My View on Posed Wedding Photography

I recently had a potential client ask to see more “candid” images from my portfolio as she compared my work to another wedding photographer. She is looking for a photographer for her wedding next fall, and does not like the idea of “posed” images. While I did provide additional images for her to view, I also encouraged her to view a complete set of proofs in the client area of my website. Viewing these photos is the only way for a bride to truly evaluate the manner in which I cover their wedding. I do not miss a single moment. 

Most images captured during a wedding are candid, in that the photographer does not intervene to create the shot.  So what she may be really asking about is more of what I describe as “moment within a moment” shots. I create these shots by capturing real moments like the tear streaming down a father’s cheek as they dance, or the groomsmen pranking the groom.  The bride in a special moment with her maid of honor may be completely missed by another photographer, if he is too focused on making things appear natural. As a wedding photographer, to catch the perfect moments you need to be at the right place at the right time.

Moments like that are priceless and I am always on the lookout for those opportunities. Although, I have to say that throughout most of the day these moments can be few and far between.  Think about it, a wedding is a totally planned, orchestrated event! Everything is scheduled: getting ready, the ceremony, the dances, and toasts from your loved ones. Even the cake cutting, bouquet or garter toss, and formal exit are planned ahead of time, and are often predictable.  This does not leave much room for spontaneity.  

My view is not to interfere, but rather, create opportunities for moments to arise during the times I interact with the couple. I take idea of the moment and make it happen without appearing cheesy or corny; sometimes magical moments reveal themselves that never had a chance to blossom on their own.  Maybe I ask the groom to whisper something to his new bride or I ask the father of the bride to pause before going down the aisle.  I might just ask a bride to simply look at her ring. While the idea is set up, the pose and facial expression come naturally from the flush of emotions. These photos appear candid, even though they were originally planned out.

Also, because I generally shoot with a second shooter, that photographer is tasked with getting unusual angles of classic opportunities; she is also an extra pair of eyes, allowing her to anticipate the “next move” while I am focused on a shot. To help a potential client work through this, I will share a group of images and ask her to pick those that are posed and those that are not posed.  They are all posed to varying degrees by me but that is usually quite a surprise to the potential client.

Look for a photographer that appreciates getting those “moments within a moment”, make sure that you hire the photographer from the beginning to the end. Consider hiring a photographer that has at least a second shooter or even a third.  This prevents missing special moments, candid or not!

Spark creative, unique ideas for your Charleston wedding with Pinterest

Prior to the big day, many brides are in search of several exceptional, unique ideas that will set their wedding apart from the rest. From one-a-kind gifts for bridesmaids and groomsmen to handmade favors, every little detail will help make your wedding particularly original.

As a wedding photographer in Charleston, I’ve seen it all—exceptional décor, flowers, lighting, you name it. The more you strive to be unique, the better your wedding photos will be. 

But if you’re in need of a little inspiration, a thought-provoking array of images that will get your inventive juices flowing, sites like Pinterest and Etsy are by far some of the more superb resources on the internet. 

Though there are countless great blogs out there, Pinterest is all the rage nowadays, with 20 million users (and counting) as of October 2012. On Pinterest, you can follow your favorite brands and “boards,” which will only help you find some of the best ideas for your wedding. Etsy, a site that sells handmade and vintage-style items, is the most pinned brand on Pinterest.

After you find some unique themes and ideas, you can create your own boards and organize the many different aspects of your wedding. Then you can “pin” some of your favorite ideas, which will spark feedback from your followers and friends.

Give it a shot, and before long, your wedding will start taking shape—and you’ll be sure to have beautiful wedding photography because of it.   

Breaking down the costs of professional photography

As a Charleston wedding photographer, I would like to discuss one of the inherent challenges a couple has when planning their wedding—hiring a photographer. Many are surprised to learn that the “experts” suggest allocating 10 percent of your budget to your photography. For those with smaller budgets, it may be a challenge to get the photographer you want.

But regardless of what you spend … this is one of the most important decisions you will make because it’s one of the only tangible items of your wedding that will last a lifetime.

Remember you are hiring a company to do a job for you. You can pay a lot less, sure, by calling on a friend, family member or someone just starting out to capture your big day. But brides need to remember that their wedding day cannot be redone. Is it worth the risk?

A professional photographer not only offers state-of-the-art camera, lighting and computer equipment, but also talent and years of experience. 

