Frequently Asked Wedding Photography Questions and Anwers

1. What should I look for when choosing a wedding photographer?

     There  are 4 main things you should look for:

1st- Do you like the style of the images that the photographer is

  displaying? Can you picture yourself happily in the same

  style of images? If the answers are yes, press on!

2nd- Do you like the photographer and do you think you’ll feel

comfortable with them on your wedding day? It’s 

important that your personalities are compatible so that you

feel confident and at ease with your photographer. This 

makes for relaxed and natural images. Doing an engagement

session with them before your wedding date will not only

help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera, it will

also give a preview of what’s to come. Most of my packages

come with a free engagement session.

3rd- Think of your photography as an investment, like buying a

car or an appliance. You want your wedding memories to

  suit you and your requirements. Ask yourself what you

want in the end- an album? traditional or story book style?

artwork for your walls? digital photo frame? Does the

photographer you’re considering offer the type of keepsake

that you’re looking for?

4th- Stick to the wedding photography experts. Find out how 

much experience they have and get a contract that outlines

your expectations. Photographing weddings is unlike any

other type of photography. The day moves fast and 

typically there’s a list of  “must have” shots. Lighting 

conditions vary and posing people is an art form! An 

experienced and professional wedding photographer will be

able to handle all these variables.

2. How do I tell the difference between an amateur & a professional?

One simple test is to look closely at their work. Do the poses 

look natural and fun? Do the images look properly exposed?

Do they seem to have a good grip on design principles in their

albums? Ask them if they do photography full time. Do they have

a professional looking website? Do they have references on their

site or another site? Find out if they are a member of a

professional organisation like SWPP. Do they have any special

training or a degree? Are they insured? Do they offer a contract?

3. Why is there such a wide variety of prices among wedding photographers?

The answer to this question is largely a part of question 2. 

Wedding photography is a rather specialised field. Some

photographers design albums themselves and others contract it

out. The onset of digital is a double edged sword. More people

are getting in to wedding photography, which is great because it

gives you more choices. On the other hand, many of these new 

photographers have not yet acquired the proper tools for the job. 

This means not just equipment, but training and experience. We

now do post production ourselves, rather than a lab processing

film. Post production is a whole other set of skills and can be done 

better by some than others. There is also a great deal of products

that a photographer can offer. As with anything, some of these

are much better than others. Lasting keepsakes, like a good car, 

are worth what you pay for them. If a photographer is offering

you a price that seems too  good to be true, like anything, it

 probably is! Saving money in the short term may end up costing

you more in the long run. Again, be sure you know what you are

getting before you sign the contract!

At Faith Stone Photography, we believe your images are the most important investment of your day. Our albums are guaranteed, Faith holds an AA and an AAS in photography, has over a decade of experience, is fully insured, a member of SWPP and has award winning images. I want you to find the “right fit” photographer, even if it’s not me! The best way to find out is for us to meet and chat. Visit my website and give me a call for a complimentary consultation.

Live, Love, Laugh. I’ll take care of the memories.

Faith Stone Photography

http://ww.faithstonephotography.com

07792 670 461

Roxwell, Chelmsford Wedding Photography

WOW. That's just the first thing that comes to mind when starting to blog about this wedding I had the pleasure of documenting yesterday in Roxwell, Chelmsford, Essex. WOW. What an awesome couple! And I'm not just saying that. For real. I had SOO much fun! That's when I start feeling a little guilty about loving my job so much. But then I remember how hard I've worked to get to where I am and just shoot like a rock star. Like there's no tomorrow.....

So on to the good part. Neil- well, he reminds me a little of Ben Stiller. Is that wrong? I don't know, he was just fun. And sweet, and cheeky. And a way lucky guy. 'Cuz then there's Rachel. One of the most stunning brides I've had to date. The dress was exquisite, her hair perfect, her bridesmaids ROCKED and I have to say, I nearly fell in love with her dad. Everyone was so great and full of genuine joy for this couple. I'm so happy for them and so excited to get working on these images. So here's a taster of just a few I picked out from the bunch.

