© 2020 Lloyd Jones photography // South wales wedding photographers
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So let’s talk pre-wedding photoshoots, having your photo taken for some people can be absolutely petrifying.
I understand I’m not a fan of having my photo taken I think I look odd in photos I don’t but I think I do.
Let’s be honest having your photo taken is a bit weird standing there in front of someone you hardly know when you suddenly forget how to stand like a human being or how to smile without looking like a nutcase or how to put your hands in your pockets, trust me we have all been there.
I fully understand that having your photo taken can be stressful, weird just something that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Don’t get me wrong, some people love it, some people are fine.
Most of my customers say we’re not “photo people” we don’t like having our pictures taken.
However then if you look at their social media accounts they are full of selfies so they don’t mind having their photos taken it’s just the experience they have had have not been a good one.
Firstly think selfies everyone love a good selfie as the experience surrounding those photos are normally good ones, out with your mates, on holiday with a loved one and that’s the thing, the experience around the photo is what makes it.
So what I like to do is make that experience fun, because when you’re relaxed and having fun you are your true self and this is reflected in the photos I take.
So these hour-long photo shoots are shot on location (as nobody ever feels comfortable in a sterile white studio and we get to use some of the beautiful backdrops Wales has to offer.
We’ve been to beaches, we’ve been to parks I’ve been up the side of a mountain (I was a younger man then).
You get an hour with me, you’ll have a laugh I guarantee it, you’ll get comfortable in front of the camera so by the end of the shoot you’ll forget there’s a camera even there. That’s when the best photos are taken.
I know how to bring out the best in people and I pride myself on making my couples feel comfortable it’s one of the things that all my customers comment on.
I can walk into any room and only know the bride and within 10 minutes everyone is fine with me being there, it’s part of my job to make you feel comfortable, after a few clicks of the camera, some bad jokes you’ll be relaxed and having fun.
Which of course is what it’s all about.
Ok, so I get this question quite a few times when people are planning pre wedding photoshoots, what do we wear?
Well, the first thing I would say is to wear something that you feel comfortable in. If you don’t normally wear a dress then don’t wear a dress.
If you feel more comfortable in jeans and a top then wear jeans and a top.
The more comfortable you feel the more comfortable you’ll be having your photo taken.
What I would say is dress for your location if you’re going to a beach on a sunny day don’t wear a bobble hat.
That being said if you’re on a beach and a cold winter’s morning a nice coat will work but wear layers.
Don’t wear a big bubble jacket that will make you look 10 times bigger than you actually are.
Also, try and wear clothing that compliments each other, if you’re dressing really smart and your partner is dressing really casual it can look a bit odd in photos you may well look like you’ve just been thrown together and not an actual couple.
The best advice is dress how you normally dress you will be comfortable, you will be relaxed you will be yoursel
So another question I get asked is can we bring our dogs or can we bring our kids.
Yes you can bring your dog you can bring your kids I’m fine with that it’s always nice for you to have photos with your family furry or otherwise.
However, the pre wedding photoshoots are for you to get comfortable with me before your wedding so what I would ask is if you are going to bring your dog or your kids bring somebody with you who can look after them after they have had some photos taken.
If your kids are running around when you’re trying to have your photos taken, as a dad I know this can be very distracting you want to keep a lookout for your kids all the time and you won’t really be all in on your photoshoot
Ask a family member or a friend to pop along with you. We can take the kids/dog photos first and then they can have some running around whilst you have your photos taken.
As you can see from the small selection of images on this blog post, pre-wedding photoshoots can take place anywhere.
The time of year sometimes dictates where pre wedding shoots work best but this is by no means set in stone. Cold winter mornings on a beach can look stunning for example.
If you choose a woodland or park for your shoot autumn or spring would be perfect, the rich vibrant colours of fallen leaves or the fields of colour created by spring flowers can look amazing.
People worry about the weather too and pray for s sunny day however a grey misty day can be a dramatic backdrop and really add to the final photos. The shoot is about you the connection between the two of you. The weather is secondary to this.
The real benefit of having a pre-wedding photoshoot is that on your wedding day you’ll be more comfortable with me taking your photos, which in turn means your photos will be 10 times better because you’ll be relaxed and the real you.
You would be surprised how many times I ask people to, for example, sit on a step and it’s as if they’ve forgotten how to be a human being.
They get uncomfortable they’re not sure where to put their hands they don’t know where to look they don’t know what to do.
So the pre-wedding shoot means you’ve done all this before you know what to do when I asked you to sit on a step you just sit on a step.
Sounds ridiculous i know but it happens much more than you would think
Remember the best photos are the ones where you’re relaxed, the ones where you are being yourself.
Trust me it only takes a short time in front of the camera for you to get comfortable, most of the time you will be paying more attention to each other to even notice the camera.
So how do you book a pre-wedding photoshoot?
They cost just £125 for the full hour’s shoot, you will get all the images on digital download and USB too.
Many of my couples have printed these and added them to the decor of their wedding or even as centrepieces on their table names.
It adds a little bit more of you to your wedding.
If you are considering me to shoot your wedding drop me a line today to check if I’m available and we can start arranging that pre-wedding shoot and get your camera ready.
© 2020 Lloyd Jones photography // South wales wedding photographers
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