Getting back to basics, and focussing on what matters.

I’m going to be totally honest here, this pandemic, and the lockdowns it has brought, has been pretty life-changing. When it hit us here in Australia (and specifically Tasmania) I was drawing to the end of a pretty busy wedding season. I had a handful of wedding left to shoot before things slowed down for winter, and then things were set to ramp back up early spring. But all that went out the window. Like so many others, I effectively lost the next 6 months income… Yes, lost, because even when weddings postponed, it meant that they would take up those rare Saturdays of the next season. But I’m actually not here to complain. Having been raised on a farm, with seasonal income, then running another business where 80% of my income came from the months of November-March, I have always started preparing for a lean winter as I move into Autumn, so that, coupled with the Jobkeeper assistance, has meant some sacrifices, but that I am able to keep my business, and open my doors as the restrictions ease.

Over the period of self isolation, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my situation, and that of my clients, present and future. The more I thought about this, and where the wedding industry was likely to be on the other end of this, the more it impacted my philosophy on what I do. I talked to my mentors, my peers and my past and present clients.

I was left with this. Weddings are not about the big show. They aren’t about the most extravagant day. They aren’t about the decorations, they aren’t about the expense of the venue, the number of guests, the colour scheme. Weddings aren’t about being ” Pinterest perfect”. Weddings are about love. The love between the couple. The love of their families and closest friends. So my job isn’t to create images or to stage moments. My job isn’t to dictate the flow of the day to ensure beautiful photographs. My job is to capture the special moments, to document the day as it is, and tell my clients story. And that is what I want to focus my attention in the future.

Does that mean a sudden change in what my work looks like? No, not at all.

What it means is that I am going to be focussing on telling your story, without being a part of it. I don’t want to be the photographer that tells you how to run your day, who dictates times and locations. I won’t be posing my couples or arranging things to make images that don’t actually represent my couples, their personalities or the day.

My goal is to document the day as faithfully as I can, in a photojournalistic manner. Will I shoot portraits? Sure, if that’s what you want I will, but I’m not going to tell you to set aside 2 hours of your special day, to pull you away from your loved ones to pose you and make photos that might look nice, but don’t represent you. Will I do nighttime strobe-lit photos? Maybe. But if I don’t need to, I won’t.

I have also changed from offering a range of packages, to a single service fee. I decided that I didn’t want ANY client to have to compromise, so my fee includes all-day coverage, plenty of photos, but albums have become optional. This has meant I can reduce my price significantly. Clients that want an album can add one if they choose. (if you are interested in booking me and would like more information on my price, and what it includes, hit the Contact tab)

So how does this work?

Well, Amelia and Tom’s recent wedding is the epitome of how I want to work. I’ll take you through the day.

I shot the prep purely as an observer. I didn’t arrange details, I didn’t pose them or direct them. I shot what I saw.

There is no place in a ceremony for a photographer to intrude. I know some do find a way, getting within a couple of feet of the couple during ring exchanges etc, but this has never been my way. I’ve always given this time my utmost respect, staying as invisible as possible.

When it came to Bride & Groom Portraits, we didn’t have any set schedule. I hadn’t dictated to Amelia & Tom that I needed 1 hour of their time. After the ceremony, they hung out with the people they loved, laughed, hugged and enjoyed the moment. Then when the light looked amazing, we just went for a walk together and all I did was found nice spots and let them have a moment. And yes, I do shoot in colour too, when the situation suits.

No. I didn’t do my old trick with a flash. This was the light as I found it. I couldn’t have created better.

Again. The light from the sun, doing a better job that I could, and no posing, just “wait there”

We literally went for a walk around the grounds, chatted, when a moment or location grabbed my attention, the limit of my influence was to say “Stop, wait there” while I moved and found my frame and shot. As we walked, Amelia and Tom asked for a couple of individual portraits, we just walked and I shot, we stopped and I shot. The photo of Tom agains the wall was totally unplanned. He asked for a portrait, leaned against the wall and Amelia stepped back to clear the frame. I shot a couple of standard close ups, stepped back and saw her shadow, and there it was.

When it comes to receptions, there is a certain amount of candid, “fly-on-the-wall” stuff, but also a certain amount of guests grabbing you for a quick photo. So I adapt and shoot what I need to when I need to. But alongside this standard fare, I am looking for something special… a moment, an interesting frame…

I love all my clients, I am grateful and appreciative of the trust they all place in me to be their wedding photographer. I strive for every client to create the best images that I can. Amelia & Toms wedding was something different. Probably because they had booked me through a wedding planner (the awesome Tracey at Pop Up Weddings Tasmania), we hadn’t been through my usual process, and so on the day, I had no shot-list and no timeline. When I arrived, I met with Tom first and asked what their expectations were. He gave me a simple answer. None. They loved my work, they trusted me, and they just wanted me to do what I wanted. So I did. I took the freedom they gave me and embraced the room I had to be creative, to not be intrusive. I embraced the lack of set timeline, the lack of prescribed shot-list. I just stepped back and became an observer of their day. When it came to portraits, we had no preconceived ideas about what it would look like. we had no agenda. We took 15 minutes to go for a walk in beautiful golden sunlight and see what happened.

I took their trust and freedom and created some of my all-time favourite wedding photos.