Essex Photographer Top Ten Tips for Better Wedding Pics

Getting married is the test of two worlds- the world of stress and the world of mega happiness. These two worlds collide on the date of your choice, or the date your favorite venue is available, whichever comes first! There's loads of advice out there and it's fun to read lots of it, some of it helpful and some of it rubbish. Hopefully these tips will be helpful!

Let's face it, I'm a photographer. So I'm biased. But I think most couples are excited by the thought that their special day will be captured by a pro that has a vision compatible with theirs and will produce images that reflect the energy, emotion and overall excitement of the day. These images are the ones you will carry with you for generations. They become an anchor to your memories of the day and convey historical moments in your life to loved ones and friends. This is one of your biggest stamps on the world! So here's a couple of tips to enhance your journey and make the most of those memories:

1.) Trying something new, like hairstyle, makeup, tanning, etc. is a fun and exciting idea. But DON'T do it on the day! Be sure to do run throughs on anything different you are doing on the day so you know how everything is going to turn out. It's fun to plan your trial hair and makeup day, perhaps in combination with your hen night or a special dinner out with your man! You want to look stunning, but you also want your fiancee to recognise you:)

2.) Put together a kit and keep it with your dress. Include items like scissors, safety pins, extra mascara, headache relief, a mini sewing kit, an extra pair of pantyhose, and anything else that might get you out of a bind while your getting ready on the day.

3.) Wear Sunscreen!! I can't stress this enough. And it doesn't matter what time of year your wedding day is. The sun is still there! And it will make you red and blotchy as the day goes on. Put it on after your morning shower and you're all set to avoid skin disaster photos.

4.) Eat! Don't skip breakfast on the day. It will only make you light headed and maybe a bit irritable. Check with your coordinator wherever you are getting ready and see if they can hook you up with some muffins or light bites to have in your preparation room. You're bridesmaids will appreciate it too!

5.) Don't lock your knees up while your standing at the alter. This especially goes for the Groom too! It is not unheard of that a groom just falls over in a faint because he cut off the circulation to his brain! Practice not locking your knees up while standing in a queue just about anywhere you go. You'll be surprised how much you do it on a daily basis.

6.) Break in your wedding shoes. Or even better, if you have a bridesmaid who wears the same size, let her break them in! Hehe, no seriously, wear them around the house a few times for even just an hour at a time. If there are sore spots that turn up, you can address them right away with some moleskin. If they seem a bit too slick on the bottoms, there are no-slip stick ons you can get. But don't mess up your first dance by putting no-slips on, give it a think.

7.) Have a good idea of the day's schedule, but keep it loose. Here's the thing, the day just goes so fast. But don't underestimate how long things take to happen. If you think you're just going to get married, leave the church and arrive at the reception in an hour, think again. Leave time for the "happiness factor." People want to hug you, congratulate you, throw petals on you.... Having a time line is a guideline. Don't worry on the day about being a little late. This is YOUR day, make it last.

8.) Get your nails done. Your hands are going to be in lots of images and you're going to have a stunning new ring on your finger! Check with a nail consultant on the best look for you. It might be a colour that complements your colour scheme, it might be a classic french mani or it might be strong gel overlays. If you have open toed shoes, consider a pedi too! Make it a fun day out with your mom and/or your bridesmaids:) But always refer back to tip number 1!

9.) Don't forget all the stuff you gotta do AFTER the wedding. Make a list of all the people who need to know your new name. The Post-Wedding days can be a little overwhelming too. Before the wedding, you may be taking time off work and putting all those little things aside. After the wedding, you may be going on honeymoon straight away. When you get back, reality will set back in. It will be easier to deal with if you have some lists. Writing things down is a great way to get it off your mind and feel a little less stressed

10.) Allocate some duties to your wedding party. Don't try to remember everything yourself! Let your Best Man be in charge of handing out vendor cheques on the day. Write out your envelopes and cheques a couple of days in advance and hand them over! Let your Maid of Honor be in charge of your dress and accessories. It's good if she can go to your final fitting and practice putting up your bustle. If you have a guest book, make one of your flower girls in charge of it. Kids love easy peasy duties to help you out. It gives them a feeling that they are helping make your day a big success.

