Capture the Moment

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to the bridal brief. My name is Stephanie Fitzpatrick
from Beautiful Illusions Event Styling.
And Ruth Ryan from Ruth Ryan Photography.
The purpose of the Bridal Brief is to help you before, on and
after your wedding day with our advice plus.
Bringing on a few friends along the way.
Hi Steph. Hello.
How are you? I've got another episode today.

(00:22):
Episode 7 capture the moment. So this is the time we talk
about photography. We do.
So today we're going to talk about celebrities selling
wedding photos, wedding packages, what to ask your
photographer, what you can do to.
Get the best out of your photos.And we thought it might be fun
to not only hear from you Ruth, but we have recruited Ramana

(00:45):
again to join us. Hello ladies.
Hi, thank you for having me. Thanks for coming back so soon
too. It doesn't have been really
painful the 1st. Time so much fun last time,
happy to be back. Yes, this is fun.
So I am gonna take the the the interviewer role today because

(01:07):
both of you are photographers. Yeah, and you're gonna have so
much good information and I havenone.
I'm sure you've got some with all your years of expertise in
the. Industry, yes, yes.
But I thought it might be fun. I'll ask and.
It'd be nice as well, I think for Ramana and I to sort of
compare our stories a little bitand even like how we run things

(01:27):
as well, like, you know, this will be different as well.
So I agree, I think it's going to be really good for you guys
and you guys are going to have so much good information for our
listeners, hopefully so. So I'll start by interviewing
you both. About your business interview
way, OK, Ruth, tell us about your business well.
I, I mean, I sort of touched on it, I guess on the introductory

(01:49):
yeah, podcast that we did. But just to give a brief
overview again, I am Ruth Ryan. Photography has been running for
17 years now. I started off taking photos of
floral arrangements because I was in a floristry course at the
time and I realised that I lovedtaking photos of the flowers
more than I loved actually arranging the flowers.

(02:11):
I love that. And so Matt bought me my first
camera, but on the proviso that I do something with it.
So, you know, I was only, what, 23 or 24 or something at the
time. And I had some friends that
wanted to go down and get sort of some couple photos down on

(02:33):
the beach. So we went down and did that and
some people love them. And from that, I got my first
booking for a wedding. Didn't charge anywhere near
enough, but learnt a lot probably from that first one of
what to do and what not to do. Yeah.
And then yeah, from there. I've done just hundreds of

(02:54):
weddings now. Yeah, hang on.
I've got a quick question about that and that first wedding on
35 millimetre. Or was it digital?
Hey, hey, hey. Fill that home.
Settle down. I thought it was a given.
OK, awesome. Definitely digital.
Definitely digital. OK, Sorry.
Sorry, I'm the only old vet in the room.
No. No, it was a new.

(03:15):
Clearly new then, right? It was, yeah, I think, I think I
remember when I got married, ourphotographer was just switching
over to digital and it was kind of like the whiz bang thing was,
Oh my God, we're getting a digital photographer.
It was just fantastic. So I think when I picked it up
it was the only way to go was. It just an offside question.

(03:38):
Was there this time when it was like you can pay extra and have
your wedding shot on digital? I'm not sure there was no I
think. You know how pretty much what
Flash and it was. Either it was either you were
booking a film photographer or booking a digital photographer.
Yes, and but I think there is a reverse of that at the moment,
which is a whole other topic that we can talk about later.

(03:59):
People requesting 35 millimetre photographers.
It's rubbish, absolute rubbish. I get as many photos.
Well, coming from somebody who actually shot their first
wedding on 35 millimetre film, I'm like, why?
No. You've got philtres.
How the 35 millimetre look in inpost?
Yeah, like seriously. And then you can always change
it back if you realise pretty quickly that was a bad idea.

(04:22):
It's just a phase. Yeah, sorry Ruth.
That was total Abtrack, all about you.
OK, so on that note, what's yourfavourite shooting?
Star I like natural light. I'm a real sucker for that
golden hour and I I pretty much love anything that's going to be
vibrant. So if I can get that golden
light, the vibrancy of the the dresses, I don't really go into

(04:47):
the whole faded look. I guess like the the 35 mil.
Like that? Look that.
Grainy. Vintage grading Look, I mean, I
at times I've thought to myself,should I start going this way?
But I always find myself back wanting to edit and shoot in
that kind of natural light way. Yeah, it's timeless.

(05:09):
It is timeless. I think it's timeless.
Yeah, yeah, that's nice. That's nice.
I much prefer it. And I do.
I think that a lot of brides will be interested.
So how long do you keep the photos for after a wedding?
I've still got my hard drives. All of you from all of them.
OK, I. Do fair enough.
You know I'd hate probably to look back on those ones from 17

(05:29):
years ago. Hopefully the hard drives are
all still fine, but I I put themall on a cloud anyway.
But yeah, I've I've still got them.
So and so you have the hard drive this, that kind of answers
my next question. And then you have the Monacloud.
I have Monacloud as well. So they doubled up in the
backup. Yeah.
Just because I feel like that'llgive brides a Peace of Mind to

(05:51):
know that. Absolutely.
It's so important. Yeah, right.
It's so important. OK, I'm going to switch over
now. Tell us about your photography
business. We've heard about your elope
one, Now it's time for the photography one.
Yeah. So I shot my first wedding here
in Cleveland. So it's in May.

(06:12):
It was 25 years ago in May, my first wedding, and it was on 35
millimetre film. I think I shot maybe about 10
rolls of 36. I don't know.
It was. Something like that.
But yeah, and then change the roll.
Yeah, that's it. And yeah, I loved it.
It was so much fun. It was a family friend and I

(06:34):
look, I think that charged them cost because I was still at uni.
So I do have a bachelor degree in photography.
My majors are photojournalism and photographic art, and then
art theory, which was compulsory.
You had to do that. But I got in at QCA when there
was a loophole. I could get the extra major in
for the same amount of time. So.

(06:56):
Wow. Yeah, so it was awesome.
I mean, it was a more work, but it was pretty cool.
So which, you know, if we're talking shooting styles, then
obviously it's that more candid,natural look, not total
journalistic look. But because I did photographic
arts, there's still that creative fun style, but
definitely with both their natural fun, true to life

(07:18):
colour. I don't like my couples looking
like Oompa Loompas with that orange philtre.
It's popular. Save that orange philtre, I
think, for when you're doing nightscapes well, cinematic
look, if that's what you know, that greeny orange kind of look
that people like. I do have, yeah, because it's
all over Instagram, but I do so I do.

(07:41):
My couples do get that beautifuledited, you know, colour, but
then they also get copies in black and white and like a
filtered look. It is just a just a little bit
softer, a little grainier and ithas a bit of a kind of a sepia
vibe about it. But it's still colour, Yeah.

(08:01):
And not orange, yes. It's like an Instagram philtre,
but that parts really, I mean. What do you find with people
usually? What do they post?
Yeah, the colour, the colour, Yeah, it's always the colour it
is. Only if they're a real boho
bride do they do the, you know, the sort of muted look.
But mostly they post the colour.So save that for your family

(08:23):
photo shoots. It's it's just timeless, you
know, it's like the same, the same reason when you do do a
family shoot, you don't usually tend to have like big slogans
and stuff or yeah, trend T shirts.
Because. It's going to date.
Yeah, Yeah. Yeah, no, I agree with that.
And so we, well, that's your favourite shooting star.

(08:44):
We've just covered that. And how long do you store the
photos? As long as the tech lasts like
I've still got, I still have binders that have.
So they're you when you shot in a 35 millimetre film, you used
to be able to get binders and then, well, you probably still
can, but with sleeves, you know,like your display folders and

(09:05):
that you can put in this room strips, film strips in them.
So I still have those amazing inin storage.
I still have CDs and DVDs and the the same thing.
They're in binders with these sleeves that hold them as long,
but I don't have anything to grey them.
Yeah, that's the thing, isn't it?

(09:25):
There is technology out there that can, though shouldn't
arise. Yeah.
So I just. Be a manual process trying to
find it if someone came to you, but imagine being a bride want
to want to throw out there. No, no.
And imagine. Being a bride where something's
happened, like your house is burnt down or something and you
go back to your photographer 15 years later and they can give

(09:46):
you those photos. Happen.
I don't know if you've ever had that happen, but I've had a
couple that lost their photos. I'm not too sure what happened
with them but they they lost them and this is probably about
10 years later. They asked for the photos and I
had them. So amazing.
I have asked. I do tell couples I do
recommend. Look, you're getting a USB.
They're high res, they're edited.

(10:07):
It's not a copy protected USB. So please, please, please pop it
into your computer, drag and dump into your cloud.
So you've got backup yourself and also, you know, drag and
dump onto spare USB. So then you can just give the
spare USB one for your Firesafe,but the others to parents.
So then I'll harass you for photos.

(10:29):
Yeah, grandparents as well. They're the ones that'll harass
you for photos and then easy done, done, done.
Yeah. No, that's great.
So you back yours up to a cloud as well?
I tell them that they have to doit.
Oh yes, yes. So I think having them on my
drives and then keeping those drives for like decades.

(10:50):
I'm like the Zonies. I'm so.
Much I'm not I must say. Like when I put them on the
cloud, I only put the JPEG images on the cloud.
I don't obviously put the raw images because.
That because when you. Paint storage.
It's huge. So once I finish editing all
those JPEG images that I've converted from RAW to JPEG, then
they go onto the cloud. Yeah, because only people with

(11:11):
professional software could thenopen.
The raw files. Of course.
Yeah. Yeah.
No, that makes sense to me. Yeah.
Oh, well, that was very good. OK.
I learned some new stuff. Good.
So that's the main thing. This is all about me learning.
OK. But I'm going to let Ruth, I'm
going to let you do this one. Yes, because I love doing the
celebrities. Yay, let's look at the

(11:33):
celebrities who sold their wedding photos and for how much.
So we've got a little differently this time.
I think usually we would have looked up how much of the
celebrity has paid for something, but there's generally
no information for a lot of. Celebrities on how they.
Paid for things, but we could safely assume probably a lot.

