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How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer by Maine Wedding Photographer Cindy McIntyre |
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Tradition still holds strong when it comes to Maine weddings, and brides generally want the traditional bridal photographs that have graced the mantle and walls of wedded couples for decades.
However,
there are some new twists that come along with changing tastes and
technologies. Some involve a "photojournalistic" style of wedding
photography, which keeps the photographer in the background, recording
things as they happen. Others involve a new type of wedding photo
album - one that looks just like the coffee table picture books from a
publisher.
Many wedding photographers combine
both traditional poses and contemporary presentations. Traditional
wedding photography involves formal poses as well as candids of the ceremony
and reception.
Few amateurs or people who do
weddings on the side know the basics of posing, composition, and lighting,
as well as how to move the session along to do the requested poses in the
time allotted. Just because someone charges money does not make
them a good wedding photographer, even if they do other types of photography
for a living. A great sports photographer, for instance, may have
little feel for the romance of a wedding.
Some Maine brides adhere to the
tradition of not seeing the groom before she walks down the aisle.
This makes it difficult to get the quality and variety of formal poses most
couples and their families want. It is much easier to spend 2 hours
before the wedding working with the entire bridal party and the couple
rather than trying to rush these poses after the wedding. After all,
their guests are on their way to the reception, and they don't want to wait
an hour until the newlyweds arrive. The tradition of the groom not
seeing the bride before the wedding has mostly gone by the wayside as
couples realize the advantages of having a more relaxed atmosphere for the
pre-ceremony photographs.
A professional wedding photographer
will use a studio light setup with umbrellas to soften and spread the light,
and have the camera on a tripod for the formal altar poses. This gives more
natural color and even lighting for a large group of people. It also
allows the ambient light of the church background to set off its beauty -
the candles, stained glass, etc. A flash on camera usually results in
a black hole for the background and harsh, uneven lighting - with the effect
of a snapshot rather than that of a professional portrait.
Of course, the candids in the
bride's dressing room, or of the groom nervously waiting with his groomsmen,
or the reception activities, require a more portable setup. If a
photographer leaves the flash on the camera, it usually results in red-eye
because of the light reflecting directly into the pupil. Raising the
flash off the camera 6-12 inches with a device such as a Stroboframe avoids
this. The whole setup looks rather intimidating, but it's the mark of
a professional who understands lighting.
The typical Maine wedding
photography coverage is five hours: two hours before the wedding for
formals, an hour and a half for the back stage preparations and the
ceremony, and 1-1/2 hours for the reception. Some photographers bring
a painted background for the closeup portraits, giving them a studio look
and adding a special touch to the album. These are usually done right
before or after the formals at the altar. For more complicated
weddings, some photographers work with an assistant who help with the poses,
carries the equipment, and maybe even takes some additional candids.
For outdoor Maine weddings, many
people think a bright sunny day makes the best pictures. Actually, a
bright overcast day is like a big, translucent umbrella softening the light,
and provides some of the best portrait lighting. So don't worry if the
sun doesn't shine on your outdoor wedding - as long as it's not raining!
With digital photography, which
nearly everyone today uses, the proofs can be ready within hours of the
wedding. Most pros will do a basic edit to fix exposure, cropping, and
sharpness, and then offer retouching for poses the couple selects for their
album. Many Maine photographers are now including a CD of these edited
digital proofs so the couple can print any of the images on their own
computer or at the local photo center. Often the final retouched poses
are not included on the CD, as the photographer reserves the right to earn
income from the reprints.
Be sure to ask your photographer if
the photos on the CD will be raw, or edited, as most photos usually need
some tweaking to look their best and you may not have the knowledge or the
desire to do so yourself.
The traditional thick, leather-bound
album is still popular, but some prefer the new look of the coffee table
book presentation best. These can have a photograph on a canvas cover,
or on a glossy dust jacket. They are personalized for the couple,
sometimes including quotes or special stories about them. Copies can
also be ordered for other family members, and will be treasured heirlooms. Engagement and Boudoir Photography Many couples wish to begin the story of their wedding
with an Engagement Portfolio, which can also be made into a slide show and
presented at the wedding reception, or made into a lovely coffee table
album. These photographs can even be included on the invitations.
The bride may also wish to surprise her groom with a set of Boudoir
Photographs - lovely, sexy, glamorous.
Capturing your
wedding memories is a co-creative endeavor between you and your
photographer. Visit several studios, see the work, and decide whether
the creativity and expertise of a professional is worth it to you. And
above all, have fun on your wedding day!
Cindy McIntyre Images
Wedding Photography
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