So going forward, I want all my weddings to be like this. When my couples give me the freedom to be the photographer that I am, when they don’t send me shot-lists from Pinterest of other peoples work, this is what happens.

I’m going back to basics. I’m removing myself from the picture so to speak, and focussing on my couples, and doing what I can with what the day brings.

The story behind the image- The White Tree

Now I know that one of the reasons couples often hire me to photograph their weddings are what I call my “Hero” images. These type of images have very much become one of my signatures, and I absolutely love that my couples are always willing to give me the freedom to create these. This post is the first in what will be a series of posts about some of MY favourite hero images. Its not going to be a technical post (sorry photographers, you will have to go over to my photo blog to find the technical stuff. But I would encourage any photographers reading to keep doing so, as what I am going to talk about here is the “why” behind the images).

You see, I am always trying to use this images to tell a story about my couple and their day. I really am not just looking to create a “cool” image for the sake of it. I also try as much as possible to avoid making images too similar to others, unless the story behind them is similar… And thats the crux of it, I’m not just trying to make a cool image, to show how skilled I am, I’m trying to tell a unique story, and everything in the photo has to be meaningful…

So what was the story behind Shelley & Chris’s hero shot? well its pretty simple really.

When Shelley and Chris were visiting family in Tasmania during the planning stages of their wedding, they decided randomly to get off the highway and take a quick look at a wedding venue they had heard of. Quamby Estate. One of the things that you cannot fail to notice as you approach the laneway at Quamby are the trees. Beautiful, striking trees. They saw them and just knew that this was the venue for them. Most couples getting married at Quamby will have their ceremony on the lawns, under the giant Hornbeam tree, and this was what Shelley and Chris had planned. Unfortunately weather got in the way, and soaking rains made the lawns extremely soggy, placing them out of bounds for ceremonies. As we talked about this during the morning, Shelley made one simple request for their photos. Whatever we did, because they loved the trees, and especially as the ceremony had been moved to the courtyard near the fountain, she really hoped that I could include trees in their images.

We did our post ceremony photos, and I made sure that there were plenty of images with trees in them, but as we walked around the grounds, I kept looking at this tree… I knew it was the one I needed. We headed to the reception, and from the pavilion I looked across the lawn at this tree. From that angle there was so much symmetry, and I could see that the way the ground sloped away would help my perspective and composition.

So after dark, as the reception moved along, I quickly went out and worked out the details of how I would shoot it.. The rest was simple, I waited for the right moment, grabbed Shelley and Chris, and we snuck out for a quick 10 minute shoot. I really gave them no direction, other than finding the right spot for them to stand to be framed by the trunk, and just suggested they snuggle for warmth.

So this was my interpretation of their story in a nutshell. In this image, for anyone close to them you can see this story… They were married at Quamby Estate, and hoped to get married under the Hornbeam, but because of the rain, it wasn’t possible. This became the tree that they will remember their day at Quamby Estate by.

This is their story. I would love to be able to tell yours.

Ed

Friends with cameras and wedding photo apps???

I bet you didn’t expect to see a full-time professional wedding photographer posting about the alternative options… well, at least not in a (semi) positive way!!

So lets continue with the surprises. Do I think that there can be a place in your big day for your photographically inclined friends/family, social media or iPhone apps? Yes. Yes I do. But done right.

Firstly I am going to ask you why? Why are you considering this? I bet one of the first reasons that comes to mind is the cost. I know, a full time professional photographer isn’t cheap. I mean, we have huge expenses, 2/3- 3/4 of what we charge gets swallowed up in running our business before we even pay ourselves, but thats a post for another day. Let’s just move on and say yes. I understand cost is an issue. So why would I suggest considering using friends and even apps?

Simple. If you are on a tight budget. I suggest you use a Professional photographer AND those things.

I’m going to run the risk of having a whole chunk of the wedding photography community put a photo of me on their dartboard for this, but I’m going to say it. You are far, far better off to book a serious full time photographer for 5 hours at $3000 than a weekend warrior, part time hobbyist for 12. Why? well we are single mindedly focused on you. Not just on the day, but for the days leading up, and for a week or more afterwards. YOU are our 9-5 Monday to Friday that week. Not a job teaching, not a job as a police officer. Not a job as a receptionist (and I am totally not dissing those jobs or the people that do them... my wife is a full time teacher, and she will be the first to point out that doing her job properly leaves no time to shoot a wedding and edit it) There are no distractions to our attention, we are focussed on you. Also, we spend more time immersed photography. We dedicate more time, money and effort into the craft than someone playing with it after work. Generally, the quality will be way, way better, your images will be more secure and you will have much better options for presenting your images. There. I said it. So how does that fit with using friends and apps?

My suggestion is to book the quality professional photographer for the most important bits. 5 hours will get the last of your prep, you leaving for the ceremony, the ceremony, photos afterwards and the start of the reception. With some smart scheduling you can tick off the major items there too and know that your most important moments are captured professionally and are in safe hands.

So where do the friends and apps come in? The rest of the day. The places your professional photographer isn’t.

I think the best way to explain this is to give hypothetical example of how it could work for your wedding with just 5 hours of coverage booked.