(11:53):
But this is how much they've been paid for their photos.
So Demi Moore and Ashton Kutchertakes out the the winning prize
for this one. They sold their photos to OK
Magazine in 2005 for $3,000,000.Wow.
I think she learnt from the first wedding with Bruce because
there's no official record of them having ever sold their

(12:16):
images and it's they believe they were leaked so they were
like damn it, we could have likemade so much more money.
On that I know. Why wouldn't you?
That's a huge. Amount of money, isn't it?
I mean, I somewhat sold mine as well, but not for that kind of
cash. Not for the same Eva Longoria
and Tony Parker. OK Magazine also in 2007 for

(12:39):
$2,000,000. I thought, yeah, that's
impressive. David Beckham, Victoria Beckham.
OK Magazine also. Geez, they're racking up the
photos, aren't they? They clearly have a big budget
to buy wedding. Photos.
Right. It just make makes you wonder
how much they're selling their mags for.
Yeah, to be able to justify. Them too, it wasn't as online so

(13:00):
magazines were huge. I guess.
Yeah, that's true. Yeah, they sold their photos in
1999 for £1,000,000. That's that's a lot of money,
like, yeah, right now. Elizabeth Taylor and Larry
Fortensky, People magazine, 1991, for 1,000,000.
That was marriage #8 and there was such a huge frenzy to get

(13:25):
those photos that a photographerparachuted into Neverland Ranch,
Michael Jackson's ranch, to where the where the wedding was.
To get photos, that is. Commitment.
It really is. And I feel like you've someone
goes to that much commitment. Let him stay.
Yeah, just let him stay. I think you get a shot Yeah, He
he deserves to get paid serves to be a guest.
If they not, if he can't take any photos, let him stay for the

(13:48):
for the cake. Like like.
Would you ever do that matter? Parachute in, parachute in.
No, we are in 2025. I'd send a.
Drone, I think imagine the signal like blockers that would
be there. Oh.
Yeah, that's right. Anna Nicole Smith and Howard K
Stern. People magazine in 2006 for $1

(14:11):
million. Wow.
That's a lot of money there's. A lot of money like that's,
that's huge. Yeah, that is massive.
Impressive, impressive. I wish I could sell my wedding
photos that much. On that note, perhaps this is a
good time. I have pulled out some funny
stories. OK, right.
Yep. And I want you guys to tell me

(14:34):
if you have had stuff like this,haven't you?
So this is off Reddit. Oh anything off Reddit?
I hope we haven't had it happen to us.
Hopefully not, but I thought it was really interesting.
A photographer posted a list of like bad things that had
happened and I was like, I want to get you your opinions on it
if you've had stuff like this happen or anything compared.
OK, OK. The bride refused to kiss the

(14:56):
groom for any photos because shesaid it would ruin her lipstick.
Well, OK, no, haven't had that happen.
Personally tell a story about yes.
Yeah, but I think they had had afight the night before.
So yeah, she didn't want to. She didn't want to borrow on
their wedding day, unfortunately.

(15:16):
Yeah. So that year around, have you
had anything like that happen? No, thank goodness, right?
I mean, it's pretty sad. That is very sad.
Yes. I mean you can reapply lipstick.
Exactly. That's what your bridesmaids
for, to carry the little purse. So you let.
The make up people give you. Like yeah, they usually give.
You a touch up kit? Yeah.
Sad. OK, what about this one?

(15:36):
Father of the bride, paying for the whole wedding, phoned the
photographer and downgraded the package.
The bride chose to go with. Three days before the wedding
when she delivered her the finished wedding photos, the
bride contacts her asking where the album was that she had
booked. Turns out the dad had secretly

(15:58):
downgraded the package and hadn't told her he had cancelled
the album. He then responded with I didn't
have to be that expensive and instead of taking the pictures
of the bride's jewellery and thedetails etcetera, should have
used the money and the time and included an album.
Wow. Yeah, look.
It's totally different thing. I feel like the photographer

(16:21):
clearly needs to review their contract.
Three days out is you're not usually when you can downgrade,
usually upgrade but not downgrade you've.
Got full payment at that. Point full payment by then, but
also like, OK, so dad's paying for the whole thing.
I feel like yeah, maybe you can't book the top package if
Dad's paying for the entire thing.
Maybe you're about wishing well.Money can pay for the album.

(16:44):
I mean your number. Your first anniversary gift is
paper. That's perfect gift.
Perfect Gift is the album. Yes.
I just feel like for a photographer they have to outlay
for an album. They do not have to do that to
take photos. So yeah, those two things do not
get traded off. That's my, you know, and I'm

(17:05):
sure the bride would disagree and wants the photos of her,
details of her jewellery and whatnot.
That's right. Wait, did I misunderstand?
So they just neglected to take those photos.
No, no, she took those. She took them, but the father.
Said that she should have. Spent less time doing that and
had less time taking photos and instead included an album.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Yeah, that's totally.

(17:25):
Two differently, different things.
Totally 2. Different things.
Yeah, that's a two part. That's right, yes.
OK, now bride and groom misplaced their rings just
before the ceremony and had to borrow someone else's.
Thankfully they found this. Afterwards I've had this happen.
Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah, definitely.
I can see how it could. Happen I can.
Definitely happen, especially ifit gets, you know, placed in

(17:47):
the. Care of frantic.
Yeah, you know of a groomsman who maybe isn't the most
responsible. This has actually happened to me
in the last couple of months andI'm trying to think which
wedding it was, but yes, it definitely forgot.
And so I yeah, yeah. So I went into the because all
the guests are already seated, They didn't realise until, you

(18:08):
know, the bride arrived. He goes, I thought you had them.
She goes, I thought you had them.
And so I was like, it's all, it's all good, don't stress
there somewhere. But for now, for the ceremony,
I'm going to go borrow some rings from some special people.
So, yeah. So people there in the front
row, it's still meaningful. It belongs to somebody they
love. So yeah, so they cheat.

(18:29):
It was on like 4 weddings and a funeral.
Do you remember that movie? Oh I do remember that.
And they found it was sort of like a skull ring and the other
one looked like a candy ring. Like it looked like it was just
a plastic thing with lots of colours in it.
OK, what about this one? This is more just about being

(18:49):
awkward. Bride spent the whole time in
the bridal suite in only her stick on thong.
I wasn't bothered and did a double check.
She was happy for that to be included in the photos.
Oh no. Which she was.
Poor videographer was a young newlywed.
He spent most of his time hidingin the corner of the room,
looking down, avoiding her and trying to take videos of things

(19:12):
happening in the bridal. Suite.
Oh my goodness. Well, she's just walking around
like that. Yeah, she was.
Happy for those photos to be included.
I have a quite a similar story but kinda so I had this is way
back when mom used to help. She used to do a lot of the

(19:33):
photoshopping as well in the studio and we had just for the
record, probably 95% of my brides do not want the lingerie
shots. Hmm Beforehand, yes, they are so
happy for. It's just yes, then I mind if
I'm in the room like half the time I'm under the dress
helping. But for this particular, she
wanted the lingerie shots and the IT was a G string, very,

(19:55):
very sheer and which was all fine on the day.
Beautiful, cute shots. She had a gorgeous figure.
But come post editing, my mom was in there zoomed in.
So on the big screen was just. Full.
Frontage. Yes, and there was so.
Much she goes, my mum, my mum was like, this is so much worse

(20:16):
than doing kids portraits with snot because.
There was a lot to Photoshop. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, so you've got the best body in the world.
You've still got you still. Got to do some maintenance.
Girl, yeah, that's right. Especially if you're gonna get
shops. Like that I my wedding lingerie
was very very covered with my Spanx and.

(20:37):
I love that. Well, I just you've got a long
sweaty day ahead of you. Maybe leave the lingerie for
afterwards. You can freshen up and then get
into the. Lingerie, yeah, I used to love.
I used to take, you know, the Garter or or if they wanted
lingerie ones but not of them they wanted rather than sort of
laying it out, I used to hang iton the doorknob.
Yes, it's a very cute. Yeah, that's fair.

(20:58):
OK, I thought you guys might actually relate to this one
because I'm sure it happens all the time to photographers.
So the dance floor photo time. So you're up that stage dripping
in sweat. Drunk guest kept coming across
and trying to dance up against me.
They thought it was so funny. Yes, I was thinking that.
And Drunk is trying to hit on you.

(21:20):
Just reminds me of my clubbing days really if.
You don't need a photographer, you need to.
Put a camera in your hand. I I was probably not so much
recently unfortunately, but backin the day definitely hit on by
a lot of guests. A lot of guests, a lot of
groomsmen, a lot of. Groomsmen, I was thinking this
because they're comfortable withyou.
By the time they get to that dance floor, we've been with

(21:41):
them all day. Your best man, I feel like, and
you're kind of chummy, you know,and that sort of thing.
And they kind of must think they're in.
So by the time they get to lateron that they, they think
everything's good and they definitely try staying on site.
But yeah, now these days it's more like, you know, creepy
uncle so. Oh yes.

(22:03):
OK, that's a lot good. I just thought that would be
fun. It's.
Good. I love a good story.
So let's talk about our packagesthat we offer.
We've got lots of different ones, I'm guessing.
I'm guessing ours are probably relatively similar.
Because yeah, I'm guessing that photographers, most of them have
very similar package like, you know, like a basic, you know,

(22:26):
like what you're gonna go through.
So yeah, yeah. So if you go through the
standings. Yeah, how about you, Ramana?
Have you, What have you got as your sort of base package?
What's your starting point? So yeah, so I do separate.
So. So you've got your midweek and
when we're talking weddings, midweek is Monday to Thursday.
Yeah, Friday is a weekend. Oh, definitely.

(22:48):
So we have just as many Friday weddings as we do the Saturday
weddings or Sunday. We're getting to Thursday as.
Well, yeah, creeping back a little bit.
Yeah, definitely. But so Monday to Thursday,
obviously usually people that get tend to get married on those
days don't want a lot of the photography fuss.
They're usually the whole wedding is quite low key

(23:09):
normally. And so yeah, a much smaller
package for those days. So usually it's just ceremony
coverage, family photos and the couple portraits afterwards or
bridal party. But usually weekday ones,
they're solo key. Often it's only one or two, you
know, Bridesmaids, groomsmen. Yeah.

(23:30):
Sometimes there's second weddings as well.
Exactly. So sometimes it's not, there is
no bridal party. Sometimes it's the kids.
Yeah, you know, are, you know, the focus is the family photos
afterwards. So there's a lot smaller package
there and then the base package.So if we're talking, you know,
traditional weddings, so Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays
usually I do find, and it doesn't matter if you're one of

(23:53):
my hetero couples or one of my beautiful rainbow couples,
there's usually one partner thatis more into photos than the
others always. So yeah.
So then, you know, the base package for your weekends is
usually a focus on one couple, one of the partners pre ceremony
preparation photos and then the second partner gets a little

(24:15):
bit, but half as much. Yeah, just before the ceremony.
Usually it's only one location and then at the ceremony
location it's the second partners pre photos.
Then you've got your ceremony family photos and and you know
your couple portraits or bridal party afterwards.
Yeah and it kind of and then it concludes like the first hour of
the reception. Yeah.

