The other day I met up with a bunch of extended families and friends who had come from all over the world to meet up. They had commissioned me to take some group and individual portraits while they were together. I met them at the Forth Canal at Harrisson Park and we had a lovely barge trip into Edinburgh – I’d never been on the canal before so it was great to see the route it takes and the relaxing pace at which the boat ambles along. Mind you, I wouldn’t want to try and a 3 point turn in one of those things. The guys were really friendly and great fun so it was a very pleasant evening all round. The photos can be found here and the password is Sharon’s surname (lower case).

Boats at the Forth Canal

I’m sometimes approached by worried brides who’ve started to dip a toe into the world of wedding photography – only to become overwhelmed by the confusing terms, styles, genres and options. Things have come a long way in photography and wedding photography has progressed dramatically – however sometimes there appears to be too much choice.

I can only sympathize with the prospective client as it’s all too easy to be confused by the terminology or perhaps to be influenced by current trends to such an extent that you choose a style that doesn’t suit you. Of course, the acid test is always to view plenty of a photographer’s work and ask yourself can I see myself in those images? Nonetheless, couples can be hurried into choosing the in-demand photographer and may make the wrong choice. Remember, your wedding album should be a family heirloom; it should illustrate your taste and it should stand the test of time (and this means in terms of both the style of the photography and the quality of the printed book).

If you’ve just embarked upon a new hobby of collecting wedding magazines (and some of the advice and information is excellent) you may have come across such terms as Traditional, Reportage and Contemporary. Delve a little deeper and you may have come across Storybook, Artistic and Candid. Well what on earth do they mean and what is right for you?

Well, panic over, I’ve written this article to describe what these terms mean and the styles represent. Hopefully by the time you’ve read this you’ll have a better idea of what’s best for you. Or what isn’t!

Some of the modern photographic styles have evolved through the influence of TV, advertising, magazines, fashion and, of course, the technical capabilities of equipment. As a result some of the styles could almost be described as “trends”. Well trends come and go so what is going to be timeless and what is going to be the next generation’s ‘couple in the wine glass’?

Traditional wedding photography

Traditional. Traditional Wedding Photography aims to record the significant people of the day in a relatively formal way. Shots will be largely staged and directed and as a result may well be beautifully exposed and recorded but clearly will be lacking in spontaneity. This gives the images a sense of formality which still has it’s place in some weddings. This is a style rooted in the days of film photography when the cost of film meant taking the requisite time and care to record perfect images.

If you have seen the official photographs from the Royal Wedding by Hugo Burnand you can think of these as traditional images. Nowadays some of the shots taken at the wedding may show a degree of formality even though the overall set is not.

Reportage/Photojournalism. As a term Reportage has become very fashionable and you will see many photographers advertising this type of photography. It refers to the technique of using observation to capture natural, unposed, candid images. It could be seen as the antithesis of Traditional photography and may be favoured by those who dislike being photographed and desire the ‘honesty’ of the images produced by this technique.

Reportage wedding photography

In practice, however, it is very difficult to do well. True photojournalism is about storytelling through images and, when skillfully executed, the resulting images can be very powerful and expressive. It is very difficult to do this consistently at a wedding and correspondingly some of the images can tend to appear busy, cluttered, unstructured or perhaps just uninspiring.

Contemporary. It is difficult to arise at a definition for Contemporary Photography but essentially it’s a fairly recent development created by taking the best features of a number of different styles. It attempts to blend the style of fashion photography with the storytelling of photojournalism and will embrace the naturalness of reportage. Such a mix allows for plenty of specialism according to the photographer’s own skills and taste.

Contemporary Wedding Photography

The resulting images should be stylish and beautiful but with plenty of emotion visible too. Clearly such a mix of techniques allows for huge variation in the results so you must pay close attention to a volume of your photographer’s work to decide if it is for you. One photographer’s style may be overbearing for you and another’s just might not “hit the spot”. Look at at complete wedding from your photographer and you’ll get a good feel for their style.

