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John Rahim
John Rahim is a leading wedding and portrait photographer. Contact: 020 8339 9946 or visit the website www.johnrahim.com. |
John Rahim answers all your Photography related questions |
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Come rain or shine
Q. Most of my wedding day is planned to take place outside. I am paranoid that my photos will be ruined if it rains. What shall I do?
A. John Rahim says: Firstly don't panic. You can't do anything about te weather so worrying won't change the forecast. That said, it is advisable to meet with your photographer at your venue prior to your wedding to talk through the suitable places to take your photos. They can decide where to take the formal and family pictures if the weather is anything but ideal.
If it does rain on your wedding day, use it to your advantage. I have taken some wonderfully romantic pictures of brides and grooms huddling under an umbrella on a blustery day - it just means being creative. Also if the rain persists it's important to be flexible, and if there is a break in the weather, nip out and have your pictures taken. |
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Package deal
Q. I have noticed that some photographers don't specify the inclusion of a CD in their packages. Is the inclusion of a CD with wedding pictures a standard practise or will I be expected to pay extra for this?
A. John Rahim says: If you have spent any time comparing wedding photograpy packages you will know that the services offered vary greatly from photographer to photographer.
In the days of film it was totally unheard of to include the negatives in the package as the photographer made a substantial margin on selling reprints after the wedding.
The introduction of digital photography changed this and now most photography changed this and now most photographers will include some kind of CD with most of their packages. However, if a CD is provided you will need to check what resolution the images are. The resolution of the pictures will determine if you can make reprints from the CD or if you can only view it on your computer or television set. |
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Package deal
Q. I have noticed that some photographers don't specify the inclusion of a CD in their packages. Is the inclusion of a CD with wedding pictures on a standard practice or will I be expected to pay extra for this?
A. John Rahim says: If you have spent any time comparing wedding photography packages you will know that the services offered vary greatly from photographer to photographer. In the days of film it was totally unheard of to include the negatives in the package as the photographer made a substantial margin on selling reprints after the wedding.
The introduction of digital photography changed this and now most photographers will include some kind of CD with most of their packages. However, if a CD is provided you will need to check what resolution the images are. The resolution of the pictures will determine if you can make reprints from the CD or if you can only view it on your computer or television set.
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Plan B
Q. What happens if my photographer is ill on my wedding day? Will I be covered by my wedding insurance or do I need a back-up plan?
A. John Rahim says: Most photographers will know other people who can cover for them if they are ill. However, if they are up to the same standard as the photographer that you have booked the likelihood will be that they may be busy as well. In reality this is a very rare occurrence and over the past 10 years I have never missed a wedding due to ill health.
Your wedding insurance will cover you for most issues however, many insurance policies only cover the policyholder for negligence on the photographers part and not ill health. Either way it's a good idea to read the small print of your policy and find out what provisions they have in the unlikely event of not being able to make it. |
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A waiting game
Q. How long should I wait for my photos after I get back from our honeymoon? A friend of mine waited six months for their album. Is this reasonable?
A. John Rahim says: This really depends on the package you have booked with your photographer and what you have agreed in advance. Most photographers who shoot digitally will have the photographs on their website or online store by the time the couple get back from their honeymoon.
If proofs are included within your package it is not unreasonable to expect these no later than two weeks after your wedding day. Wedding albums can be completely different and, depending on the size and the style of your album, can take a number of months to design and print.
Many of the more expensive album companies are based in Australia and New Zealand. These are printed and assembled after the couple have decided on the pictures that they want to use and the design, and it can take up to eight weeks for these to be made and despatched. When you book your photography package it is a good idea to find out where their albums are from and whether or not the printing can be done in the UK or if it needs to be done abroad. |
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Two's company?
Q. I am having quite a big wedding and am worried that my photographer won't be able to cover everything that I would like. Should I hire a second photographer?
A. John Rahim says: It's imperative that you work out the timings with your photographer at least a couple of months before your wedding day, that way if you require extra coverage they will be able to enlist the help of an assistant or second photographer to cover all aspects of the day.
When you meet with your photographer prior to your wedding it's important to be realistic with the timings of the day. In the main although I tend to work alone at most weddings, at some Indian or Jewish weddings it becomes very difficult to cover all aspects of the proceedings by myself. I tend to not charge extra if I decide to use an assistant; I would charge around 30% extra if a second photographer is required for six hours or more.
If you are worried about the coverage you have booked with your photographer, speak to them as they may have a suitable solution which won't break the bank. |
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Food for thought
Q. My photographer is booked to cover my wedding for 10 hours; do I need to feed him, and if so what provisions should I make?
A. John Rahim says: It's important that if your photographer is going to be with you all day you discuss their eating arrangements well in advance. It's not reasonable to expect your photographer to work 10 hours straight without a break or lunch; however likewise you should not feel that you are expected to seat them with the guests at the wedding breakfast unless you have agreed this with them.
I personally always bring my own food to all weddings that I cover and prefer to eat by myself rather than sit down with the rest of the guests. This allows me to focus on what I still need to do, download memory cards and recharge batteries rather than having to make polite conversation with the guests.
Also the wedding breakfast is one of the most expensive elements of any wedding day so I feel it's unreasonable to expect the bride and groom to outlay further expense by feeding the staff that they hire. |
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Money back guarantee
Q. My wedding photographer wants us to pay a hefty deposit. What happens to this in the unlikely event we have to postpone or cancel the wedding?
A. John Rahim says: Typically if you cancel or postpone your wedding many suppliers will not refund your deposit, however this should be checked before making your booking. In most cases it?s very unlikely that you will want to change suppliers once you have booked them however the onus will be on the person making the booking that they are clear on what the supplier?s policy is. I would strongly advise that anyone planning a wedding takes out wedding insurance. If a wedding needs to be cancelled or postponed for a legitimate purpose, in most cases the wedding insurance company will compensate for any losses incurred.
I personally offer brides the assurance that if they need to postpone their wedding, that all of the money paid to my company will be refunded. Although this only happens on very rare occasions it?s one less thing for a bride to worry about in the months leading up to her big day. |
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Always be prepared
Q. How much preparation should my photographer do before my wedding?
A. John Rahim says: In the same way that you would expect to meet your venue representatives or caterers at least three times before your wedding to lock down your plans and cover all eventualities, the same should apply to your wedding photographer.
Typically the first time you’ll meet your photographer is when you visit them for your initial consultation. After you appoint a photographer to cover your wedding you should expect to meet them twice again and visit the location you are getting married as well as the reception venue. Even if the photographer has done lots of wedding at the venues, this will be the first time that you will be getting married there and it’s important that you are given every assurance that your photographer knows what they will be doing on your big day.
The things that you should discuss are timings on the day, type of photography and any formal pictures that you are looking for; who will be helping with the formal pictures and so on. It is also important that you walk around the church or venue and discuss where you would like your photos to be taken and what may be a suitable backdrop for your formal and family pictures. After the meeting, the photographer should prepare a formal photo and timings list, which then should get signed off by the bride and groom. By doing this you will know exactly what your photographer will be doing and what will happen if it rains on your big day (unfortunately this can happen in Surrey)!
Many photographers offer couples pre-wedding photo shoots a couple of months before their wedding day. I regularly do this and find this a useful time to bond with the couple before their wedding day. It might sound cheesy but the old saying still rings true in wedding photography, “Fail to plan, plan to fail” and good preparation ensures everyone can relax on your big day. |
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