The Photography Blog

Special events like weddings call for high professionalism in photography. They are events that need to be captured as accurately as possible in order to be immortalized in a photo as they are a once in a lifetime event. In order to be well equipped, one needs to understand the critical components of a good photography session. One such component is the camera lens. Lenses are a key part of the photography. Through experience and research you may have realized it is not easy to ascertain one particular lens as the most ideal. I intend to explore a few types of lenses which I feel are reliable, especially for wedding photography. My opinion is based on wide experience in wedding photography and I invite you to also visit my wedding photography studio in Toronto, Canada.

Portrait lens

This is an essential lens in photography. Basically, when taking a photo, the lens either magnifies the image to a smaller or larger size depending on the focal length and crop factor. A typical length for a portrait is 85mm.There is no laid down rule for the distance to chose but a professional photographer will choose one that produces a balanced image, neither too large nor too small. Below are some suggested brands analyzed as per brand, price and special effects.

Nikon 50mm f/1.8

Costs $140 CAD, wide aperture 1.8,allows blurring of background. This allows you to sift the background from the object of focus to give stunning images.

Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Costs 1,180 CAD, good for details and sharpness.

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

Cost about $1,800 CAD. Though slightly expensive, it is perhaps the best telephoto lens ranging in sizes between 70-200mm.The added features of zoom effect and very sharp effects are the bonuses for the investment. It allows focal length of up to 320mm and a close up focus up to 200mm.

This list is not comprehensive as there are hundreds of good brands one can choose from. It is advisable to use a branded lens with the particular brand of camera for maximum compatibility. If you are using any camera manufactured by Nikon, Sigma. Tamron, Olympus or Kodak then you should stick to its branded lenses. After you have found the most suitable lens for you, and mastered its use, the sky will be the limit. Let your creativity have no limitations as you capture life’s memorable moments. In fact, the genius of a good photographer is what makes a photo to be outstanding.

Planning a wedding is a demanding undertaking owing to the rarity of the event and its significance to the bride and groom .Amongst the myriad of choices to be made is the choice of a professional wedding photographer. Getting one who blends precision, ethics, and professionalism as well as understanding your personal preferences is not easy.

The latest technology is employed by professional photographers. Style and flair is the key. However, tastes differ and no single style can be touted as adequate to cover all requirements. Since weddings are highly personal to those involved, they no doubt want memorable images of the day. It is best if their specific requirements are known in advance by the photographer in order for him to capture your wishes perfectly. Modern digital cameras have redefined the art. One no longer has to wait until the short are developed in some dark room in order to sample the work done. Photo shots can be reviewed on site using the digital cameras and retaken if need be.

The choice whether to have a traditional or photojournalistic photography rests entirely with the couple. The differences between the two approaches are outlined below.

Photojournalistic approach

The photographer adopts a story telling style of taking the photographs. He departs from taking ‘events only’ snapshots to longer  interlinked narration .It could start with the romantic story of  how a couple met, wedding preparations ,the actual event  and after the wedding itself. The story line is more magazine material than a collection of still pictures .This style is more popular with younger, fashion conscious couples .Creativity blends the moods of the story line from serene ,the somber, to the hilarious and cheeky moments of the event.

Traditional approach

This style is rigid in setting .It is basically family members in conventional shot with the couple. Predictably, all family members are present and are in one or the other picture. There is nothing wrong with the approach and its quite suitable to those who treasure family bonding.

Bearing in mind that there is no laid down rule for choosing  wedding photography style, the bottom-line is to clearly express your wish to the photographer well in advance and ensuring he is well informed of your personal preferences. To avoid last minute disappointments when no remedy can be made, allot the selection of photography more time. If you make the right choices for the photographer, taste, style, creativity, and technology, the result will be a treasured collection of lifetime awe in the form of your wedding photos.

For great wedding and event photography Sydney photographer does a great job. Richard Jules is one such specialist in commercial and corporate photography.

There are of course several opinions about the style and trend of a wedding photography with no unanimity. To get a valuable opinion requires experience in corporate, magazine and photojournalism. Having a combination of all three I believe I can offer valid advice.

Three main style of photographing wedding are outlined below.

Contemporary

This style allows the photographer the freedom to capture creative images depending on his taste and creativity. There are neither conventions in this style nor limitations.

Traditional

The key feature in this style is posing. It is pre-determined and conventional.

Wedding photojournalism

The photographer adopts a story telling style of taking the photographs. He departs from taking ‘events only’ snapshots to longer  interlinked narration .It could start with the romantic story of  how a couple met, wedding preparations ,the actual event  and after the wedding itself. The story line is more magazine material than a collection of still pictures .Besides capturing the specific events he also captures well calculated and deliberate moments of the event.

