Wedding photographer in France - FAQs page - Normandy
Please note that sadly due to health issues I'm unable to take bookings for weddings in 2017. I miss weddings but I'm afraid I have to put health first not just for me but also for my family.
Before I return, I can highly recommend another professional photographer in Normandy, Audrey Guyon and that's exactly what she is...professional in her attitude and commitment to her clients. She's a local French photographer but speaks English well and has already photographed weddings for international clients. She works with passion and sensitivity and I recommend her 100% not just for the quality of her photos but also for her qualities as a wonderful wedding photographer.
Here's a little word from Audrey Guyon...
"As a passionate photographer, I work emotion, desire and more into every image captured in order to truthfully represent the moment or subject being photographed. I am exclusively committed to my couple for the duration of their wedding. I enjoy being involved in their preparations and offer advice, when needed, from a photographer's perspective. On the day, I live and share their wedding with them. I document the day as if the camera were a guest, allowing them to re-live their special moment over and over for happy years to follow."
Please don't hesitate in jumping over to her French website to see the quality of the images she captures. she's planning on translating her website very soon but in the mean times don't hesitate to send her an email in English,
Audrey Guyon : www.regard-photographique.com
I understand that you probably have lots of questions. I'll gladly answer any that you may have so please feel free to get in contact with me. Here are just a few of the most frequently asked questions so you can find instant answers about my style of photography and how I work with my clients.
How many hours are you with us on our wedding day?
That's entirely up to you. I believe that to completely capture your special day I should be with you right from the first preparations, even if that's a breakfast time, right through until not only you the couple have had your first dance but also that the party is in full swing and I've captured lots of the atmosphere of your guests dancing the night away, even if it's a 3am!
Therefore (within reason) I class my hours as 'unlimited' for your wedding and often that means 16-18 hours working to make sure everything important has been immortalised.
Your style is journalistic, do you still do group and couple photos?
Yes, of course, I'm there to capture all the photos that are important to you and I understand that group photos play a part in that as a moment in time for your families and friends. Whilst most of the day I'll be discreetly capturing the events (without imposition or direction from me) I'm happy to help organise and capture those all important group photos.
Can I give you a list of photos we’d like on the day?
A list of the family group shots is fine but having to constantly refer to a checklist really would slow up my day and stifle the creativity you’ve seen on this site. Some magazines and blogs provide an “essential shot list”; these are fine but I’d shoot all theses images anyway.
Do we receive every single photo taken on our wedding day?
The first thing I do, after having saved the original files in several places (both external disk drive and online) is to sort out and delete any photos where someone is blinking, an expression isn't flattering or ones where I've been making adjustments to the camera settings. Also for example, for the group shots I'll always take 3 or 4 to make sure I've got everyone looking at the camera, but there's not point in giving you near identical photos, I'll pick the one with the best expressions.
Please be assured though that I don't limit the number of photos that I give. If I see an image that captures something about your wedding day, however small and is beautiful I will give it you. I usually say that for a full wedding couples will receive 500-700 photos but if there are 800 or even 1000 good ones I'll give them to you.
Will you give us the orginal, unedited photos (RAW files)?
To give you the unedited files would be like an artist handing you an unfinished painting or a chef handing you a pile of raw ingredients. Whilst as a professional photographer your aim to achieve the best image possible with correct camera settings, a photo straight of of the camera is not yet the best it can be. Even the most up-to-date cameras can't 'see' as much as the human eye does and the post-production editing brings out the best in the image with subtle adjustments to contrast, highlights, shadows, colour and clarity (to name but a few).
Do you provide images we can share with our friends and family on social media?
As well as a set of high quality files ready to print from I will also provide a second set of the same images that are 'web-ready' for your to share on your social media accounts. These files are smaller in size and lower quality and have my logo discreetly in one corner to protect and discourage anyone from downloading and trying to steal the images for unauthorised use. Yes, unfortunately it does happen. Read about the story of the Christmas family photo of a Missouri family that ended up on an advertising campaign in the Czech Republic!
Can our friends and family view and buy images?
All images are placed in private wedding photo galleries, that can be password protected if you wish. If you give your friends and family the link and password they can view all your images and order prints that they'd like as souvenirs of your special day. The website features secure online payment, print production by professional photo lab (not available to general public) and delivery directly to the address provided. For those of you from outside France, the online ordering can be set up to feature the currencies that you need for your friends and family back home, with international delivery to their homes.
Can you speak French and help us on the day?
Yes, of course. I'd be glad to help. Feel free to ask for my help if you need to speak to any officials on the day or need to speak to any of the wedding suppliers, the caterers or venue. For example, fIf you are having religious church ceremony, even though you will have checked first, I always introduce myself to the priest/vicar and politely ask for their permission to photograph the ceremony.
Do you have back up equipment?
Of course, and that is one of the reasons to choose a professional wedding photographer and not use 'Uncle Bob'. I have back up cameras, lenses, flashes, batteries, camera cards...well everything really doubled up to make sure I have everything I need even in the unlikely event of something not working correctly.
Are there travel costs?
As I'm already based in France my travel expenses can be less than hiring a 'Destination Wedding Photographer' who lives outside France. In Normandy there are usually no travel expenses and further afield I'll always include any costs in the personalised quote right from the beginning so there wouldn't be any added extra costs afterwards.
How do we book you for our wedding photography?
Well, the first thing to do is to get in touch so we can discuss all your ideas, the date and the locations involved. I love meeting up in person but of course understand that may not be possible for clients who don't live in France. In that case it's great to have a good chat over the phone or via skype to make sure I know exactly what you're looking for so that I can put together a personalised quote. It's also a great way to get to know each other a little which is really important for us all. We need to feel confident that we are a good 'fit' for each other.
I'll send you your quote via email which is also in the form of a contract for your to have a look through. In it everything is clear for everyone, everyone knows what to expect and how they are protected. When you're ready, you can send the signed contract along with a 30% deposit payment and as soon as I have those, that's it, I'm booked to be your wedding photographer for that weekend.