Storybook. For me this is not really a style of photography per se but a way of collecting all of the images into a set that captures the people, details, emotion, story and essence of the day. Of course to produce such a collection the photographer will need to set out with the intention of capturing all of these images. When the story told by these images is laid out in a beautiful album it makes for a truly inspiring record of the day.

Storybook album layout

Fashion. Can you actually have a fashion wedding? Isn’t fashion all about photographing clothes and objects? Don’t you need a styling team? A director? A team?!! Well what I mean is that it’s possible to push into the fashion end of contemporary photography and produce a collection of images that pay homage to true fashion photography.

Fashion Wedding Photography

Stylized images with the intention of flattering the main subject. Of course it’s possible and the collection will be stylish, eye-catching and dramatic with an editorial feel. Not necessarily very natural but, in my opinion, an unusual and beautiful collection for the right couple. An appropriate wedding book is essential but the combination of these images and an appropriate high end album makes a wedding book that is a work of art. And talking of art…

Art. OK now we’re getting silly aren’t we? Well no, it is entirely possible to produce an art wedding album.

Artistic Wedding Photography

In practice this would be a collection of very stylized images making use of abstract backgrounds and locations as well as dramatic lighting. The album will be minimalist in layout but striking in presentation. I’d present the images in a Queensberry Musee album which would produce a stunning end result.

But now I want it all – can’t I have it? Well the good news is that, yes, you can! I believe that a wedding photographer should be adaptable and have the skills to apply a variety of these techniques at different times. The various “sections” of a wedding can be very different in mood – from solemnity to to emotional to outrageous fun! It seems to me that a photographer should adapt to the mood and shoot accordingly. The ceremony may be reportage – photographer (hopefully) being discrete capturing the emotion unobtrusively from afar. In the same way the hugs and kisses afterwards will be reportage. The signing of the register? Semi formal. The group shots? From formal to chaotic! When the photographer has time with just the bride and groom his or her own personal style will really come to the fore. For me, these are the most important images. These are the ones your children will love to look at and I think they should beautifully lit and composed but should also show the emotion between two people. You might think that shooting the wedding in this way results in a “hotch potch” of different images but in fact the photographers style will shine through in all of these images and give them the continuity required to tell the story of the day.

I’ve heard it said from some observers that a well photographed wedding can look like an editorial shoot from a magazine. And it’s true – beautiful contemporary photography should be stylish, elegant, artistic and emotional. Add in the fact that it’s you and your partner in there and what could possibly be better than that?

Couples getting married have never had it so good in terms of photography. Hopefully this article has explained what’s possible and whetted your appetite for an outstanding photographic experience on your day.

I was heading into Edinburgh when, around the corner, I ran into this bevvy of beauties. They asked me to photograph them by the Street Name, and laughed when I told them I was a photographer. They were on what we call a “hen night” – but were considerably more dignified than what we’re used to in Edinburgh – and they had a treasure hunt to complete.

Wedding advice on a business card!

The photo was one of the items required for the treasure hunt but then one of the girls asked if I could provide another item – “marriage advice on a business card”? I gave them my weddings business card (well you never know – maybe they’ll fly me out to the USA?) and I wrote “get a good photographer!” and “be happy!”. Not very sage really and as I walked away I thought of all the things I could/should have written. So if you’re the bride in question, and even if not, here’s what I wish I’d written…

• Don’t take each other for granted
• Surprise each other occasionally
• Don’t go to sleep on an argument
• When something bothers you – discuss it
• Dont bottle things up
• It’s more important to empathise than agree on something
• Never stop communicating
• Enjoy each other

-Good luck with the wedding and best wishes for the future, Leo

In March I had the rare opportunity to photograph Mary Kings Close in Edinburgh. If you don’t know it, it’s an Edinburgh Street buried beneath the City Chambers. Now a tourist attraction and popular with all the “ghost hunters” that walk the old town. It’s very atmospheric and quite extraordinary to see such a well preserved example of the conditions people lived in. It’s completely dark down there so obviously extremely difficult for photography. I took models Fredau and Carmen with me and we used the unusual structure and lighting to try and create some atmospheric portraits – to good effect I think.

