Dean Robson LBIPP – RT Weddings – Wedding Photographer Blog

Finding a professional wedding photographer

After listening to the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 (www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/) this morning I thought I would share some of the very useful information they offered, as they were having an interesting discussion regarding wedding photographers, including the differences between a good one and a bad one.

The show began with several complaints regarding cheap photographers who were charging as little as £350 for video or photography, and as a result the couples were left very unhappy and disappointed with the quality of service and the end products. Problems included, key moments missed, shots were out of focus, or missing heads, photographers turned up late, the coverage was quite small and only a fraction of the photographs were any good. As a professional wedding photographer I am always very saddened to hear horror stories regarding wedding photography.

A wedding planner, Sarah Haywood from Oxford (www.sarahhaywood.com) spoke to Jeremy and had some great points, so great that I felt the need to share them with you.

Sarah explains: “Poor wedding photography is one of the biggest let downs for couples after their wedding and there is a reason for that, they are not doing the research, there are 100’s of fantastic wedding photographers up and down this land, but this joker was charging £350”. She continues, “Good photographers cost money because they have got overheads, they have got costly equipment to maintain and post production takes time. If you can charge £350 then it’s just pocket money and you are not taking it seriously or you are rubbish!”.

“If somebody says to you I can photograph your wedding for a few hundred pounds and I can do you a video, regard this with great suspicion. One of the main problems with every area of wedding planning is that couples don’t do the research. It is all to easy for someone to buy a fancy camera, put up a simple website and set him or herself up as a professional wedding photographer, so it is your job to do your homework”.

“This is how you do it… if you are getting married and you are looking for a professional photographer go online, look and seek out photographers doing work that you like the look of. When you have done that you must arrange to meet them. When you meet them ask to see albums of complete weddings. You want to see the story of those weddings from start to finish, not albums of best shots as anyone can put those together. You want to see that the work of these people is consistently good and that’s why you hire a professional. Amateurs can do quite a good job but won’t be consistently good so it is up to you to do your homework.”

I was so impressed with Sarah’s comments I felt I should share them with you on my blog. I would like to echo her key points again.

When looking for a wedding photographer:

1)      Look on-line to find a photographer

2)      Make sure you like the style and look of their work

3)      Arrange to meet them in person

4)      Make sure they have albums of complete weddings

5)      Check that their work is consistently good

6)      Expect to pay a professional price

You only get one chance to take the perfect wedding photographs so make sure you book a professional!

By Dean Robson – RT Weddings (April 2011) Professional Wedding Photographer for Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent

St Mary the Virgin, Aythorpe Roding Church in Essex

In the coming months I am photographing a couple of wedding ceremonies at St. Mary the Virgin, Aythorpe Roding Church which has come as a surprise because it’s been five years since the last wedding took place there and then two come within a few weeks.

Aythorpe Roding is near Great Dunmow in the Essex countryside and is lovely setting for a wedding.

The area just outside the church isn’t very big but is very picturesque.

But around the back of the church I found a great backdrop for some romantic shots.

As travelled down the little path I found an open area which would be perfect for group shots and still have the church in the background.

By Dean Robson – RT Weddings (May 2010) Professional Wedding Photographer for Essex, Hertfordshire, and Kent

Launch of the New Wedding Photo Books

I am excited to announce that I now have a new product available which replaces the existing A4 wedding books. The new Wedding Photo Books are of a much higher quality and use photographic printing as opposed to the CMYK press printing used on the previous product.

The hardback cover can now have a photo on it as well as the wedding details on the front.

The photos can now span the pages and lay flat when the book is opened.

This product will go on sale at the same price as the previous product giving my customers an amazing deal for 2010. Great idea for a parents book or special gift.

The books can be produced in 26 page, 34 page and 42 page options and can contain between 60-70, 70-90 and 90 – 120 photographs in the respective sizes.

An amazing product, bespokely designed and at great value too! For more information please visit the Wedding Photo Book page in my products section of the website.

By Dean Robson – RT Weddings (March 2010) Professional Wedding Photographer for Essex, Hertfordshire, and Kent