Where are you based?
I am a Stockport wedding photographer but I also cover the rest of the North West, including Manchester and Cheshire.
How long have you been a professional photographer?
I have been working as a full time photographer since I left college in 1997. I have worked in the press industry for all that time and have always done weddings for family or friends. In July 2018, I returned some images to Charlotte and Craig (a couple I never knew until we met to discuss their wedding) and as they looked through the images on screen, Charlotte turned to Craig after just three images and said “Oh my God, Craig. I could cry.” This comment and the kind words they spoke to me afterwards made me realise that this was a path I wanted to go down and really start to push my wedding photography. Not only to cover more weddings but also to continue my own professional development.
Do we get to keep the images or do we have to pay for prints?
As things stand, my current wedding photography packages allow you to get the prints done yourself from your favourite online ‘lab’. I will soon be setting up a space for your images to be shared in an online password protected gallery. Images can be bought from there directly by family members if they want to, or if you find getting prints done yourself a bit of a hassle.
We don’t want the pre-wedding shoot. Do we get a reduction in price?
I’m afraid not. Many sites will charge you extra for the pre-wedding shoot but I would rather just class it as part of the service. It is a fantastic way for me to see how you are together as a couple but equally as important, it gets you used to me taking your picture and gives you an insight into how things will be on the day.
How many images do we get?
On average, you will receive anything from 300-500 images. All the images will have been individually edited by myself and added to the USB.
When do we receive the final set of images/album?
I aim to get images turned round for you within 4 weeks. If you order the Album Package this can take a little longer due to the supplier printing the album, so this will usually take between 6-8 weeks, sometimes sooner.
Do you have pubic liability and professional indemnity insurance?
Yes I do. Some of your venues may ask that your photographer has these in place so it’s a good question to know.
How do we book you?
Once you have decided you would like to book me (and I hope you do!) I will send you a booking form to fill out. This has been supplied to me by my insurers and so forms part of a contract. Once that is signed and the £250 deposit is paid, the day is yours and we are both then covered by the terms of the contract. It my sound scary, but trust me, having spoken to other photographers who tell me stories of people, brides and photographers, who never had a contract in place, it can get very messy indeed.
Why would we want a second photographer?
It’s entirely up to you and the budget you have in mind, but I have worked as a second many times this summer and having seen the extra content you receive from two photographers who shoot with a similar style to one another, it really did strike me as a great add on to your wedding.
Why do you think we should book you?
THE most important thing to me about your wedding is YOU. I genuinely care what people think and how they feel. I want you to remember this day for the rest of your life and I want the images to help you do that in years to come when the memories have faded a little. Trust me, they will! It is a massive privilege to be involved in a wedding and so recording moments for you to treasure is vitally important to me.
Do you do lots of group shots?
No, only the ones we agree during our conversations before the wedding. I don’t want YOUR to be a day you remember spending most of it with me! One of my great friends in photography, Clare Jennings, has taught me the value of this over the summer whilst I have been working alongside her as a second. If we get the planning right beforehand, then the majority of your day will be spent not even knowing you are having your picture taken. I tend to ‘borrow’ you both for pockets of the day, maybe a couple of 20 minute slots to get some nice pictures of you alone, but apart from that, there is very little in the way of posed or group shots.
Did you really photograph the Royal Wedding?
Yes I did, along with many other photographers working in the press industry at the time, but I was one of the extremely fortunate ones to be inside Westminster Abbey and the only photographer to be situated in the Organ Loft.