GREETINGS

HYPER-REALISM

The industry is changing quickly, very quickly in fact. And when things are changing so quickly it means that the industry is looking for something fundamental to establish, something to grasp avidly because it is losing track. The problem I am going to develop now is not relevant only to wedding photography but to photography in general. How our aspirations anticipate our imagery interpretation.
The art of reportage is to capture and communicate a feeling in a form which not only original but also driven by honesty and a sense of reality. Reportage doesn't perform by transforming our vision of the daily in a different dimension but it has the ability to transcend the real by highlighting a beauty that most people cannot perceive. Reportage is about observation and it is a philosophy of life. To photograph in that vein is a constant analysis of the world. Photography helps us to understand more the world we live in and our role. That is the reason why most reportage photographers have a critical mindset and have been predominantly engaged in conflicts. Obviously wedding reportage is not aimed at criticizing the event but it is engaged in capturing that other side of human nature, and that is about happiness and its beauty in the widest sense. Wedding photography focuses on the admirable and essential magnificence of life.
And to capture it in various forms is an art that very few can perform on a regular basis.

Now, the traditional reportage golden age had its own quite specific quality and is long gone. Today the spectrum is very wide in its presentation and contents and can widen for many years. The trouble of today is that this multiplicity of representations hide a certain lack of rigor and real essence. The more you use tricks the more obvious it becomes that your content is very weak. And that phenomenon affects deeply the wedding industry as it remains an open, autonomous and non-body supervised. It is therefore very difficult for customers to actually know what they want in the first place, and secondly be confident that what they pay for will be delivered accordingly.

That is why digital technology is helping the mediocre to perform relatively well. It is quite astonishing actually that most people in the last couple of years I propose the film alternative saw me as a foul. Digital is supreme nowadays and if you use film people don't think you are a professional whereas it should be the other way around. Anyway after many adjustments and reflections I decided to provide digital only. Never mind the film, it doesn't change the approach to the subject and the essence of reportage photography. The trouble though lies in the fact that digital technology open then doors to fictional reality such as Hyper-realism or CGI technology.

Photography is a very broad industry. Digital is perfect to serve certain branches such as advertising, food, fashion, etc...because it aims to produce some kind of imaginary that doesn't exist. That is what most advertisers, graphic designers and so one have done from the start. There is nothing new as it is the very core of their industry with or without digital technology. But real reportage is the antithesis to that. You can though spot or slightly retouch your images like it has always been with brushes and pencils in the past, you do it with Photoshop today. Instead of reinforcing the highlights and soften the shadows under the enlarger, you do it again with the software. But in any case reportage aims to capture reality at its best but there is a certain limit to the quality we can pretend to. Even the old fashion reflex cameras had already a excellent quality superior to the eye. Not only the perfection and accuracy increase tremendously but that has been enhanced by the softwares.

We are now reaching that supra real reality all over everywhere. And I find it a shame that it is being used more and more often in the wedding world. Firstly, because it is not what reportage is about. Secondly because it is a lie. If you manage to get all the formal bits correctly plus creative and original visuals within the time frame imposed you are a good wedding photographer, and you know that visual perfection doesn't exist. But your ability to transcend the reality then present with your personal style and instinct is definitely a skill. To then take those materials to the fictional world is something else that reportage has nothing to do it. To get good highly retouched images is not reportage, it is studio, staged, fake, modified, etc...there is nothing genuine and personal. It looks highly valuable and skillful but it is sadly generic and blend.

Beauty is not about perfection, beauty is about imperfection but captured to its best.
Hyper-realism, CGI and the likes have nothing to do with honest reportage photography.
But it seems to be the technology people prefer nowadays...well, let's see in a few years.
This debate is simply about whether you enjoy the real world or not. That is a philosophy of life.

NEWS - DIGITAL ONLY

Dear all, due to the pressure from the market and to keep 2exposures up on running for the years to come davidB has decided to provided the same standard of high quality wedding reportage photography using Digital technology as a first priority. Customers dedicated to film and its advantages will still be able to order it at request.

MINIMAL AND CREATIVE COUPLES SHOTS part 1

In this new chapter I am trying to show how couples shots can be done everywhere in fact. Many couples are concerned about how grand or amazing the location must be. In fact to have the privilege of having such a environment requires a certain budget which might now be available to all. Also, in some cases, admirable venues are in the center of town. If they permit to experience a very special setting they are not ideal for creative shots.
I have worked regularly in the very same venue and my policy is always to change my angle and approach. I never reproduce the same. I simply find it too easy, not challenging and I love to explore new fields. And most importantly I am trying to find an style that perfectly suits the couple I am working for.

The first image depicts the couple hugging and sharing some intimacy. The venue was quite exquisite in fact, but the weather conditions didn't allow me to enhance the large grounds of Woodstock Manor. Therefore I opted for something more personal and classic mixed with emotions. It is a tender and strong composition that works most especially with the two glasses displayed as symbols. By simply using the stoned fence I can give a sense of grandeur to the place indirectly. And by having a exposure quite dark I enhance the feelings rather than reality experienced.

In my second shot the couple chose to use the Queen's tennis club grounds in Fulham for their reception. Despite being a sort of landmark, the options for romanticism are quite limited not only because you have tennis courts, but also because the buildings around the club are quite unattractive. But, it such situations you can actually use those problems and turn them into something original if you have in mind the final result. Also, I had to deal which a certain difference of heights between the two characters. That is why I decided to compose in such a way, using some kind of old cartoons humor that fit perfectly with the people. I use the tennis court fence and make it look like a old wall. I use the old council flats in the background but make sure they are blur and focus on the energy and fun produced by the couple. I was also making sure that they had to interact with their guests who were laughing in my back.

