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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by David Pullum

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A new weekly Sunday series where  I ask some of the world’s best wedding photographers to pick out their favourite shot from their Jewish wedding portfolio. This week it’s the turn of David Pullum.

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‘Emotions’ by  David Pullum

This image sums up just about everything I am looking for in a picture. The image shows all sorts of emotions, from sadness, confusion and smiles. The little boy completes the image, he looks like he has no idea why the bride and groom are crying and is totally perplexed by this situation.

This image recently won 1st place in an International Wedding Image competition with the judges remarks below

“This was a classic wedding scene. The little boy’s face anchors the image. Nice composition and a classic moment. The juxtaposition of all those crying people, joyful in the moment, with the face of a child who doesn’t know whether to smile or frown and, thus, chooses to simply watch and learn, makes for a poignant image.”

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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by Jonas Seaman

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A new weekly Sunday series where  I ask some of the world’s best wedding photographers to pick out their favourite shot from their Jewish wedding portfolio. This week it’s the turn of Jonas Seaman.

Jonas-Seaman

‘Portrait Walk’ by  Jonas Seaman

I love this photo from Misti & Asaf’s wedding in Los Angeles, California. There was so much about this wedding that made it special. First off, it was a backyard wedding which right off the bat I love. I love the more intimate ceremonies. The fact that everyone is there for something special, but the atmosphere is more relaxed. People feel more “at home” because they are! Also, Misty and Asaf’s style is right up my alley. From the Eames rocking chair in their living room to the ruby slippers Misti wore with her wedding gown, their wedding was just begging to be photographed. And, their personalities and friendship from our first meeting together pretty much stole my heart.

This photo was taken just after sunset. I took them from their reception for a quick portrait walk around their neighborhood. Just as we had lost all our available light, I though it might be cool to get this silhouette among the power lines. I was shooting with a long lens which meant I was laying down on the pavement about half a block away from them to take this shot. The thing is, the street was moderately busy at that moment. We had to wait for cars to go by, and then when there was a reprieve, we jumped into the middle of the street for the shot. Misti and Asaf were so excited with the music of their reception making a dull bass thump in the distance. They started dancing there in the street. I snapped this one quickly before the next car came to clear us out.

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“My best Jewish wedding photo” by Paul Rogers

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A new weekly Sunday series where  I ask some of the world’s best wedding photographers to pick out their favourite shot from their Jewish wedding portfolio. This week it’s the turn of Paul Rogers.

Jewish-Wedding-Photography
‘Overjoyed’  by Paul Rogers

This is Hannah just an hour or so after marrying Simon in Harpenden last year. It was one of the best weddings I’ve ever photographed.

It could have been the perfect setting (a marquee tent in Hannah’s parents gorgeous gardens), or the fabulous music. Or maybe the incredibly thoughtful details or the delicious wedding breakfast. Nope, that’s not why this was such a great wedding to be part of. It’s always down to the people. And Hannah and Simon are two of the warmest, loving and most generous people I’ve had the pleasure to meet. They were having the time of their lives (as they should!) and Hannah didn’t stop grinning all day.

You could almost touch the energy in the marquee as the newly-weds arrived after the ceremony, and this moment during the Hora has captured some of that energy and love. It’s always a tricky thing to photograph – too far back and you lose the sense of being right in the middle of the dancing. Too close and there’s the danger of getting whacked in the face by an enthusiastic guest! But with Robert Capa’s famous words ringing in my ears “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”, I’m right in there, where the action is.

I love this picture because it does what I think photography is all about. It’s captured a slice of time, when Hannah is overjoyed at her wedding day. Zoom right in, and you may notice that it’s not perfectly pin sharp. She’s moving, I’m dancing (really!) and the light in the marquee isn’t that great, so a little movement is understandable. But that’s irrelevant when the moment captured is so wonderful.

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How much does wedding photography cost – and other such quandaries

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Image: John Nassari

After several requests from readers for such a piece, I asked the wonderful Anna MacDougall from Bride & Glory to educate us all about indicative pricing for each aspect of your wedding to give you an idea of what to expect budget-wise whilst you’re in the planning stages. I know it ranges hugely but for example, many new brides-to-be have no idea if a professional photographer costs £50 or £5000! 

Anna has put together this really helpful (and very readable!) post on pricing and why services/products cost what they do. She covers every aspect from photography to videography to the ceremony, the venue, catering, transport, wedding cake, hair + make up and more. Over to the lovely Anna…

And today, my Ducks, I shall talk to you about all things wedding budgeting — albeit not in my usual capacity of stressing the importance of setting, prioritising and (mostly) sticking to a budget. Instead, I’m venturing into the rather treacle-y and controversial terrain of trying to provide guide prices for some of the most common wedding suppliers you’ll be ticking off as you move through your wedding to-do list.

The reason why this is such a tricksy and much debated topic is the fact that it is the proverbial example of the ‘how long is a piece of string’ question. You’ll probably have seen a plethora of price guides in wedding magazines and, at the risk of alienating all editors collectively now, you’ll find that a lot of us wedding suppliers aren’t the biggest fans of their breakdowns. Not always but pretty often, they paint an unrealistic picture of average costs to expect, which leaves both you and the supplier feeling frustrated.

I honestly believe that there is no such thing as a representative ‘average cost’. Last year, I worked with one couple who spent £12,000 on their wedding day and another who spent £97,000. They both had the same main elements: ceremony, venue, catering, photographer, hair & make-up artists, florist, cake, DJ, transport — they were just very different in style and cost. Do you see why an average price is about as hard to find as a unicorn?

So rather than average costs, I’ll look at realistic starting points for professional services, and there’s a reason why I emphasise the word professional (and twice, no less).

How much does wedding photography cost
Image: Babb Photo taken from Missy & Yoni’s wedding

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Looking for bold, humorous, beautiful Jewish wedding photography?

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David-Morgan-Wedding-Photography
I might be a little bit obsessed. Like a serious case of wishing-I-was-still-a-bride-because-he-is-that-good obsessed.

Who am I talking about? None other than  David Morgan, whose photography  I’ve been a fan of as long as I’ve been blogging. Last month  I finally got to talk  to  him in person and not only is he one of the most talented photographers out there, he’s also thoroughly  genuine  and a joy  to be around, which in my books is a must for any wedding professional that I recommend.

I love the way David not only captures couples on their big day, but also the way  he documents  all the fleeting  moments that make up the  entire wedding day. He  takes the kind of photos you want to frame and hang on your wall for everyone to see. Photos that remind you of exactly how happy, beautiful, silly, or loved you felt on  your wedding day.

He  approaches wedding photography with a storyteller’s eye, and his work is full of personality, capturing the vibrancy and  energy of his subjects. As David  says of his work, “my style is completely natural. I shoot the story of what is happening as it unfolds. This means that you will receive completely unique images unlike any you may have seen at other people’s weddings.”

David Morgan wedding photographer
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