So here’s your day. Your day starts at 9am with a champagne breakfast. You have sent all your bridal party, family and guests an invitation to use the Wedbox app, and upload all their phone photos from the day to it instead of uploading anything to social media on the day. You have also created a unique hashtag for Instagram and let everyone know to use that as well for any photos posted after your wedding day (you don’t want people to see you in your dress before you walk down the aisle).

During bridal prep and groom prep, you have asked those members of your squad that have sweet smartphone photography skills to keep snapping away and uploading. Add to that you mum who is a keen hobbyist photographer with a decent DSLR, and you will end up with a heap of photos showing your day from a tonne of different perspectives…now not all will be keepers, but we are compromising quality for savings here, so thats ok. In reality , you will probably get more good ones than you would have if you’d gone with that photographer offering all the day, two “photographers” and the kitchen sink package for $1500.

So the first few hours of your day have been covered by “crowd-sourced” photos.

Your uncle with a camera can be a great asset… when he’s not distracted

At 2 pm your professional photographer arrives and starts creating beautifully crafted images of you having the final touches applied to your hair and makeup, your dress fastening, your jewellery and getting into the car to leave. They then head to the ceremony about 10 minutes before you to start shooting there. The rest is pretty standard professional coverage. Ceremony, post ceremony photos, bridal party photos. The reception kicks off at 6, so in that first hour of the reception, you do an early cake cut, and have an early first dance before the meals get into full swing. Your photographer leaves at 7, and the rest of the night your friends and family are snapping away, filling your wedbox account upon with hundreds of photos. As the formalities are done, you get your MC to announce that its open season on Instagram etc, as long as all photos have your specified hashtag on them for you to collate them later. (and no, from a photographers perspective, if my couples are happy for their guests photos to go out before they get mine, I really don’t mind. I believe that my work can hold its own against drunk iPhone instagram filtered snaps, and I also don’t thing that these being out there will lessen your excitement and anticipation of receiving my photos.)

The end result? You get the photographer you want, to create the images that you have dreamt of, you have the most precious memories in safe hands, and then you have a wedbox account full of 100 different peoples perspective of your day, from which, you will be able to pull some fantastic shots.

In a nutshell, rather than hire a “cheap” photographer giving you everything for $3000, hire the professional for less time and let your friends capture the rest for you! It is far far better to have 200 great photos than 1000 really average tacky ones.

Friends with cameras can cover the quick happy snaps of your guests.

In all honesty, we know that smartphone cameras and apps are getting better and better. Does this worry me as a photographer? No. I am not hired for my camera. I am hired for my creativity, for the quality of my work, for the way I tell a story, for my trained eye that sees the moments that might be missed. A smartphone cannot replace a trained, dedicated and experienced professional… They can, and probably will however replace those $1500 “part-time” people with regular 9-5 jobs and treat photography “side-hustle”, as they can rarely provide what those of us invested 100% in our craft and clients can.

There. I said it. Now don’t stress about that lower budget, just use it wisely.

Link to Wedbox (there are other similar apps, this is just the one I would recommend)

Screenshot of wedbox website- images are not mine

Questions to ask your prospective photographer.

Lets face it, your photographer is probably one of the highest costs of your big day. I’m not going to get into why we cost what we do (I may cover that in another post, but spoiler alert, its because we put a lot more than just a days work into each wedding), what I want to do, is to arm you with some tools to help when you are looking at your wedding photographer. No matter whether a couple hires me or not, I really do want them to not get burned by hiring a dodgy “fauxtographer”.

So, lets run through a list of questions, why I would ask it, and what answers you should look for.

Do you have Public Liability Insurance, and how much do you carry?

Okay, so this one is first because it is an absolute MUST HAVE! I cannot stress than enough. If someone gets injured due to the photographers equipment or actions, or property is damaged because of them, you should not have to pay for it. They are responsible. You don’t want a legal wrangle between you, the venue, and the photographer over who pays the bill. They should have Public Liability Insurance. In fact, many venues require it before a photographer can set foot on the grounds. They will want to see their certificate of compliance/ policy document. Many will get away with carrying $10million, but quite a few venues require $20million. And, quite frankly, insurance is cheap… a few hundred dollars each year will do it… if they are running a legitimate business, and truly respect their clients and other venues, they will have it.

Is your equipment professional grade?

Why does this matter? You may have even heard comments about gear not being important, that the photographer takes the photo, not the camera (and yes, an amazing photographer can create amazing images with sub-par gear, but thats not the point)… Well, its simple. Pro grade gear is more reliable and more capable in harsh conditions. A professional camera will have slots for 2 memory cards, so that the photographer can create a backup of each photo as they shoot. They will be weather sealed with weather sealed lenses, so that they won’t stop working if they get wet… rain, hail or dust storm, they will keep clicking. They cope with varying conditions better, the focus tracks better etc etc.. Pro grade gear doesn’t make the photos better, it just reduces the chance of a failure, or of conditions stopping the photographer from working.

Do you have back up equipment on hand for the day?