In the following 4 images I will be explaining different approaches on the very same area. This couple chose the English Speaking Union in Mayfair. They were full of life and happiness and very open to any sorts of creativity. The two colour photographs have been taken at exactly the same place within 5 minutes. It is actually not taken by the venue but by the hotel side entrance next door. It was December the Xmas lights were already decorating the streets. I noticed that the hotel had something charming that could transmit the Xmas feel. It was just an entrance but the top black cover which formed like a mini tunnel was full of red tiny spotlights. Before the speeches I asked then to follow me for a quick session outside and they had no clue about where we were going. I did show them where I would take a new set of pictures. I explained briefly how I would do it and what I expected from them. They were a bit surprised and didn't know what to expect but they played the game and the result is great.

In the first one I asked the groom to dig into his wife's neck and cover with kisses. As it was cold outside it was a good excuse to keep them busy and close to each other. I used a bit of flash and quite a slow exposure( something like 1/15 I guess) and moved the camera in different directions baring in mind a certain composition due to the two embraced bodies. In the second picture, I asked them to face each other and to kiss tender as long as they wanted. I was using a medium relatively large aperture (4 or5.6) and quite a long exposure but NO FLASH at all. I had to hold but knowing I could keep it very still, and that very weakness would help me to get that sort of gaze, or blur where the couple seems to fly into. So basically in those two shots, there is no landmark, no view, no natural light just a dark corner, and still you can make it look like special.

Here again same couple but much earlier in the day. The sky was grey. I checked the locations few days before and tried to figure out what could be an interesting London shot in that area. There are a lot of beautiful buildings, but the streets are full of cars and emptiness somehow. Well, in the first BW I found a beautiful old fashioned butcher shop window. And as they loved food I thought that quality food in the background would please them. The architecture and the design of the background suits perfectly the BW touch. And with the lack of natural light, well exposed BW is the answer. Second shot is Sepia and is a reflection in the Rolls they hired. Making sure that the white of the dress would be on top of black surfaces in order to make the bride appear. I use the diagonals of the seats in increase the tension expressed by the kiss given to the bride by the groom.

The one below is quite interesting again because the couple got their reception at the very same venue as above. Once again, to keep up with my policy I try to find a different angle. As the weather is more clement I eventually chose to emphasize on the emptiness of Mayfair adding some flair from the sun shining through the roofs. The result is an intimate and tender embrace with a lot of genuine fun. Note that I am using quite a wide aperture to focus on that intimacy and enhance the void behind. That way the environment becomes more like a studio background.

An other couple in central London. They chose the Blake Hotel in South Kensington. Beautiful and exquisite hotel I really like. Many small corners to be used. Each bedroom has its own style and the finish of every single details is sublime. As we were outside trying to make most of the weather we had to eventually go inside to avoid the rain. The sky was quite menacing and dark, but it had some very strong highlights in some ways. I therefore asked the couple to stay close to the glass door and look at the sky. Once settled I had to find my position to grab those highlights from the sky which would balance then very well with the darkness from above. I really like this shot.


We come back to our previous couple and see how we can capture a strong sense of love with a bit of nostalgia in mind using some tricks. I asked them to walk slowly together and kiss occasionally as we where on our way back to the car. It had just rained and the pavements were still wet. I know in the back in my mind that I will not only shoot BW but that I will also turn them in Sepia. As I am walking at the same pace as theirs and using a medium speed (1/60), I can capture quite clearly the scene in keeping a bit of blur. I also know that the light from the sky clearing off with the rain will help me to get that fussy mysterious effect from the wet pavements. Here again , there is nothing much but a feeling ans some old style reportage.


A wedding in the countryside now. I got into the car with the couple after the church as we drive away from the guests who are making their way to the reception. I do not have any clue where we are going but I simply observe the landscape from one eye I observe the couple from the other. Then I see this field of crops bathing in the summer heat. I also know that I need some kind of strong contrast to frame the scene. I therefore use the door frame from the car like if I was outside the scene. That is a simple trick use a lot by artist Alison Jackson. Try to distance yourself by including an other element in between you and the subject.

Finally, a photograph from the south of France at the Rothschild villa. I took quite a few great shots using the amazing gardens and villas in the background, but I most especially like this one as it is more intimate. It expresses that warmth found in that part of France. It also take the couple away from the delicate but imposing beauty of the site. This is an humble shot using some flair like if it was a dreamy reality. The couple, some plants as a pattern and the sun - simple.

To conclude I just want to say what I tell my couples to be. Great couple shots are about you. It's not an landscape or architectural shot. I see too many couple shots nowadays where the couple represents only 5 to 10% of the image, completely lost in this gigantic manor or landscape. That can be done obviously to a certain extent but that does not reveal anything about the couple. It is a landscape shot with two people, as simple as that. I do not find this approach very honest and interesting. Couples shots are about people where the chosen environment or technique used will enhance your message through your composition and ability to direct your characters.