I’m delighted to be part of The Love Lust List! What is it? Well super cool site Rock My Wedding have launched a directory of recommended wedding suppliers. Here’s what they have to say;

“After extensive research, and an overwhelming response to the Rock My Wedding Reader Survey, it became apparent that our community desperately wanted a region specific list of the most creative, forward-thinking and most importantly recommended suppliers. Always striving to meet demand, the team at Rock My Wedding are currently compiling a select list of the most desirable wedding vendors that the United Kingdom offers today, all stamped with the official Rock My Wedding seal of approval.
We call this little black book of wedding genius The Love Lust List.”

Friday 18th March at Stockbridge Primary School. I did a marathon portrait session for a number of families to raise funds for the playground. The kids were great with only a couple of refusals (probably didn’t like the look of me) and I had a couple of P7 helpers who were super keen assistants (thanks boys!). I said you could bring pets and you did – but no ponies thankfully! If you want to see the photos they’re here I’ve added all of the photos now. If you don’t know the password mail me. Let me know which file you want as your free print and I’ll get it done for you. I wanted the images to be black and white for two reasons; 1) it focuses attention on the person and 2) it gets away from the notion of “school photos”. However if you want to see a colour version contact me and I’ll do that. Thanks everyone! – Leo

School Portrait Session

Billy the Kid

You can plan most things for a wedding with a good degree of certainty but you can’t know in advance what the weather will do. Providing your wedding ceremony and reception venue are indoors the weather shouldn’t provide that many problems – but indoor wedding photography can be restrictive and not representative of the day. No doubts about it – there are moments during the big day when you would like to be outside.

Natural light and the charm of your surroundings at that very special venue you hired – at great expense – will be important elements of your wedding photographs. If you have hired a venue in a Scottish castle with views out over mountains and sea or at a country house hotel with its beautifully manicured gardens then you will want to capture them in your photographs.

An experienced photographer will have a “Plan A” and a “Plan B” (bad weather). And (s)he’ll be prepared for both plans to go “out of the window”! Your photographer should have researched the location and know which locations to use in any weather.

On what is merely a grey, cloudy day a skilled wedding photographer will know how to make the best of the light. In fact for outdoor portraits this is the best sort of light – beautiful even light that’s kind to any face. Stormy skies add drama and a professional will know how to balance artificial light but retain that drama in the sky (just one more argument against leaving the job to friends and amateurs, but that’s another wedding photography story!) More problems present themselves when the rain starts to fall and the wind starts to blow, and for the bride, problems for her dress and hairdo in particular.

There are several options available to the wedding couple if the weather should turn against them and their wedding photographer’s best efforts.

One obvious strategy to insure against heavy rain and having to be photographed in interiors indistinguishable from a thousand others wedding venues is to choose a venue where exteriors protected by a high roof are available. Think pergolas, bandstands and canopied doorways. Photographers love doorways; the light falls off quickly and that beautiful soft light is back.

Indoors by a window is the next best thing. Window light makes for dramatic images – a large window with a wood panelled or stone wall and all sorts of possibilities open up. Photography is about light and this setting is wonderful.

In the absence of roofed exteriors it may make sense to have large white umbrellas on hand – I always carry several. Apart from protecting against the rain they diffuse the top light and reflect back the bottom light – soft light again! You may even want to bring your own umbrellas in other colours to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. Plenty of clips and pins for holding hair in place and battening down gowns won’t go amiss either. The wind can be used to our advantage too – with a bit of cover that natural wind machine can be useful!

The employment of umbrellas can dovetail nicely with another important strategy for wedding photograph success in inclement weather. That strategy is, in three words, “Go with it!” Embracing the conditions can not merely save the day – it may make the day. You can’t change the weather but you can change your attitude to it. A strong gale, a refreshing shower or even snow will make your wedding day a memorable one and add to the fun. I’ve seen the Bride arrive in “wellies” and it’s a great photograph. Who knows – perhaps that awful weather will forever be associated with happiness?