Finally, relax and feel confident! You've done all your planning and hired the pros. On the day, kick back and enjoy it! If the starter comes out all wrong, don't freak. If your flower bouquet starts falling apart 3 hours in, it's done it's job. Smile, let go and enjoy! Your pictures are going to show how lovely and relaxed and most importantly, how IN LOVE your are. Let yourself shine and you will help your photographer create the memories of a great day!

If you can think of other ways to help couples make the most of their wedding day photography, put it in the comment section! We'd all love to hear some of your thoughts.

Essex Wedding Photographer Chats about Housekeeping

He doesn't say it, but I think my husband believes that the only time I clean the house is:
A. When I'm bored, I mean, really really bored
B. When it gets so bad you don't want to take off your shoes
C. When I have a consultation booked
D. After he mentions the house could use a cleaning
E. When we're having company around that I feel the need to impress (this really isn't very often, therefore, last on the list)

Well guess what! I just cleaned the house. Guess why? Well, I have a consultation tomorrow, of course!

So here's the thing. My husband and I have this sort of unspoken agreement. I always do the laundry, and he occasionally leaves a few bills in his trouser pockets. Because the second rule of Laundry 101 states (The first rule is that you MUST separate your whites- I don't care WHAT detergent you're using!)
If you find money in the washer or the dryer, it is yours!
Personally, I'm saving up for some Jimmy Choo. I'm not picky, really. Either shoes or a handbag. Or both. But in case I don't save up enough, it's going on my Christmas list too!

If you would like to help a worthy cause of helping keep my house clean, give me a ring and let's schedule a consultation. I try to spread my meetings out to once per week. That seems to be enough to keep everything tidy. My consultation tomorrow is for a May 2011 Essex wedding and they are super lucky 'cuz they will be the first to see my new Leather Craftsmen (http://www.leathercraftsmen.com) Guest Book sample that I made for my 19 June 2010 Somerset wedding.

Interest peaked? Well images of this guest book are coming soon. The book is a gift for some very special friends that just happened to also book their Somerset wedding photography with me. But if you really want to see it, come along 23 May 2010 to the Pontlands Park, Chelmsford, Essex wedding fair! I'll be there from 10.30 to 15.30.

Alison and Mark, A Canvey Island Wedding

So this is how this one worked. The bride got on a website where the bride can fill in her details and the vendors she is looking for and those details are forwarded to a select few people, then those vendors contact the client and provide them with a quote for their product and/or services. Alison submitted a request for photography quotes on 23 March. She was getting married on 9 April. All in 2010. I gave her a call and she explained to me that she was having a rather cozy day with close friends and family and just wanted about an hour and a half of professional wedding photography. So I said, no problem. Hey, some people don't want the whole day covered. Some just want the super important bits and leave the rest to friends and family to do the pics. I think that's fine, because it's what the couple wants. After all, it's their day, right?

So Alison had a look at my website, called me back and the contract was in the post. Easy Peasy.

I headed out that day with my normal kit, all organised, reset and lenses clean. As I was cruising along with my sat nav (I can't get anywhere without it, I swear!) I went to pop in my Pink CD, as I normally do on the way to a wedding. "So What" just pumps me up and makes me feel like a Rock Star! I feel like that's a good thing, because if I feel like a Rock Star, it's easier for me to make my couple feel like Rock Stars, savvy? Alas, there was no Pink CD anywhere in my car to be found. It got me thinking about what my horoscope said that day:
"You feel motivated yourself, maybe by the actions of a famous or historical figure. It's possible that the motivation you're feeling is a matter of competition, but the underlying theme is pushing for greater achievement. Develop a plan and follow it if you want to achieve your goals. Don't buckle under criticism. No matter what, don't get into playing ego games with others today: they won't appreciate it." It also said that my compatibility sign for the day was Virgo.

