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Proud pup mom, type A creative, lover of the outdoors, Top Chef fan girl, and wedding and portrait photographer. Welcome to the blog!
HI, I'M RACHEL!
welcome!
micro WEDDINGS
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One of the best ways I can serve my clients is acting as a consultant. I love to help by shining a light on details people may never think of! I’ve had lots of behind-the-scenes opportunities to observe how much a couple is enjoying their wedding day, and if they’re not, how much of that is because of their wedding photographer. Through this experience I’ve come to realize us wedding photogs are so much more than the photos we deliver. I know how much wedding photographers shape your day and this blog post will tell you the five biggest ways we do so.
1. Wedding photographers shape your day through our influence on the timeline.
A wedding photographer can shape your day through helping you create your wedding day timeline (well before your wedding day) based on making sure the important photos fit within the timeframe you hired them for, or around magic hour if they’re a natural light photographer, or suggesting how much time you should dedicate to each portion of your day.
If your photographer does not participate in the creation of your timeline with those expert suggestions, their influence on your timeline will occur on the day of your wedding. Â It will depend on whether they go over or stay within the time you or your wedding coordinator have allotted for each portion of your day. More on that later…
2. Wedding photographers shape your day with our photography style.
Every wedding photographer falls within a particular style of photography – and there are many! I’ll highlight a few here:
A true photo journalist wedding photographer will stand back and capture things as they naturally unfold, so they won’t be interacting with you or shaping your day much at all.
A fine art photographer will shape your day by creating epic moments and instructing you on how to stand and where to look for posed portraits. These photographs tend to be more serious, so you’ll be giving a lot of ‘model face’ on your wedding day!
A super creative photographer will have you trying all kinds of things, from making different shapes with your bodies to jumping around or crouching, to finding cool locations, angles, and light where they can shoot. You’ll want to make sure you’re up for anything on your wedding day!
And last, a more hands on photographer will shape your day through giving lots of instruction and may have you reenact certain moments so they can be sure they’ve gotten the shot.
There are obviously combinations of these types of photographers, as well as each group does these things on a spectrum.
3. Wedding photographers shape your day with our attitudes.
Your photographer’s demeanor will have a huge impact on your wedding day! I mentioned this in my post on ‘client experience’ (read that here): you are going to be spending all day with your wedding photographer. Their attitude will 100% shape your day.
Imagine spending all day with someone who is impatient/short/harried/rushed/unorganized/cranky/irritable/doesn’t really want to be there/confused/negative/mean/teases too much/inappropriate, etc. One of those things or a combination can negatively shape your wedding day.
If your florist is a little cranky or harried but they create stunning floral arrangements, who cares?! You don’t have to be around them for 8+ hours on your wedding day. But if you hire an unorganized or doesn’t-really-want-to-be-there photographer, the stunning photos they create won’t matter much when you’re looking at them later thinking how uncomfortable they made you all day while taking those photos!
On the other hand, imagine spending the day with someone you click with. Who is fun, encouraging, supportive, positive, organized, on time, in a good mood, happy to be there, etc. Imagine your day with that person!
4. Wedding photographers shape your day with our level of professionalism.
Your photographer needs to coordinate with your wedding planner, caterer, videographer, a second photographer (if that’s included in your package), the venue coordinator, hair and makeup artist(s), limo driver, the church coordinator, the DJ or band, hotel staff, and sometimes the florist. You want to be sure your photographer behaves professionally so they can interact with any of these people harmoniously and collaboratively.
A good photographer will interact professionally with these folks so they can advocate for want you want, so they can be sure they are all on the same page so they can get the photos you want, so they don’t miss anything, and so much more. I could do a whole post on this topic! (Maybe I will…) How your photographer interacts with your vendor team will most certainly shape your day!
5. Wedding photographers shape your day by our overall capability and knowledge.
How confident a photographer is in their overall capability and knowledge has an impact on your day. Mostly on the timeline. If someone is unsure of what they are doing, you’ll be awaiting around a lot, which totally kills the vibe! You’ll be moving around a lot to try new locations and light situations, draining your wedding party and family’s confidence in what’s going on. You’ll be running behind for every portion of your day and you won’t be enjoying any of it!
Hiring a capable, knowledgable photographer will shape your day in a positive way! You’ll be on time, always know what’s going on, rarely if ever waiting around, and you’ll feel great knowing they captured your day successfully.
All photos in this post were taken while second shooting for Dave McIntosh Photography at Celebrations at the Bay in Pasadena, MD.
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Did this post get you excited to book your own wedding, elopement, or engagement session?! If yes, send me a note and we can chat about what you have in mind: Contact Rachel
Hey – I’m Rachel! A wedding, engagements, and headshots photographer in Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia. I love taking photos of elegant people who love to laugh, as well as of much in-love couples. If your a dog owner, that’s a plus! I’m currently booking 2018 portrait sessions, as well as 2018 and 2019 weddings.
HELLO@RACHELEHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Rachel is a wedding and portrait photographer
Serving brilliant, elegant couples in Washington D.C. + Beyond
Copyright 2022 Rachel E.H. Photography | Website by Alex Collier Design
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