A fabulous & fun afternoon passed, shooting the wonderful Alice & Mark, through the paths & piazzas of Florence, Italy. Already married, the newlyweds – Alice & Mark came all the way to Florence, Italy, just to have their wedding portraits photographed by JoAnne Dunn!
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY #70
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY #61
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY #60
Flowers in your hair.
If you are getting married in June I do not recommend you put real flowers in your hair. By the end of the evening they will look very sad. Tiny roses seem to hold up, as long as they are not white or cream since they will go brown. Peonies are very popular but if it’s hot and they are exposed to a lot of sun they will droop. I promise. If you absolutely insist on real flowers keep them hydrated in the fridge till the very last minute. If you want orchids in your hair, I would highly recommend you look for a good quality fake variety. I know you have seen the fashion shoots with fresh flowers in their hair but those flowers only had to look good for an hour maximum. Another option is to have replacements at hand but it also means you need a hairdresser or reliable friend.
Bridal Beauty Emergency Plan Strategy Four: The Beautician – Part two
What to order?
Two weeks before:
1.Individual selected Facial
It’s best to make an appointment just to discuss what you will need. Everybody’s face is different and benefits from different kinds of products. It is important not to have your first facial too soon before your wedding. Usually one really starts to see the benefits of facials once you have had at least two. I recommend a deep cleanse and a nourishing facial for the first one. Do not be tempted to shape your eyebrows etc. You need all facial hair to be clear for the day of your wedding and so you need to do so just three or so days before your wedding. Bleach any stray hairs in the mean while to avoid embarrassment; personally I just don’t leave the house. (Please can someone make moustaches on woman fashionable – Please, we can’t seem to get rid of them).
Often the assistants take the best images
It often happens that I will be stuck upon the alter during the rings with the strictest priest known to the Vatican and someone in the front row will begin to sob. I can’t move unless I want to donate my liver to the priest for his dinner. So I have to do what a good team player does and pass the ball. With a quick flick of my eye, my assistant will realise that their job depends on pouncing on the moment. The result, they get to shoot all the juicy bits, they wonder round happily hunting carefree without any responsibilities. Sometimes at the start of the day I will give them a brief framework but mostly they are a happy go lucky tribe who have it way to good.
I have including a whole bunch of my favourite pictures from Francesco, Kim & Zoë’s portfolios.
In twenty years from now.
Your wedding photography will increase its value as the years pass. Many women and brides are not happy about the way they look. When brides cry out that they are hideous, I tell them that I promise that in twenty years from now they will not feel the same way. Just think of yourself twenty years ago, no doubt you think you were beautiful then. It’s youth, it’s only once it’s gone that we realise how beautiful it was and how we just did not appreciate it. So for the person you will be in twenty years time, take the time to take some portraits on your wedding day, to remember how beautiful you were.
A very subjective and overly simplified summary of the evolution of wedding photography – part five
The financial crisis and the growing supply of new wedding photographers have had a huge effect on the wedding photography market. They have divided the wedding photographers into two distinct groups; wedding photographers who can charge what ever they like because they had so many requests and limit the amount of weddings they accept. Then there are those wedding photographers who have to offer special deals to “catch” clients.
The later try to do as many weddings as they can by charging ridiculously low fees. This is to their detriment and to the detriment of their clients. They don’t have time or capital to improve their skills, equipment, knowledge or services. Their systems are factory-like and the images all look much the same. They take little time to understand the wishes of their clients and are not terribly concerned with the quality of the end product.
A very subjective and overly simplified summary of the evolution of wedding photography – part one
Not too long ago wedding photography was absolutely the most uncool and lowly photography career you could ever choose. Many photography students have sworn on their dog’s grave never to stoop to such levels. I am one such student who now has to eat her words.
Thanks to the great Joe Buissink, all that has now changed. Twelve years ago Joe Buissink showed the wedding world a new freer approach to wedding photography. The man took exception to being paid less than what was paid for the cake since the photography was the only investment, which lasts past the wedding day. He introduced the world to reportage and gave little thought to traditional rules of wedding photography. He was willing to pay the price of grain for the beauty of the moment and natural light. He focused on the moment but not being a purist he also shot portraits. For the first time wedding portraits were influenced by both fine art and fashion photography.
He is rumoured to charge ten thousand dollars just to pitch and then all orders are extras. Joe Buissink forever changed the lives of wedding photographers the world.
Let’s talk a little about bridal make-up
Unless you are a child bride, stay way from crystally shimmery powders if you want to look young and dewy. They are the number one wrinkle enhancer. Today women are getting married later in life and need to look fresh and smooth. Choose matt soft pinks for cheeks and eyes. Instead of false eyelashes get eyelash extensions. They look much better and no yucky glue. You know the rules; eyes are accentuated or the lips, never both. Personally I prefer a thin black or brown line on the upper eyelid and a naked pink on the lips. But if you have a red bouquet naturally you need red lips and very little else. Choose a long lasting stain to achieve the red or all the kissing will leave you looking like someone punched you in the mouth.
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY #54
Remember your parents on your wedding day – part two
I have more photographs of crying fathers of the bride than anyone else. Then I have many of the mother’s of the grooms. Remember without all of their support you would not be there. A wedding is not just about you and by making an effort to be respectful towards their feelings you will go a long way towards saying thank you for all they have done. Too many times I hear brides treating their mother’s badly while they are getting ready. I know they are stressed out but once I see a bride performing my heart breaks for the parents who are already suffering on the day.
