Day 6 – Never miss a moment with a documentary photographer
A documentary style photographer captures all the chaos and good times in an honest and fuss-free fashion. It’s photography that’s far removed from posed and staged moments. Without sounding like a raging cliché, you need to keep it 100% real.
A wedding is always about the people and the candid moments that the bride and groom may have missed. Capturing the essence of a wedding day is done by observing and taking a step back, seeing things for what they are and not setting up lots of equipment and posing people. Your guests should feel relaxed around your photographer and be able to be themselves. I like to stay late at a wedding when everyone’s full of booze- that’s when I get the gold.
My top tips to get the very best wedding images:
Top tip no #1 – Trust your photographer!
This one is paramount to getting the very best wedding photos.
You’re super excited about your wedding photos and perhaps you’ve accumulated hours eyeballing styled shoots on the web and have a collection of beautifully curated Pinterest boards. Getting inspired this way does have its uses but can be totally detrimental to getting the best images from your wedding day.
Your wedding is unique to YOU, and your photographer’s job is to capture that uniqueness of the day, not to recreate images you’ve seen online.
You chose your photographer for a reason so trust them to get the best images for you. Allow your photographer free reign to do their job and to be creative and in return you’ll be rewarded. You have seen their portfolio and what they can do, you felt that CONNECTION and have booked them for that reason, all you need to do now is trust their creativity and just go with it!
Top tip no #2 – Build a relationship with your photographer
You’ve booked that KICK-ASS photographer but now there’s months, maybe even a year or so until the big day. Use this time to stay connected and to get to know them as a person.
Any decent photographer should encourage that connection especially in the lead up to your wedding day. I use Facebook and Instagram to hook up and stay in touch with couples.
With every wedding booking I also offer the option to add an engagement shoot or pre-wedding meet up. It allows time to just hang out together so on the day it’s just like having an old friend around.
Top tip no #3 – DON’T STRESS THE DRESS
OK I’m a bloke, but I do get that the dress is a BIG deal. Some brides have spent months or even years planning this one outfit. It has also more than likely cost them a small fortune.
The reality is this, it’s going to get a bit dirty. Don’t be overprotective of it. I appreciate you won’t want to drag it through a muddy field but don’t avoid going outside to prevent it from a speck of dirt. Let go of any worry and get lost in the moment.
Top tip no #4 – Allow your wedding to simply be what it is.
Whether that means crappy weather, the best man dropping a clanger of a speech, or events simply running way off schedule. Keeping an open mind will allow spontaneity and magic and make your wedding uniquely yours. I promise you some of the best images come from the unexpected moments.
If you want a destination wedding photographer like no other contact me, Jonny Barratt, at www.jonnybarratt.com As a wedding photographer I want to be there for the wedding in its entirety. I offer an unlimited coverage, that way I get to stay for the party! During the day my main focus is people (I love people), but I’ll make sure I get all those intricate little details too. The wedding favours, the seating plan, the flowers – I know how much thought and effort has gone into them and I know how much those things cost!
Kind words from Rachel and Oli
“We instantly clicked with Jonny when we met him for our pre-wed shoot. He is someone we could be friends with in the outside world so blended in well and was able to have a good laugh with all of our friends. He was unobtrusive yet managed to capture all the amazing moments from every angle. All the pictures were so natural and relaxed which was the way the wedding felt.”