My wedding photography services are available to couples traveling to Scotland for their destination wedding. There are rules every couple should follow when looking for a photographer they will not meet either until very shortly before their wedding or on the wedding day itself.

Ideally when you and your partner are organising your wedding you will have the opportunity to meet your photographer and develop a relationship prior to the big day. No wedding couple wants to be photographed by someone who knows nothing of their taste and personality. Similarly, no wedding photographer likes to turn up on the day of the wedding and be given a strict shot list by a bride or groom he has never met. A wedding album that faithfully records the fun and emotion of your wedding day will be the result of a genuine rapport between you and your wedding photographer.

Most wedding photographers are not only glad to have a pre-wedding meeting but they often suggest a pre-wedding shoot. Of course, an occasion when this relationship building is not possible is when you plan to hold your wedding ceremony abroad. There are many companies offering planning for destination weddings and they include the scouting and employment of a photographer in the wedding package. Although a useful service this is not ideal because an understanding between wedding couple and wedding photographer is critical to capturing the appropriate record of the big day.

You can choose to trust the wedding planner’s recommendations but if you prefer to find your own wedding photographer in the Bahamas, Spain or wherever you choose to tie the knot then where do you start?

1. Where will you find information about local photographers?

The answer to question 1 is easy. Search “wedding photographer” + your wedding venue e.g. “Wedding photographer Malaga” on the internet. Don´t worry about the search terms in the language local to the wedding venue. If you only speak English then only search in English. You want a photographer you can communicate easily with. If they cater for speakers of your native language online the more likely it is they will be able to talk with you on the big day itself.

2. What information should you look for initially?

With your list of wedding photographers sourced from the internet how do you begin vetting for the right one? The first things you should establish are professional credentials. Are the photographers in your list trained, certified and endorsed by a professional body e.g. Master Photographers Association (MPA) or the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (SWPP)? (The latter has a significant foreign membership). If they are then they qualify for the second part of your vetting process. If they aren´t remove them from your list.

Having established professional credentials of a photographer don´t waste time examining their suitability until you know their availability. There are only so many weekends in the year and photographers will have dates booked well in advance. Send a quick e-mail to the wedding photographers on your list asking them their availability on the day of your wedding. You might also consider at this time eliminating those who do not answer promptly, say within two to three days.

When finally you have a list of qualified and available photographers who are keen and professional enough to answer your initial e-mail promptly the real work of finding your perfect wedding photographer abroad begins.

3. Without the opportunity to meet photographers in person what forms of communication and evidence can you use to make the best decision?

The easiest way to judge whether you click with your photographer is through a face to face meeting but of course getting married abroad that option isn´t available to you. You are going to have to make a judgement by other means, and in the following order.

Website

You can tell a lot about wedding photographers by the information they include or do not include on their websites. Look out for websites that are professional and that provide the best information not simply in terms of a photographer´s prices or experience but also his or her ethos and character. Do they sound like they’re on your wavelength and do they sound like someone you could get on with?

If a wedding photographer is proud of past work he should have plenty to show on his website. He should also be able to publish glowing testimonials from past clients.

Reputation

For the photographers on your list that pass the website test you should then look outside their website for mention of their names. Googling a particular photographer by name may bring up reviews of his work, good and bad. For those mentions in a language foreign use Google to translate. Photographers with predominantly good reviews and positive mentions stay in your list.

Wedding photographers can be the victim of malicious reviews that do not reflect their service properly. However, if there is a predominance of negative commentary then, on the “no smoke without fire” principle, erase them from your list.

Making the call

If a photographer´s websites is good and his or her reputation seems sound enough its time you made a phone call. A Skype call with a webcam link could be even better. The call is to have an informal chat and feel each other out. Any misgivings you have about the photographer´s general demeanour – too formal, too business like, too casual, too scruffy, too rambling – will probably be amplified when you meet in person. It is ultimately on the strength of the phone call, skype or webchat that you will make your decision on which photographer to choose. All things being equal between those you call with respect to ability, reputation, accreditation etc you should choose the one you click with best.

