the best out of their shoots and put their all in to them. I am not ready to put up their full blog posts but just HAD to share these two sneak peaks (these are not the best of the best either – there are SO many great shots it was hard to pick even what to put up now)! Both shoots were as great as each other and I can’t wait to share!
I also wanted to share a blog post that I came across the other day on a Newcastle Photographer’s blog written by another photographer – Kariz-Matik photography. He has come up with a great 5 tip checklist on how to choose your photographer for your very special day.
Julian’s ‘Top 5′ check-list for Brides to be when they’re interviewing and considering possible Photographers to have on their big, beautiful day. I whole heartedly agree with EVERYTHING he has written here!
Enjoy!
# 1 - The Photographer
Forget the photos for a second. Forget the camera or what “Brand” they shoot with. Hell, don’t even think about if he’ll be dressed in a Suit & Tie or Short-Shorts and Flip-Flops at this point. Simply go out and meet your Photographer, as this is the most important thing you could ever do. This is a person you’ll be spending, in some cases, the entire day with. You better click with them. You better like them. And you better be able to have a conversation with them! If you don’t like them, regardless of how great or mediocre their Photography is, how do you expect to put up with them for an entire day, while they poke and prod a giant camera in your direction? The Photographer should, in my opinion, be someone you’d consider a friend, if you had met them under different circumstances. That isn’t to say you should hire someone who acts like a goof or dresses like a slob, or even worse still – an actual Friend. You do need a happy medium in a business context, of course. But I think it is safe to presume most would prefer someone they like following them all day with a camera, then someone that they can’t stand. You may prefer the latter, but for those who want to look back on their day as a happy experience – Maybe hire a happy Photographer, because if you get a grump, they’ll be there. All day long. Taking photo’s. Think about it.
# 2 – The Photo’s
If your Photographer passed step # 1 of my gruelling test, then onto the next important part, the photo’s! Look at their work. Well, duh. But there are a few things you can do to make sure you have a “Good” Photographer, versus a “Bad” Photographer. I use these terms very loosely, as what constitutes “Good” or “Bad” has completely different connotations, person to person. How to spot what you personally think is “Good” or “Bad” though, is simple. Consistency. When you are shown a gallery from a Photographer or meet with them, what are they showing you? 30 different photo’s of 30 different weddings? If so, ask for more. And ask for more from one particular wedding. Ever hear the old adage, “even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in it’s life-time”? Or, “even a broken clock is right twice a day”? The same adage can be applied to Photographers – If a Photographer can’t show you consistent results (Good or Bad) from one particular wedding, then pick up your purse, your Fianc’e and run. Out of any Wedding, Photographer’s will take up to 1200 Photo’s; some take more, some less. But we typically cull a little over half of the images we take before showing them to you, depending on how many hours we are covering. And this is a good thing – We’re like movie directors, we cut the bad and keep the good so you aren’t overwhelmed by the moments in between leading up to the truly ‘great’ moments. Same as in a movie; you don’t want the nonsense in between, you just want the great scenes. So we cull the blurry, the underexposed, the random shots and keep the ‘wow’ stuff. Anyway. The point is, if a Photographer is only showing you 20 Photo’s from 20 different Weddings… They have culled a hell of a lot more than normal, just to find those rare gems and probably, for good reason.. This isn’t to say that every Photographer who shows individual weddings initially is going to be “bad”. It can simply mean they are holding onto the rest of the shots until you specifically ask for them (I personally do this, just look at my Website). It could mean they don’t like showing them until you are at a meeting (Another thing I do, so my previous Brides don’t feel “on display”) – It could be for any number of reasons. But if you have actually requested more from one particular wedding and the Photographer cannot provide it, then it probably means one thing – You are going to get one “great” shot from that Photographer and the rest, at best, mediocre. So key here is Consistency. Consistency.
# 3 – Ask Questions
Ask. Ask. Ask. As much as you can – Even if you sound like a broken record or re-ask questions you are unsure about. You should know what you are buying into, front to back. You should be able to quote the same sales pitch the Photographer gave you, back to your friends and family. In short, you should be able to know, without looking at a contract, what you are getting out of your Photographer. Not the other way around. Yep, you heard me say it. Ever have an interview with me? Interrogate me. Give me the 4th degree (Mhmm, one degree hotter than usual). Extra strong light bulb in a cramped CIA room and all. Some Photographers hide behind contracts and industry jargon. I’m not saying all do this. That would be like saying, “everyone who drives a Volvo is going to run you over.”, or something to that affect. I’m saying, don’t be caught out by that odd Photographer looking to milk the metaphorical cash cow. If the package or Photographer you are hiring or buying isn’t described plainly or understood in simple terms, or worse still, you cannot understand what they are saying, again, run. Purse? Fianc’e? Reebok’s? Check. Check. Check. Then run like Forrest Gump. This step ties in perfectly with my first step, too – Because you should be able to click (never-mind the pun) with your Photographer and understand him. You should be able to ask him questions until you are blue in the face … And not have to apologise for asking them. They should be able to smile, laugh about it with you and then explain it, in simple, straight-forward terms. Easy-peasy step this one – Ask questions. Otherwise, you may regret it after hearing.. “Oh I’m sorry, did you accidentally overlook the fine-print that says reprints cost $60.00 per 4×6 inch? Pity. Anyway, that’ll be $6000 for a hundred 4×6 inch prints that only cost me $60, thanks!”. Not much you can do either, sadly. If you signed the contract, you are obligated to pay it, if you want the product. Even if you take them to court over the matter. It is a legally binding contract. So, be sure about what you are signing into from the get-go. Do not be afraid of being a ‘Bride-Zilla’! Ask, Ask, Ask!
