i’m the person behind the camera
I’ll guide you through working with a professional photographer
Planning a wedding can be hard enough. Let me make it easier for you. When I first started out, I used to simply work off the plans that were given to me by the couples or event planners. However, I found that there were times when I wasn't given the best opportunity for the best photos. These days, I fight for my right to... shoot at sunset! Below, I will provide you some hot tips from a photographer's point of view that will help you plan your day for the best possible photos.
01. GOLDEN HOUR
The most common type of photos that my couples love are sunset photos. These can only be possible if you allow a window of shooting time at sunset. If the sun is setting at 5pm, but you have planned to enter your reception or start the first speech at that time... how are we going to shoot during sunset? The 'golden hour' is more realistically 'the golden twenty-minutes'. That's all we need to get the job done - please consider this when planning your day. Also, don't forget to consider daylight savings times and the geographic location. If you're getting married in a valley, the sun could disappear behind a mountain an hour before you expected it to - best to be prepared!
02. CEREMONY TIME
In my opinion, the worst time for photos for an outdoor ceremony is between 10:00am and 1:00pm. The sun is right above you and the light is super harsh. Traditionally, ceremonies are around 3-3:30pm and go for around 20-30 minutes. This time normally works well as you can flow into family/friends photos and a group photo before heading off with the bridal party and newlyweds. It normally allows for great afternoon lighting for beautiful photos before heading into your reception just after sunset. It's also great efficiency for your guests as they won't have to wait too long before seeing you again and moving forward with formalities.
03. POSING
99% of couples that book me in tell me that they don't like getting their photos taken, or more commonly: "my partner hates posing for photos". Don't worry - so do I! There are photographers out there who can do the whole formal posing as if you're in a shopping centre studio. That's not me. Part of my process before your day is learning about your story and from that, I often get material for banter throughout the day. All I do is put you in a beautiful spot with nice lighting and give you the space to be yourself - the photos will take care of themselves!
04. CONSULTATION
One of the most important things to do before your wedding is having consultations with your vendors. Over the years, I have refined my consultation process to ensure we exchange the necessary information we need to best work together. We confirm all of the details, addresses, timing of events, contact information and more. I also ask some questions about your story such as how you met and got engaged. I explain my methods that I work through on your day and we discuss ideas for photos specific to your wedding plans and expectations. Most of the time, the consultation is arranged after booking in and closer to your day, however, I am happy to have consultations before you book in if you just wanted to say hello and get a vibe-check before making your decision.
05. COMMUNICATION
This goes without saying - but please include the photographer in ALL of your plans for your day. No two weddings are ever the same, and some couples like to add a bit of flair or unique and special moments to their day to make it a bit different. This kind of information should be shared within the consultation, however, I always encourage my couples to communicate with me as much or as little as you like leading up to your day. It's about trust and communication is the key for this. If you know Grandma will probably bust out the worm on the dance floor, you're getting fireworks or someone is bringing a dog - let me know so I can keep my eyes peeled for that moment and be in the best possible position to capture it!
06. PROPS & ACCESSORIES
If I only had a camera, a lens and flash, I'd call myself Jacob Hughes Photography. I'm more creative than that! I have an arsenal of fun things that I can bring along to your day if we feel the need to add something extra. I have a range of external lighting options, including LED panels and multi-colour neon lights, coloured smoke bombs, (extra-long) sparklers, clear umbrellas, drone for aerial photography and even a waterproof housing for my camera. Again, these are options we can discuss during your consultation and I don't charge anything extra to use these things. The most important thing to remember is getting venue approval before using things like smoke bombs and drones.