Time alone together – part two
I know exactly what you are going to say. But I only want natural reportage images. I do not want to be put into unnatural embarrassing poses. After over four hundred weddings under the belt I can promise you that you will spend very little time together as a couple, looking good in good light. Besides time together does not have to mean time together in ridiculous poses. It could mean a walk together. In fact it will be the only time alone you will have. Time where you won’t have to smile and play the gracious host. Portraits feel like such a painful job on the day. But they needn’t be. We could stop at a cute café for a prosecco or ice cream. Just time to realise the present moment and enjoy it together. And I will be there to capture the moment. Maybe just warning you subtly if you are pulling a double chin.
Reportage Revealed
(I know I am harping on a bit here but I need to get this point across load and clear.)
Candid or reportage wedding photography is what every bride thinks she want for her wedding photography. Ninety nine percent of all couples, especially the men tell me they do not want to be posed. But after years of shooting weddings it’s my job to point out that they may not know all the facts.
Reportage is great but it’s not flattering. Often what wins a wedding reportage photography competition is not an image that a bride would put in her album. One fact I am sure of is that all couples want to look good in their wedding album. If they admit it or not. What they all have in common is they do not want to look silly. Due to the torture inflicted on clients by 80’s wedding photographers, posing has become synonymous with the word silly.
So let’s see what brides really want. The want to capture all the special moments while always looking their best. If you only request reportage photography, although the picture will be natural and emotional, in many you will not look you best.
Real hardcore reportage
Nearly all brides say I want reportage images with as much discretion possible. Then they hand me a list of thirty groups they want taken. I bamboozle them into having a few portraits and they end up being their favourite images. Reportage is great, I love it but it’s not enough. Did you know real reportage does not include details, landscapes or portraits? Couples often spent very little time together on their wedding day, so it becomes almost impossible to take good portraits of the two of you without a little direction.
And be honest, we all want to look good on our wedding day. To look your best you need to do a little… dare I say it again… posing? See previous blogs for more on posing.
Some more frequently asked questions – part 04
How long after, the wedding, will it be before we see our pictures?
This is dependant on both the type of package you choose, and also yourselves. For the digital packages (in which you just receive all of your photos on DVD), these are turned around in usually within a week. If you choose to have an album with your package, you will be first given all of your proofs (small images of all the photos), usually also within a week, and from there you are able to choose the photos that you want to include in your album. The album is then carefully put together in studio here, and will be ready 3 months from the day that we receive your choices.
Will our pictures be posted on your website? What else will you be able to do with our pictures after the wedding?
Your pictures that you choose to include in your album (should you choose an album), will be posted on our website, which you can login and access with a personal password.
Tips to ensure a bride’s comfort on her wedding day – part 02
3.A pair of scissors
I promise you, you will need a pair of scissors on your wedding day. Just as you are running late, you will realise you urgently need a pair.
4.Eat
This may seem very obvious but some many brides feel sick or faint because they are too nervous to eat before the action begins. I highly recommend bananas; they give good energy and vitamins (some of which a good in combating anxiety).
Introducing Ben
Ben – Arrival of the long awaited fine art specialist. With a background of Fine Art and landscape imagery, Ben is an expert in photographic composition and technical details. With an artists eye, and impeccably good taste, Ben’s photography is for the people who love beautiful things in life. Both fluent in English and Italian and a lifetime of experience in the wedding field, finally (after many years of trying), I have convinced Ben to join my team of wedding photographers.
Why is wedding photography the most important investment you will make on your wedding day?
It will be the only thing that is left. All the time and planning and money spent will be a waste if the pictures do not tell your story. Two thousand euro badly spent is far more expensive than four thousand well spent. Wedding photography is a little life face cream, you have to get the best you can afford. The importance of wedding photography cannot be stressed enough and the true value of your wedding album will only really be apparent twenty years from now.
Why is wedding photography so expensive? Part 03
Popular wedding photographers are always expensive, the more popular they are the more expensive they will be. Becoming a popular photographer means they have worked on their skills for years and deliver their best year after year. This is easily checked with references. Unfortunately the old proverb stands true, “you get what you pay for”.
There is a huge responsibility placed on the shoulders of a wedding photographer. Added to this pressure is the limited time, the groom who does not want to be shot, the mother in law who wants five hundred groups, the priest who want her to stand at the back of the church and all your guests with their digital camera who keeps standing in front of her at all the important moments. It takes a special skilled person to deliver breath taking results every time, no matter what the conditions or pressure levels. And if they are this good every time, it means they work so hard at it that they have no life.
Why is wedding photography so expensive? Part 02
If you ask any photographer why they are not a wedding photographer they will most likely reply that it’s difficult and too much hard work. A wedding photographer has to be good at nearly all kinds of photography from portraits and interiors; to still lives and landscapes. Most couples like at least some reportage and photojournalism. These styles require extreme skill and are very difficult due to all the dynamic conditions like light and time. They will not only have to be good but also they will need to be fast and work well under stress. They will need excellent people skills to deal with all the different people involved.
Why is wedding photography so expensive? Part 01
The answer is simple it’s very hard work. It’s difficult to get it right and very few do. In order to stay on the game, a wedding photographer has to keep updating knowledge, equipment and skills, every year. And this is very expensive.
There are a few who do it well, even under such huge pressure and they do it with a smile. There is a great demand for these dedicated few and so they can command their prices.