Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to a few questions, if you have a question that is not covered please do not hesitate to get in touch as I am more than happy to answer your specific questions.

Do We Need to Meet before Booking?

You don’t need to have a consultation with me face to face In essex, we can initially have a telephone call or Skype call to discuss all the details to help you decide if I am the right photographer for you.

It’s always nice to to have a face to face meeting as it allows me to show you some of my sample albums but it’s by no means essential.

What is your photography style?

I inject creativity and uniqueness into my wedding photography. I will get you all the traditional and formal images you would expect from a wedding photographer, but in addition, I will use light, colour, and composition to create uniquely styled images to suit your taste.

How many hours do you cover?

I cover the whole day from bridal preparations through to first dance and beyond if required. If clients choose to have less of the day covered that is fine but the whole day is available as standard.

Have you ever photographed a wedding at my venue before?

Whether I have or have not, I always visit your Essex based wedding venue/s. If I am not familiar with the venue I will always do my research and ensure I know the best locations at the venue to capture the unique images you will expect.

Will you be my photographer, or would it be one of your associates?

I believe in providing my clients with unique images of the highest quality, this can only be achieved if I am the photographer. I do not believe another photographer can provide the same uniqueness that I offer.  I will often have an assistant to help with carrying equipment, arranging group shots and lighting setups, but I will always be the primary photographer.

Do you provide a written contract?

Absolutely yes! I never agree to work without a contract in place.

It is important to have a written agreement in place so you know exactly what you are getting, this ensures there are no hidden costs.

Will I have the digital rights to my photos?

Yes you will!

Provided you have digital rights you are free to share the images on social media without having a watermark on the images.

How long after the wedding until we receive the photos?

As a general rule, I aim to deliver the completed images within three weeks. I will often share a few previews much sooner.

A lot of people do not realise the amount of work that goes into your images after they have been captured on your wedding day. Most photographers will shoot what is known as RAW files, this is the raw image data captured by the camera without any processing as this gives the best quality image. All processing combined with any Photoshop tweaks take a considerable amount of time to complete and one I do myself as I want to ensure each an every image is of the highest quality.

When is the deposit due?

I ask for a £200 deposit at the time of confirming the booking to secure the day for you.

Will you be shooting multiple weddings that day?

I will never do this. When you book me you will have my full commitment to photographing your wedding exclusively.

Are you insured?

I am covered by public liability, professional indemnity and equipment insurance. I am happy to provide evidence of this if you require or if your venue requests it.

Public liability insurance is needed to provide services in public or private spaces and Professional Indemnity is just in case something goes wrong. Equipment insurance is useful as it provides comfort that my equipment replaced in the event of a theft and also includes emergency equipment hire. I also have back up equipment should I ever need it.

What will happen if you unable to photograph my wedding due to ill health?

I have a ‘pick myself up and get on with it approach’, however, if such a rarity occurred I would do everything humanly possible to arrange a replacement photographer. I have built up a network of fellow professional photographers whom I could call upon. I do believe it is important to think about this situation and take as many steps as possible to ensure my couples are never affected by it.

What will you do if it rains all day preventing outside photography?

I bring studio lighting to all weddings which are capable of providing ample light should we need to do some or all of the photography inside. It is not often it rains all day long in the South East of the UK so we can normally get out between showers however, I will embrace the conditions and work them to our advantage, you can get some fantastic back lit shots in the rain with a decorative umbrella.

How do you backup my photos?

I am extremely diligent backing up images. The camera’s I use have dual card slots so I have a backup as soon as the image is captured, I will often transfer the images to a laptop during the day too. Once I get back from your wedding I copy the images onto a computer and from there kick off an upload to a cloud server. I do not remove the images from the memory cards until I have verified everything has copied successfully and the upload to the cloud is complete. 

Do you work from a specific list?

As all weddings are different I like to ensure your day is unique to you, we will have met to discuss your requirements and I can bring lots of inspiration to our meetings.  There are various must-have shots such as cutting the cake and first dance, but if there are the specific unique image you would like captured we will have discussed this beforehand. On your wedding day, I will often bring example shots as this is an ideal way to show you what I am going to achieve.

Can I request that certain images are taken at my wedding?

