Q Photography Blog » Wedding Photography

The Importance of Photography

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:25:55 +0000

This is an old advert for Kodak about the importance of photographs. It’s a shame the old giant of photography is seeking protection from bankruptcy, but the message from the film – the importance of photographs – is as strong as ever.

An International Award

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:38:55 +0000

I won something! I only submitted 13 photographs at some point last year, as I wasn’t at that stage too sure about how Pixoto worked.
So, it’s really gratifying to come in the top 10% of wedding photographs from around the world on the site (and another two images of mine came in the top 20%). And doubly gratifying in that is the signature image I chose for the front page of my web site!
There were over 150,000 photographs submitted, and over 10 million (!) votes cast by the viewers on the Pixoto site.

The result is here on the Pixoto site
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Reportage, Documentary, Photojournalistic wedding photography – what do they mean?

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:33:47 +0000

In general, those three phrases mean the same thing. The documentary, photojournalistic or reportage photographer at your wedding should be taking many unposed photographs. The intention is to document, or report, on your wedding. (I think ‘Photojournalistic’ is an American phrase, but meaning the same thing.)

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Years ago, sometimes even today, every photograph at a wedding was posed. Your photographer would have arrived with a tripod, and during the reception a long list of group photos would be taken, with people leaving the reception to pose with the bride and groom in front of his or her camera (which rarely moved.) The photographer was in control and every photo was contrived.

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This was unwieldy (because of the tripod) and time consuming (because they had to get their subjects to stop and pose.) Some photographers gave all of us a bad reputation by holding up proceedings at the church and reception. Ministers don’t like the bride’s arrival delaying the ceremony, and venues worry about guests sitting down for the wedding breakfast on time.

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The fashion for documentary and reportage wedding photography came out of new technology (firstly highly sensitive film, latterly highly sensitive digital cameras) which enabled the photographer to get the camera off a tripod and use less lighting equipment and so be more mobile, and the desire for the wedding party to spend less time posing and more time enjoying themselves, while still getting a record of their day.

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However, getting it right is hard to do. i spend an inordinate amount of time looking at other photographers web sites, and there’s many who produce wonderful, unobtrusive, captured moments time after time. However, most of the documentary and reportage photographs I see on the web are not ‘unobtrusive’ and ‘unposed.’ They’re recreations of the reality of the day. You can tell when the photo of a Bride grinning from the window of her wedding car is contrived (“Can you smile and look happy, please!”) or the genuine emotion in that split second as the car arrived. It’s the difference between your photographer controlling the events at your wedding and your photographer not interfering, but observing, and capturing the emotions of the day as they happen.

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I would hope that all professional wedding photographers understand the technical side of their cameras, and comprehend what good composition is. The difference between a good documentary photographer and the others is that they don’t disrupt the flow of events – we wait for the content of each frame to align itself into a great composition and we don’t recreate events at the wedding.

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Many will agree with me that the greatest documentary, or reportage, photographer of all time is Henri Cartier-Bresson. He set the standard of the genre, a standard that some of us try and achieve in our wedding photography. He is also know for his phrase to describe his greatest photographs: “The Decisive Moment.” This is when the elements that make up the content within a frame align themselves to make a composition that is greater than the sum of the constituent parts. To achieve this requires complete concentration, the ability to predict what will happen next, and perfect timing. I am certainly no Cartier-Bresson, but his photographs set the bench-mark that I aim for.

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Of course, even I pose people! There are family group shots which are a pre-requisite for any wedding, and the photos of the Bride and Groom that will appear on their parents’ walls and Grandmother’s mantel pieces. But all too often, I hear that the Bride and Groom’s favourite photograph of themselves is one that I’ve taken when they weren’t aware I was taking it (nike the photo of Sarah and James above.)

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It’s often said that wedding photographers don’t sell photos, they sell memories. I really hope that the memories of your wedding are not of your photographer telling you how and where to stand, to smile, sit, hug, and so on. I sincerely hope that looking at your photos brings back memories of your happiest day.

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My thanks to my colleague Steven Taylor Photography, whose own blog post inspired this one.

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Wedding Photographs

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:49:49 +0000

I’ve just updated the gallery of wedding photographs on my web-site. It now features photographs I have taken in the past five years, although most are from the last two years. Choosing and compiling the photographs made me realise how many venues I have worked at. There are photographs from old favourites such as Glencorse House and Old Kirk, Wedderburn Castle, Glenbervie, Gleneagles, Lennoxlove House, and Duns Castle, as well as places further afield such as the Isle of Mull, the Orkney Isles, Blair Castle and Innes House. Here’s a few of the older photographs, which regular readers won’t have seen in a while!