This needs to be a YES. A definitive YES. We have a saying. One is none, two is one, and three is two. What that means is that in the unlikely event of an equipment failure, if they only have one camera, you are all in trouble. If they have two, well, then they might find themselves needing that second one, and three? well that just makes me sleep better at night. Have I needed backup equipment? Yes. Picture this- Bride and brides father approach the aisle. I am shooting flat out as they approach. Camera dies. Turns into an expensive brick. Zero time to fiddle, I just literally drop it and keep shooting with my second camera (like dropped, in the gravel, onto the ground. I really did not care in that moment, all that mattered was the bride walking down the aisle. Now that was at about the halfway point of the day.. I like to have two cameras on hand with different lenses to give a good mix of images, so as soon as I got a moment, I threw the camera in my bag and pulled out body number 3… the rest of the day went fine, the images were all fine, the camera just had a heating issue. If I’d only had one camera? nightmare! If I’d only had two? Well, that would be a day full of fear…

How do you archive your images, and how long do you store them for?

So this question has a couple of parts. Firstly, a good policy is that a photographer should not reuse the cards they shot your wedding on until they have delivered your final photos. So that should mean that to start with we have two copies of your photos (remember the two card slots)..so photo copy count sits at 2. Next, when they import the photos into their computer for editing, they should import a working copy, and do an auto back up copy… so 2 more copies (Photo count 4). Next, they should also be running an offsite backup. So that makes 5… then, once they have delivered your copy (6) they may choose to remove the copy from their working drive… some may delete it (back to 5) others may just move it to an archive drive (so 6 again. Lastly, they will reformat the memory cards, erasing the original 2 copies.. so now we have 4 copies. You have 1, they have 3. We call this the 3-2-1 rule of Digital Asset Management. 3 copies, 2 physical locations, 1 off-site. plus you have at least one copy now. As for how long they should store them? Ultimately once the images have been delivered, the long term archiving of the images is the clients responsibility. Personally, I keep the images in my archive for at least 2 years, after that though, I cannot guarantee the archive harddrives I store them.

Do you have a contract/ service agreement?

Again, a must. This will also lead you to the next question. Firstly, you need a contract to protect you both. It is a written agreement, detailing expectations on both sides. It should cover what times, how long coverage is, delivery schedule, what happens if a guest interferes with them and blocks a shot, what happens if you guys need to reschedule, and also, cover my pet peeve… photographer cancellation. Take a moment and think… how many times have you seen a bride post online “help!! our photographer has cancelled and our wedding is in 3 weeks?” this shouyld’t happen, but , in the world of part time photographers who really are just looking to subsidise a hobby, it does. I have stepped in several times when I have seen this happen, and often found myself shooting basically for free, because Photographer A has decided that they want to grab that last minute deal for a Phuket getaway, and have left the couple stranded, and not even refunded the $$$…. That seriously gets me angry… and I can list at least 3 times I have helped someone out for almost that exact reason… Quite simply, a professional would never do that. Now… what happens if your genuinely professional photographer breaks a leg the week before your wedding? Well, a decent contract will put the responsibility for finding a replacement on them. No matter the cost. For me, I have a list of photographers I would call, and connect my couple with. Then they choose who they want, and I would pay all the costs, then deal with all the post and albums etc myself. It should never be the couples problem. The next question is also connected to contracts.

Who owns copyright to the images taken?

Short answer? You. The client. Under Australian copyright law, in the case of a “Private Domestic Commission” (includes Weddings and family portraits), the first owner of the copyright (owner of the images ) is the client.. Now in all other case here in Australia, the photographer owns copyright, and in most of the world they do for weddings too, but not here. You own it. What does this mean? Okay, so basically every click of that shutter from the start to the finish is yours… that blurry shot, that over exposed shot, that photo of the photographers shoes because they bumped the shutter… all yours. But, do you want them? No. You definitely don’t want every shot. Now, some photographers may have a clause saying “The photographer retains copyright”.. this is meaningless.. they cannot retain that which they didn’t own. What is reasonable is that they have a clause saying “The client authorises the photographer to make determinations about the images and deliver the images that they deem satisfactory”. Also without authorisation, we can’t even fix a slightly dark photo, so you need a clause giving them permission to edit, make corrections and retouch images as deemed necessary” Should you just trust them to do this? Well yes. You chose them because you like their work, so give them the authority to deliver their best.

Do you offer prints? Where do you source them?

They should do this…and again, I don’t mean that they know the way to Harvey Norman or K-mart to get prints done on the kiosks.. Thats fine for happy snaps destined for the fridge door, not for Wedding photos destined for the wall or your desk at work.. you want prints from a Professional Lab. Again, a reputable photographer will have someone for this. Yep.. there is another post coming about this.

Do you offer an online gallery that we can share or order prints directly from?

Necessary? No. Handy? Yes. I like this for my clients so that they can pass it onto family to view their photos no matter how far away they are, and so mum and dad can help themselves and get prints directly from my lab without having to hassle anyone.

Adaptability?

What if the weather isn’t good? How do you work in low light? What if a huge curveball throws the day into chaos? These things happen. Professional photographers will have plan A,B,C, D and Z… They will have plans for shooting in the rain. They will know how to get the job done if it gets windy. They will have lights at the ready in case the venue is a black hole.. Ask for examples of problems they have encountered and how they solved them. Ask to see some resulting images? I’ll be honest, some of my favourite images have come from me being forced to adapt and change my plan of attack. Adapt and overcome.

What is your general philosophy for your work?

