Busy time for Wedding Photography

It's ramping up to a busy time on the old wedding photography front - obviously it's the key season for us contemporary wedding photographers and I'm finding that preparation is all. Every wedding day I want to give my best and serve couples with some exciting, interesting and original photography so putting in time doing the groundwork has proven invaluable.
Pre-wedding Venue Visits - Essential. I always offer to meet up before the day to discuss the timetable and get the opportunity to walk around the venue with the couple. This lets me know what is special about a place for the couple and to make plans in my head of where it is best to shoot things and what features look good (I'm always wanting to give a context to my wedding images and if I can know a place beforehand then I feel fully prepared). I'm thinking of making the pre-wedding meeting almost mandatory.
Lists of Formal Shots - again pretty mandatory. My style of shooting is less about spending lots of time lining groups up and more about capturing the day as it unfolds but it's inevitable that when certain people are gathered together you wouldn't want to formally put them as a group to capture the occasion. I shoot on average 6-10 'formal' group shots per wedding (which couples tend to agree is enough) and try to get this done in about 10 minutes so the day can flow. So having the list of groups before the day helps me to know what I'm shooting and put them in the most efficient order - plus I can give a copy to the Best Man and use him as a 'roper' to get everyone together.
Knowing the Style or Theme of the Day - this is part of all the discussion with the couple beforehand to know what sort of day they are looking to have (Casual, Vintage, Relaxed, Formal) and it really helps me to add that feeling to the photography on the day.
Anyway - this is all part of the pre-wedding day prep that I like to do which means that I feel much more free on the day to capture the essentials and then look for the unique, interesting and personal.
Here are some recent shots from weddings at Sandhole Oak Barn and Landmark Arts Centre

More shots from Sarah & Steve's Day

I've edited up to the ceremony and just wanted to share some shots I really like...

'Bus Stop' rehearsals at the New Vic

I was asked to drop by rehearsals this week for 'Bus Stop' at the New Vic Theatre. The theatre likes to get some images of the actors working to generate some pre-publicity and create content for the website and I like the opportunity to try to shoot 'process' shots and capture peoples' working lives.
It's nicer to be brought in earlier in the process as you have more visual props to indicate what's happening (scripts in hand, more discussion about the scene etc.) otherwise it can look like a performance without the costumes or props or scenery! But it was still a great opportunity to show something people generally don't get to see and break the ice with the actors before I shoot the Dress Rehearsal in a couple of weeks time.

Contemporary Wedding Photographer Staffordshire

This is how I'm describing myself. I've had a lot of irons in the fire and now it's time to throw my energies in one major direction. The New Year brings a re-branding of me and my wedding website (http://www.weddingedge.co.uk) which I hope to have time to concentrate on and launch around April. I've had to think hard about what I love about shooting weddings (the people, telling stories, capturing unique moments, surprising people with what I've observed and how I've chosen to show it)and how I can stay true to the way I want to photograph events (natural, unguarded, candid, relaxed - with fun and unstrained 'formal' shots). This has to be reflected in how I represent myself to the world so this is going to be a hard road, but fun I hope.
I'll still stay fresh by doing other photography and I'm really happy to be working again this year with the New Vic Theatre, Partners in Creative Learning and some models and bands. Welcome 2011, bring it on!