Advice

Weddings can be very expensive occasions these days and couples are always looking at ways to save money.

With digital cameras being more advanced these days, many amateur photographers are trying to make some extra money by offering cheaper wedding photography. This is very tempting when you are working to a budget but it doesn't always pay off.

In this digital age it is easy to forget that copyright is always attached to a photographer's or artist's work. A customer commissioning a photographer to create wedding or portrait photographs is paying for the time taken to create the images and process them afterwards.

With so many North East wedding photographers around these days, it can be quite daunting choosing the right photographer. Also, with wedding day budgets getting bigger and bigger, sometimes it's the photography budget that gets cut. Nearly everyone knows someone who is "keen on photography" and would do it for a fraction of the price of a professional. But consider the points brought up below.

~ First and foremost, you need someone you feel comfortable with, as your photographer will be present for most of your special day.

It's that time of year when there are lots of twinkly lights about and people mention getting some bokeh in their photographs. Are you thinking "What the heck is this bokeh thing?"? Well I can tell you, and give you some tips on how to achieve it.

Bokeh is where specks of light in the background of a photograph are blurred out into shapes or circles. All of the photos below were taken in front of Christmas tree lights.

One of my customers posted a photo on her facebook page of three bridesmaids dresses that I'd photographed in different colours. A great idea to have the same dress in different colours for your bridesmaids. Then I wondered if I'd photographed the dresses on different days as they looked so consistent. I hadn't done those ones on different days but I found the three below which I had photographed on different days (and in two different locations!).

With wedding budgets escalating, I've seen more and more couples opting for wedding photography and images only packages. I offer both wedding album packages and an images only package so that no one misses out on great wedding photography.

As a photographer, I always take my camera on holiday with me. Albiet it's my entry level camera as the pro one is just too heavy to be carrying around all day every day. I thought I'd share a few of my holiday photos with you and let you know what appealed to me about the scenes I photographed.

Out of all of your wedding suppliers, your wedding photographer is the one person who you will see for almost the whole wedding. They will be interacting with your guests and putting you into poses so it's essential that you feel absolutely comfortable with them. They make take fantastic photographs but if they are going to get on your nerves all day then that could spoil your wedding day.

Almost everyone has a camera on their phone now. People probably take at least one photo a day. Maybe it's to share straightaway on social media. Some of these images can probably be seen as throw-away. Share the moment when it happens. But what about the photos that you want to keep?

As we get towards the end of the school holidays, most people will have been on their summer holidays. If you're like me, you will have taken lots of photos of your lovely time away. But you don't want to leave all of those photos on your camera or phone to be forgotten. Here are a few tips for managing your holiday photos.

1. As soon as you have transferred your pictures onto your computer, make a second folder of them.