Do they see themselves as purely there to capture your day as an observer? Are they an artist? Do they like to work creatively or prefer to shoot to a list, given a specific style to emulate? For me, this is my answer. I strive to both capture the day faithfully and honestly through a documentary style approach, but also to create artistic images to punctuate the day, as well as something iconic to help capture the emotion and uniqueness of the day. I cannot copy another work, I need the freedom to explore the day with my own eyes and tell the story with my own photographic voice, so that the uniqueness of the day is captured, and the story is not the same as any other.

Okay, so that was a huge post, but I really wanted to put this out there. This is by no means a definitive list, but these points are valid, and every photographer should be able to answer them without hesitating. Whatever way you go, who ever you choose, I sincerely hope they fulfil their duty to give you the absolute best work that they possibly can.

Setting the mood for your day- Celebrants, MC's and Entertainment!

There is so much work that goes into planning your wedding (thats a whole other post in the making there), but there are a couple of big tick items that you will be thinking about. And these are important, because they will have a massive impact on the feel, mood and emotion of your day, and will even in some case directly impact how smoothly the day runs.

So I’m going to go over these (based on my experiences). Celebrants, MC’s, Musicians and DJ’s. Get the right ones and your day is magical. The wrong ones and it becomes an exercise in damage control.

Celebrants

To start with, Celebrants. After all, up until the moment you guys first see your celebrant on the day, its all a bit abstract. The Celebrant carrying the official documents makes it all very real.

Your choice of celebrant is a very personal one. It is about them having a personality that matches the mood you want for the day, and that clicks with you guys as a couple. A good professional celebrant will coordinate with all other vendors, stays tuned to everyones emotions and will make your ceremony effortless and seamless. They will inject the perfect amount of fun for your personalities, they will help stir the emotions of your guests and they will make sure that your ceremony is picture perfect (ie they know how to stay out of the first kiss photo). The wrong celebrant for you will just not make the ceremony feel as smooth and effortless. You want a professional that can handle anything that is thrown at them, and keep you guys calm, relaxed and in the moment. A good celebrant will also be excellent at wrangling your guests, so that they are all seated nicely or arranged clear of the Aisle for your arrival.

Kathleen Ryan adds some freshness to the ceremony

“A wedding does not have to look exactly like the ones you see in the movies! In Australia, there are very few things marrying couples actually have to say and do in a ceremony, so if you want to go ‘off book’ - go for it! This is where your celebrant comes in very handy! We’re here to guide you through all the required steps, so you say and do what you need to, but then can share great ideas for personalising the ceremony to what makes you and your partner tick! So pick a celebrant with a great vibe and fresh ideas!”

— Kathleen Ryan Celebrant

Some of my absolute favourite celebrants are (in no order, and apologies if I missed anyone):

Kathleen Ryan Marriage Celebrant

Marry Me Tasmania- Janelle Wilson

Emma House Civil Marriage Celebrant

Tracey Bruce Celebrant

Maria Bond

Libby Dobson Marriage Celebrant

Mood Music

The (chronologically) next thing to think about is Musicians for the Pre/Post ceremony time when your guests are mingling, and maybe even to be live music for your walk down the aisle. There are so many ways to go with this. Maybe you will just have a friend running a Spotify playlist through the Celebrants PA, but in my experience, nothing tops live musicians. I’ve see everything from String Quartets, to Harpists, to Acoustic Solos and Duos. The one thing I like to mention to my couples is this. A friend running your iPhone with a Spotify list goes wrong as often as it goes right. Locked phones, flat batteries, no internet to access the music, distractions making them forget to cue music up resulting in the next playlist starting up, blasting everyone with your random death metal angry music…. It is a bit of a gamble. When you hire a live musician to at least take care of the pre/prost ceremony mood music, you have a team who are focussed on their job, and are in constant communication with the celebrant to make sure that the music is correct, that they play when the time is right. Also, live musicians stopping to prepare for your arrival is a subtle nudge to your guests to take their seats and get ready for you.

“We live in a world where music is so easily accessible, streaming what you like from your device. Although this is cheap and easy, the one thing it lacks is the incredible and tangible atmosphere that live music creates... Live music can set the scene as your guests arrive, heightening the excitement of the public declaration of love to come. Live music will seamlessly enhance those special moments during the ceremony, without taking away from the couple. Then afterwards, the music turns up a notch to help get everyone in the mood to celebrate. It really is a worthwhile investment in making a wedding special and memorable”

— Emily Sanzaro Tasmanian Harpist

“It’s important to make sure your musicians are going to be appropriate for your guests and for the atmosphere you want for your ceremony. A string duo is going to give your wedding a completely different feel to a guitar/vocalist duo. Also take into consideration the age of your guests and check that your musicians have material to cater to everyone.
Also look for musicians who are easy going & flexible - it’s quite common to get cut off half way through a song, or to have to play for longer to prevent 10 minutes of awkward silence if the bride is running late.”

— Wavelet

Some of my favourite musicians for these times of the day are

Emily Sanzaro Tasmanian Harpist

Wavelet Acoustic Duo

Nathan Broomhall

MC

The MC can make or break your reception. They can keep it moving smoothly like a well oiled machine, out they can be running around herding cats in an exercise of chaos management. Whether you choose to use a friend or family member, or bring in a pro, there are a few things to consider.