(24:36):
So that's. Exactly what?
So yours is the same? Yeah, mine is exactly the same.
And so in these ones, this is when you do that mock cutting of
the cake. Yeah.
And cake. Or sometimes I'll get a mock
first dance if they want that, but I, we, I, I checked with
them beforehand if to. What they want?
And sometimes they don't want itif they feel like it's too
forced. Yeah, but then a lot of couples
as well will do their first dance as part of their grand

(24:59):
entrance as well. So then you are there to capture
the real thing well. That is the traditional layout
of a wedding, right? To do it as soon as you walk in
the door. That is a traditional.
Like if you actually look it up,that is the traditional way to
do it is to walk in the door, doyour first dance and cut the
cake. All that.
We're all in that. I've never said that.

(25:19):
We're all selling that as a new trend as of the last effect.
So actually that, yeah, because when I've like looked this up in
the past, yeah, that is actuallythe traditional layout.
I think we moved away from that,yeah.
And we're moving back to it. Yeah, and maybe it is.
I mean, like you say, that's great for the photographer.
Yeah. And sometimes I even have, you

(25:40):
know, couples will move some of their speeches as well into that
first hour just to try. And I mean, they don't want me
there basically for that hour where all they're doing is
sitting and eating their own tray.
Nobody. To be clear, nobody wants
photographs of them when they'reeating.
No, I even leave. I even often leave the room
during that time because it's just time for you to take out a.

(26:01):
Presence as well. It makes people feel
uncomfortable. Yeah, it does.
So, yeah. So, you know, there are a lot of
photographers out there, particularly people that are new
to photography who go, yes, I'm going to cover all day, all day.
We're gonna be there right from beginning, right to the end.
It's. Exhausting.
It's not just exhausting for thephotographer, it is exhausting

(26:21):
for the couple. Yeah, so and So what many, many,
many years of shooting weddings has taught me, at least.
I'm sure, Ruth, you're gonna agree.
Nobody wants the photos before the makeup goes on.
At least the very foundation where you've got light contours
and stuff on. You want some colour in your
eyes, The photos before. No thanks.
No, it's all about the lippy getting put on.

(26:43):
I find that sort of the and halfthe time.
It's a mock. Shot.
Yeah, and it's a mock. Shot I didn't like any of those
photos just because I don't wantto, you know, look at photos of
myself. No, and they're often cropped in
so you know, it's fine for our, you know, 21 year old brides,
but. Yeah, and but even then, if it's
the real lippy going on, you've got a purse face.
Like it's just so you want the cute look where you're just like

(27:05):
looking up at your makeup artistlooking super cute with a cute
little smile and they've got theblush brush in their hand or the
lippy brush. That's the the shot that you
need not yeah, so. Anything from there on?
100 percent, 100%. And so then, and then when
you're talking about the end as well, like you, your
photographer's been, you've beenon show and on like, Yep, I know

(27:27):
there's a photographer here. I know I'm being photographed.
If you, if you start too early, you're gonna lose interest in
getting photos too early. And then you'll miss that goal,
those Golden Arrow romantic shots, because you are just.
You're done. You're cooked.
So you don't want to start too early.
So if your photographer goes, yeah, yeah, no, no, But it's
going to include like, you know,24 hours, be wary.

(27:49):
Yeah, 12 hours. Be wary of a photographer who's
going to do that. It goes into the night time as
well I think. Give your photographer a break,
a meal in a you know, preferablyin a in another room ideally.
Just didn't give that that's different.
We're friends, but if they can go and recharge themselves as

(28:10):
well, they're, they're more likely to get better photos when
they come back for the dance shots and things like that.
It also gives your guests a chance to relax while they're
eating their meals and not feeling like, Oh no, what
happens if the photographer takes a photo of me while I'm,
you know, shoving some, shovelling some food down my
throat? You know nobody wants that.
No. You know, and even I find that I

(28:34):
used to, I used to get sort of table shots done at that time,
but people are half eating. Some people have their food at
that time, some people don't yetand it's messy.
And so I think if you really want your photographer there
that whole time, know that you're paying them the whole
time, but they're probably goingto be going and having an hour,
hour and a half, two hours break.

(28:55):
Yeah, 100%. Yeah, 100%.
And you'll get better. Photos that way because when
they come back, they can get thedancing photos, they can get the
real cake cut if that's what's happening on the speeches, if
that's what's happening. So if someone is on a budget,
you would recommend probably that base package where but like
it'd be nice to get that first hour.
Yeah, look, yeah, in the first hour you can usually, because

(29:18):
even if you've got 100 people, that's 10 tables, it really does
not take long to go from table to table and get like all the
couples on those tables. And I've seen that new trend
recently as well, where they've put the couple in the middle of
the dance floor on the seat and they've got the whole table to
rush up, take photo, go away next.
Table we did this. We did this at or similar at my

(29:39):
bow renewal, my 20 year bow renewal.
We went we we went down the aisle and people were told we
went down the aisle, went straight to one spot.
We stood there and everybody basically kind of conga lined to
us. Yep, jumped in, jumped out,
jumped in, jumped out. We actually did it to a mash up
of songs. That was a what you call it?

(30:02):
Anyway, the song started from songs in the 1920s and we
finished up with 2024 songs. So it was like teeny tiny little
snippets of every song. Yeah, yeah.
All the fun songs, everyone had like 10 seconds of each song.
So they knew when the song changed.
The get out was there, You're done.
How often? Yeah, that's fun, isn't?
It yeah. So I mean, there's different
ways of doing it these these days.

(30:24):
I mean, so I think it's, I thinkit's important for people just
to to recognise probably that first hour is probably enough
for most people. Yeah, I mean, you can't, so you
don't. Have to spend.
You don't have to spend that Yeah, that those huge amounts if
you. Really can't afford it.
Yeah. And speech, the speeches like
some people like, Oh yeah. But I want the speeches captured

(30:44):
these speeches to being honest. Really.
Video is better for speeches. Yeah.
It is. I'm talking shots of like
Broncos one or. 2 where you knowthe bride might giggle because
you know, or or shed a tear because dad said something cute.
You know, you might get the groom laughing if the groom's
men said something funny, but that's kind of it.

(31:05):
Yep, you don't really get a hugeamount else.
Yeah, that's that time. Yeah.
Unless you want the photos of everyone getting messy, messy,
messy on the dance floor. Yeah.
Or you have some kind of grand. Exit, grand exit.
Yeah. Or if you've got entertainment,
like a lot of cultural weddings will have cultural dances come
in and they'll do different things.

(31:25):
I've got into weddings where we've had flame throwers, flame
throwers and, you know, all sorts of things.
Yeah. So that would be sorry, that
wouldn't be the base package, because the base package would
be the ceremony only rush as such.
Ceremony. First hour of reception.
But do you always do the first hour or the people?

(31:46):
Just if it's a weekend package, that would be.
My considerable normal breakage would be that yes, and you
probably wouldn't accept less than that on a weekend.
Definitely understanding becauseyou could get a.
That's right 100% because what people need to realise is this
is our full time job. Yeah, this is how we feed our
children and pay for our mortgages.

(32:07):
I have. Been known to change that if
it's been the last minute so if somebody's called up, you know a
few weeks to go and I don't havethat date booked yes, maybe a
different story yeah, you're running a real risk doing that
you. Wouldn't want to book it very
far in a fence. Yeah, it's like and block that
time though, as a photographer. Yeah, that's right.
It's funny you should mention that.

(32:28):
Just I'm doing that exactly thatthis Saturday.
Yeah, two weeks ago. I know we're talking about
shortenings of ceremonies, but yeah, two weeks ago.
On. So Saturday coming.
Two weeks ago. Yeah.
Yeah, we, we've successfully organised the shortening. 2
weeks turn around for a wedding.Yeah, because Daddy's terminal

(32:48):
so. Which is so, so sad.
Yeah, something similar as well actually.
Yeah, yeah. So we're we're OK.
We're like, yes, we understand that she only wants a small
thing. It's going to be in the
backyard. So we're doing the morning
package. So sometimes we do offer the
midweek one on a weekend, but it's ceremony has to be 10:00 in

(33:12):
the morning at the very latest because then we can still go to
our midday prep or 1:00 prep photos because you know, that
weekend package is, you know, that's how we make our money.
We make our. Money.
Yeah, that's right. So, so yes.
So yes, you're right. Like if it's a last minute
thing, but as you say, you don'twanna.
You don't wanna risk you. Don't wanna plan your wedding

(33:32):
like that? Sort of situation like like what
you had and I've had that same sort of story as well before.
Different. That's different.
But yeah, I wouldn't risk it. Definitely not.
Yeah. And then you've got like an
ultimate type of package. I'm guessing that's everything.
Yeah, so that's sort of that's for me.
That's the full time. So I'll stay until the end of

(33:53):
the reception and it also includes the album.
Right. And sometimes people, some
photographers have videography included in that as well.
Do you have videography in yours?
Remember, we do have some, we dohave some packages that include
videography as well, Yes, but that's a.
Whole other I send them on to yes.

(34:13):
Which is the other alternative, yeah.
Which I mean, a lot of photographers, I'm guessing work
with video videographers sometimes that they that they
like anyway, yeah. Any other vendor, like you've
got to be able to work collaboratively no matter what.
You know you know them or not. Like you know you rock.
Often you rock up to a wedding, particularly if it's a location

(34:33):
you've never been to. You need to be able to work with
everybody that's. Right.
But I guess photography, if you do want a videographer and you
don't know any, a great place tostart.
He's asking you, photographer, 100% yes.
They're gonna have some. Definitely, yeah.
And I mean, we do work in close quarters.
You know, it's different saying the photographer working with
the florist, you know, we don't really work together, whereas

(34:56):
the photographer and videographer, we're on top of
each other a lot of the time. So we have to know that that
person is going to give us our space and that we're going to
give them space as well to do what they need.
To do, I think there definitely has to be a level of respect
there because you both have to capture what you need.
That's right. Because.
Yeah, so videography has gone through trends.

(35:17):
So when I first got married 20 years ago, it wasn't a thing.
And then ten years later it was a big thing, and then it wasn't
a thing again. But now we've got highlight
reels and it's huge. So.
And then on top of that, we now have content creators.
I was about to oh OK, so I was about to say that there's a
whole nother industry now with content.