Absolutely, I welcome clients to give me specific shots they would like captured and I will pull out all the stops to make sure I get them. Perhaps you have a theme for your wedding day, I can take this theme to create unique images specific to it.

Do you have a limit on the number of images that you will edit?

No, I will edit all the images selected. I will often take a series of the same image and select the best one so the first part of my editing process is selecting the best images, once selected I will edit them all.

Do you shoot on film or digitally?

I shoot exclusively digitally, gone are the days when a wedding photographer just captured a series of staged portraits. The modern demands of documentary photography do not work well with film and really there is no need to use it anymore. Having started my passion for photography using a film camera I do love it, but digital photography offers the ability to see instantly that everything is working correctly. I am able to apply film effects to mimic film in post processing if requested.

You will see some photographers offering film, this tends to be one of those trendy things to offer, but I personally don’t see any real need for it now.

Can I see an example of a complete wedding album?

Yes, of course, you can, I am happy to show you albums and prints of my work.

Do I need to cover your travel costs or is that included in the price?

I would only charge travel expenses in exceptional circumstances, for example, if I was asked to shoot a location a long distance away however this would be discussed and agreed right from the start. I am always completely transparent with my costs and do not have any hidden charges. 

Do you carry back-up equipment?

Absolutely, I would not consider photographing your wedding without backup equipment. I always carry two main cameras’ and another spare on standby. I also carry a selection of lenses, some are duplicates to allow me to continue should a lens fail.

More commonly asked questions

Do you need a professional wedding photographer?

If you want professional quality photographs the simple answer is YES, weddings happen very quickly and without a professional moments can easily be missed. A professional wedding photographer will also be able to help you look at your absolute best with their knowledge of lighting, posing and composition.

How long before our wedding do we need to book a wedding photographer?

Good wedding photographers will get booked up two or more years in advance so as soon as you have a decided on a date and booked your venue its worth booking a photographer.

How can we find a trusted  essex wedding photographer?

As with any service it is important to do your homework, check for client testimonials, their qualifications and if they have won any awards. This will give you a good idea of the standard of their work and how reliable they are.

 

What if it rains on my essex wedding day?

It is still possible to get great photographs, in fact the rain offers many creative opportunities for wedding photography. Ask your photographer how they handle bad weather, for a professional it really shouldn’t be a problem.

 

How much is does a wedding photographer cost in Essex?

There is a huge range of prices for wedding photographers in Essex depending on their level of experience.

Typically the more experienced and higher quality photographers charge more and less experienced photographers starting out tend to charge a lot less.

What questions should you ask your essex wedding photographer?

Make sure to ask what they include, how long they cover, how much experience they have, do they supply the image files, ensure they provide everything you want.

Why do wedding photographers need to edit the photographs?

Most professionals shoot in a RAW file format to maximise quality and versatility of the file, these files have to be processed to ensure colour, contrast and final image quality is maximised. Objects such as wires and smoke alarms may also need to be removed.

Do wedding photographers need to be insured?

The short answer is YES, a weeding photographer should at a minimum have public liability and professional indemnity insurance, make sure you check they do.

Do we need a wedding album?

You don’t need one but it’s a great way to view and show off your wedding photographs, the quality on print is far better than viewing on a computer screen or tablet. A good wedding album will become a family heirloom.

What is an engagement shoot?

An engagement shoot is an opportunity to get some photographs of you before you are married. Sometimes referred to a pre-wedding shoot.  They are a great way of getting to know your photographer and get comfortable being photographed ahead of the big day.

Does wedding photography include an engagement shoot?

An engagement shoot is not necessarily included as standard but most wedding photographers will offer them and some will include them as part of their collection.

What if our essex wedding photographer is sick on our wedding day?

Most wedding photographers will have friends in the industry they could call on. Normally they would be able to provide an alternative photographer to stand in but it’s worth checking this. You could check if they are with any associations and have access to lots of other professional photographers in Essex.

How long should I book a wedding photographer for?

Most people tend to want the whole day covered, this normally includes bridal preparations through to a little after the first dance. This captures all the key moments and everything in between.

How long should it take for a wedding photographer to send my photographs to me?

This varies massively, some will get them back in a week or two while others will take several months especially if your wedding was at a peak time of year. It is a good idea to check this with your chosen photographer to avoid the disappointment if a long wait.