CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER I

NAME :: Leslie Roark Photography

WEBSITE :: www.leslieroark.com 

BLOG :: www.leslieroark.net 

LOCATION :: Pensacola, Florida

NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE BUSINESS :: 2

How/When did you discover that had talent?

About 4 years ago I started working for a local photographer. It was not long after that I bought my very first DSLR and started photographing anything and everything. With much encouragement from family and friends, two years later my daughter was born I decided to start my business so that I could stay home with her the first year!

What should couples consider when choosing a wedding photographer?

There are a couple important things brides should consider when choosing a wedding photographer! The first is their style. With the unlimited resources provided by the World Wide Web brides can now research thousands of photographers to find exactly what they like best. Some prefer vintage while others might prefer bright and colorful. Then, once they start meeting with potential photographers they should make sure to choose someone they are comfortable with. The photographer that they choose should be someone that they can relate to as a friend and have no reservations with. After all, they will be with the bride and groom all day!

When choosing a wedding photographer, I always tell my couples to look for a professional photographer with ‘the eye’. Do you agree with me on the importance of that or am I being paranoid?

I do thank that “having an eye” is important and not for the obvious moments that should be captured but for the not so obvious. For instance, a photographer should be able to walk through the location of the ceremony or reception and see immediately where they can take pictures even if the couple might not see what you see.

How can couples help the wedding day flow smoothly?

The number one way couples can help the wedding day flow smoothly is by relaxing! It’s their wedding day and the more relaxed they are the more relaxed everyone else is. When everyone is relaxed they are able to have fun and really enjoy the day. That makes for the most natural, candid pictures and allows everyone to have fun!

Why do your couples choose you?

My couples choose me because I remind them of a friend. I am someone that they feel comfortable with and they trust my instinct and ability to capture moments they might never remember otherwise. They also love my work and my ability to capture natural, real emotion.

Some photographers simply print their images. Tell us how/why you decide to edit an image to give it more character? And can you show us an example of before/after?

I choose to edit my photographs because it adds that extra touch and sparkle. Sometimes the simplest touch can turn a great photograph into a “WOW” photograph. In the images shown below, I loaded the images in Lightroom. Once there, I applied an enhancement to the image. It heightened the brightness and the contrast and slightly lowered the saturation. This process makes the color pop while keeping the skin tone natural. I then exported the image out of Lightroom and into Photoshop and ran a sharpening action that pulls out the details (such as eyelashes) to make them stand out a bit more.

To capture all you do throughout the wedding day you must have eyes in the back of your head. Is that a learned technique or instinct?

Having eyes in the back of your head is both an instinct and a learned technique. As photographers we know what moments to anticipate, but it’s also learning where to be at the right time for the photograph to have the best composition!

What would you love to scream to the mountaintops to couples who are in the process of choosing their wedding photographer?

CHOOSE SOMEONE THAT FEELS LIKE AN OLD FRIEND!!! Seriously, I know that I’ve said this several times already but it’s the truth. If a bride and groom are in any way uncomfortable with their photographer they are only going to want them to go away and be annoyed all night. If they have a photographer they are comfortable with, they won’t even realize they are there because they will be having fun and enjoying themselves!

Your impromptu thoughts on wedding photography ::

It’s your day…make sure you don’t regret letting Uncle Joe, who just bought a new “really cool” digital camera, capture the only physical memories you will ever have of your wedding day!