Being the wedding couple is awesome, and the day revolves around you. However, one of the biggest components of the day is your photographers, and connecting well with them will ensure that the day is a success for both parties. We interviewed stellar photographers Ebert and Mikayla from Ebert Steyn Films to get the inside info on what a day in their lives is like.
Q. What is trending in wedding photography 2020?
A. Drone photos. This is a very tricky situation though as there are lot of laws that govern drone photography especially if you are charging for your services.
Q. What part of shooting a wedding is the hardest for photographers?
A. Getting family members and guests to co-operate for the family photos and group photo. Sometimes the day can get really long, especially if there are other traditional or religious elements worked into the day and as much as we love our job we are only human and do get tired too.
Q. What are things couples should keep in mind when hiring a photographer?
A. Most established photographers have a certain look and style not only to their photos but also the way they shoot. Make sure that you look at lots of examples of work of the service providers you are considering. It’s also important to make sure that your photographer and videographer have a similar style and approach. You could even reach out to past clients to chat about what their on the day experience with the photographer/ videographer was like.
For example, some photographers prefer to use flash photography throughout the day. If you intend on booking a videographer as well this will be a problem as the constant flashing interferes with the video footage, which means that you might end up having to do everything twice. Not only does this disrupt the natural flow of the day but will inadvertently cause some friction between the photographer and videographer.
It’s also important to make sure that you click well with your photographer and are comfortable with them. It’s a little bit daunting to be in front of a camera sometimes but if you’re able to have a laugh with them and know that they genuinely care about your big day, it’ll make it a lot easier. This is why pre-wedding meetings are super important to us, because it gives both the couple and ourselves a chance to get to know one another a bit better.
Q. What’s your favourite part of a wedding?
A. Mikayla: I personally love the getting ready and couple shoot-parts of the day. There are beautiful details and emotions to capture and I love being able to photograph those pre-ceremony nerves, tears and excitement all rolled into one. I also love it when couples do a first look before the ceremony!
Ebert: For me it’s the “party section” – when all of the formalities are over, the day’s heat has passed and the couple and their guests can finally let their hair down and do what they came to do in the first place; celebrate the newlyweds. I enjoy celebrating with the couple throughout the day and I feel that this allows me to connect with them on a more personal level as well as make them more comfortable in front of the camera, especially when we’re on the dance floor.
Q. What is your least favourite part? Why?
A. Family photos and group photo. It’s often a nightmare to coordinate and although they’re important to capture, no-one really enjoys the process. Super long ceremonies is a close second!
Q. What do brides/grooms do that makes your job harder?
A. We always try to get the couple to feel as comfortable and to act as naturally as possible, especially during the couple shoot. However, this sometimes leads to excessive chatter which makes it hard for us to get nice shots.
Q. Photographers spend hours on their feet. How do you cope with it?
A. Ebert: You become “wedding fit” quite quickly, actually. I would recommend staying hydrated and eating a good breakfast beforehand as well as making sure you snack throughout the day but really, what works for me is staying active during the day and partake and enjoy the wedding in a way that is still professional.
Mikayla: Staying hydrated is key but wearing comfy shoes is a big one for me – we often rock a pair of Nikes on the day itself. But I won’t lie, I’m pretty tired the day after a wedding, and if you have two or three weddings back to back then it’s seriously next level.
Q. Any funny/weird/interesting weddings you have photographed?
A. There was the wedding where the couple (and all their guests) flew in from Brazil but none of them spoke much English so nobody really knew what was actually going on (coordinator included). Another wedding we filmed in Greece ended with half the guests skinny-dipping at 3am, including the bride. We also recently filmed a couple from Switzerland and the groom’s family must have taught the bride some “inappropriate” Afrikaans words, as she ended her speech by yelling out “Groot k@k!” (Big sh*t!) And lastly, the coolest couple on the block who rode a bicycle to their wedding.