To get a better understanding, here’s an example of some of the things that brides forget are part of the overall cost of hiring a professional photographer:

• Marketing costs: How did you find your photographer—a  print ad in a magazine or perhaps online? If you searched the internet, chances are your photographer had to pay a significant amount of money so that he/she could be found on Bing, Google or Yahoo!

• Business insurance, equipment insurance, liability insurance.

• Staff salaries.

• Speaking to the client via phone, responding to email and then in-person meetings during the selection process.

• Preparation of proposals specific to a potential client as well as preparations of agreements for the new client.

• Travel costs.

• Setup time at the location.

• The actual shooting of the images.

•  Loading the images onto a computer and backing up the files on an external drive.

•  Editing and choosing the final images from a selection of roughly 1,500-1,800 photos.

•  Editing photographs.

• More phones calls and emails with the client, receiving order and payment, ordering prints, packaging and shipping prints.

• Meeting client to review photos and wedding albums.

This list is far from complete, but I think you can see that when a professional photographer charges $4,000 for an eight-hour wedding event, the client is not paying $500 an hour. Typically, a wedding can take upward of 75-125 hours in total to sell, capture and process and print. 

And let’s not forget the amount of money photographers spend on computer, photographer and lighting equipment. Professional cameras can average anywhere from $2,500-10,000, with lenses ranging from $1,250 to an excess of $3,000. At any given wedding, professionals are equipped with at least a pair of cameras and up to as many as six lenses—and that’s not taking into account laptops, backdrops, etc.

So when planning your Charleston destination wedding, consider that when paying for a professional photographer, you’re paying for much more—indelible, cherished memories that will last a lifetime.

To Write or Not to Write...? Personalized Wedding Vows

As a Charleston wedding photographer, I have seen a lot of wedding vow exchanges. Charleston is huge for destination weddings, so I've photographer people from all different backgrounds, cultures and religions, so the vows can differ quite greatly.

For some reason, in the past decade (or maybe more) it's become a new thing to write personalized wedding vows. I totally see the appeal - then your vows express who you are as individuals and you can really show everyone your own personality, etc etc...

But, here's the thing... most of us are not writers or philosophers. I'm not saying that under no circumstances should you write your own vows. I am saying to consider this: traditional wedding vows have pretty much thought of everything, and they were written by some good writers. You wouldn't rewrite Shakespeare, would you?

Also, take into consideration that wedding vows are... vows. That's a serious thing. You don't want to take that lightly. Your wedding day should be full of fun, beauty and excitement, but you should take your vows as seriously as possible. That's one area where your personality doesn't matter as much, while what you're promising matters the world!

So, don't let this completely discourage you from writing your own vows. Rather, consider what "vow" means and consider putting your own writing somewhere else in the ceremony. Then you'll have vows that truly bind your love AND your own writing of your expressions of love for one another.

4 Wedding Unity Ceremony Options

As a wedding photographer in Charleston, I've seen just about every unity ceremony possible. I really like the symbolism in all of them and they are very fun to observe as two lovers come together forever!

So, if you're wondering what to do for a unity ceremony at your wedding, here are four ideas:

1 - Sand Ceremony - You may have seen this one before: the bride and groom each get a different color of sand and pour them together into a bowl or jar. This is a nice one, because you can keep the sand forever and display it in your house.

2 - Literally Tie the Knot - In this ceremony, you each get a decorative cord, with a third cord representing God, and you braid them together. This is another ceremony that leaves you with something that you can keep - but you might want to practice braiding together beforehand!

3 - Rose Ceremony - This ceremony has two options, you each exchange a rose as your first gift to one another, or the groom gives the bride a rose and she gives him a vase of water (which the rose cannot survive without). Of course, either way, the rose will not last forever, but it's a beautiful gesture!

4 - Candle Ceremony - You probably know of this one: the bride and groom each have a candle (usually previously lit by the mothers) and they use them to light the larger candle in the middle. Again, like the rose, candles don't last forever. But, everyone loves candles and, if you put the candles out after the ceremony, you can keep them forever if you don't light them again.

The good thing about all of these... they all offer great moments for wedding photography! The colors in the sand and rose ceremony make great saturated photographs, while the knot tying offers great facial expressions from the happy couple. And, of course, the flames in the candle ceremony offer great points of light, depending on the room lighting, for beautiful black-and-white or color photos.

Tips On Your Wedding DJ

As a wedding photographer in Charleston, I know a thing or two about the other areas of wedding planning. After all, I've seen every sort of wedding your could imagine, so I can tell what's good and what's bad, because I've seen everything!