AN ATTITUDE

MEETING THE CLIENTS

A professional is firstly someone punctual and organised. Meet up your clients in a convenient location for both parts where the access, lightning and atmosphere are good in order to gain full attention. Dress up nicely and accordingly. Be welcoming and make the couple seat next to each other. I personally show first my portfolios and engage the discussion after a couple of minutes as they comment on the photographs. It is important to clarify all the aspects of your work as you keep on looking at the work. DO NOT TRY TO HIDE THINGS YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO KNOW as it will hit you dramatically later. Explain your approach, tell the stories of each wedding displayed, explain what they really get in the end, in their hands and what are the possibilities with the goods delivered. Finally give them your full price list with terms and conditions and go through it with them and make sure they understand everything. Be always open to answer all their questions clearly after the 1st meeting. Tell them about the payments, the procedure, the contract and the delivery deadlines.
It is obviously my job to try to please everybody but I will never promise things I will never do.
Such as doing a type of photography I am not familiar with or producing goods that I do not like for their poor quality. I am very open to any suggestion but I am also a professional who knows well what he is doing and I will never compromise if I feel that what I am asked to do is not right for the client and for myself. I am just being honest and try to explain in the best possible way the gains and inconveniences of each request.

SECOND MEETING

Get more details from your clients. The list of family group shots, the maps, the running order, the service policy, etc...Explain them once more precisely the option they are going for. Always bare in mind that a couple who is about to get married is quite excited by the romance, and most of them tend not listen or read carefully the terms and conditions. Explain some key points such as possible extra costs, a meal for you on the day, the type of prints, etc...
I personally ask for my second installment here which covers 90% of my packages. History taught me to never ask for the second half of the payment at the delivery. If you are having this policy you are in big troubles. You need to make sure you have the full amount as you leave your clients with the goods.

WEDDING DAY

Always leave the house earlier that you predicted. Public transports or traffic are always subject to cancellations or works. Always expect delays! And I would advise to give yourself a good 1/2 hour before you start working to check all the locations( depending on the distance between ceremony and reception). Once more dress up nicely and accordingly. There is nothing more embarrassing than a photographer or video person wearing jeans, very formal shoes and louse shirts. That is simply not right, this is a lack of respect.
Be friendly and welcoming to everybody and especially to the bridal party. Do not start running after the bride or make a foul of yourself. You are here to work on behalf of the couple and the best way in a reportage sense is to be as discreet as possible. People have other things to worry than the photographer. Make the bride relaxed or think of someone else, be helpful with tips when needed, explain in short what is going to happen with the group shots later to the bridesmaids, siblings and/or parents. Try to make this first part a peaceful and quality time. Leave the bride when needed to reach the ceremony location in time before she arrives
Have a chat with the person in charge of the ceremony in order to know exactly what is the policy and deal accordingly. Try to make the best out of it.
The drink reception is usually a rather simple task but you have to make sure you can organise four different types of photography ( portraits, table decorations, couples, groups) within the short break allocated. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY ORGANISED, STRICT AND PROCEED IN ORDER OF RELEVANCE.
Introduce yourself to the toastmaster if there is one.
Do not take portraits on behalf of guest, you are here on behalf of the couple!
Be fluid and and fast with portraits. Take the couple for a first short session. Get the ushers or siblings to help you 10 minutes you start the group shots. Tell them where, when and how you want to proceed. Get them done and make sure the couple doesn't get involved in the chaos and their smile may eventually disappear in that painful moment. Take the couple for a second session. Photograph the tables 10 minutes before they walk in as there are all dressed up.

Walk in of the couple, food, situations, people chatting, etc...make yourself familiar with the room and the congregation. Always remember that everybody is sitting and that you are standing, therefore people can see you from the distance. Your skills as being discreet will be tested at this stage. I personally do rounds of 10 minutes maximum. There is no point in insisting and staying the room constantly as the guests will feel like being observed and therefore impossible to portray correctly.
Speeches: here again make yourself invisible, do not stand between the top table and the guest, that's very bad.
Cake: get yourself a good position
1st dance: Make sure you get sharp pictures as the lights might be quite low.

DELIVERY

Make the couple aware of the quality produced. Arrange a date for the delivery. Let them know beforehand about the final amount to be paid if relevant. Spend a good half hour looking at the pictures together when it is possible. Show them about potential albums at a later stage ( in my case anyway) Get your final payment. And stay in touch with them.

FINAL NOTE

Be open, smart and passionate about your work. Be creative and do a lot of other types of photography. If you only do weddings you will quickly become sterile. I love doing weddings because I see something else in them that most people don't. A wedding is a story about love and if you don't like this idea do something else. There is no point in trying to force yourself as you will end up depressed and bitter. Be honest, genuine and accommodating. But never compromise if your instinct tells you. I personally love to be surrounded by genuine talented suppliers and couples as it takes the quality to the top. I am not tempted to produce a mediocre materials in exchange of success. Never be complacent. And finally, many people keep saying that the "customer is king". I do not agree with this policy which will make your head spin in all directions. Always produce the best effort you can to satisfy your clients instead. Knowledge, dedication and good guidance are the keys to please your couple.

SIGNING AT THE CHURCH

Every single church and priest have their own policy and in Great Britain most especially. Or let's say that the Church of England has a very versatile and strong position regarding Photography compare to what we can encounter elsewhere. There are some good and bad sides as always.
The first advice I would give the photographer and the couple to be is to ask beforehand what the policy is. Each policy is very peculiar to the Father, or Priest in charge. There is no common rule across the whole institution. Each priest applies his/her own view on the matter. And each person has a personal experience and will let the photographer move and flash according to the space allocated or permitted, according to the couple's personality or according his/her ethics.

