Everyone needs to sit down and periodically evaluate his activities, ideas and plan the way ahead. So today I decided to share with you my thoughts which emerged following this wedding photography season here in Malta. I hope this post will be useful to:
- photographers, who intend to get to this type of photography in order for them to better understand what is required and which are the main challenges in the field;
- wedding planners and those in the wedding industry, to better comprehend the wedding photographer and his needs;
- future brides and grooms, to better comprehend what a photographer needs in order to ensure that you get the most amazing images;
- myself; this analysis should help me get my thoughts on the what I need to improve upon, better communicate and what actions to pursue in the future.
First of all I need to express gratitude to our Creator for the wonderful photographic year I have experienced. Since I have commenced shooting I have began taking more notice and came to a greater appreciation of the natural world, the beauty of light and the mystery of life. I must thank Him, for giving me the time to continue this journey and also for the inspiration to delve deeper into wedding photography, which I love doing.
Secondly, I must also thank the beautiful couples and unique persons who I have had the pleasure to work with during this year. All of the couples were superb, understanding, co-operative and had an immense love for their partners but also for what I was trying to do for them. One cannot achieve good photography, without good human interaction and communication, and therefore I note that being honest, confident and passionate about my work always goes a long way. I had read that during photoshoots, clients tend to mirror you as the photographer, and I have found this to be very true. Show passion and love, and they will follow you; show cheerfulness and they will smile.
I was probably lucky throughout the year, as I never felt looked down upon or overlooked. It is very important that clients also feel the need to value their photographer, as much as the photographer values his clients. The more the photographer feels cared for, the more he is given a leading role, the more he is consulted and kept into the loop, the more the photographer will feel valued and therefore the more he will strive for great shots.
I have also learned that during wedding photography it is very important to be very prudent and relaxed. During the hectic moments of the bride and groom preparation, everyone is tense and trying to get prepared in the usually tight schedule. So I find it best to just move around the room without demanding any attention. I actually ask my clients to act as if I am not there. This is very much my same approach during the whole ceremony and reception, partly due to my journalistic style.
On the other hand, when I am shooting formals and posed shots, it was important to get sufficient time. Not allowing sufficient time to a photographer, will certainly reflect on the final images created, either in not having a perfect light, a perfect pose or a perfect composition.
Time and flexibility of the couple enabled me to be more creative.
During this year I have also managed to continue developing and converging my style and vision. I now feel more confident on what I intend to shoot during the day, where I need to position myself and the optical aspects I am looking for. I have tried a new technique during my last wedding and shootout (prisming), which has added an additional touch to my photography. As with everything in life, the quest for continuous improvement and evolution continues.