(35:38):
Yeah, so, but I think we're justtalking about videographers at
the moment. Yeah, often we will, sometimes
we do. We either recommend our
preferred videographers because we know that they are going to,
they're not going to get in the way of our shots.
They're not going to put a gianttripod in the middle of all of

(35:59):
our key shots. And and likewise because you
know, we know how they work, they know how we work.
We're not going to stand in the front of their their tripod as
well, you know, so so that's whythat works really well.
But and then but. Sorry, just I don't know much
about content creators. What do they do?

(36:21):
Yeah. So it's a very different.
Are they doing? The filming they're usually
doing filming, mostly filming, some photos as well.
They just go snap snap, snap, snap.
And then they set them up in certain circumstances.
Look, I feel. Like, yeah, to do those cars
training on, Yeah. Like jumping from here to here,

(36:41):
Yeah. And a lot of it is piggybacked
on what we're doing, which is, Imean, videographers work like
that, too. I find.
I'm, I'm very much a director. Ruth, I'm not sure if you'll do
this as well. I do lots of directing, but in a
way that is fun and makes thingsfeel natural because, let's face
it, we want the candid shot. But often the natural candid

(37:02):
shot happens with the car park, all the rubbish bins in the
background. Yeah.
So we do need to go. No, let's.
I'm gonna bring you over here. Bring your best friends, which
are your bridal party. OK.
I just want you to pull on that year.
The nibbling on the ear may not be the shot you want, it's the
laughter afterwards and just go into reactions like that.
Don't look at us weird, like, oh, why would I want to nibble
on her ear? Yeah, go with it, because like

(37:24):
we guarantee it's leading somewhere.
It is. It's it's those directions.
And with the videographer, they love that because they don't
need still shots. They want movement.
That's right. They don't want you looking down
the barrel of the camera. Yeah, they need all the
movements. They don't want the nibbling of
the ear, but they want that movement of the laughter, Yeah.
So a lot of sometimes I'll ask my couples to just, OK, I'll

(37:45):
call it best walk of their life.You're gonna start over there
and this is how you're gonna walk.
And you're gonna start off with like, you know, silly fake
laughter. But trust me, it'll roll into
real laughter because you're gonna feel like.
You know you're gonna feel certainly.
Not wrong. Yeah, you're gonna feel a bit
ridiculous, but it'll turn. You'll have beautiful
photographs. Give me a little booty bump.
Give her a kiss on the hand. Just, you know, love doing it.

(38:06):
The videographer loves it. The content creator is also
there. Loving it because I mean they're
not directing. Occasionally your videographer
will do some direction too. Content creator.
They're just piggy piggybacking off everyone elses creativity
creating. It on what are they creating it
on? On their phones.
On the phone? On their phones, yeah.

(38:27):
Wow, it is hard to say somethingbecause you're so.
Curious the point of me being here if you're just.
Well, I guess the point is, eventhough phones are really smart
and sometimes they blow my, likejust blow my mind, because we
have, we're trained, we know howto manually control our gear so
that we can get the look that wewant.

(38:48):
You know, whether it's a silhouette or whether or not we
want that, you know, blow out the background or whatever it
is. We know how to do that manually
with our cameras. The phones can do all this stuff
and you don't even have to thinkabout it.
Not a thing. You just touch the screen a
little bit and it's done. But they want to blow that show
shot up and put it on your wall at home.
It's never going to happen. I just would love to know how

(39:10):
much content created costs. Oh, it's on par with some
videographers. Yeah.
Wow. And photographers.
Yeah, it is. I feel like with my the way I
shoot, and because I know Ruth, you do sneak peaks too.
It's not really necessary. I tend to agree.
I feel like you could create that content yourself out of

(39:31):
what you're getting from your photographer and.
Especially because they're because, like I said, they're
piggybacking off what the photographer's doing anyway and
the videographer. So what are you getting that's
really different? Yes, you're getting it.
The iPhone look, is it you're? Getting it straight away, but
maybe it's the iPhone look as well.
I know my kids sometimes when I take a photo on my phone of

(39:52):
them, they're like, Oh no mum, it's, it's too good and it's not
meant to be and they'd like it to be a little bit.
Is this? The same we're going the same
way as oh, I want a 35 millimetre photographer.
Maybe, but they see it in their eyes.
I think they see it as a bit being a bit more raw.
And I mean, it feels like real life because it was taken with

(40:15):
your phone. It wasn't taken with
professional gear maybe. Maybe it's a little bit like,
you know, you go to the Taylor Swift concert and, OK, you
couldn't hold your phone up and get photos, and half of them
will be more than half will be blurry.
I mean, you could just go onlineand get photos from the EUR tour
and post them. But people don't want to do
that. They want to show that they were

(40:35):
really. There if yeah, if you weren't
there and you don't have photographs on your phone, it
didn't. Happen, it didn't happen, and
maybe that's the appeal. Yeah, I guess I I guess because
I mean, I always go home. It doesn't matter how late it
is. I do a significant sneak peek.
I. Do too and I can't help myself
You're. Excited.
We're look, we're just as excited about the photographs
that we've just created than thecouple and we want to get in and

(40:58):
do it. And just because part of my
process is I get in and I do, I prepare the reel as well at the
same time because, you know, then the next day I've got
another wedding. So I'm like, I just don't have
time. So if as soon as they say yes,
you can post, it's there. So the content's there straight
away because for me I'm like, maybe effectively you don't
need. Content creator.

(41:19):
Because most of these photographs are going to give
you a Yeah, well, apparently, like I thought most did, but
apparently they don't. They don't.
No, there's a lot of photographers that don't, but
they won't even look at it until, you know, Tuesday.
They might have Monday off aftera big weekend of shooting.
Fair enough. You know, which is fair enough.
And then they won't even nearly look at it until Tuesday, and

(41:41):
then I'm just still even then. Don't send sneak peeks.
Interesting. Yeah.
It's funny because you you read things on the Facebook groups as
well and you're like, I still haven't seen anything from my
photographer and I've been married for like weeks and I'm
like, wow, how does it happen? So if this is not in my
questions like that because I got questions you should ask

(42:01):
your photographer if they provide a sneak.
Peek after the weekend, how longdoes it take?
And how long does? It take because I mean,
depending on locations, obviously if I have to drive a
long way home, it may not be that night, but you know, I do
tend to it's pretty soon if I can get home at a reasonable
time and I always want to look at my photos like you do, I I'll

(42:23):
send them that night and they might not even get them.
They might not see them until, you know, they get back to the
bridal. Suite later on surprise.
But I like to think that they love that and I also like to
think that they then get to share that with their families
straight away. Yes, that's lovely.
And often that's the kind of response that I'll get back is,
Oh my God, these are amazing. I've shared them with my mom,

(42:43):
you know, and that sort of thing.
And that's what I want to hear. Yeah, yeah, they're a little.
Kudos. To me, that's the.
Reward, yes. That's the reward, all that the
money's great, but it's it's, that's really what I want.
OK, well, yeah, that's great. And now I want to hear why.
And so I'm going to let you go over this, Ruth, and remind me
you can step in too. But we're going to do

(43:05):
professional versus Uncle Bob. Uncle Bob is just anyone's
relative friend who has a cameraand is good at taking photos.
Just so we're all clear who Uncle Bob is, right?
So. Not an actual Uncle Bob.
No, right. I think it's a general term like
that's used a lot. I mean, firstly, you, you want
that person to enjoy the wedding.

(43:26):
So that person, you know, if they may enjoy taking photos and
maybe you wanna let them still do that on top of the
photographer, maybe check with the photographer if that's all
right. Most of the time it's fine.
But you want that person to enjoy the wedding and sit and
watch it without seeing it through a lens.
I mean, I see most things through a lens and I can tell

(43:48):
you sometimes I feel like I missout on things by doing that, I
think. This is why also people are
going for these unplugged ceremonies.
I know I did it because let you guess, like there's too much
taking photos and not enjoying the actual moment.
Don't see it through that. Professional to do that.
You know what I love doing? So the celebrant's gone.

(44:10):
Welcome everybody. Just a little bit of
housekeeping. I'd like you to know that the
couple would like you to be present during the ceremony and
therefore put your phones away. My favourite shot during the
ceremony, apart from the obviousones, will then be the
photograph of Auntie so and so or Uncle Bob with his phone or

(44:30):
his iPad out. Yeah, and I get the shot of
that. I think it's fantastic, little
Dibby Dobba. I did that.
I did that trend. I did that and it is a trend
now, I think where they say, butbefore you put it away,
everyone's allowed to take a selfie with the comments.
That's and they will pose. So we all posed for them and

(44:50):
they took selfies and I love those photos.
Yeah, but then they put them away.
So it's good. Yes, that's right.
And you don't want. I've had a lot of with iPads.
Yes, it's usually the oldest. Yeah, the older people with an
iPad. And it's not just holding it up
in front of their own body so that, you know, the shots, you
can't see it. It's the stretch out into the

(45:13):
aisle and you're like. And just so we're clear, iPads,
iPhones, their cameras have gotten better.
I don't think iPads have, no. They don't have all the fancy
features of an iPhone. But maybe they're easier to see
for. The they are oldies, yes,
mainly. But yeah, I mean actually extra
editing for us basically, yeah, that means.

(45:34):
It's not just for weddings that,though, isn't it?
When you travel overseas, the tourists do have their iPad.
Yeah, blocking everyone else's view.
But it's OK because they're videoing the lions.
That's right. OK.
Dear. Yes, Yeah.
So you do you do want your guests to be present?
Yeah. No, that's great.
Yeah. Try and make that a thing.

(45:56):
And also, I guess just because your friend owns a nice camera
doesn't make them a professional.
Just because Uncle Bob has a Canon doesn't make him a
photographer. So let's go a little bit
further. Just because your friend is a
real estate photographer or justbecause your friend is a

(46:17):
portrait photographer doesn't mean to say they can do
weddings. And this is where I went wrong
20 years ago for our wedding. I had a friend who was a
photographer but not specialising in weddings.
It's just, it's a. Different ball game it really
is. And OK, it may be handy if you
do know real estate photography,We know that you're going to get
some nice shots of the room, butor a portrait photographer, you

(46:41):
might get some nice shots of theflower girl you know by herself.
But it's it's a different ball game.
You have to preempt the moments when you're in photography.
You have to know when that dad'sabout start crying.
You have to be. You have to see everything.
Yeah, it's like everything from even what's happening behind
you. You need to know what's going on

(47:01):
and. People don't, I don't think they
realise that when they're just taking.
Photos you have to be switched on 100% the whole time because
weddings do not stop moving. I do don't people this.
When I do consultations with them, because we're after
everyone else, I'm in the consultations, everyone else is
booked. I do tell them because we ask

(47:21):
who your photographer is. And I when they say it's a
friend, I say, oh, have they shot a wedding before?
And when they say no, I always explain to them, I'm like, oh,
just be aware that like a professional photographer will
be able to pre empt the ceremony.
They've seen enough ceremonies that they know when the, the
celebrant, yes, they know that and they start lining themselves

(47:43):
up into the position for that tohappen.
And like an amateur just doesn'tknow those things.
I, I, I've heard so many storiesbecause we, you know, we all
have lots of celebrate friends where they've just gone.
They've changed their voice and they've gone, Oh, they've,
because I've said, you know, we've now come to the ring
ceremony and they've looked up and the photographer hasn't
moved and they're like in the back in in some weird corner.

