Serendipity Photography - MELBOURNE

At Serendipity, we can draw on the experience gained from the photography of over 1600 weddings to bring to you advice about many aspects of your wedding day.

Every wedding day is unique because each couple brings their own individual dream of  how their day should unfold. They bring their stories, desires, sense of style and adventure and personal qualities to their day.

Timing on the wedding day

Generally we allow what we call a reasonable day that will cover the events of the day.  We do not talk of set hours but the elements of the day covered.

Often this is often

1 hr  brides house

1 hr grooms house

ceremony

family pictures

locations photography

reception till main course

This will then in most cases allow photography of the main events and all the relations ships of the wedding day.

The latter hours of the wedding reception past main course do not usually offer as many opportunities as the first hour or two – except in where there are specific religious or cultural ceremonies.

11 reasons to choose wedding photography by Serendipity

1   Flexible coverage

We do not organise the coverage by the hours to if your event changes – so do we.

2   We shoot lots of photos on your wedding day

We shoot lots so you have lots to choose from so the pictures are just right and we do not miss anything. We will shoot 2-3000 images on a regular wedding day. This allows a more relaxed day and lifts the quality of the photography, especially the more candid shots. The number of images shot by wedding photographers varies greatly for a variety of reasons.

3  We have all shot lots of weddings.

In a business where an experienced photographers may have just shot only 50 weddings you get a photographer with more  than 400 weddings experience. Among us there is a total of more than 2000 weddings.

4   Digital albums.

Most photographers charge extra for magazine style albums but at serendipity they are a standard – it is what we do.

5   Our wedding albums are big.

Most photographers offer their standard magazine stlye albums as 11″x14″ or 10″x 14″ but our albums are an impressive 12″x18″ of picture area.

6  We know we have photographed so many weddings

We have all shot a large range of weddings from Hindu, Chinese, Greek… to Orthodox Jewish.

7  1000 files of your wedding photography

At serendipity you get with most packages a disk of 1000 high res files (3000 pixels across) for you to keep and reproduce.

8 Photography at receptions is important.

We do not want to miss your party either. It is where you would have spent most of your wedding budget and where you will send most time with your friends and family. So we normally include 1 -2 hours of reception coverage shooting a couple of hundred pictures of all the action and emotion.

9   Grooms photos are important too.

If possible we always  do a separate grooms shoot before the ceremony. They have just as much commitment and their family care just as much so they also should have some special time set aside for them and their family. It is not just the brides day! This also adds to the grooms part being familiar with the camera for a more flowing location shoot. For families it allows us to tidy up any special requests such as grand parent shots that may be missed later.

10  Not every wants the same photography.

How true this is and it is not a glib statement. This is why we have a diverse range of styles in our folio and blogs etc.  We a have a pre wedding meeting and chat through all the stylistic options – the we shoot the pictures to suit.

11 Wedding photography the RAW

What is that you ask?

The very short answer is this is a simply an image file format. A longer answer  is it is an image saved to the memory card that retains all the information from the camera sensor which gives digital images the latitude  similar colour film.

The usual jpeg format is compressed which makes a smaller file which is easier to manage but has less colour information and far far less latitude.

Raw image format – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For a wedding photographer latitude or the ability to reproduce a range of tones and colours is very important for the following reasons.

A Skin tones

Wedding images are usually portraits for which RAW files are good at reproducing skin tones.

B Brides and grooms wear black and white.

RAW files are good for maintaining tones in high contrast areas.

C The show goes on or the wedding goes on no matter what.

Photography happens no matter what. For poor lighting conditions such as harsh sun light in a church for example – a RAW file can help maintain tones throughout making a pleasant picture – a jpeg image could look unpleasantly digital.

D The moment , the emotion, the graphic… is what wedding photography is all about.

This where we want to put our energy not in getting an exacting exposure – we can be fixed fix it it up latter with RAW files but we cannot fix the moment latter. As a result we  to shoot more pictures and fuss less.

12 There is actually a 12th reason and that is that all of us at Serendipity are very funny but his does come across in the blog very well – only when you meet us.

Serendipity Media – For The Best Wedding Photography in Melbourne

wedding photography faq

What is your photography style?

On the day we will generally shoot a variety of styles depending on the emphasis you wish. At a meeting before the day we look at folio samples and discuss various aspects of the day including the style of images you want.

Often it is a balance between more animated and candid style of photography and a more directed graphic style.

No one style is more correct than the other—and either style can equally expresses the day how the couple see it. After 20 years of shooting our experience allows us to be flexible and to really go for the style you had in mind.

The art of wedding photography has many dimensions. It is often a balancing act—the photographer must ask on the day: is the bride better when she moves or is posed? What is her best feature? What is her worst? When does she look her best? What is the best light to complement her face? What makes her smile? (Well, usually the groom, of course.) And then there is the consideration of the locations…

How many weddings has Serendipity Photographed?

We have shot over 2000 weddings in 20 years giving us a wealth of experience to bring to your wedding. We are familiar with ceremonial styles of many cultures, traditions and have catered to a vast variety of unique requests, allowing us to work with you in a very personal way.

We also have a very multicultural experience with wedding styles, and have shot hundreds of Asian weddings; amongst them many Vietnamese and Indian weddings. We have also shot ample Orthodox style weddings such as Greek and Serbian.

How many photos do you generally take on the day?

We usually shoot about 2000 to 3000 images. We find that brides and grooms are so sensitive to their looks and expressions it is nearly impossible to shoot too much of them. They see qualities in the images adding value to the shoot, so having choice.

