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Tuesday, September 9, 2008Interview with my daughter's Wedding Photographer, Karen Watson
  I am a freelance photographer based in Sydney, Australia. I shoot predominantly for the entertainment industry (music/film - album covers, publicity stills, live concerts, music video stills) and publishing (cookbooks etc) but have attracted private clients for portraiture and weddings. My style is relaxed and unobtrusive – capturing candid moments. Contact details: karen_watson@bigpond.com. My new website will be launched in Oct! What is the best piece of advice you can give to a bride about choosing a photographer? I think above all else you should choose someone with whom you feel a connection to - and that is also the basis upon which I also choose to shoot a wedding or not. No matter how technically great a photographer is, if they don't connect with you they will never truly capture the spirit of your day. Ask to see samples of their work and even if you can speak to some of their previous clients for recommendations. It's the best indicator. How far ahead of the wedding date should you be contacted? Don't leave it till the last minute! Most photographers are booked well in advance (in some cases up to a year in advance) - personally I like to meet the clients at least 3 months before the wedding so we can discuss concepts, visit some proposed locations for the wedding portraits and so I can do a dry run of the day (ie checking routes and timing how long it takes to get from brides house, to ceremony to reception venues etc). I also like to get a feel for the ceremony and reception venues in advance and meet the celebrant etc so I have a good idea before the wedding of lighting, positions etc rather than trying to do that on the day. It's also important for a photographer to check the etiquette for the ceremony - different religions and venues have different expectations and I think it's important for the photographer to respect that while shooting a wedding. How can a bride on a budget get the best deal for the money? Do your research. Get quotes from at least 2 photographers and get as much detail as to their pricing as possible. Most photographers offer packages - the idea here is to make it simple for the bride but that doesn't necessarily make it cheaper. Get quotes for individual items such as photography only and digital negatives only. If you are on a tight budget then you can save ALOT of money by being sensible and realistic about your choices. It's easy to get caught up in the "once in a lifetime" excitement of your wedding and feel you have take the "more bang for the buck" approach but that's where you can waste money. The reality is that most people will only ever "live with" about 50 images of their wedding day in the years afterwards so why pay for 400+ images if you will never look at them ever again? This is probably the biggest trap. Areas where you can save money on photography if you’re on a tight budget: 1. Book your photographer to shoot the ceremony and wedding portraits only. The most important shots on the day are the ceremony and wedding portraits so these are the ones you REALLY want the professionals to capture. - combined, this will be no more than 2 hours and will save you a lot of money vs booking them for an entire day. You will find that most guests these days will have their digital cameras so there will be plenty of candid shots of the "party" taken by your friends and family...and for FAR LESS COST than getting a pro to take the happy snaps at the reception! 2. ONLY Pay for photography and all the digital negatives and consider getting the prints done yourself at a later date. Digital technology allows a bride to get high quality images printed in whatever format you want for a fraction of the cost. That way you can choose only the pics you want to be printed when you can better afford it. 3. Consider building your own wedding album at a fraction of the cost - these days you can source quality leather bound wedding albums (or something unique) with mount boards that will give you the same results as the professionals for up to 1/3 the price. 4. Pay for what you know you will use rather than volume for the sake of it. Remember that at the end of the day, most wedding albums and pictures languish in boxes or on bookshelves for years, unopened, so why spend a fortune on getting "unlimited photos on the day" when in reality there are probably only going to be no more than 50 or so that you will always look back on? 5. Book only one photographer to shoot the day rather than opting for two photographers or even a videographer as this will generally cost extra. Get a friend to video the wedding to save you money too. 6. Book a photographer who is local to the region where you are getting married. Generally you will be expected to pay extra charges if you expect your photographer to travel overseas, interstate or over an hour from their office to shoot your wedding. 5. A good photographer should be open to discussing various options with you to suit your budget so be open about your situation so that you get the best value! How much should a bride expect to spend? You can expect to spend anywhere from AUD $1000.00 up to $6000.00 + (which could include 2 photographers for 10 hours, professional lighting set ups, travel to locations, albums, parent packs, reprints, proofs, framed print and more). Don't forget that if you expect your photographer to travel a considerable distance to your venue then you may incur additional travel and/or accommodation costs for them, so go for someone local if money is an issue. What are some of your favorite ways and times to photograph the wedding party? Before? During? After? Do you prefer candid to posed shots? My shooting style is candid though I will take some posed shots. I personally like to shoot the wedding party during the ceremony and on location immediately after the ceremony - particularly as they interact with one another and guests. Best time of the day is definitely late afternoon, approaching "magic hour" when the light is at it's best for shooting portraits. What are the most popular or standard wedding photos that you do? Are there various packages? The most popular locations are the beach and the bush which I guess reflects our culture here in Australia. The most popular shots I have taken are ones where the bride and groom are having a quiet moment together as they walk away from camera and also some candid moments with their bridal party as they all laugh and chat amongst themselves. I generally take along champagne, towels and water (to wash sandy feet!) which I find generally gets the wedding party relaxed and carefree - this just creates a mood where everyone is comfortable and enjoying the moment and I find that makes for better candid photos. I am finding that these days, couples don't want formal wedding shots but pics that reflect their personalities. I do offer packages but my approach is generally to sit down with a couple and figure out what their needs and expectations are and then to present them with various tailored packages to suit their needs and budget. Do you have a ‘most memorable’ wedding or wedding incident to share? What’s the most unusual, beautiful, or interesting place or photos you’ve ever done? I have had a few incidents while shooting weddings - one of the most memorable was for a secluded outdoor beach wedding. The weather had been fine and hot for the weeks leading up to the wedding and on the day there was a torrential downpour and the temperature dropped to 12 degrees Celsius! The wedding limo crashed on its way to collect the bride from the hotel so the makeup artist and I were standing in the street in the rain, flagging down cars to help us try to get this bride to the ceremony. By the time we got there, the bride was wet, the guests were wet, I was wet and we were all squeezed into this tiny beachside cafe for the ceremony but for all the disasters, it was an amazing and joyous wedding! The most unusual and interesting place for a wedding was in Melbourne at an artist’s colony called "Montsalvat". (See picture) Set in among the rural landscape, the architecture was amazing - a gothic looking church over-run with vines, a medieval inspired dining hall with stained glass windows and candelabras and the artists cottages themselves with Juliet balconies, cobbled courtyards and olive trees - it looked like Tuscany. One of my favorite wedding photos comes from this venue: a shot of the bride and groom walking down a path next to the gothic church. It was an amazing venue. Karen Watson Look out for the rest of her wonderfully in-depth interview on Sept 15!
posted by Melissa James @ 12:00 AM
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