Interview with top wedding photographer Damian Bailey
Hello and sorry for the lack of content recently. Pregnancy and the demands of a 60hr-a-week day job have been taking their toll! But I'm delighted to welcome Damian Bailey to SMDTA. Damian is a past winner of the Wedding Photographer of the Year award and also did the most amazing job with my own wedding! His beautiful work is dotted around the site and you can see his images of our wedding here and here. I thought it would be a lot of fun to have Damian share some thoughts on this site. In the run up to our wedding and on the day itself, he was so much more than a photographer. He was endlessly practical, put us at ease, bantered with everyone and was such an asset to the day beyond the beautiful memories he created for us. His background in event management means his brides get to benefit from his tips and tricks of the trade. And hopefully my readers can benefit too! Enjoy!
How would you describe your photography style, aesthetically speaking?This is going to sound weird but I take photos that I like and hope that other people like them. Over time this has developed into my ‘style’. When you think about it, it is the only way to go. Couples book me because they like what I like. This means that I can come to their wedding with full confidence and just shoot.
I am almost obsessed with back-lighting (where the sun is behind the subject). I just love how it looks.
I like to keep my photography as honest as possible. This means very little posing for photos at the wedding and very little doctoring of the photographs post wedding.
And how would you describe your approach to photographing a wedding?A wedding is not a photoshoot. For me it’s all about letting the day unfold under its own steam. I never really plan much but I know how weddings work inside out. I have a good idea of what I want to try to do and when but this is very often dictated by the wedding itself. I have to be quick, decisive and flexible.
I don’t want to capture people smiling. I want to capture people laughing. This means that they have to be left alone to have a good time with their friends and family. I use a fairly long zoom lens which enables me to be about 20 feet away from the person I am photographing so they have no idea I am doing it. This results in truly relaxed, natural photos.
99% of the time you wouldn’t even know I was there. There’s no dragging the couple off for an hour to take their photos. They’ll miss their own wedding! The family group shots take about 15 or 20 mins, that’s all.
Whilst my interaction with couples on the day is minimal by design, when you I do interact with couples my number one priority is to make it look and feel like I’m not taking their photograph at all.
My job is to help the bride and groom (and all their friends and family) to remember what the hell happened on that crazy day.
I am like a wedding guest who hasn’t had too much champagne and actually knows how to operate his camera!
Beyond the aesthetic, what should brides consider when choosing a wedding photographer?Go by experience or recommendation wherever possible. If you have seen a photographer in action and loved their photos then book them. Suddenly it’s one less thing to worry about. Trust your friends If they recommend someone.
You have to like them as a person. You have to think, ‘in a different time and a different place we would have been friends and I would have invited you to the wedding as a guest’.
Price is obviously going to be a factor. Very often brides come to me with a budget that is not based on any research. There is no point in plucking a figure from thin air. Do your research. Find out what you like and how much that costs and then work out your budget from there.
Post-wedding you will have a trashed dress, a hangover and a load of photos from your photographer. Too many couples realise the importance of their photos after the wedding and all too often are disappointed with their photos, by which time it’s too late.
You get what you pay for and, whilst I am biased, I think the photography is worth paying for.
Do you have some tips that you share with couples to help their day go more smoothly?
So many but here are my top five dos and don’ts…
* Do remember to enjoy yourself as much as your guests. Eat, drink and be merry.
* Do give yourselves little breaks at naturally occurring moments during the day. If you don’t create this time together it just wont happen and that’s wrong. After the ceremony and before going into the wedding breakfast are good ones.
* Do let the day take on its own shape and pace as far as possible. breaking the day down minute by minute in a spreadsheet wont help anyone’s cause on the day. Easier said than done but try.
* Do remember why you are having this day. The civil ceremony/church service is one of the most important bits. Relax, enjoy it and try to remember it. Nerves are fine but everyone is on your side – you’re not sitting an exam.
* Do think hard about the timings of your day. Start at the end and work backwards and ensure you add some ‘cushioning’ to allow the day to run a little behind schedule because it will.
* Don’t get married too early in the day. This just results in a long evening as the amount of time it takes to do all the other stuff is pretty much set in stone. Your day wont last forever so dot try to make it.
* Don’t try to micro-manage your day. Employ people you trust and let them do their jobs.
* Don’t try too hard to make your day too ‘different’. The main difference between weddings is the atmosphere and this is caused by you and your guests.
* Boys, don’t hire a suit. Buy one that you love, will make you feel great on the day and will remind you of your wedding every time you wear it. The only exception to this is for a morning suit. The Girls wouldn’t hire so why should you?
* Don’t worry. If you have got the date right on the invitation all will be well!
Best wedding you’ve photographed? Or best wedding moments?My favourite weddings are often in marquees in the back garden. Lorne & Verity Noble’s wedding in may 2009 was a fantastic day. Effortlessly stylish, relaxed people, loads of great food and drink and a dancefloor to rival any I’ve seen. Pretty much the complete package from my point of view.
From this year’s weddings I really enjoyed Tanya & Glen Uniacke’s at Bovey castle in Devon. Outside ceremony, golf and ferrets. What more do you need?
Above is a sprinkling of examples of Damian's work, all previously featured on this site. To see more of his work, please check out his website!
South African wedding with a pink cadillac!
I'm very pleased to be welcoming the lovely and very talented Christine Meintjes to SMDTA and to be featuring another of her absolutely stunning South African weddings. Today we have Alet & Nick's big day, in the gorgeous Stellenbosch, where I will be holidaying in approx 3 months time. Woo hoo!! I love this wedding, but the highlight has to be the incredible car! I have called it a Cadillac in the title but to be honest, having absolutely no clue about cars, I'm not sure that is necessarily correct! In any case, it makes a fantabulous centrepiece for a beautiful, beautiful wedding. Thanks to Christine and to Alet and Nick for the gorgeous images!
Photography: Christine Meintjes
Venue: Groenland wine estate, Stellenbosch
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