(48:05):
They're not going to be able to see over, you know, Tom and
John's heads for the ring shots.So they've gone.
We've now come. Like.
To the ring, it's not much. Yes, get yourself moving.
It's not their job to do that a little.
Thing like the rings happen on different hands obviously, and
so sometimes if you can get around the back behind the

(48:26):
couple, it's nice to get that. What is that the the bride
getting her ring put on whichever way it is, and then
you want to change around to thefront to get that?
Yeah, there's people just wouldn't.
Know that yeah, you just need toknow where you need to be yeah,
yeah, during the ceremony and tothe.
Thing often the kiss will happenpretty soon after that, so you

(48:46):
want to make sure that you're down the aisle and ready to go.
Yeah. And Can you imagine if if your
friend took the photos too, I guess and and they weren't good,
How are you going to feel? How are you going to have that
conversation? There's nothing you can say to
them. I think you you've known that
you're not hiring a professional.
Yeah, and I mean, maybe the person's tried to talk

(49:08):
themselves up a little bit. Uncle Bob's it's.
Sad though, isn't it? Because I have a friend's dad
who used her boss's wife OK to take the photos, and she ended
up only having two or three decent photos.
What are you gonna say? It's your boss.
No. There's nothing.
You can say anything. No.
But I mean, she did it because she was like, you know, it was
her boss. So she felt like she.
Had a rubbish job at least. So you can go and tell them,

(49:30):
yeah, but there's nothing you can do when it's a family
friend. No, nothing.
So otherwise it could wreck yourrelationship.
Yeah. And I guess, yeah, on on that
topic, we it is important that you hire a photographer, but you
get guarantees. When you do.
I mean especially ones that are probably a seasoned as us, we've
seen a lot of weddings, we've seen things go right, we've seen

(49:53):
things go wrong. And we also have the right gear
and multiple cameras and a lot of photographers.
If you hire Uncle Bob, he's he might just have 1 camera.
What happens if he drops it on the day?
What happens if his memory cardsstop working?
Yeah, we've all had things like that happen.
It's scary. But it's true.

(50:13):
Oh look, I was what? Happens when you you bring
another camera. 100% I was in the middle of the group shot.
Everybody I was like on the ladder, everybody's looking at
me. Uncle Bob was in.
Actually, we did have an Uncle Bob.
He was in the group shot and he because he knew back cameras, he
heard the moment my shutter seized and went ka chunk.

(50:35):
And I'm like, OK, quickly just grabbed.
Yeah, I know. I'm like, OK, that camera's not
going to work. OK guys, I'm going to count to 3
this time. And as I'm talking, I'm saying
these things. I pick up the other camera,
which is on my other hip and I take the shot from the other
with the other camera. Nobody except for the Uncle Bob
in the in the shot knew something was wrong with that

(50:56):
camera. That's great.
And we continue to shoot and shoot and shoot.
And then obviously in my camera bag there was another camera.
So I still continue to shoot with two cameras.
Nobody knew. So yeah, it's just one of those.
Yeah, it is. I mean, it happens.
It happens to the best of us at all.
You know you can have key malfunction, you can have memory
cards not work, you can have flashes not.

(51:18):
Flash but it's not just it's notjust stuff to do with us.
If you are, if you are all aboutweddings and you know how they
run, if something else happens, like, you know, a, a medical
emergency, you know, you've got that much behind you that you
know, you can just pick up and keep going.
If you know if the dress tears or if something else happens.

(51:41):
I mean I I usually I always havesafety pins and Bobby pins in my
camera bell. Thing yeah I I often will have
rings for I should have mentioned that before for that
exact reason just in case they. Just in case and I did.
The floristry course, so if yourflowers start falling apart,
which I see fairly often, I knowhow to fix that, but it's just,

(52:02):
yeah, it's those people that have seen it all before, so
they're often prepared. For it, it's kind of the same in
our industry, right? We we always go with the full
toolkit. Yeah, you come with a full kit.
And yeah, and if it's super windy and we have to wait down
that arch. You've got the solutions.
You've got the solutions. You know what the plan is next
without freaking out. And then because if you freak

(52:23):
out, everyone else is going to freak out.
And nobody wants to freak out ontheir wedding day.
Yeah, no, that's right. They've.
Got the experience. Sorry, no, I was just going to.
I did take out of that also thatyou were on a ladder and we've
had this discussion before actually Ramana and I've had
this discussion that your photographer should have a
ladder and they should not use the furniture such as the chairs

(52:44):
from your ceremony to standardlythe following ones.
Yes, to take the group shot because they are not rated for
that. Yeah, look, I did a wedding,
yeah, a couple of weeks ago and our Americana chairs were out
and the, because I wasn't a photographer, photographer went
to grab one of the chairs because we're packing the chairs
away. And they went, oh, can I just
keep this one? I'm like, are you planning on

(53:05):
standing on that for the group shot?
She goes, I was, I was like. No, please don't one we're
liable. Yes, our public liability does
not need to be used for that. Yes, but even though I wasn't a
photographer, I did have a step ladder.
So I was like, if you hold on 2 seconds, I'll grab you a.
Step so I have also done that. I've run over with a ladder
because we had one from setting the arch up and I replaced it.

(53:28):
But they really should have a ladder.
That another question to ask your photographer.
Do you take a ladder to get yourgroup shot?
Well, mostly. Sometimes it's not feasible.
We get a lot of stuff to carry. But that's right.
Yeah, depending on the location,often you don't need it.
Locations where you don't need it, like, you know, I mean, if,
if there's some kind of heritagebuilding you can get up on a
balcony. Yeah, that's my favourite.

(53:49):
Well, like a big set of stairs or something.
You know, you're gonna be able to get that shot anyway.
Yeah. Yeah.
So let's go with best questions to ask your photographer.
OK, Ruth. What do we need to do to lock
you in for the day? How do you work your bookings?
Ramana Well, I send them and usually the inquiry comes by

(54:10):
email. There's a link to the booking
form. It's super easy, you just got to
fill in the link. And then to lock it in deposit.
Yes, yes. It's a date reservation fee, not
a deposit date reservation fee. So give it back.
What is that? No, there's a reason for it.
So we are locking that date awayso that nobody else can have it.

(54:32):
So that is your date. That is when we were going to be
available. We are 100% all about you that
day. Yeah.
No one plans on changing the date of their wedding.
So yeah. Because.
And then if, you know, if two weeks out, you go.
We're not getting married anymore.
We broke up. We'll.

(54:53):
You can't expect that back because you reserved that date.
We reserved that date for you. We're now no longer making our
income on that day. Right.
So have you ever had the situation where they've changed
the date and you've already refused 1 so you have to take it
again effectively? Yeah.
So we we're usually pretty lenient with that, which we've,

(55:15):
I mean, technically we shouldn'tbe because particularly if it's
a key date because that has happened a lot.
Yeah, a lot Where? Yeah, busier months, something
like September and. Whatnot.
It's because, yeah, as a, as a wedding photographer, there are
some months where you don't makea lot of money at all.
So it needs to make period. Yeah, you need to.
And that's when you're spending more money, yeah.
That's when you're spending more.
Yeah, that's. Right.

(55:35):
So you need to be able to put money aside on those key, key
months. So that is tough.
It's a lot of money. We do other events, yeah.
So we're all the way through till New Year, yeah.
But yeah, January and February, they're a slow month for us.
Yeah. So yes, so.
When everyone wants to meet withyou about their wedding.

(55:57):
Day reservation fee, It is non refundable and it knocks out the
time wasters as well. It does.
I think you have to do that. What about you, Ruth?
You've got. So I usually meet with a couple.
We usually have sort of an evening or, you know, an early
morning weekend meet up at a coffee shop and we go through

(56:19):
your day. And basically from that, they
then choose, once they've gottento know me, I feel like that
helps. Once they've gotten to know me,
they understand that I've heard everything that they're saying,
that I'm not just, you know, making up, making up what I'm
doing, I guess. And then I asked for a deposit

(56:41):
from that. Yes.
And that, yeah, secures the date.
So that sort of thing. Yeah.
I also do it a slightly different way as well.
If they want to have engagement photos I charge them the deposit
for the engagement photos and ifthey like the photos and they
like me and how I work then thatbecomes their wedding deposit so

(57:06):
they. Essentially get their engagement
shoot for free. Yeah, yeah.
It's amazing. It's kind of a tester.
So you stick me out? Yes.
Oh yeah, no, that's good. Yeah, try before you buy, yeah.
That's right. I love that you do that.
Do you have like a like they have to book a full package to
get the engagement? Yeah.
So it doesn't obviously include like, you know, the little small

(57:28):
packages and things like that. Sorry, I would just call it the
base package, which is the they're getting ready up to that
first hour of the oh, exception.Yep.
OK, so then how many photos werethey?
They should ask that, really. But they should ask that, right?
If they say like, like, this is what we want to ask our
photographer, this is what they should ask.
I feel like they need to get a little bit more involved with

(57:49):
that question. So it's not just about how many
photographs, approximately what are the quality of photographs.
So you know, you need to make sure that they're not all
watermarked, that they're high resolution images.
Yeah, they're not just getting the web sized.
Yeah, you you want, Yeah. So one quality in terms of
content quality as well as the actual specs of the images as

(58:16):
well. How big are the files that
you're getting and how are you getting them?
How are they being provided? Are they just digital downloads?
Are they coming on Ausb? Yeah.
OK, Yep. OK.
So other questions that we have that people should ask their
photographer maybe is how long does it take to get the photos
after the wedding? I mean, I think.