The first two pictures are from the same wedding. The first one depicts the father of the groom who happens to be also the groom's witness and he is signing. As usual I did ask the Father to introduce me to his policy and he clearly said that photographs of the signings had to be posed. The trouble here is that most of the time the witnesses cannot be captured because of that policy.
I therefore agreed before the service started and got closer to the table where the parents and couple were gathering as they were signing one after the other. The trick is that you can pretend to photograph the other people has the priest is focused on his duty with the witness. But in fact you can steal quickly one or two shot while he is busy working. After pressing the shutter release I turn my lens in the other direction to pretend that I paying attention to the other scene. That trick is actually quite easy to achieve especially if you are working with digital. With film it becomes a bit more tricky as you really need to have decent light in the church in order to photograph without flash otherwise the priest would be definitely aware of what is going on.

The second photograph is the formal one the priest asked for. But most of my customers don't really like it to be frank. But as long as you know both the score, there is no one to blame and you play the game.

The third photograph is the sort of setting which is perfect for some sort of compromise between reportage and formal style. The space you are in is flexible enough to try different angles and to have some distance. It is a classic shot, but a honest and direct one. A bit of flash with the real actual signing in process.

Sometimes the atmosphere is very friendly and the priest is very open to any sort of pictures as long as it doesn't take too long. So if you place yourself ideally between the couple and the parents you can not only capture the signing properly but you can also catch a wide range of portraits and emotions between the two sides. Here the groom as he sits down.


Then he kisses his bride. Not posed, they really wanted to kiss. Do not forget that most of the time a piece of music is being played while we are signing. If the music has stopped for quite a while and you are still taking pictures, you are in danger zone. And the priest will let you know. Learn to be as efficient as possible is those mini moments and macro spaces, and work in order. Formal and important ones first, more creative and subtle in between or at the end.

The photograph above was a hard one. The couple did ask the priest what was his policy and we knew that pictures were quite restricted but we were not really ready for such a harsh line. He basically said no pictures at all during the whole service. Except a couple of formals with the couple signing. So, no walking in, no walking out, no long lens, nothing...I therefore kept my patience and tried to gather few shots before the bride arrived. I then sat at the back of the church to see how the priest behaved. As we approached the signing I walked towards the registrar and made sure my flash was not on and waited for the priest to be busy doing something else. I shot...and he heard the click of my film camera, and said quite loud " No pictures I told you, behave yourself or I will have you out !" The best is those situations is to play stupid. Do not try to make a point or to be right. This is a religious site for someone's wedding. We do not care if you are right or wrong. I just excused myself and said I misunderstood what he meant before the ceremony started. I then took the formal ones as planned. We got a bit of tension, but I got the picture the couple wanted.

In some cases the priest will try to intervene in your job. As an illustration I just show the hands of this priest while I am photographing the actual signing. But in some cases the priest is standing in front of me in purpose. In fact, the whole trouble comes from one's interpretation. When the couple ask if I can take pictures, the priest will always say yes. When I turn up at the church it is a slight different story. The priest indicates me where I have to stand and not move. Tells me what I should photograph and when. Sometimes the whole situation is a bit strange. Give a big smile, be nice and patient and make most of it.

Flash is always recommended as you do the formal pictures of the couple signing. It is important to use it to get the sharpest image possible but also to show off. Meaning that the parents always expect from the official photographer to have some professional equipment to be displayed and the pro flash is a good tool to make that statement. But also take as many atmospheric ones without it especially if you are working with digital. Try not to forget the witnesses too.
To conclude I would say that most of this sort of picture is very precious to the parents such as the formal group ones. You cannot afford to miss it. They are not really creative but they have to be dead right, perfectly composed and lighten up, and with good expressions. And you HAVE TO DO IT VERY QUICKLY as you have to get ready for the walking out now. No rest for the pro! Maybe 5 minutes in 3 hours time...if you are lucky.

PORTRAITS AT WEDDINGS

There is no better place than wedding for taking great portraits. Why ?

- The bridal party is mostly focused on making the big day a perfect one and therefore they have little time to allocate to posing (in my style of photography especially). They fully rely on my experience to capture the expressions as the day goes by. Which is great because the best portraits you can get are the non-posed ones.

- My fluid and honest reportage style makes the couple concentrate on enjoying the day as if I wasn't there and that is why they choose my approach. Being a good wedding reportage photographer is like being a third eye. You have to know a little bit about the couple beforehand in order to enter the event like if you were part of the audience. Too many photographers only turn up on the day and make people feel uncomfortable, not only the guests but most importantly the bridal party. You cannot expect having a lot of great portraits if you sort of gate crash a wedding even if you are the official photographer. By meeting the couple beforehand and explaining your work you will diffuse an aura which will be know by quite a few people before you do the job. To know as a couple that you hired someone special will make your task much easier and beneficial.

- I mostly use an 85mm and 105mm for my single portraits. I do not believe that you can take great portraits either if you are too far or too close from the subject. Those two lenses are perfect to enter circles without being intrusive. They also help to isolate the subject from the background if use at 4 or 5.6 aperture. Use the blur effect created from the semi long lens to create some distance in order to isolate the subject. I personally love the 50mm and 35mm but they are more for situations. You can still take some great portraits though with a 50mm depending on the situation.