One aspect of wedding planning, and one that you might overlook, is the entertainment for the reception. I've seen a lot of people do different things for this, from professional DJs to DIY playlists. Let me tell you - the DIY is not always the best choice. If you want an exciting reception with good flow, I definitely suggest a DJ or professional emcee with a band, and here's why:

1 - Coordination - DJs and emcees know how to coordinate between events. If you hook up an ipod to a speaker, who's gonna let everyone know what to do and when to do it? Your friend? The best man? Do they know how to get a large group of people to focus attention on anything? Chances are that they don't. DJ's and emcees do!

2 - Guest Involvement - DJs and emcees know how to get people excited! Yes, as the bride and groom, simply being on the dance floor will make everyone else want to dance. But, can you or your friends get all the guests to do the Electric or Cha Cha Slides?

3 - The Right Mix - This involves a lot: from technical sound mix to the right mix of music. A good DJ knows how to switch between songs, putting the slow songs at the right times and the upbeat ones at other times. If you hire an experienced band, they should be able to figure this out as well!

So, keep this in mind as you plan your reception and get the right entertainment for your big day! Then you'll be sure to have plenty of fun wedding photography because everyone will be having a blast!

Photo Style to Match Personality

Everyone knows that wedding photos come in all styles, color palates, frames, etc. You can have your photos done in vintage, with some grain to the color, straight black and white, highly intensified colors, fun or goofy, serious or classy... the world, as they say, is your oyster.

But what does this mean for you? You have all of these styles to choose from, but how do you choose? Do you pick a style out of a hat? Do you try them all and hope that some photos look nice? Do you hope that your wedding photographer can just figure it out and go with whatever he or she comes up with?

No way!

Yeah, sure, your wedding photography will turn out nicely if you choose a style out of a hat and you may find something that you like if you tell your photography to shoot and edit in a plethora of styles, but then you'll lack any continuity whatsoever. And, yes, you could trust your photographer to just happen to choose the style you hoped for, but then what if he doesn't? Or, what if he does and you just feel empty for not having come up with the idea on your own? You'll say, "Oh yes, the vintage eclectic style looks amazing... why didn't I come up with that?"

The truth is... you can come up with it. You know what your style is! You know how you'd like to decorate a house or, for that matter, your wedding reception. So, talk with your photographer and find out which style fits into your personal aesthetic. You want your wedding photography to match your personality and you want to feel involved in the direction of the photos. So, get involved! If you're at a loss, take a look on Pinterest or my Charleston wedding photography site. You'll know it when you see it and you'll say "That's it! That's me!"

Some Recent Charleston Wedding Photography!

You gotta love Spring weddings! With Summer right around the corner, I thought I'd share some of this Spring's wedding photos with you. Not many things bring a bigger smile to my face than seeing the happiness of newlyweds on their Charleston SC wedding days!

So, here are some shots from recent Charleston destination wedding photography shoots for you to enjoy!

On March 24^th, Lauren and Will were married in their family church with the reception at the Hiberian Society Hall in downtown Charleston.

On April 1, Bill and Jennifer were married at Mount Pleasant, the day after running in the Cooper River Bridge Run. The sunset made for the perfect, idyllic wedding scene!

On April 14, the Chicago couple, Julia and Tim, headed south for a destination wedding in Charleston on Seabrook Island! The event was coordinated around the beautiful beach sunset.

After Tucker proposed to Tracy in Tuscany, these world travelers from Philadelphia came to Seabrook Island for the most magical wedding on April 29!

Tennesee couple, Kourtney and Justin, came to Seabrook Island for a beach wedding and, in spite of the rain and the clouds in the sky, they got there dream, intimate wedding with family and close friends.

Rick Dean - Destination Wedding Photographer in Charleston SC

Welcome to my Charleston wedding photography blog! If you need a destination wedding photographer in Charleston, take a look through my photos to see if we would be the right fit! Or, head to my site: rickdeanphotography.com for some great examples of my Charleston wedding photography work!

Periodically, I will post images from recent shoots to give you an idea of the styles I can work in. As you'll notice on my site, I can be very diverse, in order to fit your aesthetic needs. So, let me know what you're going for, and I'll make sure to make it happen!

And, if your not a bride-to-be or involved in an upcoming wedding, please just browse my work. I also do portraits, so if you need photos of your family, pets, friends, prom photos, etc... I'm your guy! Enjoy the pictures on my blog and please contact me if you have any questions!