Getting Organised

This week we have had to turn so many people away that its not funny, which leads to the question, How early should you be looking to book services for your wedding??
There's no easy answer but i would suggest that its never too early. Once you have set your ceremony date you should probably be looking to pretty quickly book the main services you require. Ceremony Venue, Celebrant, Reception Venue, Cars, Photographers and Videographers you should be booking as soon as possible. Other services or products you will probably have the time to organise later, however if you dont secure the abovementioned you could end up missing out on your preferred service.
Peak times for weddings (for me anyway) are October/November and February/March/April. My bookings for the 10th and 17th of October this year were taken about 18 months in advance. The past couple of weeks we have had to turndown 4 people for the 10th, a couple for the 17th and a few more for other months.

So when people tell you that you need to get onto things as soon as your engaged dont brush it off, they are right! That doesnt mean you wont be able to find suitable alternatives you just might miss out on your preferred/ideal providers.

Caught in the act

I didnt witness it but had to laugh. After the ceremony and some photos in Pennnington Gardens, we headed down to the reception venue where the couple where also staying. The Plan was just to do some casual photos of the bridal party as they relaxed with their pre-dinner drinks and nibbles in their room.
Some how the couple where given the key to the wrong room and it actually opened the wrong room as well. I'm sure the reception desk must have made a mistake and told them the wrong room number.
Upon opening the door a couple were already in the room having sex on the bed. After a few awkward seconds, the door was quickly shut and back to the reception to get the right room number and key.
I'm sure that moment was the butt of many jokes for the rest of the night!

TAKE NOTE :

If youre going to have sex in a hotel room make sure the door is chained!

Adelaide Wedding Photography Specials

Prices from $400 with generous inclusions. Check http://www.ctrphotos.com/ for more details. Mention this ad and receive 5% off basic/intermediate package or 10% off any package $1,000 or greater if booking by the 31st of May 2009.

These dates are still available but act quick this can change quickly and we are embarking on some major advertising over the coming weeks and until further notice are going to be reducing our commitments to one ceremony per week.

Following 2009 dates are available right now!
02-May, 03-May, 10-May, 16-May, 17-May, 30-May, 31-May, 04-Jul, 05-Jul, 11-Jul, 12-Jul, 19-Jul, 25-Jul, 26-Jul, 01-Aug, 02-Aug, 08-Aug, 09-Aug, 15-Aug, 16-Aug, 23-Aug, 29-Aug, 30-Aug, 05-Sep, 06-Sep, 13-Sep, 19-Sep, 26-Sep, 03-Oct, 04-Oct, 11-Oct, 18-Oct, 25-Oct, 31-Oct, 01-Nov, 08-Nov, 15-Nov, 22-Nov, 28-Nov, 29-Nov, 06-Dec, 12-Dec, 13-Dec, 19-Dec, 20-Dec, 26-Dec, 27-Dec

These dates are Saturdays and Sundays, please check with us if your wedding is a weekday. Sorry if your Saturday or Sunday isnt listed then we are already booked.

What equipment would a professional be using

I have been pondering this question for some time, particularly since I look at photographs in a totally different way to what the average person would. In an instant I can usually pick flaws in a photograph but I've noticed that people who don't have any photographic training wont pick up the flaws, they will generally just look at the composition and the colour within the image.

Smaller print sizes can hide significant flaws with photos that will not become apparent until you attempt to print that image at a larger size. Out of focus, lack of sharpness, backfocussing can easily be hidden at small sizes, blow it up and suddenly that nice photo you wanted on canvas in your living room has to be thrown out because it looks like crap.

I cant advise regarding other brand equipment but with Nikon I suggest you look for people who are using pro level equipment as their main camera. Its ok to have a lower level camera as a backup but probably shouldnt be relying on that as their main.

With Nikon its fairly easy to identify which cameras are pro level and which are consumer. To date all consumer slr's have a model which starts with a D and then two digits, ie D50, D80, D90.
All pro level cameras have model numbers with D and three digits or D with one digit (and possibly an X) ie, D200, D300, D3, D2X.
Another way to tell the difference is that pro level cameras have no program or auto modes, the photographer has to think for themselves. Consumer cameras will have a number of program modes such as sports, landscape and portrait.

Lenses are also very important. Generally most lenses under $1,000 are not very sharp, there are some exceptions though. Most professionals would be using lenses which have an apeture of F2.8 or less. These lenses are worth a lot of money however the results are significantly superior to the cheaper lens both in colour and sharpness.
Lenses are probably more important than the camera model, a good photographer will still get fantastic results on the consumer cameras using professional lenses.

So when interviewing photographers look for people using pro level camera bodies as well as pro level lenses, that enlargement you wanted just may depend on it.

Port Willunga and Adelaide

This weeks wedding was at Port Willunga and then back to the city for a casual reception. The whole day was a low key relaxed atmosphere which was a quite refreshing as I didnt feel under the same pressure that I normally would.
Even got the chance to get the 120-400mm lens out of the kit and sit off at a distance and take some really nice candid shots.
How lucky where we to get some rain during the week to almost fill up the Torrens lake again. Still not quite there but at least we (and all the visitors to the miriad of events on at the moment) dont have to look at the smelly mud anymore! Worked out well for the couple as well as we were able to take some photos with water in the background.

Big Weekend

This Saturday was a big one, up at 5:30 am to get to Glenelg by 7:00am and then backed up with another ceremony at One Tree Hill at 4:30pm. Naturally feeling very tired by the time I got home at around 7:30pm.
Felt sorry for the couple in the morning, the groom just managed to make it through the ceremony before taking ill. I know the Bride really wanted to have some nice photos of them after the ceremony but unfortunately we didnt get the chance.
The afternoon went pretty well, no hiccups, no dramas. We got some nice photos outside the Blacksmith Inn and the Institute at One Tree Hill.
Sunday after a big of a sleep in it was obviously hard to get going, but had photo printing to organise and then off to Nairne to meet a couple looking to book a photographer for their wedding next year. Really nice couple who hopefully will book us.
There's a lot more to being a wedding photographer than just showing up the day!!!