Wedding photographers in Cardiff

—First and foremost – whom can you name as the best wedding photographer in Cardiff? :)

—The temptation here is to be slightly arrogant and name myself, but honestly, I have complete faith in my uniqueness within the kind of emotive and cinematic photography that I am known for, so within my storytelling style, there is no one better in Cardiff. I do admire a number of wedding photographers who work in the same storytelling documentary style, but none of them are based in Cardiff. The best of these UK wide photographers include the inimitable Chris Ashcough naturally, although he is in a totally different price bracket to me!

—What should be the criteria for a bride and a groom to choose their wedding photographer?

—First and foremost, the style of photography. Closely followed by reputation of the photographer based on client reviews as well as their personality. Meet the photographer if possible, in person or at lease via some sort of video conferencing. Is the photographer someone you could feel at ease with? If you can, that can often be a major reassurance for couples who are looking for that natural, documentary style. Lastly, and no least important is honesty. They should be able to deliver your precious photos within the promised timescale. When selecting a professional, something that is an absolute must would be to check that they are insured for public liability.

—How did you get into wedding photography?

—I have always loved photographing people and their expressions. This is what brought me to photography in the first place. I started with fashion photography and soon found myself covering a few events and then, photographing three weddings of close friends one after the another! I loved wedding photography at once because the range of emotions and the stories at a wedding just could not be replicated at any other event. There is so much going on that anybody who loves capturing stories could never be tired by what is going on. This is why I love being a wedding photographer. I really get to do something that I am super-passionate about!

—What do you like least about your profession?

—Marketing, marketing, marketing – the three things that are the necessary evil and I absolutely abhor! My wedding photography is totally unique and while I am increasingly being booked for the style and quality of my work, in a market saturated with wedding photographers, marketing is needed so that the bride and grooms can physically see my work.One of my mentors gave me a wonderful piece of advice, 'A great marketer with average photography skills would always be more successful than the very best photographer with poor marketing skills'. This is why, I tend to only do the least amount of marketing that I can physically get away with and spend more time concentrating on improving my craft.

—What are the most important components of a good photo in your opinion?

—For wedding photos, there is only one component for me and without this, life becomes a little ordinary – emotion. The range of emotions on the day and the stories pinned to those emotions are extraordinary and for me as a wedding photographer, the mission is always to document these moments that tell the story of the day. Over the years that I have been a wedding photographer, I have spoken to many brides who started out our first conversation with the importance of the group shots but after the wedding album was delivered, they were ecstatic about the smiles, tears and those natural moments of joy.

—Are you photogenic?

—Absolutely not, I try to run a mile when happy folks at events always want a selfie with the photographer! But, this is also why I totally understand and appreciate how people can be shy in front of the camera. Some of the best photos of me were taken totally unawares, without me knowing the camera was there. Appreciating this need for the relaxed and un-pushed approach, I think my wedding photography is all the better because I never harass anyone to smile at the camera.

—What influences the value of a photo? What are its elements?

—The emotions and the story being told makes a wedding photograph what it is. In the modern age of photographers constantly clicking away and trying to find the moment when on the editing desk is what separates a good photographer from a great one. It is far easier to find the right moment if you keep your eyes off the viewfinder from time to time!

—Do you believe that you replicate the soul of the person you are shooting?

—To answer this I need to know what you mean by the soul! I personally like to get to know my bride and groom, find out as much about them as possible, this allows me to get closer to them photographically. Without the information one can capture a moment, but never really knowing if that moment is a representative moment of who they are.

—What do you like most about your profession?

—I love the differernt stories at each wedding, this is what makes wedding photography so exciting for me. Even the same venue and colour theme are never the same because no families are the same. I truly love meeting new people and capturing their emotions and that what is what wedding photography allows me to do.

—Who would you like to shoot with?

—I absolutely love photographing the little bridesmaids and pageboys! Children for me adds a different story to a wedding so as much as I am happy to photograph childfree weddings, I always try to capture something a little special for the parents.

—What things that common people don't usually see can a wedding photographer notice?

—Finding the light to capture the story used to be key to wedding photography when shooting film, that still has not changed even though technically, low light photography is so easy in this day and age. For me spotting that flattering light is just as much as skill as spotting the story that is about to happen. The untrained eye would miss both.

