At a recent wedding the venue had a second wedding taking place at the opposite side of the hotel. The staff told me the other wedding didn't have a professional photographer and had instead asked a relative with a "good camera" to take the photographs, apparently not unusual at present. I have noticed certain magazines recommending you save money by getting a friend to take the photographs or by putting cameras on the tables. Obviously I have something of a vested interest in wedding photography, but it's not lost business that bothers me, it's the fact the couple will almost certainly be very disappointed with the photographs. It's not a "good camera" that makes unforgettable photographs, it's a skilled photographer. Recently I brought some Jamie Oliver cookware, unfortunately for me I'm not a World class chef now. I might have the right tools for the job, but I don't have the skills of Jamie Oliver.
I'm a photographer because it's what I love, I photograph love stories and produce albums that become treasured possessions. My job is often stressful, you have to get everything right on the day as you can't go back and do it again. It takes hundreds of weddings to get the eye for photography (I have been a wedding photographer for 9 years, previously I was a newspaper photographer for 12 years), to the point you can predict what will happen and be in place to photograph it. Anyone can take photographs, only a select few can really capture the wedding story.
The bride from a recent wedding booked me a couple of days before her wedding. She had already booked another photographer, but fell in love with my style of photography. Having paid the balance in full with the other photographer she cancelled and booked me. I'm very flattered that my work evokes such strong emotions that this bride was willing to loose a substantial amount of money to swap photographers.
Choose a photographer with your heart and you won't regret it. A wedding album becomes one of your most treasured possessions and should be full of all the love, life and happiness of your wedding day.
Simon Atkins. April 2009.
http://www.weddingphotojournalist.co.uk/
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This is all very true Simon, especially in the current "climate" and it is keeping the professional part of wedding photography together that is the challenge now. People will see your work and understand though!
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