- But what makes a good portrait after all? Adequate equipment is required of course, but what matters ultimately are you eye, your brain and social understanding of human behaviours. You can obviously guess what sort of reactions will emerge from such and such traditional format but there numerous opportunities that are simply unrehearsed and genuine. You have to understand how people relate to each other first. That step should anticipated from the prior meeting with the couple who will tell you or express a sentiment towards their closest families. Then you have the close friends who will gather automatically haven't seen each other for a while. You can also sense the moods from each table walking around in the first 15 minutes of the seat down dinner. I have a tip for that. I usually walk around and pretend to shoot by pressing the flash independently if I use film, or by just wasting data with digital. After that first procession people will understand that you will be taking photographs while they are eating, they know the score. Later you will see them being aware of the situation and most of them will play the game by being natural and at their best. That way it's already half of the job done. You only have then to scan the diner area and have eyes and ears in you back to know what is going on at any time.


- When I take pictures during diner I always position myself in the way that I can photograph from 2 or 3 different angles to capture different situations and people. While I wait and try to portrait someone form whom nothing seems to appear I can hear a giggle in my back. I know that the second person is in my sight despite facing opposite direction. I a split seond I turn around and capture that person without her noticing. By doing so you usually impress people for being so quick and generate expression from your first subject which you can then portrait by coming back to your first position.

- Taking a portrait can be a game of mouse and cat. Some people hate having their photograph taken and they let you know it in a blink of an eye. Personally if I know that such person is not so involved in the wedding by being a stranger almost I will give up after three attempts. If the person if important to the story if will do my bets to understand her weakness and to capture her when she expects it the least. Beauty is in the vulnerability after all, when ll the barriers disappear and you feel naked. Some people would say it is being intrusive or misplaced, I would call it beauty.


- By tradition people related to a good portrait when it shows an old or young person. I would say it is easy because their appearance expresses nostalgia in the wrinkles of youth with playfulness. I do take those portraits of course but they are quite easy to get as the first group knows well about what it means or inspires, and the second one is always doubtful and shy. In both cases there is an established dialogue we could long discuss about, but what matters to us here is what is in between. Between 15 and 60 you will find it a bit more difficult to get a grip because there is a sort of wall in general, there is misplaced competition. But it is up to the photographer to make people feel at ease. You have to express by your attitude that you can somehow understand each individual and capture a sort of essence. And you can only do that if you love social/reportage photography and if you have compassion. If you treat your subjects like numbers, you will never get anywhere and every wedding will look the same - distant and uninspired.

JEWISH WEDDINGS

I love working on Jewish weddings. They are rich, emotional, traditional, fun and sweaty! The pictures I am showing are from lovely Rose and Jeremy in London. The preparation doesn't necessarily involve bridesmaids but the very close family. There is usually some kind of tension whether it is silence or chaos. The act of marriage in the Jewish culture is something very serious despite couples looking quite relax about it. While the bride is getting ready, the groom goes to the synagogue and has his own ceremony with his ushers, parents and rabbi.


As the guests starts arriving they are being asked to sit genders apart, one half sitting opposite to the other. Whether before, during or after ( all depending on the synagogue facilities) the bride enters discreetly a separate room with her relatives. The groom has to leave the guests and invites his ushers to join him on his way to his bride to be. This ceremony is called the Bedekken and consists in recognizing and acknowledging that the woman here present is the one he accepts to marry. She usually wears the veil as he walks in, and he has to unveil her face and to agree to the rabbi that she is the one. They then walk into the main hall of the synagogue leading the procession and the whole bridal party in between the male and female sides.


They finally arrive at the chuppah which is the tent displayed on a large alter where the couple and parents of each side will gather to proceed to the core of the ceremony. It starts with the walking in circle 7 times around the groom, exchanges of vows, drinking of wine and breaking of glass by the groom. They then sign the traditional registrar with the Jewish calendar. In some occasion like the wedding presented today the couple will walk to an opposite altar which will be open only to them when they can see their future or the unseen, that's what happen here at Bevis Marks in the City.


Then we proceed to the reception. Group shots have to be performed in a military efficiency. Those are highly important more than in any other type of ceremony. You have to be sharp and bossy. When you are done with the groups and the couple shots, the MC will ask the guests to seat down as the couple is preparing to make a special entrance. And contrary to other cultures we start here with dancing and the chairs. The groom and the bride will be taken apart and be sat on a chair that will be elevated in the air. Each gender group will try to make the sitter sick somehow and will then produce a sort of dance in the air between the bride and groom. Once they had enough, they come down to the floor and dance with their mates. The boys can be quite excited and virulent! that usually last for 15/20 minutes. The you get called for starter.



Depending on the families and traditions but sometimes guests are being asked to dance between each course. Speeches will be performed in a traditional way, and toasts to the Queen are quite a standard. You also have a traditional ceremony where a glass is being praised and passed across key members of the congregation.


After all those traditional bits and the cutting of the cake, you have finally the first dance and the big party. The dancing usually never stops until the band calls the last score. That will be a final dance with all the guests making a circle and crushing the couple in a tremendous final.


As a photographer you have to be utterly prepared and confident. You also have to allocate responsively your time between creativity and formal needs, the formal needs being here a priority. There is no time for rest if you want to do a great job, but all the materials are out there to make it look great. Jewish weddings are the ultimate test as a wedding photographer and I love them!