The trend of late is towards wedding photojournalism or documentary style. The photographer’s presence need not be known till he presents the photos. That way he is able to capture all the events as they unfold ‘from the shadows’. Special moments during the wedding are best immortalized in this style.

The main duty of the wedding photojournalist is to keep the bride and groom in his sight. He must also capture other scenes and events and he accommodate all the people who matter to the couple in his shots. The wedding details of flowers, cake, and reception should be well featured in his photos; otherwise he’d have missed a critical component of the whole event.

There are also significant groups in the couple’s life who should not be ignored though they may not be a centre of emphasis to the bridal party. Nevertheless, a family picture, college and childhood friends should be given a place in the groups’ photos.

Some special events during the wedding day like cake cutting, bouquet toss, reception departure need the photographer to be in exactly the right place for the occasion. An experience DJ will keep the pace but if there isn’t one, be sure the photographer is well versed with the order of events.

By choosing and settling on the preferred style beforehand sets you free on the material day and you can rest assured right through the event. For years to come, it will be seen from your photographs whether your wedding was a happy one or not.

Amongst the myriad of choices to be made in the planning and hosting of a wedding is the choice of a professional wedding photographer. The need to have your big day immortalized in memorable photos calls for a thorough selection. To get the right one there are a few points to look out for. One who blends precision, ethics, and professionalism as well as understanding your personal preferences besides charging the right price.

Price as a factor

Like in all the others projects we undertake, the cost factor is always a parameter as to how much we are willing and able to pay. It’s no different with weddings. Different photographers have set different packages and the details vary. Some are pricier but more professional .Others will allow installment settling of the bill prior to the big day to lessen the impact of a one off payment .It s important to understand the terms of each package clearly as your personal preferences may depart from the said package and increase the bill. The contractual obligations for both you and the photographer need to be well understood. Are the charges are hourly or full day and whether different poses, print numbers storage mode (negatives or disk), will vary the price.

Quality

The best way to ascertain the quality of their work by assessing samples of previous undertakings. Style, creativity, flexibility, and precision will be apparent. Depending on personal preference, you will be able to choose between traditional wedding photographer and a photojournalist who is more liberal and artistic. However, the bottom line is quality. Clarity, detail, sharpness and process qualities all distinguish between a good photographer and a quack. The wok of a routine photographer who snaps away for the sake of the event will be noticeable from the work of professional.

Personality

Due to the emotional weight of the event the photographer himself needs to be someone you can amicably relate to especially during the day itself. It is of course not easy to locate an angel specifically for your wedding, but at least make sure there is reasonable interaction and calm between you and the photographer on the material day. It would be pointless to have a sullen photographer grudgingly snapping away at your wedding. The person must be in tune with the mood of the day.

A lot of people attach high sentimental value to old family photos. This is because the photos are like a window into their past. Family roots and significant events are not only captured but also immortalized for the future generations who will have a glimpse into the life and times of members of their family trees. Of course, like human bodies, photos too wear out and age with time.

Previously, restoring such photos was not easy. However, modern technology has opened new avenues to do restorations to near perfection .Computer technology makes such as tasks of restoration achieve clean and new looking images of previously well worn images, so much so that one would be excused to assume they are newly taken photos. The knowledge and expertise required is easily available from the internet in easy to understand tutorials that can be understood by a layman. Thus, a historical event need not be lost in a worn out image. There are also useful features found in application software like Adobe Photoshop and Desktop pro to scan, manipulate color variations and specific image manipulation.

The key to preserving the relevance and historical importance of a photo is to retain accuracy, more so for if a unique characteristic is  specific to a particular area of the photo. Different people have a particular trait that is unique to them and no doubt, family members or people who know them who would find such a trait missing in a restored photo to be unacceptable. Such a restoration would be self defeating. For example, movie celebrities who are known for a particular hair color or facial characteristics would look highly unreal if a restored photo was to omit the same. The restoration would thus be pointless.

Armed with these tips, one can now embark on a photo restoration mission. If you are not confident with the features found in your application software, it is useful to engage an expert. Whichever method you choose, provided it will produce the desired and perfect restoration of the original work, is good enough. It would however be great injustice to reproduce such a historically important photo and hide it somewhere out of view. This will definitely make it not only to fade again but to be forgotten. A restored photo should be placed strategically for all to see, be it in the living room, or on a coffee table. A picture frame will come in handy in order to protect the picture and make it easily to display. A well restored photo well displayed will invoke memories of glorious days gone by or inspire one to soldier ahead in strength by reminding them of past achievements.