A photographers wedding preparations

When presented with a headline figure, many people wonder if their wedding photography is an unaffordable luxury and whether their photographer is "raking it in" with their high charges.

With a full day’s photography and wedding album almost always costing in excess of £1000 it seems a huge fee for a “single days’ work”.

For me however, a wedding is much more than a single days’ work and to demonstrate this I thought I'd take you through my check list for the day before a wedding.

The first task is to check that my kit is clean - this involves.

• 3 Camera bodies (two used, and one backup).   Clean viewfinder, puff dust from mirror and sensor.  
• 5 Lenses. Clean front and back elements of each, along with inside and outside of filters, clear dust from mount and exterior, check full extent of zoom and focus mechanisms for smooth travel.  Ensure set to Auto and not manual focus.

Now I have clean kit, I need to make sure that my cameras are set up correctly.   I check that all are:

• Set to the correct ISO for the expected conditions.
• Have the right motor drive mode set.
• Are set to RAW format for the highest possible image quality.
• Have their internal clocks synchronised (so that images taken across both [or all three] cameras can be imported and displayed "in time order" and the overall order is correct - which helps to tell the story of the day.
• Have the correct white balance set.
• Have the correct focussing mode set.

I can then move to my memory cards.    I prefer to use several smaller cards during the course of a wedding - this spreads the already small risk of image loss further should one card become corrupted.     I therefore need to check that every card is formatted and blank, ready to be inserted in seconds into either camera when required.

Next come the camera batteries.   Most weddings pass with one set of batteries per camera being sufficient, but of course I carry multiple backups.    Camera batteries at least, are pretty good at holding a charge but I always check that every battery is fully topped up the day before someone gets married.

Once the camera is ready I prepare the 4 flashes.   I clean the front, battery contacts and hot shoe attachment for each of these, as well as checking full zoom, bounce and rotate movements.  All are checked for use both on camera, and when remotely triggered.      I'll also check and pack my coloured gels which allow me to "create" a sunset in camera even when nature lets me down should the couple wish for this sort of shot:

These flashes run on 4xAA batteries.   I always use NI-MH rechargeables, these have several advantages.   They allow me to shoot faster than non-rechargeable batteries, and unlike normal NI-CAD rechargeables are less susceptible to "memory effect"  and don't discharge themselves whilst stored as quickly.

Each of my batteries is labelled as belonging to one of 16 sets that I carry with me always.   Every set is fully charged the day before a wedding, and goes through a multiple discharge/refresh cycle in my most advanced battery charger each six months which further prolongs their life and ensures that they are always in "tip-top" condition.

My flash triggers consist of rechargeable receivers and a battery based sender.  These are also recharged and checked before leaving for every wedding, and I also ensure I have at least one spare battery for each trigger.

Once this is all packed away safely, I can relax right?   Unfortunately not!

Now comes the car.   I can't risk any mechanical problems en-route to the wedding (even though I always build spare time into my journeys), so off to the garage it is to check:

• Fuel 
• Oil Level
• Water Level
• Tyre Pressure

Then the sat-nav needs pre-loading with the location of (all of the) venues along with printing out of paper based directions as a backup.    I'll also spend a little time here checking various travel websites for advance notice on any possible disruptions to the next day’s journeys.

Into the boot goes a stepladder (useful if I'm short of space or just need a slightly different perspective on a shot), along with a beautiful pair of white lacy umbrellas (well this is England after all!) and a very pretty clothes hanger (because you don't want a picture of a gorgeous, expensive and unique bridal gown spoiled by me shooting it hanging from a cheap, ugly clothes hanger do you?!).  I also pack the mini photo cards that will direct guests to the online wedding gallery ready to be placed on the tables at the reception.

At this stage I'll also pack at least one light stand, a reflector and possibly an easel and any signing frames that the couple want displayed at their reception.  I'll then make sure to have a couple of energy bars and some water available in the car should they be necessary on my long working day.

The expensive camera kit of course is safely locked away ready to be loaded into the car the following morning (just in case the local burglar is reading this!)

Around 10 days before the wedding l will have had a final chat with my brides & grooms, checking that there have been no last minute hitches or changes to the schedule and that I have plenty of contact numbers for the couple and the venues.    These details are printed out and additionally synchronised onto my phone, which is then fully charged and set to vibrate.

Finally, I'll remove my suit from its dry cleaning bag, check my shirt is neatly pressed and lay out the remaining clothing for the day, before shining my shoes.

As you've seen the day before a wedding is busy and a vital part of my professional service.   Missing any one of the steps can result in missed shots (or worse) and weddings are a one-time only experience.   I love the adrenaline of being in this situation, but adrenaline is quickly replaced by fear if I don't feel prepared, and that's not a pleasant sensation.

Make sure that your wedding photographer demonstrates the same level of care about your wedding photographs – you deserve nothing less!


Dan