(58:36):
Everyone will be different here I.
Mean, I do think so if you're. If you're a photographer that's
shooting constantly and you don't send them away, so you
might only have a couple days during the week that you are
your editing days, you know, I think you can expect to wait a
few weeks. Yep.
I do. I, I think this is important to
ask though, because I have seen like fit on feeds where people,

(59:01):
you know, they're waiting 4-5 months for these things.
Absurd. And yeah, and that is crazy, I
think. Yeah, that's definitely a
question to ask because you wantto know is your photographer
photographing 6 days a week and not really allowing time for
editing, which, yeah, you never.And you have to, yeah.
Well, there's the reverse of that are they just hobbyists and

(59:22):
they've got full time jobs yes you know and then your your
wedding is not a priority because you've already they've
already been paid for your wedding let's.
Face it. And they also probably maybe
aren't as fast as editing. Yeah, so we still do.
I still do a lot all my editing in house.
So but I and when you say shouldI ask my photographer how long?

(59:45):
You. Really need to be in the
contract as well, so check that that is in your contract.
Great. Yeah.
The turn around time so that youdo have a backup.
You know how you know what to expect.
And if your photographer is taking six months when they said
they were going to take six weeks, you know there's
something wrong. You need to follow up my turn

(01:00:05):
around. Well, they get like sneak peek
the same day, but it's anywhere between two and six weeks.
OK. Because, and it's not just like,
OK, we're in wedding season right now, so I can't get it to
you. I mean, it might be now slow
season, but we've just come off high season, you know, so we've
still got a backlog because we are shooting, you know, 4

(01:00:27):
weddings a week. Yeah, there's only, you've still
got admin days and you've got editing days.
So it's like you know your if your photographer is doing this
full time, they are probably working seven days a week.
Yeah, Yep. OK, well, that's good one.
OK, So what about if I change mymind on the day, can I extend

(01:00:49):
the photography any longer? Yeah.
I think this is a fairly common question.
I it often gets asked me when I'm there and because it might
be really fun and exciting things are happening.
Yeah. I mean, generally I'm.
I'm happy to a. Little bit of warning would be
good though. Yeah, it just depends.
And how far away are we? I mean, are we talking that I

(01:01:10):
still have 2 1/2 hours to drive home or or am I just around the
corner, you know? So that makes a difference too.
I think if you are considering having your photographer there
longer, you should at least givethem the heads up.
Is it possible because they may have something else on
afterwards? Yeah.
And then you're like, oh bugger,we can't, we really want you to

(01:01:32):
stay. But if you've already got
commitments. Yeah, no, fair enough.
Or, or something earlier on in the morning or, or like I said,
they might have a long distance to travel.
Yeah. So you can't assume.
And if you do ask them to stay longer into the evening, please
supply. Them with so a meal, it is a
good question to ask. Yeah, yeah.
You should definitely supply them with a meal.
Oh, yeah. Very least drinks and some time

(01:01:55):
off. Yes.
Yeah. Because they've been shooting
all day. So yeah, yeah, yeah.
And what about venues? So have you ever shot at our
venue before? I guess that's a good question
for couples to ask. Just because, I mean, that's
like we went for a walk around my venue so that you could find
all the good spots because they hadn't been doing weddings,

(01:02:17):
Yeah, in so long. And we wanted to see what they
were. And maybe that's like, you know,
like if, you know, if they shot there, you can find out if they
do want to come have a look at it beforehand.
Yeah, definitely. I mean ask them, but I mean,
they might not have time obviously, but I think it's some
photographers might. Look up other photographers that
have shot at that venue and see roughly the locations and things

(01:02:38):
like that. But you know, photographers also
want to do their own thing and have their own creativity and a.
Location I think, but it just. Depends on the light sometimes.
It you definitely so when you'reshooting at a new location, you
definitely need to do some Recon.
It doesn't have to be on site. You don't have to go drive 3
hours to check out the space, particularly if you are a

(01:02:59):
seasoned photographer. Checking it out online and
getting a good idea of what the spaces look like is you have to
know because the last thing you want is to book a photographer.
They don't know any that you're getting married, for example, at
Cloudland in the city where unless you're in in, your

(01:03:21):
photographer has never shot there before and they haven't
done a single stitch of real research.
They are one of the photographers that can only
shoot in natural light, don't know how to bounce flash, don't
know how to use any other additional lighting.
This is going to be a problem. I'll just explain quickly that
quick Cloudland is a nightclub in the city or nightclub slash

(01:03:42):
restaurant slash venue very. Very unique.
It's very cool, but it's very lots of mirrors and sparkly.
Mirrors. Sparkly, but it's it's not, you
know, Imagine the natural light.Venue.
Yeah, so, so if you are OK with,so your photographer hasn't
bought any additional lighting, for instance, if you're OK with

(01:04:04):
super, super grainy because they've had to crank the ISO on
your on their cameras to compensate for low light.
If you're OK with having really harsh shadows and I'm talking,
you know, lights above you creating black lines under your
eyes. If you're OK with that, then
it's fine. We're good.

(01:04:27):
And no, like, it's just not for wedding photography.
You're just if you were doing, you know, some kind of cool
fashion shoot, not even then, I don't think.
But yeah, it's. I've done a shoot there before.
I remember that shoot. Eyelashes.
Yes, it was amazing. It was great, but yeah, it was
all about lighting. We had to bring obviously out a

(01:04:48):
studio lights. We need to bring some fill in.
Yeah, 100. Percent to and that might not be
the look that you want on your wedding.
Even though you might have chosen that venue, you have to
be aware that that will affect the style of photography and you
may, even if it's something as extreme as Cloudland, you may
want to get a photographer that can show you that they can do
that sort of thing if you're choosing somebody who only

(01:05:10):
shoots at golden hour. And there are many photographers
who only know how to do that. That's right, I.
Mean so if you go and switch them over to somewhere like
Cloudland in darkness and mirrorballs and and all sorts of
things on that, it's almost there's a note type of
photographer. I was about to say.
So on that note, perhaps you've got your venue usually before
your photographer, Perhaps look at your photographers photos

(01:05:33):
before choosing one. Yeah.
And see that they can do that type of venue and that they've
shot in it before. That's all venues will have
people they'll be able to tell you and recommend photographers
that they've worked with that they know can work with their
venue. I mean, we're talking most
wedding venues aren't like this.But it's an extreme yes
situation. Yeah.

(01:05:54):
If all the ceilings are black, for instance, and it's an indoor
wedding, you can't bounce off black ceilings.
Yeah, I actually have that note because I always have people
coming to us to do black light parties and neon parties for
their kids, you know, and they're always like, oh, we're
going to black out the garage and trying to explain to them,
don't black out the garage, put white sheets up because you want

(01:06:15):
to bounce that line because you're not going to have a very
good effect if you don't. Yeah, yeah, same kind of
concept. I guess you also want to check
with your photographer if they offer extras like albums,
prints, for example. Yep, that's always, that's
always something that I get asked every time.
Some people these days just wantthe digital photos.

(01:06:38):
Yeah, that's fine. They want to do their own thing.
And they may want time just to settle on that, to decide what
they want. Yeah, Yeah.
But it's good to see those options.
That's right. So you should ask.
And a lot of people do come backat.
The one year. Anniversary for the when they
can afford it again. When they can afford it.
Do you take some albums with youto your coffee meetings?
I do, yeah. Yes, yes.

(01:06:58):
People want to see they can see all the content on your website
but and on your on your socials.But seeing stuff in real life is
different to you it is. Different.
Yeah, that's right. Will there be a second shooter?
That's I think that's really important, especially for any of
the longer days. I might consider doing it by

(01:07:18):
myself if it's one of the shorter ceremonies only now
because I'm as experienced as I am.
I wouldn't have done it 10 yearsago, but any of those longer
days I like to have a second shooter, personally.
Yeah. So I think it also depends on,
well, one, I mean, if you can afford it and if you, you know,
if you can afford to paying an extra person, usually your

(01:07:40):
second shooter doesn't cost as much as the primary shooter.
But sometimes if you say if bothcouples are getting ready on
opposite sides of town and because of, you know, travel
times, it's impossible to do 1 before the other, then in that
case you may need the same second shooter.
Yeah. Right.

(01:08:01):
If you are planning like, you know, some crazy entertainment
and fun things for a cocktail hour with your guests and while
you're while the couple are off with the primary shooter, they
may want a second shooter to cover the guest time.
Yeah. So there's a few different
things. Yeah.
So I would say yeah. At least ask.

(01:08:21):
At least ask, but also ask. I know I always take what I call
an assistant, so this is different to a photographer.
So my assistant will take photos, but I can't guarantee
they're always going to be great.
But I wouldn't send him off by himself to photograph, say, the
grooms. That would require a second

(01:08:42):
shooter, Yeah, but my assistant will.
For instance, if we're in a citylocation, he'll drop me off and
then he'll go find a car park. With the car so.
I don't have to worry about that.
So their own PA, there's all. Logistics around.
Sometimes as little logistics and they, you know, the couple
might be in a limo and they're just getting dropped off
somewhere and they don't have toworry about a car park.

(01:09:04):
But if you're going to spend thenext 20 minutes finding a car
park? Then 10 minutes with all you
here. Finding.
Finding where they are, you've lost time and so I for those
longer days, I always have an assistant.
OK, Yep, Yep. OK.
So do you allow us to print and share the photos?
Is that a good question? I do.
I think it probably wasn't done maybe 10 years ago, probably 15

(01:09:27):
years ago now. Is there people in Australia now
because. People just want the digital
ones. In Australia, copyright of
photographs is automatic and it belongs to the photographer.
It just, it's instant and the copyright lasts for 70 years.
However, there are circumstanceswhere you know, for example,
with wedding photography, it might be in your contract that

(01:09:50):
in my contract, for instance, I do own the copyright.
However, the couple are certainly allowed to reproduce
and copy images for their own personal use.
That's right, right? Because that that happened, I
mean, they they needed these days, surely they want the
digital images, they want to post it to their socials, they
want to print out a, you know, apicture frame to put up on their
wall. Yeah.
And they want to send their family copies.

(01:10:11):
Yeah, I think it was. It was.
Different sort of 1015 years agoit used to be a little bit more
strict. You could only go to the
photographer and get them to print things for you.
It was a big yeah, like after sales stuff, you know, you have
to. After sales was the thing.
Right. So it's, yeah.
So do ask that just in case. Yeah, I think the next one is
pretty standard. I mean, everyone has one.
It's all going to vary. But what is your cancellation

(01:10:33):
policy? Definitely ask them that.
Definitely ask. Definitely ask. 100% ask yes.
And it needs to be in the contract.
It does. So I mean, obviously read your
contract to make sure, but everyone, everyone's will be
different. But yeah, so mine obviously is I
I'll keep the deposit or the thedate hold fee.
Pretty standard, but they're gonna have time frames in there

(01:10:54):
probably like if you cancel up to this date, then you get a 50%
refund. Or like, it might just, you
know, like those things are gonna be.
I'd try and be reasonable whether if a couple do you know,
maybe they break up and it all it all turns pear shaped.
If I'm able to book someone elsein that day, I'll give them back
their deposit. Yeah, look, I've done the same
where, yeah, the marriage didn't.