VALUE AND PRICE

Photography and especially digital photography is so available nowadays, so democratic. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, an relatively affordable investment is all what you need to take pictures. No need to know about the different films, the papers, the labs. No need to know about the basics of photography such as lightning, exposure, bracketing, frame while you shoot. The technology has improved so much that cameras and softwares make your life easy. No need to ask for a graphic designer to do your website. You can do your own blog for free and many other companies propose templates that you can have control directly from your desktop. Well, as you can imagine it is not something I am fully supportive of. Don't get me wrong, I completely agree that progress makes our life easier and enhance somehow the average quality of what's on the market. I use the term here somehow because this is what we perceive, or I shall say what the technology aims us to feel. But in fact, that technology doesn't really deliver and only pretends.

By leveling the mainstream it does so by the bottom. Everything looks pretty good on surface. It takes someone with knowledge about the medium to understand what lies behind. And obviously the whole idea of presenting portfolios or highlights has never been the best way to truly understand the talent. Folios, websites and others only present the best stuff which is fair enough if you are specialised in food photography, design, landscapes, etc...photography that requires time on one specific subject at the time. But when it comes to reportage you need to approach someone's work in a completely different perspective. It has to be good, creative, personal and consistent, not to mention the photographer's personality on the day. And that is something you cannot see from a website really. Most photographers would show you one truly great shot of one particular wedding and would move on to the next wedding. To my opinion this is not being honest. But this is what our societies have been driven for decades now. As little people have knowledge about the trade they get excited about the flashy bits. And on their wedding day or after this is a very different bitter story. This is what is happening for the last two years especially.

The recession came on, the digital quality increased and ways of promoting become almost free, therefore everybody wants to be a wedding photographer as there is little work left in other industries. Because wedding photography has never been taken seriously from the professional milieu, all sorts of amateurs come in and lower the dedication and quality.
I was an amateur too 10 years ago, but I studied in the best schools and worked in the top environments dedicated to outstanding quality. And when I started on the market I had a certain experience about the trade from its history, lab, computer, studio and street photography. I just had to put all that into practice. And I always reinvent and diversify my projects to keep my wedding practice fresh and creative. All that dedication, whether it is photography or graphic design, architecture, cooking etc... deserves a certain salary. Because your passion is your life, and it keeps on expanding, and you keep on improving.

Today everything looks the same. And amazingly a lot of stuff looks truly great. But if you know how to read an image like I have been taught, you realise that most productions out there are fake. Most photography and wedding reportage included is heavily retouched. Most photographers nowadays rely on the retouching to make their visual look appealing. A good journalist should be someone who doesn't almost touch the photograph. Look at most website and you see some kind of ideal world, clean, pure, isolated like in a bubble. This is not real life. Our lives are messy, contradictory, complex, certainly not perfect. But this is the wedding photographer's duty to capture the essence and beauty of each event within that chaos. We have to try our best always and remain invisible. I see reportage photography like being a juggler. You know the pattern and you know the tricks, everything can collapse at any time and you always want to add this extra ball.

To aim at delivering consistent quality and quantity is a risky game but truly exciting. This a lot of hard work and practice - practice is the secret - nothing new?! To handle your camera to a point that it becomes invisible to even yourself, that it becomes a simple eye extension is the real price that people should be aiming at. To capture an emotion, a tear. Being at the right place...has nothing to do with devices and technology but it has to do with your eye, your brain and your experience. You can show me the most amazing landscapes and venues where the couple is standing straight tiny in the middle, you can show me crazy effects from the flashy to the soft poetic, that doesn't turn me on. Effects are here to disturb to attention and to hide that the material is actually not so interesting. In true reportage there is no trick, no effect. Not true in fact there are some, but they are set beforehand, a split second while dancing with the action in order to immerse you in the best possible way, but never after. To manipulate after shooting is simply not right in a reportage term. This is personally not the way I understand this genre of photography. By doing so you simply prove that you missed the shot, you missed your intention and have not much to say, and you try to cover it up.

As we can see a photography doesn't cost much anymore. Compare to few years ago where a certain investment, raw dedication and time were needed. A decent camera, a zoom lens and a computer is the minimum required nowadays. In fact you could actually say that we are all photographers. But unfortunately we are not. Like any other trade, quality has nothing to do with the tool used but with the brain who is in charge. Because this brain will take you much further than any tool. And scientist are here to remind us that fact.

PHOTOGRAPHY DOESN'T COSTS ANYTHING ANYMORE, BUT GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PRICELESS BECAUSE MONEY CANNOT REPLACE THEIR MAGIC. THEIR TRUE VALUE LIES ON THE EMOTION CAPTURED IN THE EPHEMERAL, SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED, LIKE ONCE WE WERE YOUNG.

PATIENCE, EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING

For many years now magazines have been giving tips away to couples about wedding preparation. The area that concerns us has been widely described and keeps on changing due to the new technologies and therefore clients' expectations of the final product. You would expect magazines and editors to be on top of that subject as it is the primary matter they are working with. But... you would be surprised to realise that most people even within the industry cannot read an image, and/or do not consider it as a art piece and performance. The trouble is that digital photography has enabled the novice to feel like a pro. Whether you are working with film or digital, a good photographer remains a good photographer. Usually people who have the film background find it easy to move on with digital to push it further. And the newcomers who start with digital find it too easy to handle and therefore become lazy. When I mean lazy, is that they actually spend endless hours retouching and making it look amazing, but the truth is that the emotion and content has never been within the frame in the first place.

