A wedding is one of the biggest milestones in one’s life and it’s always the desire of every couple to get the most out of it. It’s a day to rejoice and celebrate love and life as you exchange your eternal vows to one another as a sign of your commitment to be by each other’s side ‘til death do you part. Naturally, there is a lot of rigorous planning that goes into having a successful wedding, and one of the aspects is the photography.
These are not just the kinds of photos where you point, focus, and click. They are captured to create memories that will last for ages, and they require more than just the knowledge of focusing, pointing, and clicking. For every couple planning a wedding, it is imperative to choose a wedding photographer in Manila who has been tried and tested to produce quality work.
Wedding photography demands a lot and it is vital to choose a photographer at the start and work with them at the initial stages of the planning. It is imperative for you to know exactly what you want on the material, and it’s equally important for the photographer to understand your needs and guarantee that they will provide exactly what you have agreed.
Indeed, wedding photography has its own complexities, but if you begin early and do it correctly, nothing should come between you and a great photo for one of your most memorable days in life. To help you out in finding the ultimate photographer in the Philippines for your wedding, here is a brief guide on what you should consider the most for a good experience with your wedding photography.
The Real Value of Your Wedding Photographs
There is no doubt that wedding photographs are valuable – a permanent reminder of one of the most important day in one’s life. However, most couples and the public, in general, are still at crossroads in wrapping around their heads why wedding photography doesn’t come cheap. It is important to understand that the photographer will not just be taking pictures, which will then be given to you once you are back from the honeymoon.
If you are dismayed, or even disappointed that wedding photography costs more than what you think it should cost, then you clearly don’t understand the real value of wedding photography and how the professionals arrive at the costs they charge for their services. Here is a brief look at some of the factors that go into the making of successful wedding photos to help you understand its worth:
- It is more than just taking pictures. For a professional wedding photographer in the Philippines, there is more to it than just taking pictures on the wedding day. Prior to the big day, there are a lot of preparations taking place in the background. All are geared towards the big day so that all will be set and the couple will be delighted with the final product they will be presented with. The work of a wedding photographer begins on the very day they are approached by the couple for their service.
They not only have to capture your expectations for the day, but also they will put their skills, ideas, and expertise into use in helping you get ideas and plan for a successful execution come the day. They will have to consider your preferences when it comes to location and poses, the angles, and timing to ensure that they capture nothing but the very best shots. Once the day is over, their work is not yet done due to the post production and other editing processes they may have to carry out on the photos before they are finally presented to you.
- The time investment. Top wedding photographers in Manila spend incredible amount of time just working with one client. It could be weeks or months, depending on how far the wedding is when the couple approached them. The initial consultations through face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and email correspondences all go into the time dedicated by the photographer.
This is not to mention the travels they will have to make to your preferred shooting locations and make everything ready for the day. After the wedding day, they will still spend between 40 and 50 hours just going through the photos, editing, and adding final touches to meet the desires you had expressed to them. Indeed, the time investment alone by the photographer is enough to justify the costs.
- The Experience. The experience of a top wedding photographer in the Philippines is another factor to justify the value of the service. An experienced photographer has the skills, experience, and expertise to produce stellar work, irrespective of the photo style of the couple or the prevailing shooting conditions. They have the insights and the instincts about what is needed to capture great photos.
Working with them is seamless since they know what to and when to do it. Their planning is thorough and with them, you will be assured that you won’t have any missteps during the process. They understand the importance of arriving at the location early and they will also know the key moments that they must capture during the wedding. An amateur who charges you cheaply would give you a real nightmare, and at the end of the day, you will regret not spending money to secure the services of a real pro.
- Invaluable, precious memories. It is simply impossible to attach value to wedding photos and the precious memories they create. When you look at them 40 years from the wedding day, it will dawn on you just how precious the photos are, and most importantly, the memories they carry with them. As such, it would be very unfair to try and attach a monetary value to them. You wouldn’t wish for anything in return to give up such memories.
Every wedding photographer has a right to charge what they think is fair, most especially for a destination wedding photographer in the Philippines; considering their skills, experience and time invested to hone their craft. As a couple, you need to understand the intricacies of getting great shots on your wedding day and when you think about the memories they will create down the line, you lose all the justifications to complain about the cost or the value of the wedding pictures.
Is it Good to Let Your Buddies Photograph Your Wedding?
Whether or not you allow your buddies to photograph your wedding depends on a number of factors. Your wedding is such a serious day, and every service provider you secure should demonstrate they have the skills and competency needed to accomplish their respective tasks. Photography is such a core component of the wedding that whoever you let take care of it on the wedding day – your buddy or another professional, you must be absolutely sure that they have what it takes to make the day a success.
The last thing you want is to be bombarded with excuses after the wedding as to why the pictures were lost, some sections were not covered, poor lighting and all manner of issues that using a professional photographer would have resolved. Just imagine the headache, especially if it’s a destination wedding, which not all professional photographers can properly execute, more so an amateur one.
With that said, it should be abundantly clear to you that your amateur photographer friend with a decent DSLR is no match to a skilled professional with the skills, experience, and complete equipment needed to perform competently under different shooting conditions.