(01:11:16):
There were couples where he got caught, you know, doing dirty,
dirty things, Dirty, dirty boy. And yeah, so I said to her,
Look. Give you back the deposit but
not him. No, we ended up because I, so I
knew the mum from years ago and I said and I knew how like they
love getting their family portraits.

(01:11:36):
So and it was just the date reservation fee.
It wasn't the full and it was only a small package.
I said like, why don't we put that towards the next because I
need to do their family photos all the time.
We'll do that instead. Well, that's nice.
They were. She was so.
Yeah, she was so happy with that.
I mean, technically I still do miss out because I'm not doing
the full wedding on the wedding day.
That's right. But there was still most, most
people, yes, most people will behappy to help out, but it does.

(01:12:02):
But it does. So there are complications
though with that. Where we've had an, I know
Cheryl said the same thing to meas well.
We've had couples break up. We know that one of them has
paid the date reservation fee, but the other one's got in first
to say, hey, can we get a refund?
So they're trying to get them. Who do you give the money back?
To I always if. You are giving the money back if

(01:12:22):
you don't have. Reversal straight away to
whoever paid it so it went on totheir card together, but it goes
back onto their card together and they can sort that out.
Yeah, don't make that your problem.
Yeah, yes, yeah. It's a it's a tricky 1 because
you often want to side with the person who maybe got hurt but.
Yeah, don't, don't personalise it.

(01:12:44):
OK. So then can you provide us with
a timeline? Because I feel like it's
important to get the timeline from the photographer.
It's. Probably 1 of the crucial things
that I find that I I mean, obviously apart from taking the
photos, but as far as helping overall for the wedding day,
it's the timeline if. You're a photographer.
Many times I've heard from othervendors saying have you ever

(01:13:07):
heard of this? The photographer just wants to
rock up and just capture the moment in the day as it unfolds.
I'm like absolute rubbish, rubbish, rubbish, rubbish.
I would not trust that person tophotograph my wedding.
You need to have some control because for a wedding there are
expectations on the type of photographs that you will
receive and that you want. At the end of the day, there are

(01:13:30):
particular photographs that you want, and a lot of them.
And so with, I don't know about you, but I start with what time
is sunset? This is for a typical wedding,
assuming they're having a dinnerreception.
Yeah, that's right. What time is sunset?
I start with the ceremony if it's been booked already, and
we'll work back and forward. If it hasn't been booked, which

(01:13:52):
I usually hope it hasn't by the time they get to me, then yeah,
I start We. Try and talk them around.
I do too, yeah. And they can often change it,
you know, say they've just booked it in for 3:00 but they
didn't realise that sunset wasn't until.
Sunset city. Sunset, Yeah.
I do actually, you know, maybe that's too long.
Yeah. So I do work with a lot of
venues where it's like that is the time the ceremony is going

(01:14:14):
to be and you cannot change it. Yeah.
Like, well, I do explain to the couples then that this is the
repercussion of that. Yeah.
So one of our local venues that has closed down now they were
very specific times and it did not matter what time.
So in well, here in Queensland, there are sometimes a view where

(01:14:34):
the sun doesn't set till 7:30 atnight.
And at the moment we're setting at 5:00.
So imagine if yeah, the ceremonytime is 2:30.
We're not changing that because we don't want to change the time
that we serve dinner. 230 ceremony.
So let's just say it's a 230 ceremony. 5:00 sunset, but it's
not so good for 7:00. No, it's not.

(01:14:56):
And we're in Queensland, it is stinking hot.
So it's say, let's just say it'sFebruary, January, February and
sun setting at 7:30. You're now basically sitting
sweating in the sun. You're standing in a, there's a
bride white wedding dress. Yeah, the black suit, black

(01:15:19):
suit. He's sweating.
She's got like the sun beaming off her.
She looks like the sun. Yeah, it's just.
Yeah, no. So it is.
Yeah, no. So you need to.
Yeah, need to, yeah. Because once we find out that
sunset time or ceremony time, ifwe can hopefully change that, if
it's not quite right, we can work backwards for the day and

(01:15:41):
then we can work forwards as well.
Yeah. So I I exactly what happens and
I work backwards. Yeah.
So generally speaking, do you like a minimum one hour for
those couple portraits? Yeah, yes.
And then if you've got it. Depends on where you're going
and things like that, but. Usually it's a minimum one hour
and and if you've got a bridal party, wow, if it's a big bridal

(01:16:04):
party, you need to like blow that time out a little bit more.
And it's not because it takes longer to take photographs.
Well, it does take a little bit longer to take those people, but
they just, are we allowed to saypiss, fart around?
You can now. Well, yeah, you can.
Like seriously, today is about them, not you.
Why are you still? Yeah, pay attention.

(01:16:25):
Yeah. No, that's right.
And so the last question definitely important is will you
be the one taking the photos? We've talked about this, OK.
We we were just discussing this before we.
Came on because there are some companies that will give the
impression perhaps that they arethe ones that are going to be
taking the photos, but they do have staff who go out and do
that. Subcontractors.

(01:16:47):
Contractors and just be careful because you don't know who those
people are going to be and they don't really control them.
Really. No to any kind.
Of extent, yeah. So make sure that the person
that you're photographing that'sphotographing you is the one
that you're actually speaking to.
Yeah, the one that you're you'retelling them about your day and

(01:17:08):
what you want and things like that.
That's the person that you want to show up on the day.
Well, yeah, because you've builta rapport with them and you are
spending a long time with this person.
Imagine being stuck with somebody that you just can't
click with and you don't like from morning till night.
Yeah, it's. Definitely on.
It's the most important day, yeah.
You want that person to be, you know, another, another groomsman

(01:17:31):
for you. That's what you get surprised
sometimes when like I'll know a photographer and I'll be like,
oh, I'm surprised they picked that person, you know, just
because their personality and they're like, Oh my God, they
were just lovely, you know, And I'm like, oh, I.
Might see a different side. Yes.
OK, so then we're gonna move on now to tips about getting the

(01:17:53):
most out of our wedding photography.
Let's let's look at a little bitthe preparation and planning.
You want to choose the right photographer.
Firstly, you want to create a shop list, scout locations and
schedule enough time for the actual photography.
So like we said with our timeline, yeah.

(01:18:13):
Photographer needs to advise youon that.
They know how long it takes to do what they need to do.
Definitely perfect on the big day.
Definitely look at the golden hour magic that happens.
That's sort of. These guys have been talking.
About a lot. That's yeah, it's just before
sunset time. And then even just a little bit
after sunset time, especially inwinter here in Queensland, we
can get these beautiful purple sort of sunsets, which are

(01:18:35):
lovely. Yep.
You want to relax, you want to have fun, maybe not stress about
getting stressed about the fact that you're getting photos
taken. A lot of people will seize up as
soon as the camera walks in the room and we see it all the time.
We try and a good photographer will help you to relax, but you
have to work on that as well yourself.

(01:18:57):
Sometimes that helps them getting an engagement shoot done
beforehand. Yeah, I guess eases you in,
eases get you used to that. Photographer.
And you also know what you like and what you don't like, you
know? But you know, I've seen lots of
people as well, particularly theguys.
They're like, Oh no, you know, he's terrible.
He hates photos on the day. Suited up, different person.
Yeah, they're like, I love it. Should me I feel amazing.

(01:19:19):
It's. Like a costume?
Yes. Different as foreigner, yeah.
So you'll be surprised sometimesyou'll be like, wow, I actually.
Love this, girls. You can do that as well.
Yes, definitely, yeah. Also be mindful of posture and
angles. So a photographer will obviously
help you with this. They don't want you to not look
your best. Yeah, it's in our, the amount of
times I've had somebody say to me, oh, actually I've got a tat

(01:19:40):
on this, on this arm. And I actually for my wedding
day, I love it. But on my wedding day, I don't
really want to see it. Yeah.
So you're gonna change things upand maybe remind them because
they'll forget. Yeah, that's right.
And let your photographer guide you.
You've got to trust their. Experience, so don't give them a
list of every pose. Oh, every single picture.
Sometimes that happens. I, I often ask for a Pinterest

(01:20:01):
board, but I don't ask for a Pinterest board for particular
poses. I ask for a Pinterest board for
a vibe. Yes.
And that's the way I explain it is I just wanna, I wanna roughly
look through it and get the vibethat you're after.
And it'll help me figure out if they want fun photos or if they
want more sexy romantic photos. Yeah.

(01:20:22):
You know, so that that's definitely important.
Yeah. And then I guess any extras that
we might want to go over is consider an unplugged ceremony.
So you ask your guests to keep phones away during key moments
to avoid distractions. Like we were saying with the
iPad, don't bring that out you you would like your probably

(01:20:44):
your photographer to capture. All the little details, so have
those ready for the photographer.
Yeah, and by. Ready.
Ask them to be on the bed. Yes.
And by ready, we don't need you to do the flat lay for us.
We can do the flat lay. But by ready, I mean take the
tags off. Yes, if it's got one of those
sticky ones still attached. If it's still wrapped in
plastic, yeah. Take it off this problem when

(01:21:04):
people have extras to add to thestyling and they're like, oh, we
got a few vases, could you put them out for us?
And they haven't been washed. They've still got the price tag.
I can't put that out. And like you can't be cleaning
it on site because we often don't have access.
So yeah, as a photographer, I definitely ask.
Yeah, take the tags off things, unbox them, give them a clean if
needed. But I ask them just generally

(01:21:27):
leave it out on the bed so I canfind everything.
If I've noticed that, say the perfume's not there and I know
specifically they want a perfumephoto, then I'll ask.
Always polishing perfume bottles.
Yes, they get the worst fingerprints.
They do. Perfume, do you know what?
Off topic slightly, but I have asteamer that I bought for the

(01:21:47):
wedding, the Bissell steamer, and it actually has a thing
where you can spray your perfumeonto these scent pads and put it
in the steamer. So as I steamed my dress, it was
the scent of my perfume I love. That that's nice.
It's. So good.
That's fantastic. I might have to worry that,
yeah, our candid moments matter.So it's nice if you can get a

(01:22:09):
photographer, I think that does do a little bit of
photojournalistic sort of style.It's nice to get the Posey Posey
photos. But also some couples I've, I've
done a wedding where a couple just did not want to know that I
was there. And they said it to me very
nicely. It wasn't in a rude way, but
they said we just don't want to know you're there.
Can you just basically hide behind the bushes?
And that's what I did. I put on my big lens.

