Green Weddings

I read an article today about Green Weddings - which got me thinking how environmentally friendly can / should a bride & groom be and also how environmentally friendly can photography be? In the old days we shot on film (excuse me whilst I wipe a nostalgic tear away - film was lovely - the whole alchemy of capturing and processing an image on film is magical - its a real shame that digital process is so soulless in that regard) (but I really don't understand pro photographers today making a virtue out of capturing images on film - its the 21st Century - get a life!...but thats another story!). I guess by today's standards, film wasn't desperately 'green' and so digital capture has improved things there. But from experience, we still print almost as much as before. So that's one tick in the 'green' box and one tick in the 'nothings changed' box!

One aspect is with so many more suppliers in all aspects of wedding planning, their is a temptation to meet lots of people - decisions become harder to make because there must always be a feeling that there is someone better / cheaper / different around the corner. Personally, I think too much choice can confuse rather than help. So save the miles and start with on-line research. Find five photographers whose style you like, because style is so individual and much easier if you can find someone whose pictures really engage you from the outset. Then call them and from the conversations check availability and decide who sounded most interested in your day and who gave you most confidence, because these are key factors too. Armed with this, pick your three favourites to meet - in the unlikely event that you don't like any you have two reserves to come back to. Meet all three close together and make a decision. Efficient, low mileage, low stress and - trust me - you will end up with the right person. Don't even bother with wedding fairs - the concept is great, the experience today has become awful unless you can get to one of the boutique events (ie at Bibury Court the experience is a real pleasure). So miles saved equals a greener approach another tick there!

Finally (for this post), go local. We have probably a dozen quality venues within a 15m radius of the studio but we are just as likely to be shooting 50 miles plus away from base. If everyone went local, imagine how many miles would be saved...

But when all is said and done, from experience I can report that my wedding day was the best day of my life and for those of you planning your big day, do enjoy it and don't get too side tracked meeting the agendas of others - you should have the day of your dreams and not someone elses!

Wedding Advice - 002: Virtual Weddings

Helpful Tip: Talk to your suppliers, don't just email!

When I started in wedding photography (back in 2000, not so long ago), a photographer with a website was considered 'cutting edge'. On-line galleries were just a twinkle in a developers eye and if couples wanted to find out more it really was a case of getting up close & personal - calling in to a high street studio, meeting at a wedding fair or calling in response to an advert. But one way or another, there was a personal contact that is missing now. Clients look on line, send 'copy & paste' emails to lots of suppliers and generally avoid anything other than 'virtual' contact to the last minute.

I understand the reasons why but once you have used the web to create a short list of three possibles, pick up the phone. We always advise clients to ignore the 'questions to ask' lists in the wedding magazines. Selecting your photographer comes down to just three issues: style (if you don't like what you see on the web its unlikely that's the photographer for you); personality and budget (in that order). This posting is focused on personality. A professional, experienced photographer will have a host of questions about your day before they can get to the prices. Yes, we have standard packages that set a framework, but most photographers can tweak their offer (I was going to say 'tweak their packages' but that may be open to misinterpretation...) to match your day - if we know what your day looks like. But don't view the call as waste of your time: how friendly the photographer sounds, how interested they are in your day (if they are not asking lots of questions how interested are they in your day - and if not interested, how creative will they be when the time comes?) and whether you come away from the conversation thinking "he sounded friendly" is all useful research. Our longest wedding shoot was about 14 hours, with a lot of that time spent with the bride - if we didn't hit it off it would have been a nightmare on both sides (fortunately we did and it was great fun but that's not the point!). So be brave, pick up the phone and talk to us. Yes, its kind of old fashioned but it is SO the best way!

Wedding Advice - 001

So where do you turn when you want advice about your wedding? I ask because I've just flicked through a very glossy,free wedding magazine targeting the south west and I'm really disappointed. It really is a case of the "same old, same old" so does that mean there is nothing new to say about weddings? I suspect that the problem stems from magazines wanting to enhance their advertising offer by promoting advertisers as experts; trouble is the advertisers that the titles attract are not always experienced / sufficiently recognised to produce quality articles or to have anything meaningful to say. Which takes me back to the original question, where do you turn when we want really useful advice? Do email me and let me know which websites / magazines / books / colleagues worked for you and I will share it via this blog.

In the meantime, over the coming months I shall be asking the suppliers I know and trust to offer some meaningful tips about how to make the most of your day. No hard sells, no fluffy sales pitches - hopefully just very helpful advice.

And if you have any questions now, mail them through to me: info@andrewjacksonphotography.co.uk and I'll do some of the research for you!

New Workshop Date Announced

Are your snaps missing their crackle and pop?!

If your camera has been banished to the back of the cupboard, now is the time to set it free! Perhaps you have a big family gathering on the horizon or the holiday of a lifetime; maybe you’ve just treated yourself to a fancy new camera and would like to know how to get the best from it… why not attend one of Andrew’s training workshops this year?

Our next course is a jargon-free beginners session that will help you understand your digital or film SLR camera and will give you the confidence to move off the auto settings to take control and take beautiful pictures. The workshop is taking place on Tuesday 25th May at The Rectory Hotel, in Crudwell (not far from Tetbury, Glos). It starts at 9:00 for 9:30 and costs £85 (includes lunch).

Please contact Andrew on 01761 452084, who can talk you through what each course will cover.

Soap Box Corner

I would like to draw your attention to an article in The Sunday Times (7.03.10), entitled 'The Shooting Party's Over', which outlines how photography in public spaces is coming under increasing threat from officialdom. Inevitably, the police - implementing the new rules and guidelines - receive most of the flak, but rather than place the blame on hard working and under-valued officers performing an all ready difficult job, its probably fairer to widen the debate to try and understand why photography is suddenly seen as such an threat. From this starting point, maybe there is some common ground that will help resolve some of the issues and keep photography possible in public spaces.

Do read the article if possible and do be aware of the issues - if you are a photographer, amateur or professional, you should understand the issues so that a) you don't make a situation worse if stopped & challenged and b) start campaigning to reverse this nonsense. The article in The Sunday Times highlights some of the classic, iconic photographs that just won't be possible to recreate in the future, but the rationale for not accepting this situation goes beyond creative picture making and historical documentation and embraces issues central to our civil liberties.

Back to Work!

Seems ages since the last post - no real excuse except that I've been much, much busier than expected at the start of the year. Obviously a good thing, but with everything going on, I've neglected the blog. That's not good!

Since the last blog, I've won a great commission to document a community project - more on that later; also, the first training workshop at Bailbrook House has taken place (great fun had by all judging from the positive feedback); we have a competition winner for the boudoir competition in Exeter, we've done some commercial 'stuff' and shot some weddings - its been a good start to the year. So watch this space. As promised on blog No: 1, I really want to use this space to post most recent work, keep you up to date with special offers and events and - occasionally - climb on to my soapbox...

New Boudoir Competition

Our new boudoir competition is now live, which is very exciting. We've teamed up with Exeter's leading style guide - 'Exeter Living' magazine - and for this month, you have the chance to win an amazing prize. Charlton House Hotel have offered the winner D,B&B in their fab hotel and the next day is all about some old fashioned hollywood glamour! Josie Lock is taking care of the styling side of things and I am poised to capture some great images. To enter, pick up a copy of Exeter Living or head for the magazine website. Good luck!