Wedding photographer, Rob Clayton, shares his expert insights into the world of wedding photography.
Rob Clayton knows the ins and outs of the meticulous planning and unique challenges that come with wedding photography more than most. A familiar name to JLife readers (you’ll spot his work in most editions!), Rob helps us to discredit some of the most popular myths he hears surrounding photography of the big day…
“You just click a button all day!”
If only it were that easy! For every shot I take, there are multiple decisions to be made: what exactly am I photographing? Which lens do I need? What angle do I take? And more! At the average Jewish wedding I’ll take over 6,000 images, that’s a lot of decisions to make! And then there’s the 14+ miles I’ll walk on average through the day while schlepping my oversized cameras around.
By the time I get home, I’m not just physically drained, but mentally exhausted too.
“Anyone can be a wedding photographer.”
Technically speaking, this is true – there’s no barrier to entry, so anyone can pick up a camera and begin shooting weddings. But to do a good job? That takes a specific skill set, in-depth photography knowledge, and real wedding experience. I don’t even think photographers in other fields could do a good job covering a wedding. Wedding photography requires you to be proficient in almost every other type of photography – portraits, action, macro, architecture, documentary, etc. Weddings also throw every possible scenario at photographers, from poor lighting and tight spaces to terrible weather and reluctant bridesmaids and pageboys. Knowing how to act and react in such circumstances – and still get the best possible pictures – is something only experience can teach.
“Wedding photographers are all the same.”
Probably the most obvious way to differentiate between wedding photographers is by the quality of the final product. Beyond that, there are several different approaches to capturing a wedding day.
Some photographers like to take charge of every moment, while others will take a purely fly-on-the-wall approach and not orchestrate anything at all.
For myself, I prefer to let all the moments unfold naturally and only take some control when it comes to formal family pictures. The moments we capture, the lighting we use, the way we edit, and what we choose to emphasise, all varies.
“It’s all about the camera.”
Modern cameras are amazing machines. But having an amazing machine is not the same as knowing how to use it to its potential. I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has said to me “I bet that camera takes amazing pictures”.
It can take amazing pictures, but when I forget to take the lens cap off, it takes rubbish ones!
I’d argue it’s the person holding the camera that matters more.
“You must have two photographers.”
This is simply not true. Of course, there can be advantages to having two photographers, but no picture can ever be 100% guaranteed.
With careful planning and coordination, it’s not a problem to capture extensive coverage of an entire wedding on my own. While it’s not a problem for me to provide an additional photographer, I’d always consider how necessary it is.
“It’s so hard to relax in front of a camera.”
I’m happy to concede that at first, it may feel a bit unnerving to have a big camera following you around, but you’ll be amazed at how quickly your mind turns to other things with so much going on during the day. Amid all the excitement and energy – and taking a more documentary-style approach – I just become part of the furniture, which in turn allows everyone to act as if I’m not there at all, it’s completely natural.
“It’s just a day’s work.”
A wedding photographer’s job definitely doesn’t start and end on the day. Before each wedding, there’s the planning – meetings to arrange a coherent schedule for the day, ensuring every detail the couple wants photographed is included. After the wedding, once all the images have been saved and backed up, it’s time to go through them and pick the ‘keepers’.
This is known as ‘culling’, and with over 6,000 photographs to go through from a typical Jewish wedding, this alone can take a long time. If I spend just five seconds looking at each picture, it takes more than eight and a half hours (without breaks) just to get through a full set. Eventually, they’ll be whittled down to around 1,000 images, which all require individual editing; this process can take several days from start to finish!
Info@robclaytonphotography.co.uk
@robclaysphotos