Its not just about making regular announcements of what is happening next, mixed in with some witty comments, your MC is the point of contact for all of your vendors during the reception. They wil be coordinating with the Caterers, the Bar, the venue management, the band, the DJ, the videographer and the photographer. They need to keep each vendor oin the loop as the night unfolds, communicating any timeline changes. They should also be listening to the photo/video crew with regards to speeches and time gaps between other events, to ensure that they have time to switch set ups as needed. Going from speeches to cake cut to first dance isn’t just about relocating and pointing the camera in a different direction, it often requires moving lights, retesting the set up and getting it all dialled in so that the images are perfect.

A good MC will also exercise effective crowd control. keeping people where they need to be when they need to be there. getting everyone seated for speeches. Getting people clear of the dance floor for the first dance. They will listen to the requests of the other vendors to make each phase of the night work how it should. They will keep all the speeches happening in the one spot so that the video/photo crew done have to scramble and shift gear with no time to test it, so that all the photos, video and audio are as high quality as possible.

A pro MC will know all this from experience, but you need to make sure that your non pro friend MC listens to the people that do this every week and follows their guidance.

The MC keeps the crowd entertained, informed and under control.

A good MC wil keep things flowing, but will make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. In all honesty, the MC’s job is probably one of the hardest of the day, they really will be flat out all night, but need to keep a calm manner to make sire everyone has a good time. In the words of Peter Parkers Uncle Ben “with great power comes great responsibility” so choose your MC wisely.

“Having a professional MC means that you don’t have to worry about coordinating the key suppliers to your reception, such as the photographers, makeup artists, entertainers, the venue and catering. Often MCs act as the central point of contact and save you the headache, they are kinda like your spokesperson. The MC isn’t there to just make announcements either, s/he would take command of the space and ensure that you would receive the heads up to each formality so that you are never caught off guard or hurried into doing impromptu activities... Reception MCs would typically arrive at the venue one hour before guest seating to get their bearings, speak to the suppliers and make himself/herself known to you. A reliable MC is a good communicator and would be involved with the lead up to the wedding, as it is just important as being there on the day. Prior to your wedding or event, the MC can help you design a schedule that is realistic, achievable and uniquely designed to accommodate what’s important to the couple... Just like that each of us is unique, the MCs also bring something to the party that is uniquely theirs. Each MC will inject their own persona and ethos into the way that they interact with your guests and you, so it is important to meet up to have that opportunity to generate a first impression (unless if you have already seen them in action, then great!). And if a meet up is not possible, then at least request a Skype”

— Nikki Zhao Professional Wedding MC

Now the list of professional MC’s is short, because here in Tasmania, they really aren’t that common. I can recommend Nikki Zhao MC, based out of Sydney, but never frightened to travel.

Reception Entertainment

Your reception entertainment is a totally personal choice. You may prefer live music, you may want rock, you may love acoustic. You might want a cover band, a solo performer or a DJ. Really you just need to choose the entertainment that is right for you and the people you will be spending the evening with.

When choosing your entertainment however, you will need to decide if they are going to be playing all night… the ambient dinner music, the first dance and the party time afterwards, or whether you will run with a mix of pre-recorded music and live.

You might also be considering running pre-recorded all night, using your own, or a third party sound system. If you are thinking about going this way, you need to plan for all contingencies, and also take to other vendors (specifically videographers) about how this will impact them. I have seen flat phone batteries, loss of internet with Spotify play lists, no way of connecting the phone to the sound system (prompting rushed trips to JB HiFi), wrong playlists, and just times where no-one remembers to set a song going… If you are going to DIY, plan for all contingencies.

“A professional DJ will deliver great sound, and remove the hassle of worrying about who is in charge of the music. They will play a range of old favourites and new music to bring everyone together on the dancefloor, even the ones you least expect. Couples should meet prospective DJ’s to get a feel for them and what they will deliver on the night.”

— DJ Dan

“The most important thing when choosing a band for your special day is remembering just that; it’s YOUR special day and the band/musician is working for you. While it’s important to listen to the bands’ suggestions as to what will work and what won’t, you also need a band/musician who is catering their services and song selection to your requirements. If they are telling you what THEY will do and how THEIR packages will go rather than asking you what YOU want and then tailoring themselves to you, then maybe you need to keep looking. The band should be very aware that they are working for you, so they should be all ears, free of ego and very accommodating to your requests.”

— Tim- The Daktaris

Some great Reception Entertainers are:

DJ Dan

DJ Matt Goss

Clinton Hutton

Nathan Broomhall (again)

The Daktaris

DJ Dan fills the dance floor

Considering a Videographer?

Too often, the question of whether or not to have a videographer will prompt a response from photographers akin to the asking a Holden fan whether they think a Ford is a good car… But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Like anything, there is the good, the bad and the ugly of videography (and photography). From a photographers perspective, when clients ask me if they should have a videographer I generally say “Yes. If your budget allows it, you definitely won’t regret hiring the right Videographer”

Yes. The “Right” videographer. Just like your photographer, there will be the right one for you. Just because they have 4000 followers on Facebook, or because they are cheap, or because they wear a fedora, doesn’t make them the right one for you. That is a question that is unique to you as a couple and to your circumstance and priorities.

There are so many valid reasons for having a Wedding video. It could be family or loved ones cannot make it to your wedding, it could be that you just love watching videos, or maybe you just want to record everything, in photo and video for your children and your children’s children.

