21st Jan 10
Lesley PattinsonSo just last week I attended a photography trade show so I could decide on my new album supplier…. more about that later. One thing that did concern me was the amount of companies there claiming that they could make you a wedding photographer in a weekend for a fee. Now this intrigued me having studied the craft of photography and then spent even more time getting enough experience to actually be a wedding photographer; so I pitched up posing as a novice and asked a few questions, the thing that stuck me most was not one of said companies cared whether or not you could take a photo, just that you had the desire to make some money on the weekend.
Needless to say this concerned me, I know as brides and grooms its hard to choose a photographer and you are putting your faith in the photographer you pick to capture your day and create images that blow away any your guests could have taken.
Sadly the term reportage photographer seems to have lead the way for people to think they can document a wedding without any skill or imagination to create a fantastic wedding image. Lets not forget the reportage is a term used by press photographers who are going to the front line or similar to document an event and get it into the eye of the world.
Now you could argue that you “document” a wedding and this is true but you also need imagination and creativity to contrive a shot that is full of emotion and show cases the beautiful day that is your wedding.
I think for some people that if your not photographically minded you do not know a good photograph from a bad one until you see an outstanding one, so with that in mind I would like to show you what an outstanding wedding photograph can look like, and so hopefully help you spot the said photographer who qualifies in a weekend and then shoots randomly throughout the day classing it as reportage.
I have a couple of photographers to show who are world class and I start with Janis Ratnieks an international award winning photographer based in London, UK, who is an inspiration in the world of wedding photography in my opinion, I leave it for you to decide for yourself but have no doubt you will agree.
Thank you Janis for letting me use your work to help me get my point across, if you would like to see more of his work his website is www.janisratnieks.com its certainly well worth a visit.
Believe me when I say this type of creativity and skill can not be learned in a weekend. This is what wedding photography is all about, beautiful, stunning and intimate images.
All the images below are copyright Janis Ratnieks, all rights reserved.
Nigel Morgan - Morgan PR
January 21st, 2010 at 21:47
You make an excellent point!
Anyone choosing a photographer for their wedding should ask to see how they have photographed other weddings. Preferably quite a few different weddings and a qualified photographer will happily put them in touch with happy clients.
Digital cameras have made everyone a photographer, but it doesn’t mean they are qualified or talented enough to take your wedding photographs.
I studied photography (back in the days of 35mm film!) and can take great photos myself, but when my business needs photos, or clients need photographs, when the budget allows (and it always should) I use a professional photographer.
There are weekend courses for people to learn journalism and yet after 25 years I am still learning new tricks!
Tracey Jefferies
January 21st, 2010 at 22:47
You make such good points and one’s that can transfer to other service industries as well.
Jim Millen
January 22nd, 2010 at 00:00
I’d agree 100%. I’d like to do semi-professional photography at some point – strictly amateur at the moment – and I’d not dream of taking on paying clients without several years more practice. There’s so much that you only get through putting in the time to train yourself and make mistakes, whether it’s being able to spot a unique composition, avoiding unsightly backgrounds, or managing in difficult lighting conditions.
I’m sure there’s lots that a keen beginner could learn from a weekend taught well, but that should be the start of their journey to expertise, not the end.
My view is that “reportage” or “documentary” photography is badly misunderstood. It can be interpreted as you describe – capture everything in sight, regardless of it’s artistic or emotional value. Thus we often end up with dull, boring images that don’t do justice to the events they depict.
I’d argue quite the opposite, that the soul and true purpose of photojournalism is all about the capture of that emotion and feeling. That’s what I’d like to see as “reportage” shots, whether of a wedding, or of the more sombre events more normally the subject of photojournalists.
That was a bit more long-winded than I had expected – sorry! Thanks for the photos from Janis – they are incredible. One of my inspirations, in the more photojournalistic style, is Jeff Ascough – http://jeffascough.typepad.com/.
Mike Samuels
January 22nd, 2010 at 11:19
Experience is learned over time and by making mistakes, would you entrust your most important memories to someone who has just spent a weekend on a course?
David Bailey famously said there are millions of camera owners but very few photographers.
Anyone earning their living from photography will empathise with the difficulty, convincing customers, why they should refrain from using the local amateur or Uncle Fred.
A good wedding photographer earns every penny of their fee, true expertise must be paid for; we all know the adage about ‘paying peanuts’.
What next, a Saturday evening course on how to take architectural photographs on your 10 megapixel cameraphone?
Long live the professional.