I thought, Hmmmm. What could all this mean?
Well, I found out when I started shooting the group photos. I had some harsh critics around me (none of them Virgos, I imagine!) and one of them was on a roll. Now I don't think too much about what just happened and I don't worry too much about things that haven't happened yet when I'm shooting. I get very focused and try to make the best image I possibly can. I can't tell you how hard I tried to ignore this guy and get people to listen to me as I explained several times that if a person couldn't see me because there was someone taller in front of them, then I couldn't see them either and their face wouldn't end up in the picture. Cest le vie. The rest is what it is.

Despite some of the challenging personalities that we deal with as wedding photographers, I have to say, this was a great group. I don't really have any nightmare stories and maybe that's because I just roll with the punches. The bride was stunning and I just LOVED her dress. The groom was in his Navy uniform and that just made the whole experience feel even more important. The mothers of the bride and groom were ever so lovely and nice and the kids, some tired, loosened up toward the end of my day with some fun, playful shots.

So what did I learn? ('Cuz I always learn SOMETHING!) I learned that patience truly IS a virtue and that if you stay focused (both mentally and in camera, hehe) you can get the results you're looking for. I had a wonderful couple to photograph on a weather perfect day. What else can you ask for? And if a certain Uncle is reading this blog, I hope your pictures came out great too:)

A Little Story

Hmmm. I've been thinking.(Uh Oh, my husband would say- where's the fire extinguisher!) I think I've been neglectful of my blog postings. And to rectify the situation, I'd like to tell you a little story, a little story about a lady from Colorado. Here goes, feel free to comment once you've read my little story:

There once was a youngish lady who lived in Colorado. She had some big dreams, but wasn't very good at nailing down which ones she wanted to make come true. So she tried lots of things, but mostly she waited tables. She knew ART was definitely a passion for her, but she wasn't sure which way to go with it. So she worked and went to school to obtain her Associate of Arts degree while she pondered her future. She did great in all her classes except Cellular Biology. Go figure! She had also taken some photography classes, out of curiosity and really- just something to do. She liked it, but didn't feel she had the finances to delve in to the genre right away.

Then one day she decided it might be worth a try to just go for it. So she enrolled at the Colorado Art Institute in the photography department. Her first computer related class was a bit of an eye opener and she felt way behind the other students, even though she was practically old enough to be some of their mothers! Well, she didn't even know how to turn a computer on, let alone move a mouse around.... But she pressed on. In 1999 she graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Photography with best Editorial portfolio in her class, and won several awards along the way from the Art Director's Club of Denver, among others.

But enough about my best friend. (Hehe..... just kidding, it's me....)

In 2004 I got married to a wonderful man I met when I started my "motorcycle mama" phase. I wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle, so I did. I wanted to own a motorcycle, so I did. (Mind you, I was still waiting tables.) Then I decided I wanted to ride with other like minded people. So I found a motorcycle club (I know what you're thinking, but keep reading!) and I dropped in on one of their monthly meetings. I wasn't expecting to have to speak, but this was an eclectic, mixed group of people with rather outgoing natures. (You can check them out at http://www.harrys-roamers-mc.org/) They asked me to tell them a little bit about myself. So this is what I said:

'Well, I have 2 bikes at the moment, a BSA Shooting Star (which I later found out is actually a modified Scrambler) and a Suzuki 650 Big Single. As a matter of fact, I guess you can call me the "Big Single" girl!'
Geez, what a dork. And that's what a guy named Steve thought too, as he stared at me the entire meeting.
I still have my BSA and I traded in my 650 for a Suzuki Marauder 800cc. I also have a great husband with a BMW monster cruising bike. His name is Steve.

We now live in Essex, England with our 2 dogs- Molson the Golden and Zuzu the I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE IS OTHER THAN A DOG! and our lovely princess feline, Matilda. My photography skills have come a long way from 1999 when I graduated and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what I do for a living.

But this is the longest blog post I've ever written, so more on that later. I hope you enjoyed my little story and stayed tuned for my "scuba diving" phase:)

Remember, Live-Love-Laugh
Faith Stone Photography