We also shoot in the superior RAW format.

What is RAW?

While most wedding photographers shoot the simple JPEG format with its limited latitude—we shoot RAW. This allows us to shoot more freely and in situations that would be other wise impossible for good results. This results in a happier more flowing wedding day—less adjusting of the camera and more focussing with the couple.

RAW allows for better post production allowing us to have fine degrees of control over the details of the final image. If you are interested, check out this website for a quick introduction to RAW.

Do you photograph weddings beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area?

More couples are considering options out side melbourne metropolitan area such as wineries and farms. It also tends to be the case that once there then there is no further travel so we do not charge extra for location 100km from the CBD such as Sorrento on the Peninsula or Geelong

Paris, Rome, Bali and Singapore?

We love exciting travel and are willing to organise great travel wedding package deals. With the Australian dollar very high destination weddings are now exciting option and we are very willing to help you out!

What happens if I want more photos later on for friends or relatives?

At Serendipity we’re enthusiastic about supplying our photos to you in a way that will fulfil your needs in the years and decades to come. Packages at the moment generally come with 1000 Jpeg files with copyright for you to print.

Do you put the photos on line?

If you wish. We can arrange photo gallery on-line of a set of photos you request.

What types of albums?

Our standard albums are 30cm x 45 cm (12″ x 18″) edge to edge borderless albums where the prints are mounted down on to the album. The images are shot digitally of course—designed and then retouched digitally by us.

How long do these albums last compared to traditional matted albums?

Our experience—since we have albums mounted this way that are now 15 years old—is that they last very well. The photographic paper, infact, wears less that the cardboard sections of the albums. We find that there is no special treatment that is needed for the photo mounted pages. The opposite is true of the matted album where the card tends to soil easily and gloves are best worn. The edge to edge album however is easily cleaned with a cloth damp with turpentine.

How many locations do you go to?

As many as you like. More is not always better though. More varied happy photography time is what we are usually after. Often what that means is going to a couple of places where we can have a variety of backdrops and ideas.

How much location photography time do I need?

One hour of actual photography time with the couple is a good starting point. Some times this can take some time to get after we factor in makeup time, travel time, eatimg time, etc. It can vary on many factors. For some couples it takes a little time to get the hang of being photographed and we need to have some game playing and just plain goofing around, while others are just too plain being in love, being on a wedding or just plain goofy to care about if a camera is being pointed at them or not.

In an hour of location time we could shoot between 200 to 600 images—providing a lot of choice when it comes to selecting images for the album. With more time we would shoot a bit slower and vary the style of the shots and back drop more. With even more time we could jump in the cars to get some completely different looks and even get a bite to eat. It is best during the location photography that you have some time alone away from you bridal party and guests as this photography will be more natural and relaxed—it will be the only time during the whole day that you are nearly alone.

Do we go to the grooms place?

Absolutely. It can help with the running of the day. We can shoot family pictures and we also break the ice with being photographed making it so so much better during locations—it all happens so much easier.

Do you take family pictures?

Of course. In fact we think that family pictures are very important. At the pre-wedding planning session 2-3 weeks before your wedding we go into some detail about how best to organise these shoots.

Will I get a copy of the family pictures?

Most packages come with a disk of all the family pictues for you and your family. These are the family pictues shot at each of the houses, after the ceremoniy and during the reception.

What gear do you use?

The short answer is Nikon. The long answer is always take a large range of gear on a wedding and it changes from wedding to wedding. Most of it however most remains in the boot of the car—they are there just in case.

There are always 2 professional camera bodies, 2–4 flashes, 50 gigabytes of memory and 4 or more lenses. Remote lighting techniques is a large part our look so there are always some slaves and then other technical photography things as well…

Do I have to think of location ideas?

Usually not. Just think of the themes that you want. We will think of some location ideas to get the look that you want while optimising the drive time and available light. Feel free to take advantage of our experience garnered over the thousands of weddings we have been on. Often with out of town locations a kick start is useful with a few location ideas for us to check out when we arrive in town.

Are there photography locations you like best?

Yes there are places where we like to photograph—some areas are a little secret and others are quite popular. We often scout out locations ideas as Melbourne is constantly changing, and also to see if we can be inspired by our past locations. We check out if a limo can get there, parking, how the light falls during the day and season and what is near by so we can get some other looks in. With private property such as cafes we introduce ourselves and ask permission and about their attitude towards wedding photography—some venues love it, some not so much. We try to resist venues that charge for wedding photography; often, they are just more fashionable than more photogenic.

Do I need to provide a meal?

Only if you have asked us to stay through mains at the reception.

What is the best sort of day for wedding photography?

While a bright sunny day may be many peoples ideal wedding day—it will hardly appeal to most photographers. A rainy cold day also would not. The perfect day would have cloud or soft light from time to time for portraits and then some sunny conditions for wider landscape and more graphic shots. A bit of rain and wind will add interest and variation in the photography (as much as this idea may not appeal to you).

What if there is rain?

In years past we made separate plans if there was rain—but such plans never worked. Usually if there is rain during location it makes for great shots with great light, great clouds and great drama. And so often we arrive at the next location the rain has stopped. Also, We usually know enough locations around town to find a good wet weather location to make pictures. If it looks as if there is going to be continuous drizzle then we can make our way to the city where there are a huge number of location ideas for both a modern and older romantic looks.

In the suburbs or if it is a passing shower then railway station, inside the cars, local town halls, an underpass for a grungy look, or often under cover at a suburban shopping strip where the bridal part can grab a spot to eat and use the shop fronts as a back drop.