# 4 – The Contract
Contract’s are fast becoming second nature with Photographers. I have one. They’re great. They say all sorts of things and cover my butt from a legal and business standpoint – But they shouldn’t be scary. This step ties in with my last step: Ask Questions! If there is something you do not 110% comprehend about anything outlined in your contract or there is a spelling mistake or two sections that do not coincide with each other (This happened to me recently, I changed one clause and forgot to amend another section stating the same and a Bride called me on it – THANKYOU!!) – Ask the Photographer. It’ll save the Photographer and yourself confusion, embarrassment and most probably, a headache. We’re Human, after all, we make mistakes just like anyone else in business – Some without even realising it. You wont get your head chewed off, simply for wanting clarification. And if you do, then it’ll tie back into Step # 1 of this Check-List and perhaps you shouldn’t be hiring that Photographer. So get this part out of the way, long before you sign it. I even encourage amendments to sections of my contract – For instance, I have a Model Release saying I can use the Photo’s anywhere. Billboards, Blogs, Websites, you name it. But not everyone wants their faces plastered around the world… I understand that and in most cases, will respectfully add a clause adhering to whatever circumstances are desired. Your Photographer should, too. It is a two way street, after all. But whatever happens, do not be scared of contracts. And if the Photographer you are hiring doesn’t have one – Ask for one. They obligate him to show up on the day and obligate you to pay him. Win-win, right? They’re a necessity and really, are great for both parties involved.
# 5 – Trust
This step is relatively straight forward. If you can’t smile, laugh, kiss, make fun of yourself, dream, scheme and wonder at the beauty of the day with your Photographer, then how on Earth do you expect to come out of it happy? The Photographer / Client relationship is one of trust. You need to trust that they are going to get the shots you love and want. You need to trust they aren’t going to make your chin look fat. You need to trust that they aren’t going to take a photo of you from a bad angle, then blow it up 20 sizes and have it as their Business Billboard on the Motorway. You need to be able to let yourself go on the day and not feel like you are being stalked by a camera, but instead, documented by an acquaintance you know, like and trust. Forget whether or not they will do the job right, trust that they will and enjoy the day, instead. If you can’t, you have the wrong Photographer and the chances of you getting great Photograph’s from them, is slim to none – Not because of the Photographer. But because you can’t be comfortable in front of them and this WILL show on camera and in the photos you get. So, find a Photographer you can trust and be yourself around! And most importantly, have fun on the day.
Greg & Jocelyn's (very very quick) E-Shoot
Last Thursday I think I did the quickest photoshoot ever – a total of 18 minutes and that included driving down another road! The photoshoot was the e-shoot for Greg and Jocelyn whose wedding I am shooting in July up at Mt Tambourine. The day started off pretty overcast (as do most days these days) and I thought it was going to be ok but then 10 minutes in to our shoot it started raining. Greg and Jocelyn were good sports though and were keen to stand in the rain for a few moments. It was also pretty cold up there so no wonder there was lots of snuggles!
Stay tuned for LOTS of e-shoots coming up – I have two this weekend and both couples are very cool and have organised lots of props (yahhh love props)!
{Greg and Jocelyn I hope you love these images we were able to get within the 18 minutes we were together and lets hope we get more sun on the day as I am sure “the road” is going to make for a perfect backdrop. Can’t wait until your special day}.
Till next time
Naxx
Toffee Apples & A Whole Lot of Love
You know it is going to be a fun shoot when toffee apples get made especially for a shoot! KJ is the graphic designer for Peekaboo Magazine so I new she would come up with great ideas for her shoot. The big day takes place on the 22nd May at the Carriage Room at Mt Cotton and because I hadn’t been out there before we decided to do their e-shoot there – and I am so glad we did. The light was lovely and the location is just perfect – so many opportunities there. Unfortunately Wade was sick on the day but he still got into it the best he could!
Can’t wait to shoot their wedding in a few weeks – going to be so fun!
Till next time
Nax