To take great pictures has nothing to do with your equipment, but it's down to your eye and your brain only. You cannot recreate a tear and the facial expression that comes with it with software manipulation. You have to be there, in the waiting, observe, apprehend and capture it. Old style you might say, but that is the only way with film or digital. That has nothing to do with technology.

I always find it surprising that images have been the original way or communicating (caves) before we started writing, but still most people cannot actually understand what lies behind. To be honest, as an image maker, after years of experience you know how to translate an emotion. It is a training like any other based on human experience. If you want to be a wedding photographer you want to produce as many images with meanings. To photograph a moment means to transform an event into an exhibition or a contemplation, a mirror effect. That takes years of knowledge and empathy with your subject to control. You cannot pretend being a good wedding photographer being totally detached from it. If you do not feel like being involved you should move towards product photography. As a wedding photographer you are being involved in a unique experience where the couple completely relies on you. You become the single privileged observer working on behalf of the couple. And you have to respond in the best possible way every single time. It is a business in which you cannot become complacent. Each wedding is a challenge, this is my way forward anyway. And you can apply it to any kind of practice.

Today unfortunately, the digital may seem like it is a medium that anyone can embrace securely.
Well, more and more people bring they digital camera at weddings. And to be honest it becomes a nightmare for me as one person out of two in my pictures carry or perform with they camera. That doesn't look great really. I think a wedding should be enjoyed first as a guest. A wedding is not a fashion shoot where everyone think he/she can be the photographer. Our lives are being more and more comfortable through the lens of the camera and takes the human experience away. I find it a shame. If you ask most people nowadays how were their vacations, they first show you a hundred of meaningless pictures and don't have much to say about it because they think their pictures can translate it. The truth is that taking photograph is a real job which most people don't learn, and therefore their pictures do not relate much to what it was all about. Or I should say that in fact it completely relates to what they experienced then, meaning they took a lot of pictures...

More and more people think they understand photography and can become photographers themselves within a couple of months with a special course. I do not want to sound conservative but what ever you want to achieve in life deserves time, years of practice and passion. Too many photographers only are because of money and think they can make a good life - it is a myth!
As a freelance you battle daily for your survival and you better be passionate about it. 90% of those who claim to be photographers give it up within 2 years. And to call yourself a photographer means to me that you make a living out of it.
In fact most "photographers" are keen amateurs. There is nothing wrong with that, but people who really need a professional get confused and we end up in the mess we are now. People don't trust photographers anymore. First because they think they can do it themselves thanks to digital and also because they have been told that they don't need a professional and that a cousin who is a "photographer" can do it almost for free. That is what has happened in the last couple of years. The result - people keep on contacting me to retouch the horrendous materials, or that their photographer lost the materials or the back-ups, or that it will take months before delivery, etc...the list is endless. But the clients are also to blame for not being interested and not using common sense.

We always say that a picture is better than a 1000 words. But trust me, to take those special pictures requires special talent, not a mobile phone. Today platforms, magazines, blogs and others diffuse millions of pictures and therefore require thousand of multitasking editors who cannot be good at one single thing because they are being asked to do several at once. The more we produce, the less quality we get, and therefore the less we expect, that's as simple as that. Do you want less or more ?

POSTERS TO CELEBRATE

Two limited edition posters from Format Festival are now available online.
Nadine and Tony could join your walls for a very special price.
Each poster is an A2 size with a very smooth finish.
You can frame them or glue them as they are also designed to be advertised.
One copy is £15. If you want one of each it will be £25 only. Postage fee is on top.
Every single copy has an original sticker/stamp as a proof authenticity and my signature.
You can email me at david@2exposures.com for further details.

CITY PROJECT Official release online

MAKE IT A GOOD...

By david boulogne

Book Preview

FORMAT FESTIVAL 1 year already

Last year in March my Inadequates series were exhibited in the great cinema hall on the top floor of the brand new Quad building in Derby. 24 images ( 12 very large / 12 A2's) of mine were displayed. Next door was Magnum agency showcasing their In Motion concept. You could find under the same roof Cyndy Sherman, Gregory Crewdson, David Lynch, Eric Baudelaire, Hannah Starkey, William Eggleston and many others. Wim Wenders was also part of it in a separate venue.
I wish all the best to the festival which is the best in UK. The layout, location and selection is what you would expect from a top international feast celebrating Photography. Unfortunately the attendance was relatively poor and it really somehow describes the situation in which Photography is nowadays - in serious doubt...

SPEECHES AND REACTIONS

Today let's talk speeches.
Everybody has had a nice breakfast and a few drinks, and we cannot wait to hear those embarrassing stories. The traditional order of speakers is father of the bride, bride groom and best man. I have been told few years ago that apparently the father' speech is actually quite recent as the tradition would invite a speaker on behalf of the bride's father.

Speeches are the formal part that most people would see as not a very interesting part to photograph. On the contrary I would say ( are you surprise ?) This is a very special moment where all the attention of the audience is towards the speaker. Therefore you have an opportunity to capture some amused, focused, touching moments and faces. Establish a procedure of priorities to make the most of it.

1/ father of the bride: speaker, bride, bride's mum, siblings, groom, grandparents and guests
2/ groom: speaker, bride, his parents, her parents, siblings, grandparents, best man and guests
3/ best man: speaker, groom, bride, bride & groom and guests
4/ bride eventually: speaker, groom, her parents, his parents, siblings, close friends and guests.

