FAQ – I

I get a lot of questions by email from potential customers and also from other photographers so I’ve decided to list some here and answer them over the next few months….

First some client questions :

1. What style do you shoot weddings?

Mainly my style is documentary, I shoot and process images with a view to creating very sharp clean colourful interesting images. I say documentary because its slightly different to the common reportage style that is popular at the moment. Documentary aims to give maximum coverage while creating a final set of images that tell the story of a wedding day. So in essence when you look through the images after a wedding you should get a real feel for the day.

I shoot this way because my interest has always been in people photography and capturing great moments while people are unaware. Of course you can mix this with posed images and even some set up shots but I try to minimise that depending on what the client wants and ensure that they feel comfortable in front of the camera. Overall I love creating exciting images that can make you smile and remain timeless. Sometimes I feel over posed images when you look back at them in years down the road will not reflect the through image of the couple on the day.

2. Do you scout a location before shooting there?

The answer is always, while I like to shoot creatively by the seat of pants, I also like to have an idea of the area and also have a few shots planned and have the lay of the land on the wedding day in my head. I think this adds to the scope of shots and allows me to think fast if the weather changes things.

3. What equipment do you use?

All my camera equipment is canon, I use only high end professional cameras and lenses when it comes to photography this is an area you just can’t skimp. I know start off photographers will use less professional equipment and this can be ok if their prices reflect that but eventually if you take your job serious you need the best gear. Image quality, reliability and durability is so important you have no choice your equipment CANNOT break down on a wedding. I have backups for everything and I also use some off camera flash if I want to control my light better.

My main equipment is :

Canon 1ds Canon 5d MKII

50mm L 1.2  lens (the L is for professional grade glass)

135mm L 2.0 Lens

24-70mm L 2.8 Lens (workhorse lens)

70-200mm L 2.8 Lens

16-35mm L 2.8 Lens

24mm L 1.4 Lens

I use canon flashes mainly off camera.

If you have any questions you’d like me to answer just send them to the blog contact from and I’ll include them on a future post.