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My Favourite Photos of the year

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:59:25 +0000

These are my 20 favourite wedding photos of the year. They also happen to summon up my approach to wedding photography – “captured moments.” These are the expressions – of concern, trepidation, joy, and love, to name a few – that can appear at any wedding. There are loads of lovely posed photos I could have included, but I decided to show how great wedding photography doesn’t have to mean ‘posed photography.’ You just need an experienced and observant photographer.
Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year!
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Suzie and Phil’s Lennoxlove wedding

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:42:09 +0000

It was cold for Phil and Suzie’s wedding at the wonderfully romantic Lennoxlove House in East Lothian. Luckily it was beautifully warm inside, a distinct contrast to the 2 degrees centigrade outside. Suzie and Phil were brave enough to have a quick walk around the gardens for some photos, where the cherry tree blossom had emerged, thanks to the warmest November in Scotland on record!
The undercroft chapel was only lit with candles, adding a lovely warm glow to their simple humanist ceremony. And then it was on to the rest of the house where their guests drank champagne while surounded by the most amazing art collection of any wedding venue.
After the most unique and entertaining Best Man’s speech I’ve ever heard, The Jiggers provided music, adding some amusing twists to the traditional ceilidh dancing.
Phil is originally from Essex, as were a good proportion of the guests. I have to say, they were nothing like that lot you see on TV!
Here’s a small selection of their black and white wedding photos. You can see more colour wedding photography from their Lennoxlove wedding by clicking on this order photos link.

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Laura and Matt’s Aberdeenshire wedding

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:25:17 +0000

American Laura met Scottish Matt in Losotho (in southern Africa) and the result was a wonderful wedding in rural Aberdeenshire. The weather forecast wasn’t good, but in the end everyone stayed dry (with the help of some friendly trees.)
After a service in Aboyne, everyone moved on to the magnificent Lonach Hall in Strathdon, where, after some moving speaches, an evening of energetic Ceileidh dancing followed.
There’re more photos to see on the ‘order photos‘ page.

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Debbie and Ray’s North Berwick wedding

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:46:49 +0000

Debbie and Ray rang me just a few weeks before their wedding – it was going to be a small wedding with just their son and parents, in North Berwick registry office. Unbelievably, I’d never photographed there, despite living less than 10 meters away!
Their son Callum nearly stole the show. He’s a bundle of energy and very easy to photograph once he stands still enough. However, I think Debbie’s Biba dress was the highlight of the day, and I think Ray agrees with me!
There’s one photo from the registry office and the rest are from nearby Yellowcraig Beach and its ‘Treasure Island’ adventure playground. Full marks if you can leave a comment and correctly explain why it’s called that!

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Mary and Ewen’s wedding at Glengorm Castle, the Isle of Mull.

admin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:48:24 +0000

I love Island weddings! Whether they’re far away in the Orkneys, or closer to home (on Mull) they have several things in common. One is that they are hugely welcoming, to friends, and strangers such as myself, alike. The other is that various rules and norms seem to be more relaxed (“there’s only two policemen in Tobermory, and they’ll both be asleep by now”!

Mary and Ewen’s wedding at Glengorm Castle on the tip of the Isle of Mull was the perfect example. Ewan was the local boy, yet Mary and her family were welcomed with open arms – as were all the guests who’d travelled from the four corners of the world to help them celebrate.

Ewen was so local that his mother married them – she’s the local registrar, and his brother Roddy made the wedding bands. Meanwhile, Mary made their cake herself, using her Grandmother’s recipe and cake tins from nearly 70 years earlier!

The weather couldn’t dampen the celebrations either, as the rain timed it’s appearance almost exactly perfectly, and even provided a lucky rainbow!

There’s the usual ten photos here, and more to see on the order photos page.

Sara and Eliot’s wedding

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:28:11 +0000

Sara and Eliot planned the perfect DIY wedding at their home.

The caterers (Heritage Portfolio) the marquee (Henderson’s) and Sara’s bespoke dress (by Lorna Tate) came from outside sources, but the rest of the day was theirs alone: a Civil Ceremony in a wooded glade, with pipers from Sara’s father’s old regiment; flowers by themselves, friends, family and Norwegian relatives – what more could you want?

Well, only enthusiastic ceilidh dancing long into the night, capped by a surprise fireworks display set off by the groom himself!

Here are the usual ten photos – there are many more on the ‘order photos‘ page.