David Oxley   L.M.P.A.    

Choosing a wedding photographer 
as recommended by The Master Photographers Association U.K.

It is vital that you choose your wedding photographer carefully, as the images will represent how you and your guests will remember your special day.

The Master Photographers Association is the only UK's body for full-time, qualified photographers, all of whom are bound by the Association's Code of Conduct.  When you choose a wedding photographer registered with them, you can be certain that they will strive continually to uphold the professional standard of their work, and deal fairly, honestly and helpfully with their clients.

You've planned your big day down to the finest of details; you don't want to leave anything to chance. So, make sure you get the perfect record of your wedding - use a professional photographer.

You only have one chance to get it right and a professional will have the experience and knowledge to cope with all possible eventualities and still turn out a great set of pictures, that you can treasure forever.

So, what are your options? You may first consider using a friend of the family, or other guest(s) to take the images. While the financial aspect of this may seem attractive, it's important to consider what experience they have and what they would do should it be raining, for example, and all the images had to be taken indoors. Also, how efficient will they be at organising people into groupings, A professional will obviously cost more, but it will be one less thing to worry about on the day.

Having ruled out a non-professional, you may also consider a part-time (semi–professional) wedding photographer. They will be cheaper than a full-time professional, but will probably not have the support network that comes with a full-time photographer. They may not have undergone any training and also may flounder when it comes to demanding conditions, such as harsh sunlight, high winds, rain, dark skies, shooting into the sunlight, etc.

A good professional photographer will have professional indemnity insurance, should the worst happen. You may also take out insurance yourself to cover against photography failure.

How do you know how good they really are?

They shoot amazing, creative pictures. This will jump out at you when you view a number of different photographers' sample albums.

View samples of complete weddings, not just highlights of the best. This is very important, as most people would get one or two good shots from every wedding, but you'll want most of your pictures to look fantastic and make YOU look great on your wedding day!

Don't be fooled by wonderful presentation. Try to look at the pictures individually and judge them on their own merits and not necessarily on how they are presented.

It's only natural that you'll want plenty of pictures taken on the day, that they'll all be great and took very little time to organise. However, please be aware that great photographs take time to be 'created'. Even the fantastic natural 'candid' shots you've seen in the wedding magazines are often 'set up' in some way by the photographer. So, consider that the photography will involve some time in your schedule - before, during and after the ceremony.

Also, volume is no substitute for quality. Today's professional who shoots with a pro digital camera will have the facility to shoot many hundreds of images. The skilled professional will shoot just one or two images of each completely different 'scene', meaning that they will use their skill and the available time to look for new and creative shots.

Make sure you get the actual photographer you book. Some studios have 'wedding operators' who do some of the photography. Ensure that if you book a named photographer (make sure it is their work you have viewed), that it is they who shoot your pictures on the day. That said, in the unlikely event of illness, a professional can often arrange for cover by another professional at short notice.

Wedding Photography
by
David Oxley  

13 June Avenue
Thurmaston
 Leicester
LE4 9TF
Tel; 0116 269 7185