(01:22:31):
And I. It was kind of fun for me.
I kind of pretended like I was, you know, photographing.
Yeah. Photographing Elizabeth Taylor.
Funny. But yeah.
And I just. That's exactly what I did.
And they didn't want me to basically approach them and pose
them at all during the day. Wow.
And it was hard. It went against a lot of what I

(01:22:52):
know and believe in. Yeah.
Especially when a couple of times I saw them standing in a
perfect position. But maybe just, you know, one
thing was slightly off or, you know, I had grandma in the back
who wasn't having a good. Face and.
There's nothing I can do about it.
If they want me in the bushes, there's nothing I could.
Do about it. You got to stay in that Bush.

(01:23:14):
But almost to this day, that's probably one of my favourite
weddings. Oh wow.
I did get some of the best photos that day.
That's nice. Yeah, so it.
I probably, my eyes are twitching and I'm like, imagine
all the amazing shots you could have had if you could have just
had a little. I'm actually picturing her
hiding in a Bush with like binoculars.
I don't know what to do. It was.

(01:23:35):
Fabulous. Like it was just in their
backyard. Yeah.
So there wasn't a lot of room for me to kind of hideaway.
And so I did find myself just going from one corner of the
yard. She was in full camo gear and
she was doing like drop and rolls.
I was thinking. What not camo gear, but you know
those like suits that they can get that they just.
Forest marshy, look like. A Bush?
Yeah, that's fancy. Great.

(01:23:59):
But yeah, so those candid moments do matter, and
especially if you know your photographer is able to preempt
those moments. Then we are create the moment
oh. Yeah, that's right.
Lots of joking and having fun and encouraging interaction I
think. You're saying about the whole
thing before I actually do something similar where I get
the bridal party to sort of lineup, link arms and then walk like

(01:24:22):
they're drunk. And the first few photos are
rubbish because they usually getway too into it and start really
stumbling around and eyes rolling back.
But then they start laughing andgiggling at it.
And if they are? Yeah, if that's the shot, yeah.
Yeah, also get creative. So I mean, this is up to the

(01:24:42):
couple. Some couples don't want props
and, you know, gimmicky things. But.
You know, there's some photos that I've taken even just with a
couple popping a champagne bottle.
And some of the best photos. Yeah, a lot of champagne spray.
Yeah, I love the champagne spray, too.
Yeah, you always get lots of, you know, and you always get the
one groomsman who will pipe in and go.

(01:25:04):
I hope that's not a sign of things to go tonight, mate.
It's always a groom. It's always someone laughs at.
But yeah, so you can bring props, you know, and your car as
well. That's that's a big prop, but
it's. It's still a prop.
It's mirrors, you know, beautiful reflection shots.
Yeah. And don't just think for the

(01:25:25):
actual couple shots, think for yeah beforehand.
Yeah. Have you got a you know, one of
those large arched mirrors that you can lean up against the wall
is some of the most beautiful photos that you can get of the
bride looking at herself in one before the before she.
Yeah, walks down the aisle. Lovely.
Yeah, lovely. And I guess above all, be
present. It's probably the best advice we

(01:25:47):
can give to people. Lean into it.
That photography, you're paying a lot of money for it.
Don't rush the photographer. Don't say can we make this
shorter because we're getting tired or, you know, because
you've paid a lot of money. Not to.
I mean if it's all just turning pear shaped for you.
I think a lot of the times the photographer though, if they're
really truly engaged and they have the experience, they sort

(01:26:07):
of you get a vibe and you're like, OK, they're done.
Are they going to or are they going to need a break?
You know, so you got to work with it because it's yeah.
You also don't want to feel likeyou're bossing them around on
the day and they don't want to feel like they're being.
Bossed around. Yeah, right.
Yeah. But, but as I say, if you've got
the experienced ones, then they would have planned ahead.
They've not shot used for too long.
They can get in, get out, get the shots they need.

(01:26:30):
Yep. Yeah.
Not totally exhaust you. Yeah, perfect. 5 fast questions
which are newly fast except for maybe one of these.
Maybe 1. Yes, we'll do the boring one
first, shall we? Yes, yay.
OK. Do you have any recommendations
on wedding insurance? This is a question from Grace.

(01:26:50):
OK, so I I didn't actually have any recommendations, but I did
this is the one that's going to take a little bit longer because
I did look up some so that we had something to get.
So dream wedding insurance is known as the wedding insurance
experts. Their planning plug for that.
I know it is, isn't it? Their plans include coverage for

(01:27:11):
event rescheduling, lost or damaged wedding gifts and
failures of your wedding suppliers.
The second one I looked at was Amy wedding insurance Lucky.
Yes, right is it's ideal for insuring your wedding bands and
engagement ring. So they'll do that.

(01:27:34):
Yeah, right. So that not the other stuff
though, OK. And then Allianz Wedding
Insurance specialises in comprehensive coverage, wedding
and honeymoon travel coverage and insurance for destination
weddings. So that can cover depending on
what type you want. Yep.
OK, All right. Makes sense.
Good. Excellent.

(01:27:54):
OK, there's a question here fromClint.
I saw a post one day about a couple losing all of their
photos due to a computer dying. Is this common?
I think we can say no, right? Because based on your answers
earlier about how you back up I I would feel confident with
either of you and I'm guessing most people.

(01:28:15):
I guess it could happen. Let's never say never.
Computers die. It's not common.
Drives die, but it's not common.Yeah, no.
And even if it was a case of saya memory card, you've shot the
wedding and before you get a chance to download, memory card
is gone, kaput. Maybe there is there a software

(01:28:37):
there's software where you can recover?
Upgrade those images. That's right.
And usually, yeah, you can. Usually not for a wedding,
luckily, but I have had that happened before on a different
type of shoot. And yeah, I, I think we got back
probably 95% of the images doingthe recovery software.
Yep. And I had even, I think what
happened, I had actually photographed over the top of,

(01:29:00):
because I, I was doing a back toback kind of shoot.
And I'm not too sure what happened, how on earth this
memory card found its way back into my camera again.
And I reshot and I deleted it and reshot over the top of it.
And even then I could still get them back.
That's great. So there's definitely there's.
There's definitely ways around it, yeah, yeah, OK.

(01:29:20):
But not comment at all. No.
Morgan has asked. How can you be sure you're going
to get the shot? Cool.
Experience, experience. Yeah, yeah.
Don't be that person that goes. I'm looking for somebody who's
not gonna cost me an arm and a. Leg and that's fine, but you may
not get the first kiss. Yes, just be away.

(01:29:40):
Mm, Hmm. Yeah, you know, Yep.
So your photos might end up a little bit blurry, but and you
might not get everything. Yeah, as it's happening.
OK, next one. Do photographers like it if you
bring props for the bridal partyshop photos?
We Sarah asked that we actually just covered that.
I do, yes. Yes.
Do you like props? That's what they want.
Romana doesn't worry me and workwith anything I.

(01:30:02):
Don't. I don't want them, you know, I'm
not going to say no to. Them, if that's what they want,
Yep, OK. What if it rains on my wedding
day? Will it wreck the photos?
Well, here in Queensland, first of all, it doesn't usually rain
all day and all night. There's usually a break in the
weather. It's usually just passing
through. So there's always time to come

(01:30:24):
out, as long as you're not look.In 25 years of shooting
weddings, I only had one weekendwhere I had two consecutive
brides, both at Santa Plaza, whoit did rain.
But both times it stopped raining for photo time, which
was fantastic. But both brides didn't want to
jump over a puddle and get the bottom of the dress wet.

(01:30:46):
They didn't. They did not because next to
Sanford Plaza is the Botanic Gardens.
So many beautiful opportunities photos you've got.
The story bridge right behind aswell.
And there's concrete pathways, there's paved pathways.
There was so many things we could have done.
They didn't want to, that's fine.
But Sanford Plaza is also beautiful.
But again, I know how to shoot indoors.

(01:31:07):
If you're in a venue that maybe wasn't as beautiful as Sanford
Plaza, you know, you may just have to be brave.
Get your umbrella out and. Plan for it as long as you have
a plan for it. Get some gumbo.
Be OK Yes, some people make a thing, especially.
If you do see it coming, I've definitely done brides where
they've had, you know, bright yellow gumboots on and they've
and they've gotten sort of a bright yellow umbrella as well.

(01:31:29):
And they're great photos. You can just imagine that.
Colour pop. Yeah, some of the rain shots are
fantastic. Yeah.
A little bit different to that. I had a bride who after their
wedding, it wasn't raining, but she still wanted to jump in the
water. Yeah, straight into the ocean.
So you know, and it's 1 of the time if you can.
Use that bit of flash and you can have the bride with the

(01:31:50):
umbrella. It's just beautiful.
Those photos are so nice, so beautiful.
Yes, yeah, yeah. You can just incorporate the
whole lot on the trash and there.
Are any puddles you know? Just let your photography.
Get creative with. That rainy day with it.
Rainy day weddings means clouds.That's a beautiful giant
diffuser in the sky, anyways. So it means we can shoot in any
direction we want so we can actually find better backgrounds

(01:32:11):
sometimes. That's the way I like to explain
it to couples. So you can shoot any background
basically when you've got cloud coverage, when you've got the
sun, you kind of limited then oryou have to work with more, you
have to work with the shadows a little bit more.
So you don't always get to choose the backgrounds that you
want. So you know.
Yeah, well, I have learned a lottoday.

(01:32:32):
Good. I'm glad we taught you
something. We, we hope we taught everybody
out there. I hope I can teach you as much
about my side at some stage, butthank you so much for coming
back. Ramana, thank you for having me.
I've kind of ramble a little bit, but yes, thank you for
having me. People have learned a lot.
So I think it's great. And I think yeah.

(01:32:52):
And we've given you, hopefully given you some tips and some
advice and, and like that wraps up our photography episode.
Yeah, and I hope if people do still have questions, they, you
know, they can still email us orwrite on yes, write on our.
Socials through, we can add themto the end of another episode.
It doesn't have to be about photography.
No, that's right. So yeah, any questions?

(01:33:12):
Just perfect. Yep.
Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
On next week's show, we're goingto talk about the legalities of
getting married. Simple celebrant versus ordained
minister, Celebrity celebrants, funny marriage laws around the
world. See you then.

(01:33:33):
That's all for today. Thank you for joining us for the
bridal brief. If you want to hear more, don't
forget to click follow on our podcast.
Please send us any questions youneed answered or contact us
directly at the bridalbriefpodcast@gmail.com.
Or through our social media pages.

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