Barcelona Wedding photographer
05.12.2014
Hi, I´m Mónica Muñoz and I´m a Barcelona wedding photographer. I know it is difficult to organize your wedding from the distance without being in the place. I will try to give answer to the main questions. I do this job for around 10 years and even when I will try to be objetive I will give you my personal experience. We´ve made a lot of foreigners weddings in Spain. Barcelona, Alicante or Andalucia are the most popular places for destination weddings in Spain. One of the first things that comes to your mind when you decide to get married is whether to hire a photographer or not.
Over time it becomes more difficult to remember specific moments. If you do not document your wedding, it will be difficult for you to remember everything. Yes, the photos may be taken by your cousin who has bought a “good camera”, but we already know what happens with that… lol . Among all the expenses of a wedding, I would say that the registry of the day is the most important. In the end we are the ones who manage to remember. With photos and video, it is better remembered. Just a fact: According to a survey by The Knot for Forbes, 90% of couples hire a photographer.
When choosing a photographer, apart from your budget, it is best to have a connection. A wedding photographer should be someone who looks a bit like you. It’s the only way for him to understand who you are and what matters to you. If you hire someone very classic and your wedding is quite alternative, they probably do not pay attention to details that are important to you. In the end, a wedding photographer is something more psychological and human than technical.
The main factor to consider is that when looking at those photos they make you feel something. You should fall in love with these picture but also the photographer should fall in love with your wedding project too. In our case, we need this connection and even when we need to travel every time to the wedding place, we do at least a zoom call so we can speak and get to know each other. We also try to really connect, drinking a beer and not selling things (extra packages, albums, blablabla). Our interest in your wedding is genuine, otherwise we can’t work properly.
Surely if you search on google, you will find lists of the best wedding photographers. The reality is that these rankings usually have little to do with quality or experience. Many listings are from specialized wedding portals and are based on factors such as membership or personal likeability. Other times they are lists based on awards given by associations of wedding photographers where the criterion is usually other than the emotional importance of the photo.
Again, just try to choose the one who really connect with your personality. It is ok to find a style that suits you better, like editorial style or documentary style. Forget “who is the no 1 photographer in the worlds” or “who is the most famous wedding photographer”. It is ok to consider the “fame” of the photographer but try to guide yourself more for the feeling in your guts
A photographer with real wedding experience is important. Make sure this person has done enough weddings. You usually see many photo sessions produced, for which people related to the wedding sector (make-up artists, wedding planners, photographers, videographers, caterers, styling…) try to inspire couples or promote themselves. The truth is that although it usually has very showy results, it has nothing to do with a real wedding, where there is no control over time, models and scenarios and where the needs are different. Therefore, make sure that your photographer shows you real material, that makes you connect with what your wedding could be.
Once you have chosen the photographer of your choice, it is normal to sign a small contract. This contains the basic data (DNI and address of the couple, address of the event, date of the wedding, what the order consists of…). In general, when signing the contract, a deposit is requested, for example in my case, it is 30%. Some photographers prefer the rest of the payment on the day of the wedding or when the material is delivered.
Depends. Many photographers prefer to go with two, to be more comfortable, cover more situations, be calmer, help each other or be able to cover simultaneous moments. This also depends on the type of photographer, some base their style on something more posed, so while they produce those photos, a second photographer covers other things..
It will also depend on the size of your wedding and what you intend to obtain. If you want a photo of each guest, perhaps it is better to have 2 photographers. If you are looking for a specific way of looking at reality, that can be achieved with just one photographer. A second photographer will raise the price. We are only two, Pol making video and me with the photos. For the type of weddings that we do, it is more than enough (and we have been doing this for 10 years…lol)
A pre-wedding is a photo and/or video session that is done prior to the wedding. For this you can dress as you want or as the photographer suggests and go to a place of your choice to take photos. Sometimes this is a claim as part of the photo pack, included as a gift, or offered as an extra. It is a good opportunity to meet who will take your photos and also to have beautiful photos.
At the end of the ceremony, it is common to do a photo session. It is let’s say the only time where you can have formal portraits (or not) of the two of you on your wedding day. Is it necessary to do the session? Again the answer is: it depends. Well done “formal” portraits are always nice to have, but sometimes couples don’t like posing for the camera.
If you do not feel comfortable in front of the camera or the photographer does not know how to make you feel comfortable and makes you pose in ways that do not have much to do with your personalities, it can generate unnatural photos where you do not feel recognizable. In our case, many couples prefer not to have these types of photos. Also the time of the session is time that you are not with your people, just at the moment that you most want to finally have a beer and talk to them.
Probably you’ve heard of this. Documentary wedding photography is when the photographer is taking candid photos and narrating the whole day without intervention. You don’t need to be directed or pose. This is a more natural way of doing this work as the photographer flows with the day and is not constantly stopping and directing every scene. If you want the feeling of “real” then you should hire the documentary style, if you prefer this “everything staged” style, then go for a more editorial style.
Again… lol… it depends. In Spain, it is normal to cover the preparations (makeup, dressing…) until a couple of hours after the party starts. More or less this is about 12 hours. In other countries the photographer work a fixed number of hours and the rest charge for extra hours. Others leave when they consider that everything is already well documented. There are couples who are not interested in being photographed during the preparations. We document the whole day, because in the preparations also because in general they usually have very endearing moments.
What do you think? lol. Imagine we need to be there like around 12 hours in average. It is good to have a fresh beer and a meal. In our case we literally enjoy the celebration, I mean, we celebrate together. Is the only way to catch all these situations. We even dance when is required. Feeling comfy at your wedding is really important as this is a work about connection and empathy. If you treat your photographer not like a friend, for sure, your pictures are gonna be different. #respectyourphotographer
This is an important point. Although you can always have an online gallery where you can see all the photos, having an album is very interesting. It is always more powerful to see the album in physical format (especially if it is well designed). It is also a classic to print copies of the album for parents (usually a smaller version in size). Ok, but is it necessary? Here’s a fact: not a few couples have written to me because their hard drive where they had the photos broke or they lost the flash drive and desperately asked if they still had a copy. An observation now: Imagine if you have children and they discover your wedding album in 18 years…. BOOOOOOM…
The delivery of the photos depends on several factors. Unless a specific date is stipulated by contract, it normally depends on the amount of work that the photographer has. It also depends on whether it is edited by the photographer or someone external. The love you put into editing also influences. Generally the average time is between 1 and 3 months. Keep in mind that editing photos is often artistic work and takes time. Be patient.
Think that being a wedding photographer is a job above all human. Contrary to other professions involved in a wedding, a photographer must be present at all times. When I say present, I mean present with his body and with his soul. It should be sensitive to what’s going on, the kind of people you are and the kind of weddings you’re going to have. In our long experience not only doing weddings in different countries and with different formats, but also sharing with other colleagues and couples, we have understood that it is essential to have a connection with you, otherwise the work always feels colder, distant, without strength.
Think that we are people who are going to be in your privacy and for many hours, so you better treat us well! LOL. It is important that a photographer does not feel like a kind of servant in the service of the boss. It is advisable that he feels comfortable, that he participates. This is not a press conference, this is your wedding!!!.
I hope this post will help you when looking for a wedding photographer in Barcelona. If you need any other type of help, do not hesitate to write me an email at hey@onlytherichters.com. You can also fill out our form here if you want to know more about our services.