Wedding Photography
by David Simm Photography

Of all the products and services that go into making your big day a resounding success, none can be more significant than the photographs. How ever much you spend on your gown, you will wear it just once. No matter what you spend on flowers, they will be dead long before you return from honeymoon and so as you go through the list of wedding purchases review your budget carefully taking into account the longevity of your purchases. Choose your photographer wisely after interviewing more than one and take into account that it is your wedding day... not the photographers photoshoot... so be aware of tell tale catch phrases that give away some vendors insensitivity to your individuality.

Wedding photography in this day and age is going through some startling metamorphoses, not only have such terms as "wedding photojournalism" and "documentary style" suddenly appeared on the scene, but during the past twelve months alone, digital imaging has blossomed into a very viable medium for the skilled wedding photographer.

But what does digital imaging mean for the prospective client? and is digital imaging as good or better than traditional film photography? Let me deal with the second question first, Digital imaging is not better than film, it is not worse than film, it is a completely different medium altogether, with pros and cons just like the pros and cons of 35mm versus medium format. Digital imaging opens up a vast world of expression for artistic creativity and interpretation. It also facilitates easy manipulation of the files that allows to photographer to get rid of exit signs and all kinds of unwanted information that clients have had to live with in the past. Colour, black and white or sepia tone are not decisions you have to make before the day, so that the photographer can load up with specialised films, any and all eventualities are now taken care of in the computer... after the fact.

Whether or not Digital imaging is right for you, only you can decide; bear in mind that within a half dozen years or so, it may be the only choice. Cameras and imaging peripherals have made such great advances in recent days and continue to do so exponentially, with each subsequent generation of equipment leaving the previous in the dark ages.

Here are some considerations you may like to take into account. Digital had less latitude for error than film, therefore your digital photographer will need to be somewhat higher qualified and considerably more skilled than a corresponding film photographer. What this really means is that, while the very high volume studios do a tremendous job for the bride with a lower budget, this would not be an area to look for a digital imager.

Quite likely all serious digital photographers will be up in the higher price ranges, but because of that you can expect to get a higher degree of personal service, possibly someone more inclined to cater precisely for what you want, rather than the Kentucky Fried Pictures of the high volume studios, clients with a higher budget will immediately feel more at home.

Believe me, I am not knocking the bigger studios, I think they do a tremendous job for the prices they charge, but in order to keep their prices affordable, they have to have some degree of standardisation in order to cater to the mass market.

T he most recognizable benefit of digital is the ever improving range of albums and display products that have sprung onto the market during the past few months, including Deerfield's own Zookbinders, a top of the line, hand crafted leather album maker, who introduced DigimatZ, their trademarked album design software for digital and analogue photographers. Fujifilm USA also introduced Studio Master Pro., an image management, display and ordering system which also incorporates unique image templates provided for the photographers use. Last but by no means least, in December last year I was the first photographer in the USA to introduce the fabulous Italian range of digitally produced wedding albums by GraphiStudio. At the time of writing there are approximately forty photographers nationwide who offer Graphi products, with Chicago being well represented.

While Graphi albums can be made from traditional negatives, the system is so well suited to digital imaging, not least because the production takes place in Italy, and I for one would not want precious negatives shipped by air across international borders and the ocean, CDs I have no problem with, if a CD is lost in an air disaster I can burn another from the original files, if negatives are lost... then all is lost!

Of course the availability of unique and interesting products is not the only consideration you should take into account, quality and affordability are issues that need to be taken seriously, having said that, most brides spend less that half the amount that goes on flowers, on the wedding photographs.

So the first thing to take into account is your budget, with that in mind set your sights on the area you wish to shop in, using the following price guide: $800 - $1500 will suffice at a very high volume studio and get you a reasonable quality job in a leather look alike album, but your photographer will surely be a part timer. $1500 - $2500 will likely attract part time photographers and medium to high volume studios. $2000 - $3000 is the amount a medium volume studio would be likely to charge, possibly for medium format coverage, but still with a strong possibility that a part timer will shoot your wedding. $3000 - $5000 brings more of a certainty that the photographer you interview will be the person at your wedding and with a little careful shopping you may even find a virtuoso.
Over $5000 to the sky's the limit, it's deliciously expensive and should be lavishly indulgent for those whose budget can handle it, but for the most part you're buying a brand name.

Next you should ask yourself, "do I want to be among the last of the old school? or am I one of the vanguard of new technology? " If you are well into the look and feel of the traditional wedding album, digital will do it just as well as film but not any better. However, if you are looking for something totally unique and nothing like anything any of your friends may have, then you should take a closer look at a couple of digital image makers and compare them to some of the older technology. Your wedding will only happen once, both technologies are capable of providing you with a stunning quality product, it is now down to taste.

The digital medium is ideally suited to wedding photojournalism, however it is equally adaptable for classical portraiture and traditional wedding photography. The image quality should not be unlike a film based image, yet as I mentioned there is the greater versatility of being able to manipulate the scene, or add interesting templates even in a traditional album.

In closing I should mention that the albums and prints are end products and are not the only considerations when looking for a photographer. You should also take a serious look at style and the photographer's ability to capture the moment as well as his skill in producing natural looking posed photographs that aren't stiff and over dramatised. This is probably the most exciting time for both the photographers and the brides, wedding albums have never looked like this before and the future is only going to get even better, if that is possible.

David Simm Photography