If you have decided that video is important enough to you, part of deciding on the right videographer is to set your priorities. You will need to decide whether Video takes precedence over photography, or photography is your priority.. or maybe they are equal. This will be an important consideration for making your decision about who to hire, both regarding your photographer and your videographer.

I’m going to be brutally honest here. Not all Videographers and Photographers can get along, sometimes personalities clash, and styles don’t work together. Some Videographers work best when they are given priority, and can get the shots they want without worrying about blocking a photographers shot, and vice versa. But the real professionals get along, and give you the absolute best.

First, the photographers perspective- I have worked with plenty of awesome videographers, and I am confident that as long as I know where my couples priority is, I can work alongside almost any. I am totally fine with a videographer taking the lead, and having me stay out of the way in the background. I am also equally as comfortable with taking the lead myself, or working cohesively on an equal footing with the video team. The danger lies in the grey areas. I am not one to ever allow anything to do with my job to cause my couples stress on the day, but I have had some less than amazing experiences that are worth discussing. Now lets be clear, I know photographers can be as equally guilty of these crimes as any videographer, so what I suggest is that my couples always let them both know what, if anything, takes priority.

Now every Photographer has their way of working, and I tend to be the quieter non extroverted type. When I do portraits of my couples, I want to give them the space to feel genuine emotion, I don’t sing, dance, do acrobatics or play the clown to create reactions that aren’t genuine to the emotion of the day. So I tend to like my space through these sessions. Most videographers that I have worked with will respect this and either step back to organise their equipment, or just work silently alongside me, and allow me to do the same for them. For my style, it is best not to have an extrovert videographer that stands behind me pulling faces, cracking jokes or just chatting to the couple. That may work well for some, but not for me.

Likewise, during the ceremony and reception, it is great for photographers and videographers alike to coordinate and not get in each others shots. Often a videographer might have a standard shot following the bride closely during the precessional, but the photographer might want a wide shot showing the brides dress and train from behind down the aisle. These two shots cannot be done simultaneously, so cooperation between the two teams is essential, or someone has to miss a shot. With coordination and communication, your videographers and photographers will both be a able to execute their vision and give you the best photos and video possible.

I guess what I am saying is that you should always set your priorities and advise your videographers and photographers of these. Don’t worry about bruised egos, we are professionals and ego has no place in what we do. We are here to record your day, and so make sure we understand what you want. Any professional will be able to take this and either step up, or step back as your preferences require.

“Speaking about choosing the right videographer, it is all about your taste and how you would like your videos to be done. But just keep in mind what they are presenting to you after the wedding. Do they produce you the full recording of the ceremony? Do they have at least two cameras to capture your ceremony from various angles? I’m confident you don’t want to watch a “one-shot” video for 40 minutes without any editing/cutting, why not just use your own DV cam? Plus, you have to make sure do they deliver or record speeches at the reception? Do they have other cameras to capture the reactions? If not, the speeches would be completely missing, or it would be another “one-shot” 1-hour video. So, if the videographer only gives you a 5min or a 15min “highlight” or “documentary” video, he might not be your choice. Because this is once in a lifetime occasion, every minute is important to you.”

— Henry Q Videographer

So, who are my “go-to” guys for video? Well as always, in no particular order, here they are:

The Love Lab

Brides Day Films

Puzzleman Productions

Hitman Productions

Hair and Make Up Artists!

After you have booked your venue, and selected your photographer, you are probably going to be wondering which Hair and Make-Up Artists (HMUA’s) you should be looking at? What makes a good HMUA?

Like every other decision you will be making about your big day, the options can be overwhelming. A question posted in a facebook wedding group can have you drowning in options as everyone suggests someone different for you.

I get to work with plenty of HMUA’s, and while most are good, some are exceptional. What makes them exceptional? Lots of things.

Wedding Hair and Make Up requires a slightly different approach than things like a studio shoot, or even a formal occasion, as you will be wanting to look amazing not just for a couple of hours, but all day. You will probably finish having your hair and make-up done about an hour before the ceremony (at least), and want to look amazing for that moment when you start walking down the aisle, and still look flawless an hour later for your photo session, and still look amazing late into the reception for your first dance. You might have a summertime mid afternoon outdoor or beach ceremony under the harsh sun.

A good HMUA will also make your makeup flawless and suited to you personally, and not just apply the same look, the same products to everyone, regardless of their natural skin tone or complexion.

These are just some of the things a good HMUA will be thinking about, after all, you are a walking testament to their skills! As well as just making you look amazing for the whole day, they also need to be time efficient, as they will probably be looking after you and your whole bridal party. They will make sure that you are ready with plenty of time to spare, so that you can relax and enjoy those special moments before you leave for the ceremony, getting into your dress, photos with your family etc.

“I suggest always looking at makeup artists’ portfolios and (specifically) bridal work before booking in. This will help you see the artist’s style as well as their level of skill and experience.”

— Claire Hunt MUA

Last but not least, they need to be easy going and friendly so that you and your squad are totally at ease through the whole exercise.

Finally, who would I recommend? Well, here is my list (not in any particular order) of H&MUA’s that I love to work with.

