1. What kind of photographer are you?
I carry a little notebook around with me, pretty much everywhere. Inside it I’ve written down words that inspire my style of photography. They’re words that I hope spring into your mind when you look at my photographs. Passionate. Artistic. Raw. Colourful. Romantic. Honest. Unique. Emotional. Beautiful.
Also in my notebook is a real-life Pinterest board of images, including a little collection of my all-time favourite couple shots, as well as my ultimate bouquets (I do love me some gorgeous blooms). The common thread running through everything I admire, and everything I aim to produce, is that it is real.
Real love doesn’t need you to ‘stand here’ or ‘look over there’. Real love is so quiet and so loud at the same time that I don’t need to direct it. It just happens, right in front of my lens. My job is to blend in to the crowd, and capture all the little (and all the big) moments of the most excellent day of your life.
2. Why do you photograph weddings?
I photograph weddings because I think that love and marriage are a really big deal, and deserve to be celebrated. My home country took a ridiculously long time to legalise same-sex marriage. I spent over a decade going to protest marches and writing letters to politicians. They say you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone, and this definitely resounds with me as far as marriage goes. Growing up, I just took it for granted. One day I’d probably have a wedding. That’s what people did. It wasn’t until I realised that I couldn’t participate in marriage that I truly understood the significance of it. Marriage is a beautiful and sacred thing, and a wedding is the start of it all… it’s just the most epic celebration of love. Whether you choose an intimate elopement or a gigantic party, with all your people there to cheer you on - for me - life doesn’t get much better than a wedding day.
3. What is included in your package?
10 hours of photography (trust me, you won’t need much more), 700 individually edited photographs, 30 prints, and a keepsake engraved wooden USB and photo box.
4. Do you charge extra to stay after the first dance?
No. I am a wedding photographer and I am there to photograph the entire wedding, from start to finish! Plus dancing is one of the best parts!
5. We want a wedding album – do you sell these?
Yes! We'll design the album together - you'll pick which photographs you want included, what paper you want, the kind of cover you prefer (my favourite is natural hessian - it's so timeless), then I'll put it together. I use an amazing local colour lab for printing, Loxley Colour, and I absolutely love their work. They produce the most outstanding albums of the highest quality.
6. How soon after the wedding will we receive our photographs?
One month after your wedding day, and no later! This deadline is very important to me.
7. Do you have qualifications?
I am entirely self-taught. I don't have formal photography qualifications (unless you count law and business degrees) but I have studied, and I continue to study, all aspects of wedding and portrait photography. Photography is an art form. It is extremely technical, and a great deal of study is required to master the technical aspects, but many of the world's greatest photographers are self-taught. My passion and love for my craft mean that I am constantly learning and growing as a photographer.
8. How long have you been photographing weddings?
I have been photographing weddings part-time for four very happy years!
9. What happens if it rains on our wedding day?
It rains! The show will go on! Make sure you've got umbrellas ready, I'll have mine, and we will persevere and probably snap some of the coolest photos you could ever imagine. My camera has a cute little raincoat! And clouds are much better for photography anyway.
10. Will it be you photographing our wedding, or someone else?
It will definitely be me.
11. What happens if you’re unwell?
The likelihood of this happening is very slim. I take extremely good care of myself in the days leading up to a wedding and I get my flu shots every year! My health is my livelihood, so I take it very seriously. This said, emergencies can happen to any photographer, and in this event, I would either offer you a replacement photographer of the same style and standard as me, or a full refund (in case you found your own replacement). This is all set out in my client agreement and is standard practice across the industry.
12. We are camera shy… should we have a wee practice?
Yes! Even though I'm absolutely not an 'in-your-face' photographer, I still completely understand that the thought of having your picture taken can be pretty unappealing. I include a practice shoot in all of my bookings! Let's take a walk in the park and you can get used to having me around. I promise it'll be fun!
13. Do you have public liability insurance?
Yes! This is important so that I'm legally protected if someone trips over my tripod. Not that I actually use a tripod, but I guess someone could trip over my camera bag. Or just my feet. Anyway, in short, yes I do have insurance, and this is for your peace of mind as well as mine!
13. We have a long guest list - can you bring an assistant?
Yes! I can absolutely bring a second photographer with me - drop me a line and I can give you a quote for this! xx