photography
Our expert: Rachael Bentick from Inlighten Photography
INLIGHTEN.COM.AUFor more photography ideas, see BRIDETOBE.COM.AU
T
o get to know their clients, Inlighten’s
photographers offer a complimentary
engagement shoot. Ideally it takes
place soon after the couple books and
meets with one of Inlighten’s five principle
photographers. Says company co-owner,
Rachael Bentick, ‘We discover whether they
like posing for close-ups, if they like shots of
them kissing or holding hands. They talk
about the wedding: they say, “Mum’s going
to be doing this, and so-and-so is flying in
from there.”’ Understanding and trust are
nurtured from the start.
From this shoot, couples can order a
poster-size photo to personalise the entry to
their reception, or an illustrated guest book for
people to sign at the wedding, or a framed art
shot for their home. Or they might just say,
‘Thanks for the experience,’ says Rachael.
Familiarity between the couple and the
photographer leads to wedding shots that
candidly capture a couple’s characteristics.
Technical excellence is important to
capturing awe-inspiring shots, such as a
couple on the dance floor against the
backdrop of the light-show or fireworks
display they put on to thrill their guests.Within two weeks of the wedding, while a
couple is usually still on honeymoon,
Inlighten uploads a sneak peek of around 40
perfect shots to Facebook, for the couple to
share with family and friends if they like.
‘When they get back, couples love to
come in and watch their photos as a
beautiful slide show set to music and
choose their favourites for their bound
album,’ says Rachael. ‘They’ll say to each
other, “I love that photo of you, why don’t
we include that?” It’s lovely to see how
considerate they are of each other.’EXPERT TIPS
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from the reception and guests’ reaction to
speeches, so she advises couples to
choose a photo studio that sends two
photographers, at least to the reception.
‘We always have two shooters at the
reception, photographing the people
talking, and the people listening. The
reactions tell a really nice story, which is
what you want.’
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packages include a bound album,because says Rachael, disks and USBs
of digital images just get shoved in a
drawer, or uploaded to a computer, but
never really looked at and shared in the
same way as an album.
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especially important to you among your
guests — other than your family or the
bridal party. Then the photographer will
know to look out for them in particular. It
might be your godmother, or a friend
who’s come a long way to share the day.TO-DO TIMELINE
ONE YEAR DONE
t-PPLUISPVHI Bride to Be’s Your
Day (the year’s best real-life weddings
plus invaluable contacts) and put
together a scrapbook of moods you
want to capture .............................n
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you like what you hear, visit them and
view their portfolios ........................n
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no hidden extras (e.g. travel costs) .n
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possible. The best photographers will
be booked out months in advance.
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when and where the photographer
needs to be) ..................................nTHREE MONTHS
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more to confirm all details ..............n
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specific list of shots and poses you’d
like captured. Make sure all your
favourite family and friends are
included in the photos ...................n
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a back-up plan for bad weather .....nONE WEEK
t$BMMUPDPOmSNEFUBJMT ..................nWEDDING DAY
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unobtrusive presence on the big day,
but you may need to point out guests
they should capture .......................nWORDS: NATALIE FILATOFF310 | bridetobe.com.auPLANNING