Top 10 Tips For Choosing Your Wedding Photographer By Keith Appleby

Keith Appleby will be one of the many wonderful exhibitors at The Luxury Wedding Show London and he has given 5 Star Weddings some Top Tips for choosing your wedding photographer.

Keith has been photographing timeless moments since he first picked up a camera at 13. His career in advertising, fashion & photo reportage has taken him to all corners of the world, working for magazines, design agencies, and stock libraries. He has twice been on the judging panel for the Photographic Portrait Awards in conjunction with The National Portrait Gallery and his weddings are constantly featured in leading UK Bridal publications. His instinct for capturing people off-guard makes a unique and unforgettable documentation of your day – one that will give you wonderful memories for years to come.  His work redefines wedding photography and he captures the personalities of everyone present so intuitively that you will barely notice his presence, yet the pictures will show that somehow he was everywhere, not missing a single treasured moment.

1)      Golden Rule – However tempting it might seem NEVER use a friend or family member to shoot your wedding. You only have the one chance of getting it right so always use a professional.

Wedding Photography

2)      Decide on your budget and the style of photography that you like and go for the best that you can afford. Bear in mind that your photos are the one thing that will last your lifetime. Try and leave enough in the kitty to get your memories beautifully recorded.

3)      Go for a package with a decent album, and not just a high res disc. Your album will last forever but the high res disc copied to your hard drive will eventually disappear into cyberspace.

4)       Ask yourself does the photographer’s work move you, does it capture the emotions, does it make you smile? Are you nearly shedding a tear when you look at his or her? If so then you’re on the right track. It’s all about emotion.

5)      It is important to meet the photographer in person wherever possible. This is the person that is going to be with you throughout your day and it is very important that you feel that he/she will fit in with you & your guests.

Keith Appleby

6)      Once you’ve booked him, trust him. You’ve done your homework, trust him to do his.

7)      Film or Digital? Digital is the preferred choice as not only is the quality superb but it is incredibly flexible for every type of lighting environment. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether your photographer shoots on film or digital – the main thing is that you like his work.

8)      Formal Shots –  the necessary evil  –  but actually these should be done in a fun way, with no forced smiles or stiff necks. I would recommend keeping these to a minimum.

9)      Look after your photographer throughout the day. Remember he will have been on his feet longer than anyone, therefore please make sure that he is fed and watered well, otherwise he can run out of steam just like anyone.

10)   For me it about having fun and really immersing myself in the atmosphere of the day. I love to capture all the special, tender and joyful moments. Despite the fact that I shoot over 40 weddings a year I still get a lump in my throat when I see true emotion displayed during the course of the day.