Claire Hunt Make Up Artist

Olivia Jones Make Up Artist

Allie Hill Make Up Artist (& Hair)

Chloe-Rose Hairstyling

Tahnii Marquis Make Up Artist

Kelly Viney Make Up Artist

Kat Flesfader Hair & Make Up Artist

Karen Curtain Make Up Artist

Kelly Viney MUA in action

Getting the best from your photographer

I’m going to try not to make too many posts about photography… I promise. But there will be some, after all, its what I do, and its what I love.

So. How do you get the best from your photographer?

Well, lets assume that you are someone that places a high value on wedding photography, and your choice of photographer came from the place of choosing one whose work you love, and we won’t even discuss whether you had to compromise because of budget. You have done your homework, you have trawled through the bazillions of Wedding photographer facebook pages, instagram accounts and websites, you have looked at wedding photos until your eyes ached, and you have found one whose work reflects what you want. So you have gone ahead, met with them, looked at physical copies of their photos (we will talk about what to look for in a photographer at a later date), and have booked them. What next? how do you make sure that you will get images that you love?

It’s simple. All you have to do is this. One thing.

Trust.

Thats it.

No Pinterest mood boards. No extensive shot lists. Just let them be.

You see, a good photographer is an artist and a photojournalist. They are a watcher, they are an observer of humans. They are attuned to the moment, to their clients without needing to manufacture moments, without needing to direct the day. They might guide you gently sometimes in their eternal search for beautiful light, but they are professionals. They know what photos to take, they see the moments that need preserving.

Take that Pinterest board and dump it. Screw up that 2 page shot list and throw it in the bin. You don’t want your photographer spending all day looking at a list or Pinterest board. You want them present in the moment. You also don’t want a photographer who is trying to emulate someone else. Hire the photographer for their own style, and trust that decision to bring you images you will love.

As well as trusting them to do an amazing job, trust yourself. You chose them because you loved the work they showed. So you loved the work they love. A good photographer will show the images that they like to create, and so if you liked those images, just trust your initial decision, and give them the freedom to create the images that will represent your day faithfully.

Sure, make up a list of family photos and photos with friends that you would like them to take, but thats a whole different thing, and any photographer will find the space in the day to do that for you, but for the beautiful and creative images, step back and let them do their job, let their creativity free. The more freedom you give them, the more they will immerse themselves in the moment and the more amazing your photos will be.

Trust them, and trust yourself!

Venues I love

I get to shoot at a lot of wedding venues. Pretty much every weekend from October to April is spent at different location. Some venues are pretty simple, where you hire the shed and bring in your own caterers, others throw the whole package at you. For me, I find that couples are happiest and have the best day when they choose a ceremony location and wedding venue that makes everything easy for them, so that they can focus on their day.This list is by no means complete, and its worth checking back as I add to it regularly.

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Quamby Estate near Hagley in Northern Tasmania is a short drive from Launceston, and really is an amazing place to have a wedding. With on-site accommodation in the homestead, a 9 hole golf course, options for ceremonies in any weather, from their iconic Hornbeam tree, to intimate ceremonies in the stunning dining room. The staff at Quamby know how to treat you and your loved ones, with personalised attention, amazing facilities, fantastic food and just a beautiful place for a wedding. If you are looking for a venue in Northern Tasmania that takes all the hassle out of your day, then definitely check out Quamby Estate (and tell them Ed sent you!)

Quamby Estate Website

Frogmore Creek Winery near Cambridge, just out of Hobart is definitely one of the best venues for your ceremony and reception in Southern Tasmania. With a gorgeous view over the vineyards and across the valley, it provides the perfect location for an outdoor wedding. The Barrel room makes a perfect reception venue, with amazing food and super helpful staff on hand through the day to make sure everything runs to plan.

Frogmore Creek Winery

Sandridge Estate is a one of a kind spot for a wedding. Located down a winding gravel road, not far from the iconic Boat Harbour beach in North West Tasmania, you will find a giant corrugated tin shed. Seriously huge. The perfect secluded spot for your ceremony either on the lawns, nestled away in the scrub, or if the weather turns less pleasant, inside the barn itself. With their own Glamping tents on-site, you can either just stay there all day, or book one of the nearby beachside air B’n’B’s. The guys at Sandridge can help you source all the best local caterers and musicians, to make your reception complete.

Sandridge Estate Website

Hawley House is a beautiful old home, located a stones throw from the beautiful beaches of Hawley Beach and Port Sorell in Northern Tasmania. With accommodation on site, beautiful gardens, and a large reception space, it is yet another example of the hidden treasures scattered around our beautiful state.

Hawley House Website

About this Blog

So, as a wedding photographer, I get to see heaps of weddings… seriously heaps and heaps. And part of being a good wedding photographer is having a total understanding of the flow of the wedding day, what works, and what doesn’t work. This is crucial for me to be able to anticipate problems before they arise, and to be ready for special moments ahead of time.

I have found that over the years, this knowledge is gold. Not just for me on the day, but also to help my couples during the planning process. Now I’m no wedding planner, they are a whole other thing entirely (expect a post about that soon), but I do have a bit of insight that I can share when my couples ask. With that in mind, I’ve decided to put a few of those common things down here.

I will make a disclaimer. Everything I write here is my own opinion, formed by my own experiences. No two weddings are the same, so please, don’t take my thoughts as certainties!