FAQ
What is wedding photojournalism?
I’m primarily, a wedding photojournalist and this is where the photographer will capture an event as it unfolds. Unlike traditional wedding photography where the photographer will work for 2 to 3 hours and will take mostly posed and arranged group shots, wedding photojournalism is all about being discreet in order to catch moments as they happen. These days, wedding photographers will more often be booked for the whole wedding day which can be 10 to 12 hours. Because of this, creating a documentary of a wedding with photojournalistic images is and has been for many years now, the norm. Whilst many photographers, including myself, will take a number of posed shots of the bride and groom, bridal party and family, the largest portion of the day will be spent taking photo journalistic photos. It would not be possible to spend the whole day taking perfectly posed photos and groups with a perfect backdrop and this of course would not portray the wedding story. Many photographers create a mix of posed and photojournalism, and I do this and approximately speaking, three quarters of the photos I provide will be photojournalistic images.
Where can I view examples of your wedding photojournalism?
On this page below, you can view 6 featured weddings, each of which contain images that demonstrate wedding photojournalism. It’s important that couples study these photos to understand what wedding photojournalism is all about. Emphasis lies in capturing a moment and is not about creating perfectly posed photos with a prefect backdrop. More often these photos are mean’t to capture an expression, the character of a person, or the action on the dance floor. Whilst I will provide many photos of the bride and groom that will ‘wow’, most shots will be taken to capture the personality of the bride and groom and interaction between them and guests. These shots are not about reflecting the beauty of the bride and groom but emphasise a captivating or emotional moment. Capturing the fun of guests enjoying themselves, the nervousness, happiness and emotion of the bride and groom, will tell the wedding story in an authentic way. Viewing your photos 6 months after your wedding day you will appreciate this accurate account and realism and it will evoke real emotion in you, bringing back all those precious moments.
We want natural looking photographs of our wedding that are not over-posed, do you provide these?
Yes, my style and approach is all about capturing people naturally in order to tell the story of your day authentically. When it comes to take those all important portraits of the two of you, this will also be as natural as possible. A certain amount of positioning is needed to create photos that will wow everyone, though I’m always looking to photograph couples in a way that will capture who they really are and to do this I will be as unobtrusive as possible.
Do you take traditional formal group shots?
Yes I do and I also like to take creative group shots that will not only document who attended your wedding, but in a natural, exciting or humorous way. This is usually the bridal party, the Bride with her Bridesmaids and the Groom with his Best Man and Ushers. I also like to take natural, informal family photos such as the Bride and Groom with Mother and Father to capture the closeness within the families.
We only want a few formal group shots, is this ok?
Absolutely and the good news is I’m not the kind of photographer who will have you and your guests waiting in line for long periods of time whilst I take these. I love the documentary approach which means being unobtrusive and photographing people being themselves. You can view many of these kind of shots in my blog which features lots of weddings and engagement shoots.
Do you provide albums?
Oh yes indeed and I supply only the very highest quality! my albums are hand-made in Italy and our fabulous range comes with multiple gorgeous cover options. To give you a taste of whats on offer click here.
How many photos will I receive?
I have spent many years crafting and fine tuning how to best tell a wedding story and in my experience its very much about quality and capturing only those important moments that say the most! A full-day wedding with 120 guests can produce 500+ images and these will tell your wedding story in a creative and exciting way. The whole collection is large and will take along time to view and the beauty of this is you will discover moments that you might of missed and it will evoke wonderful memories each time you return to it. I always recommend couples purchase a hand-held album as this will tell your wedding story in one viewing which is exciting when you show your photos to your friends and family. Albums and books also are hands-down the best way to preserve your photos for generations to come.
You are based in Swindon, which is far from us, is this a problem?
Not at all, I cover the whole of England, Wales and Scotland and no destination is too far. For travel further a field, I will ask for travel/accommodation costs to be covered.
We would like a consultation to discuss our requirements and see your albums and portfolio.
A video call consultation is arranged at a time and date that is convenient for you. If you would prefer we meet in person, we can arrange to meet at your home if you live in Swindon.
How is the photography effected by the great British weather?
Different weather conditions offer up different opportunities for shots of the bride and groom and bridal party. With portraits of the bride and groom, rain can look stunning in daylight and night photography and I will provide an umbrella for these shots if needed. With shots of the bridal party, a suitable area outside and under cover will be found or shots will be taken at a suitable area inside the venue. This would also apply to all other group shots. If there are occasional showers throughout the day, we can pick opportune moments to pop outside for shots of the bride and groom and bridal party.
Do you provide B&W photos as well as colour?
I photograph everything in colour and occasionally choose a small selection of photos to be black and white. The bride and groom prep stage and first dance can work well as monochrome adding an extra dimension to a wedding story.
Is it a good idea to have an engagement or pre-wedding shoot?
Yes, and it’s a wonderful addition to your wedding photography and an adventure in itself! It’s also a great fun way to get used to being photographed by a professional photographer and provides a good opportunity for us to get to know each other before your wedding day. An engagement or pre-wedding shoot can be added to your package and is heavily discounted as part of larger album packages. Couples often use the photos from their shoot as stationary, thank you cards, signing frames and guest books on their wedding day. These items are available to you and can be added to the package created for you.
Can our families and guests purchase prints through your service?
I will email you a link to view your photos on your online password-protected gallery where you can purchase prints, wall, and desk products with ease.
Do you own the copyright to our photographs?
Yes, and as a professional wedding photographer this is standard practice and essential for my business however as part of all packages, licence is given to you to make as many copies and prints as you wish as all your images are provided on USB at high resolution.
Do you provide the raw files?
No, and there are several reasons for this, the main reasons being copyright and my artistic integrity which needs to be retained by me.
If needed, are you able to work extra hours?
Yes, I am very flexible and extra hours can be added on the day of your wedding.
I can’t find the answer to my question here, what should I do?
Please do give me a call me on: 07756 540 584 or you can email me at: peter@petersmartphotography.co.uk.