Checklist for choosing wedding photographer without first meeting face to face.

1. Professional, accredited?
2. Available on the day?
3. Speaks your language?
4. Prompt in reply to first e-mail?
5. Website squares with your style, wishes? E.g. ethos, character, testimonials
6. Does the photographer have a good online reputation – Positive reviews, mentions etc?
7. Phone call. Skype, webchat – do you both communicate well? Do you click?

I’m delighted to announce that I’m now able to offer the Queensberry Musee album – it’s the album that stunned the Wedding industry when it was previewed. The ultimate in desirability it’s built with loving care from inception to delivery. The highest quality materials have been sourced from around the world; embossed fine leather, vintage ribbon, cotton watercolour paper. It’s beautifully elegant and completely exclusive.

To accommodate this album I’ve added a new package to my repertoire – The Musee collection. Please contact me for more details about what’s included in this ultimate of wedding packages.

images courtesy of Queensberry New Zealand

This is an article reproduced from my main site. I wrote this in response to a question I was asked at a Wedding Fair.

At wedding fairs I’m often asked how a couple should go about choosing their photographer; often there are many photographers present, their work looks good so how do you differentiate between them?

I offer couples the following information; I don’t think it’s self promotion, just sensible ways to work out which photographer suits you best and ensure there are no unexpected surprises for you.

1. Talk! You need to get on with your photographer. You’re entering a relationship that may last over a year (and hopefully beyond!) from first consultation to delivery of the album. You need to establish a rapport so you feel at ease and this will be clearly visible in the photographs. They say we form our impressions of someone in the first few minutes and that impression is usually correct. So talk to your photographer and feel how you connect.

2. View a whole wedding. We photographers want to show you our best work and that will be on display at the consultation or wedding fair. However not all the photos taken at a wedding can be award winners. Some are a record of people and events, some are detail shots. They may well be nice shots but the photographer won’t be showing them off. So ask to see all the images delivered to the client. This will give you a better feel for sort of storybook that can be produced and the range of styles and abilities of your photographer.

3. View a few different weddings. Ask to see the images or albums from a few weddings. It sounds obvious but every wedding is different – even if at the same venue they all have their own special character, oddities (and challenges). Viewing several weddings will show you the photographers own style, timing and creativity.

4. Imagine yourself in the photos. There are plenty of good photographers around, thankfully, but we all have our own style. Wedding photography ranges from reportage to formal and in between you’ll find contemporary, traditional, art, fashion and so on. You may see an album and think it looks fantastic but can you really imagine yourself in that album? Again you should ask the photographer about his style and how (s)he achieves the shots. I believe that different parts of the day call for different styles – for example photographing the guests offering hugs and kisses after the ceremony is pure reportage. By contrast when the photographer gets time with the couple on their own he’ll be more likely to express his own trademark style. Hopefully you’ll be aware of this and it will reflect your own ideas.

5. Study the album choices. There is a wide range of choices from album suppliers and the quality is reflected in the price. Can your photographer show you an example of the album you’ll receive? Many lower end albums are digital albums – the image is printed directly on the page and several may be overlaid or intersected. Higher priced albums have prints laid on the page with a matt framing the image. Which do you prefer? How many images are you being offered? Is that number enough for a complete album? What costs extra? Are parents replica copies available? The album is the biggest overhead a photographer faces and that will be reflected in the photographer’s rate. Remember that in wedding photography you tend to get what you paid for!

6. Is your photographer professionally qualified? If your photographer has the weight of the MPA (Master Photographer’s Association) or SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) behind him, not only is he more credible but he’ll have demonstrated a level of ability to become part of that organisation.

7. USP. What is your photographer’s Unique Selling Point? What differentiates one photographer from another? It may be their unique style, their album manufacturer or something else so ask why you should choose them.