If you are thinking of appeasing the friendship spirits of your buddies by letting them take care of your wedding photography, let them do so after considering the following:
- You are comfortable with their work. If your friend has been in the wedding photography business for a while and you have seen some of his work and is convinced that they have what it takes to produce good shots for your wedding, then you can allow them to be your official photographer. However, if they are professional photographers but are not proficient with the wedding photography niche, then don’t let them hone their skills at your wedding. Wedding photography is relatively different from the other genres of photography, and if you want great results, always let the best wedding photographers in Manila handle it.
- They have the equipment needed for the job. If all your buddy has for equipment is an entry level DSLR and a kit lens, they will not be well equipped to take wedding photos in places with varying light conditions such as dark barns and poorly lit churches. It should be noted that many vicars and registrars will not agree to have flash during the ceremony and the equipment chosen for such applications should be able to work well under low light. If they are ill-equipped and you still desire for them to cover your wedding, then you may consider renting them with professional equipment to help them do a quality job on the wedding day.
- When all you need are usable shots. If you are pressed for funds and you don’t really mind so much about the wedding photos so long as you get a few usable shots, then you can let buddies photograph your wedding. Even if they are amateurs or professionals but are not specialized in the wedding niche and they are willing to accept what you have to offer them, then there is no problem in letting them point, focus, and click since all you need is just a few shots and you are not bothered much by the end product.
Provided that your buddies are not the best wedding photographers in the Philippines, the fact still remains that it’s one of the most important day in your life, and whether or not they are professionals, it is important for them to give their very best. Depending on the depth of your friendship, your buddies may turn out to be the most dedicated photographer on your wedding, and you may not regret the gamble you made for them shoot the big day.
Why Hiring a Professional Wedding Photographer in the Philippines Is Important?
The temptation to avoid the services of a professional photographer for your upcoming wedding may be strong, with the main factor being the cost consideration. You may think that it is too expensive to secure such a vital service for this one day and instead, you are beginning to consider the services of an amateur or a friend who dabbles in photography for part-time income. However, before you allow yourself to be carried away by the desire for cheap services, don’t underestimate the importance of professional photography for your wedding. Here is why you should consider working with a pro:
- There is more to great wedding photos than just a fancy camera. As it has been observed on a number of occasions, there is more to professional wedding photography than just having a powerful camera. To get the shots, the photographer must have the right skills and they must also know the right settings to use in the camera under the prevailing conditions to capture the best shots. Even with the best camera in the world, it will be useless in the hands of an amateur who understands very little about wedding photography and the right camera settings.
- They understand how to work under tricky lighting conditions. Lighting is a vital component when it comes to wedding photography. The photographer must have the ability to know how to take great shots under different lighting conditions. Whether it is early in the morning or late in the evening for those magnificent sunrise and sunset shots, they must possess the necessary skills as well as the required equipment for quality shots. Lighting has to be one of the biggest factors that separate good photographers to the best wedding photographers in Manila.
Additionally, the lighting conditions in some of the places where the ceremony may take place may not be very good. Take an example of a poorly lit church or a barn. Unless the photographer is a pro with the perfect combination of skills and equipment, all you will end up with are dim photos that will miss the important highlights of the day.
- They understand the flow of the day. Professional wedding photographers in the Philippines have a very good understanding of how the day will flow. They have probably attended many weddings and once you share with them your itinerary, they will know with absolute certainty where they ought to be at different stages of the wedding. They know when and how the important persons during the wedding will walk in so that they can time the perfect shots. They can also anticipate when the officiating vicar will ask if anyone has an objection or the moment when the groom is asked to kiss the bride to capture the priceless expressions of the couple’s faces at such times. Amateurs will not know what to anticipate and they might end up missing all the great moments.
- They can deal with the day’s emotions. There is no doubt that weddings are full of emotions, and as a photographer, you must have a thick skin to stay sober when the emotions begin to flare. On the wedding day, they will be crossing paths with different people, and it is vital to know how to deal with each and every person according to their current emotional state.
Maintaining one’s composure is an important factor in choosing the best destination wedding photographer in the Philippines. They must not lose their cool when people are not responding to their instructions on how to pose. They should also know how to deal with that usher who will arrive late after taking one too many. How about reassuring the bride that all is well when they get anxious because they are five minutes late or the rude uncle who wants you to take pictures of him in almost every place that comes into his mind?
- They know they are professionals and will act as such. A professional wedding photographer knows very well that they have a duty to give you exactly what you asked for if not to exceed your expectation. They realize that this is not a recurring event such that they won’t happen again and they will no longer be given as second chance to shoot the wedding. They need to do a great job so that you can recommend them to friends and families who might also be having their weddings soon.
As such, they will have the determination to not leave any stone unturned in giving you nothing but the best. Amateurs are never in this state of mind when they are doing their job and most of them will not care about your recommendation. Therefore, always stick to the professional wedding photographer in the Philippines if you want to have quality photos you will still admire fifty years after the wedding.
Want to learn more about wedding photography in preparation for your upcoming wedding? You may read the article titled “Wedding Photography Guide” to help you prepare for your big event.
