No official photographer

Me too, completely self taught. I learnt from my mistakes the hard way but usually when I was out walking the dog, not at a wedding.

It helps to have great a understanding of the tech and I've always been artistic with a good ability to read people thanks to a very rough childhood. Stuff is easier to see when you pull on your past.

When I did start doing weddings I was 200, 400, 600, £800 and so on relative to my ability.

I never enter awards or competitions because they're all fixed.... (vote for me pleeeeese), so they have more to do with how many facebook friends you have than any real talent. Anything that involves voting online is a fix and I'm sure nearly everyone in this thread has had a begging vote by email.

The Swpp and societies, whilst genuine in their intentions can easily be bought into. Pay £99, get a logo, bam, you're a member. Countless togs wave their membership about like it means something. It doesn't, getting a qualification from them 'Lswpp' etc does.

Don't even get me started on the wedding industry awards, everyone who pays their £50 automatically becomes 'shortlisted' for them and yet they wave it around like it's some achievement. No, you got sucked in guys and it's really about the guy at the top wanting to buy the latest BMW.

There are some sorta genuine claims though, the wedding blogs usually have a bar to entry. So if you have a wedding featured on them you can display a logo, similarly if you pay for advertising you can have a '**** approved' button.

It helps to have some training in how to use a camera, really it does if you aren't tech savvy. I know loads of togs who go cross eyed when I say I shoot completely in Manual mode all day. Most togs out there, (2k a dayers) run around in AV or TV modes (a semi automatic mode) where they just point and shoot. But it's whatever gets the shot so I'm not saying that to take anything away from those who do.

However, Free is Free, those without a budget can't be choosey. If you are in this position though look for the emotion in their work rather than just the framing. That's where the artist, the storyteller shows themselves.

This is becoming a 'look at me, I'm a tog and...'

Let's start with competitions, NO. not all competitions are fixed, I think what you're saying Chris Giles is that when it comes to votes, those who've been around or (fill in the gap) will do better than those that haven't - Hitched had a competition (breakthrough), the first part was judged by a person whom I'd say had a good eye and being an editor of a photo mag, had seen a fair few photos. To be picked by three submitted photos is an achievement. The next phase was a public vote - again, I don't think everyone who voted did so because they knew the tog in question.

The glass is always half-full not half-empty!

Secondly, there are many societies that require a certain level of attainment / achievement in the submitted photos to be accepted and this is certainly the case for all levels of qualifications offered.

In all walks of life, there are practitioners who have had formal training and there are those whom go by building up personal experience. Almost all those with formal training will offer a certain level of ability, whether they offer what is wanted is another story. Of those who go by personal experience - the miss rate will be far higher. What would I call formal training, learning about photography and then working with someone who photographs what you want to photograph (practical knowledge).

I think most people are intelligent enough to know when they see a good photograph regardless of whether the photographer has qualifications / letters after their names etc. But, it would be misleading to suggest that training and being mentored, coached etc is bad.

Finally, knowing what mode to use in what situation is what experience is all about - no good flogging a dead horse.

Anyone with a website and a small portfolio can join the SWPP. Anyone.

Whenever the final decision is based on on a public vote it's open to abuse and manipulation. That's why you can't trust them.

I'm saying that all that glitters, isn't gold. Especially when it comes to service providers. Whenever I see someone win a category in photography I always know someone who takes a better picture. They just didn't enter and sell their integrity for votes.

The Hitched awards, I saw loads of people across the wedding groups on facebook asking for votes. Completely threw the results IMO.

Hi mate, not everyone can get a qualification though. Nobody really sells integrity for votes. That's called exposure, getting as many people as possible to see your work.

I think we both agree that public votes can depend on how many people you know rather than how good your submissions are. But, I don't think it's all negative. Competition is always a good thing for the customer.

I attend training classes, seminars anything that can further my knowledge and understanding and I think anyone who offers professional services should too. SWPP is invaluable for the indirect training and information you can get, especially when starting out.

Agreed. I'm a member of the SWPP, but only to use the forum.

Where are you getting this impression from? If anything people are recommending and encouraging the OP to give a student a try and why. I suppose it's how you interpret it. I looked at it with a 'the glass is half full' approach ?

This is factually incorrect. The first year they ran them they were free and yes this year there was a £50 fee to enter the awards. However this DOES NOT automatically mean you are shortlisted, this simply means that YOUR CUSTOMERS can vote for you. Only people whose wedding occurs within the given year, and whom have purchased a product or service from you are eligible to vote for you. Yes we need to ask them to vote, otherwise its unlikely they would even know about the awards as they cannot vote until after their wedding. But it doesn't matter how many "friends" you have - they cannot vote unless they fit the aforementioned criteria. I have entered both years, and both years there were businesses in my category who WERE NOT shortlisted. It is NOT an automatic result of entering.

I stand factually corrected

I knew they were free the first year, everyone jumped in because it was so. The 2nd year (this one) there were loads who stepped back because of the £50 charge.

The first free year wasn't mentioned because it makes the Awards ceremony 'system' really very young. It could disappear without a trace in 2013 if they don't generate enough funds for it to be worthwhile in the 2012 awards.

Exactly what my TOG said - anyone can be a member, it means little in reality, its just something nice to have (for them)

I seem to have started a disagreement which was not my intention.

I am a supporter of togs breaking in to wedding photography, and have a long track record of this. I believe that we can all learn something from everyone, even if it simply germinates a lateral process. Although I mentioned that my qualifications are BIPP approved, I never took up the option.I also don't do competitions, as in the main, those judging your work are looking for elements of their own personal style in yours.

Weddings are really stressful to those entering the profession and for a student....well, I have been on this forum for many years and have seen many more sob stories than success from couples who had gone down this route and been very disappointed.

I do appreciate that budgets are tight. With a careful look at the internet, there are some lower priced gems out there. Going down a disk only route is also a way to get a lower price. Couples can then revisit an album once they are more financially settled....

Peter

We went with two brothers who were keen photographers, one does it for a hobby and the other has a degree and actually works in the film/tv industry (and had we wanted would have videoed our wedding!) They didn't charge us and we ended up with some brilliant photos. They were with us all day and we didn't even know they were there and they took mega loads of pics. Bearing in mind we have both been married before it was more important to have one or two nice pics to record the day for posterity but without the huge price tag that is usually attached to photographers'

We have loads of pics taken by the guests too and are creating our own album from the collective bunch irrespective of whether they are 'official' or happy snaps.

Added to which we didn't want to be posing for a couple of hours therefore wasting precious time away from our guests.

With hindsight I would have videoed the speeches because my sons' speech was very humorous and he didn't write it down!! and I would have given someone the job of gathering people for photos because there were some people that were missed out of groups. But on the plus side there were lots of pics of our guests which have gone down a storm.

Only you can decide what is important to you - some photographers will for a fixed price just take X number of pics at the church for example which seems a good compromise. Official pics without the hassle and the mega bill! But other people want a record of the minute details such as dress, shoes, flowers getting ready etc etc. To each their own!!

Swampy

Well, I have managed to source a student photographer from the local uni. Thanks everyone who suggested this examples of work look great and the pics will be kept informal!!

That is brilliant news! x

No worries, best of luck. ?

I'm not having an official photographer but am having a student who has taken shots such as these of my youngest daughter

although I'm not so keen on having 1 HUGE eye but the point is student work can be different! I've also added on the invites that the only gift that I want from the guests is their gift of memory packaged how they please, I'm hoping for diverse and spontaneous pictures from the guests.