Van + Thu | Adelaide Asian Wedding Photographer

It was a wonderful wedding of Van and Thu. I photographed their Pre-wedding photos a while ago. Beautiful weather and beautiful families from the couple.

The ceremony was held in an Asian Buddhist temple which was an interesting experience for us. I was told that in Adelaide, good Asian wedding photographers are rare and I am very honoured to be part of this wedding. Van and Thu had earlier engaged another wedding photographer for their wedding however decided not to go with him.

Asian weddings tend to run more than 12 hours. I recall that at the end of the wedding, I was totally exhausted. The next day, my legs are both numb and sore. However, I really enjoyed photographing these couple.

Let's let the happiness roll!

We did have some fun before the reception!

Essential Backup for Wedding Photographers

Do not take chances.

Photographers venturing into the wedding arena and brides looking for photographers, please be aware - backup for wedding photographers. The unknown truth in the wedding photographer industry is that our equipment can malfunction. In extreme cases, memory cards can also fail hence corrupt your entire wedding photos. Each camera's shutter has a limited life span. Do not take chances.

Our Backup plan.

1. Backup for wedding day - Camera. Every wedding we attend, there will be at least 3 camera. In most cases, you only see me with 2, with the 3rd/4th either in my bag or locked up in my car.

2.Backup for wedding day - Lenses. Although I do not have 2 lenses of the same, I do have spare lenses for the type of photos I do. For example, I have a 24-70L USM as a backup for my 24LII and 35L. I have a 85LII as a backup for 70-200LII for bridal portrait sessions.

3. Backup for wedding day - Photos. When we click the shutter capturing an essential moment of your wedding, the single moment in recorded into TWO memory cards (This is where some photographers fails). Normally, one huge card stays in the camera for the whole day. During the middle of the day, I tend to switch one of the cards with a fresh one and keep the used somewhere safe. When I get home, one set is being recorded into my computer. This is not the end......

4. Backup Photos - Postprocessing. Sometimes, people think that it's safe once you copied your photos into your computer and that's it! No. For us, when it is being copied into our computer, it is again recorded into TWO Seperate Harddisks (RAID system). Oh yes, hard disk can fail as well. Once I ensure that the photos are copied into the harddisks, I can safely reuse those cards for my next event. We have not taken a new steps where we upload our RAW photos into an online cloud service hence storing your photos at a different location other than our work office, making sure that a fire at our place dont ruin all the hard work.

##** PS: I have since upgraded to a NAS system by Synology 1513+ which can sustain 2 HDD failure at any single point in time but still retain my data.

An example of free cloud service that I use is "Dropbox".

5. Backup - After delivery. Once the photos have been delivered to our clients, these photos are keen in 2 seperate hard disks for archive.

To conclude, please do not take chance. No one single backup plan is bullet proof. We try our very best to ensure that the photos are not lost due to any mechanical failure. Things can still happen. The very least you know that your photographer has a solid backup plan keep you free from any worries.

PS: I bring a spare set of pants, shirt and shoes to wedding. I had my pants split once due to my ninja move taking photo. :)

Update, 27/08/2014 : I have now move all my photo storage into a Synology Disk station, 1813+ which offers a ability to accept 2 hard disks failure at any single point in time without data lost. Gone with the wires and separate disks. I am however keeping one of the disk for an offsite backup. Works great on my iMac.

Scott

Comprehensive Guide to Wedding Rings / Engagement Rings

Wedding rings are items that the stay with you (physically) after the wedding. It's a reminder that you are married. It is at least for me. I feel proud seeing the ring on my finger. Although this article is targeted for "my brides" on wedding rings, the information here is sufficient for engagement rings as well.

Being a wedding photographer, getting photos of the wedding rings is part of the must-take photos for all weddings. Making the rings look good is an art that I love creating. I have a dedicated marco L lens just to photograph the rings. This allows me to capture all the details. Before choosing your wedding rings and setting aside a budget for the ring, here's a few pointers before you shop for the rings.

Which Metal - Rings come in different metals. The most common metals are yellow gold and white gold. In some countries, platinum rings are gaining it's popularity as an alternative form of modern silver. Platinum is the least reactive metal however it is the most expensive. Gold on the other hand retain it's resale value (not that you are planning to sell).

Which Stone - If you decide to havesome stones on your ring, diamonds, sapphires, man-made cubic zirconia are some stones that are commonly used. The most exotic stones are the pink diamonds. The most popular stone used in wedding rings will be the Diamonds. If you decide to get a diamond, make sure you understand the 5 Cs (Carat, Cut, Clarity, Colour, Certificate).

Which Design - For brides, you might want to consider getting a wedding ring that compliment your engagement ring. Often, the wedding band of the groom is thick. In the wedding bands section, jewellers like to have near identical wedding rings design with 2 different ring sizes.

Which Shop - Shop around for the design/stone that you like, taking into account of budget of course. Some people may tend to shop in the local jewellery shop(for ready made designs), while others like to get their rings directly from the jewellers (for custom made designs). Some may even go to the extend of getting their rings from overseas.

Preparing the rings for photographers - Lots of retailers in Adelaide are able to wash/clean your rings. You might want to consider cleaning your engagement rings before your wedding. (Sidetrack: my macro lens is sharp enough to capture the dust particles on your rings.)

Scott

For other of my blogs for "My Bride";

Comprehensive Guide to Wedding Dresses

Tips for a Stress-Free Wedding Day

1. ENGAGE WEDDING PLANNER/S

To save cost on wedding, get someone close to you whose good at organising things. Perhaps a mother or your bridesmaid. Share the load with more than 1 person. Tasked John for the flower, Mary for the cars and Bob for the reception.

On your wedding day, you will be able to divert all communications from wedding suppliers to this/these person. You need to ENJOY the day and it's lessen your stress.

2. PLAN OUT YOUR WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE

In fact, all weddings I have been are very well-planned.

Share the schedule with families and friends who are helping out. Make sure that the florist, videographer, photographer etc knows where they will be at the schedule time. If they need to contact someone during the day, divert them to the wedding planner.

If your venue is in a place with limited car parking spaces, get your guest to arrive earlier than your "usual" time.

Always plan for the wet weather. Bring umbrella during winter season and water during summer.

After my last discussion with my clients, I always print out the itinerary of the day.

3. PLAN FOR THINGS TO TAKE WAY LONGER THAN YOU THINK THEY WILL

Allow time for congratulating and well-wishes from friends and families after the ceremony. Enjoy the moment. Do not rush.

Allow some time to rest. It's a tiring long day.

Allow time for travelling and looking for a park. Cater for traffic conjestion.

4. PLAN FOR FAMILY PHOTOS

Make a list and get someone (maybe brother/sister) who knows the families to get them ready for the photos.

Always starts with a big group as its easier to get people to leave.

Consider starting with elderly. They may need chairs.

5. BE FLEXIBLE

Photo locations - Prioritised your photo shoots locations from the must-have to the least. This ensure that you will surely have the photos at the beach (that you must have). You might be running out of time for the last location at the hill (which is the least you like) and that's should be ok.

Bride can be late and this is a fact. Do not stress if you are running late.

Lastly, ENJOY your day.