It is important to have few shots of the speaker with various expressions and ways of framing but do not spend too much time on him as it is quite limited somehow. It is a character with a mouth opened and a background. If you can get shots including the speaker and the persons he is talking about in order to create a story line within one shot. Mind the table's decorations.
I am not someone very keen on wedding videos in general but I would suggest you to have one during the speeches as the talking is more important than the visual (same applies to the ceremony)

Once you have the formal shots in the box and covered most of the people involved in the wedding party you can allocate some time going around the tables discreetly to capture people's reactions. That's the fun part where you need to have experience to not spend too much time on one person only. After few weddings you start understanding how it works. You know when the catch phrase is about to be delivered. You need to be fast and discreet. Being tall I always have to kneel not to block the view and my knees start hurting a bit...
For the speeches you need to anticipate, be fast, shoot while listening, shoot and get the next shot or person ready in mind, be discreet and fluid, have an extra pair of eyes in your back and be physically fit. Quite a few things to know then...

GROUP SHOTS

This part of the day is somehow crucial. Not the most exciting one from a photographer's point of view. Neither from the couple's I would say, especially if they are really into reportage. But we all have to make compromises and this formality is very important for the parents, the families and for the testimony. I am going to explain the basics of group photography.

A - a list of group shots has to be decided between the photographer and the couple before the wedding day. It is always tricky as most of my clients do not want that many. But I always advise them to speak to their parents first on that particular point. They usually come back to me with quite a few more than first expected. Get those groups on a piece of paper in the most logical and convenient way. Once you agree with the couple on the correct order, ask them to provide copies of the definitive list to the ushers or people who can help on the day.


B - always try to be the most central as possible in your composition. The best lens to use is the 50mm as it doesn't create distortions. Well sometimes depending of the location it is not possible but try the best you can. Be also very central related to the height of your camera. Meaning the best way to maximize neutral effect is by positioning your camera at mid-height which is usually by the belly button of your subject. This is what I am showing in the first two pictures whether it is vertical or horizontal. I only photograph a maximum of four characters vertically. This composition gives too much importance to the space rather than the characters if more people are involved. I would say that the 3/4 of my group shots are landscape.

C - always leave some room on the side when it is possible (pictures 1 & 2). Most wedding photographers use 135mm which fits perfectly standard frames or 6x4 or 6x9 inches prints. But quite often parents want to have that particular photograph in a 7x5 or 6x8 inches frame, and therefore the picture will have to be cropped. If you don't leave some room some characters will partially disappear in the process of printing. It is also best to have the people right in the middle, but sometimes the background is quite eloquent and I therefore compose with my group in the lower part of the image as shown above.


D - always have two locations for your group photographs when possible. One indoor and one outdoor. Most people prefer outside but you never know. There is no real need in visiting the venue beforehand. That choice has to be made within 5 minutes depending on where the drink reception is organized and the weather. There is no point in choosing a beautiful backdrop if it is 100 yards from the drinks reception. That will make everybody very upset and you will have no control over the fast turnover needed at this stage. Find somewhere nice, dry, convenient with neutral background. Group shots are about people not about landscapes or architecture. If you can have the two, well that's your lucky day.


E - in most cases use the flash. Feeling flash is the most useful here like the three pictures shown above . It is a very subtle technique. Get the light as if you were shooting without and set your flashgun low or mid-power. That freezes better the composition and highlight gently the skins. Especially useful when the ladies are wearing hats ( or men top hats). You can use you flash to a higher power when you are facing somehow the sun ( two top ones above). Always try though to find natural elements that can help you to soften the high contrast ( like the walls or under a tree). Then set the power of your flash accordingly ( you need some experience here I am afraid). Make also sure the faces are on a dark or medium background to avoid the flair. I got it right on the second sample as I wanted to create a effect but that's a bit risky for someone who has no real control over the flash experience ( especially in the rush ! )


F - you can also create some very subtle effects without flash while shooting. Sometimes the sky is quite grey and you have this overcast weather condition. This is perfect from a photographer's point of view. It's like a huge studio set with soft boxes. Get your exposure right and then open by half-stop or a full stop. You will keep all the details in the background and outfits, and will gently highlight the skins. Beware: this is a different story when you have to photograph black skins. You have to stick then to feeling flash photography. You can take obviously beautiful photograph of black skins without flash, but at this stage of the day it is too risky to recommend.


G - big group shots have been highly requested in the last few years. I tend to do it 5/10 minutes before the guests are called for diner. You cannot organize it yourself and really require the ushers here. You have to know exactly where the guests have to be taken to. Here again the closest to the main hall is the best. Ladies with high heels are not so keen on walking 100 yards on the grass. So old people might take a good 10 minutes to get there. Once you manage to get everybody's attention shoot quite a few times. Speak to them, make them laugh, make them interact. You will never succeed in having everybody looking at you, so don't be frustrated, that's human nature and logistics. Try to get the most important people in the first two rows and fill as much as possible you frame baring in mind the cropping issue I mentioned earlier. Once you have 2 or 3 good shots you can then announce that the diner is about to be served.


The group shots are not terribly exciting but they are elementary and necessary. They have to be performed technically perfectly and with synchronicity. Make this make easy for the couple who will have to pose for most photographs. That can be even more painful for them than for you. Keep them entertained, give them water and support, give them directions, that's what they need. You are somehow the center of attention and you have to give orders to make this part as swift and enjoyable as possible. Just say "cheese"