My Approach To Wedding Photography
Every photographer has a slightly different approach to weddings, which suit different couples for different reasons. One of my main points of conversation in my discovery calls when meeting a potential couple, is about my approach to their day, so below, I have outlined a few specific details that I feel are important for you to know, to see if we would be a good fit for each other.
01.
Timelessness & Authenticity
After your wedding day has come, we have celebrated, and the day has gone, you will only have your memories, and your photographs to look back on, to relive your day, and feel it all over again.
For this reason, I believe your images need to be timeless, to have the ability to live on for decades. I make sure that each of you have a portrait, like the ones our grandparents and parents have. Yes to creativity, but yes to classic too.
02.
Creativity & Playfulness
When you look through your photographs from your wedding day, you should recognise yourself in your truest form. I capture the belly laughs, the happy tears, the sips straight from the bottle and everything in-between. I take a slight documentary approach which sometimes means acting like a fly on the wall, capturing genuine reactions and moments.
While I do take a documentary approach, I will offer guidance where necessary because hey, how often are we in-front of the camera ? It can feel quite daunting to think about it, and I count myself in that category too. I often find a bit of guidance makes you feel more relaxed while in front of the camera.
While I aim for timelessness, I allow my creativity to write your story, uniquely for you. Your final gallery will end up being a beautiful mix of both.
03.
Moments & Emotion
The big moments are, of course, so important on a wedding day, however it is the little moments that capture the essence of the day and tell your story.
Of course I love the first kiss, but I love the look of pure delight on your parents faces just a little more.
04.
Your People
They say it takes a village (you know how the rest goes), and your wedding day is about celebrating your village too. Their joy, their excitement, their love for you. Your village deserves to be captured with care and sensitivity.
FAQ
How and When Do We Receive Our Images?
Once all of your images have been edited, I will deliver them via an online gallery for your to relive your day over and over again. I will deliver a sneak peek within a few days of your day and deliver your final images 10-12 weeks after your celebration.
Where Are You Based?
I am based in the Western Cape of South Africa, and travel all throughout the province capturing the most beautiful days - I also travel around the country so if you are getting married elsewhere, I would absolutely love to travel to you, please just get in touch about travel fees to cover the expenses. I am based in Europe for a few months of the year too and would love to capture your life's moments around the world.
Do you deliver RAW images and what is your editing style?
I do not as the images come alive within the editing process. My editing style focuses on natural skin tones, and accurate colors, green should still be green right? If you have any further questions regarding this, please don't hesitate to pop me a mail.
Do You Offer Albums?
Absolutely Yes! After You have received your final gallery, you are more than welcome to book an album design with me. You will select roughly 150 images that you love, and I will carefully design a beautiful coffee table book that will allow you to relive your day over and over again, for years to come.
Do You Meet Your Couples In-Person Before the Wedding Day?
Absolutely! I’d love the chance to meet you in person. Whether you’d prefer to meet over an evening drink or a midday coffee and lunch, it is up to you. If an in-person meeting isn’t feasible due to distance or other circumstances, we can easily arrange a Google Meet to meet virtually. Building a genuine connection with you is important to me—not only does it go beyond a simple business transaction, but it also helps me capture your day in a more meaningful, natural, and stress-free way.
How Do Your Payments Work?
Once you have decided to go ahead with booking me to capture your precious day, I will send through an invoice for a 25% booking fee (non-refundable) to secure your date. Within a month of the wedding, your final invoice with be due.
What is Your Approach to Wedding Photography?
Your wedding day is so much more than a photoshoot, is would be my worst nightmare for my couple to look back on their wedding day, and feel like they just spent their day taking photos. I prioritise capturing moments & emotions, offering a bit of guidance where necessary and of course, capturing all of the important bits ( and the tiny bits in-between). Pop me an email to chat more about this.
Is a Second Shooter Necessary?
I am 100% comfortable capturing your day on my own, however I do encourage my couples to book a second shooter for guest lists that are 80+ people. A second shooter is often able to focus on getting guests mingling, and everything that I am capturing with their own eye and creativity.
Do We Need to Book You a Night of Accomodation?
If your celebration is more than an hours travel from Paarl, I would appreciate a night of accommodation for myself. This just allows me to relax as I am not worried about the road heading home. I do not need 5 star, I just require safe accommodation that is close to your reception/venue.
Are You Inclusive ?
Love is love, and Hannah St Clair Photography will capture your day without prejudice and in any shape or form that your love shows up as. I am LQBTQ+, racially, religiously, culturally inclusive. If there is anything that might be worrying you, please do not hesitate to bring it up with my via email or in one of our video calls.
What Happens if I can't Make It to Your Wedding?
Fingers crossed we never have to face this! In the case that I cannot capture your day for health or reasons out of my control, I will make sure to find you a replacement photographer , that I trust 100%, to capture your day for you, and will edit your wedding myself to keep within the style that you initially chose.
What is Your Backup System?
Giiiirl, this is single-handedly my most stressful part of my life. During your wedding, I shoot on two SD Cards simultaneously. The moment I get home, I backup your wedding to two hard-drives and then to the cloud. I will keep the cloud backup until your full wedding has been delivered.
Do You Offer Wedding Videography?
I unfortunately do not offer videography, however I would love to send through a few of the many, extremely talented videographers that I have had the privilege of working with, and that I feel would be a good fit for you as a couple.