—Are there any trends in wedding photography?

—The alternative bride has become absolutely huge over the last seven to eight years and allied to that, the trend of documentary wedding photography. This allows for anyone with a keen eye for a story to photograph a wedding.

—What will be the future of wedding photography?

—I can see themes being increasingly more important to weddings, so the photographer who follows the market trends and shoots to contemporary taste would be absolute fine whatever the future holds.

—Are you fond of travelling?

—In terms of wedding photography, I travel and enjoy my travelling to all parts of the UK. In terms of travelling for personal pleasure, well as a foodie and culture lover, there really is nothing more exciting than travelling!

—What things are to be avoided when shooting?

—Anything that portrays the client in a negative light should be avoided. However natural someone wants the photography to be, nobody wants to see themselves in an unflattering light.

—How do you handle criticism?

—I am grateful of constructive criticism from accomplished photographers. Constructive feedback for me is important and the humility to accept such feedback can only benefit me.

—What is special in wedding photography?

—One word – love! The laughter of the weddings, the happiness of the day and ultimately, it is a day to celebrate love. That for me is the ultimate.

—What person can be the symbol of the 21st century in your opinion?

—Even though he only say a few years of the 21st century, for me Nelson Mandela remains a symbol for our age.

—Would you rather be liked or respected?

—I'd prefer to be respected. I am easy to get on with as it is so I'd much rather aspire to be respected!

—What do you worry about, and why?

—I worry about the health of those of those who are close to me. I want them to live happily ever after!

—Who do you want to take photos of?

—I want to take photos of people who are celebrating their love!

—Do you have any professional taboos?

—I can't think of any!

—Who or what do you hate?

—I hate negativity.

—Do you like dogs or cats?

—I love cats!

—How did you start working in the wedding photography field?

—Always loved photography. Wanted to do photography when I left school, but it was not to be. Finally my daughter trained at college to be a professional photographer and together we started Imagine That Studios for the sheer love of photography. Suddenly in three years we were regional and national winning awards and have never looked back.

—What are the key elements that make a photo attractive?

—Light, compassion and confidence. Because all our photography involves people its important that we are able to lift peoples confidence when it comes to looking good on a photograph. You need all three aspects in a photograph. Light create the drama. Composition provides the lure of the image. But Confidence in the face of the couple creates the believability which is so often missing in many photographs today.

—What is there in your work that brings you joy?

—The creativity. Before digital, in the days of film, there were so many limitations on what you could do with a photograph. We love to elevate photography to Fine Art. We are passionate about our clients creating massive pieces of beautiful wall art for their home. We create piece of art that incorporate them. They are part of the picture together they make art come alive and relevant to them.

—Do you like travelling?

—Yes, yes, yes. We are so fortunate. we get to meet amazing couples on the best day of their lives and go to fabulous locations to photograph them. This year we have been all around the UK as well as Italy, South of France and Greece to photographs weddings. We are truly blessed.

—Do you look good in pictures?

—Aah, a question asked by others "Am I photogenic" and my reply is "Its all in the mind". Have a good strong attitude towards yourself and love yourself, then add a great photographer who can take all that positive energy and you and I will be photogenic.

—Is there anything in your work that you don't like or even hate?

—Google and the web – it just sucks up time. I truly believe that Google and made business more parochial rather than opening up new suppliers to wider markets. Everything is localised rather than internationalised. Don't get me started....

—How do you deal with criticism?

—I'd rather know that not know. Criticism is not something anyone likes, but it is the steel which sharpens the blade. We regularly have our photography critiqued by experts in our field. Its hard but necessary.

—What makes wedding photography different from other photography genres?

—Creating natural looking compositions in stage of the tradition 'posed' photographs. Making the couple part of a bigger picture. Couples want beautiful wedding photographs on the wall. However they seldom want to be the centre of attention. So a special skill is creating a picture around them.

—Can you imagine what wedding photography will be like in future?

—Two markets are clearly emerging. Point and click wedding photography and Artistic wedding photography. We are definitely in the latter. But lots of couples want the supermarket approach. Pile them high and sell them cheap. But you truly get what you pay for in wedding photography.