Frequently Asked Questions
How would you describe your photography style?
Landscape, portrait and macro photography have all held my heart at one point or another, sometimes all at once. To my mind, this diverse interest plays to my advantage when it comes to wedding photograph in that I’m interested in capturing what I have dubbed the triple threat: a sense of place; a sense of people; and a sense of details.
How many photos can we expect?
To be honest, I hate looking at it this way. To use somewhat of a cliché: quality over quantity. I would rather lock down 20 magic shots than 2000 nice photos. For the record, I detest that word: nice. My eye will be in constant search for those singular moments that make your day unique. If I absolutely have to answer the question and pin myself down to a number, you can expect between 350-400 photographs.
How do I make a booking?
Drop me an email – info@larajessphotography.co.za – including the date and venue of your wedding and which collection you’re interested in. From there, I’ll let you know if my diary is open and if so, we’ll get cracking on the details such as travel arrangements and accommodation. If both sides are on board, your deposit will seal the deal.
Are you prepared to travel for a wedding?
Is that a trick question? Um, yes! Travelling is one of my true loves. Enamoured by new places, new people and new cultures, I’m always up for discovering different parts of South Africa and, even better, different countries. If you’re planning on a destination wedding or happen to live overseas and want me there, I’m already clutching my passport, waiting to hear when and where.
How will I receive my photos?
On a USB including all your high res images.
From a photography perspective, what do you consider the most important thing about a wedding?
When to play Bohemian Rhapsody. No, I joke… Well, partly – that consideration, along with your play list, should not be overlooked. But what is most important for me is that you feel comfortable in front of the camera. To feel comfortable, you need to feel comfortable with me which is why I focus on building a rapport with couples, allowing them to drop their guard. If we get this aspect right, the fact that snapdragons arrived in your bouquet rather than stocks or that the wind is not playing fair or that you missed the first step of the dance you’ve been rehearsing for months, won’t matter. To the contrary, all those details, all those mishaps and misadventures make your day unique and so very yours, and I’ll be there to celebrate that difference.
How do we avoid cheesy or overly posed photos?
By nature, I am a very relaxed person and couples tend to pick up on this energy. To put your mind at ease, I’m not going to ask you to strike any particular pose – the result almost always looks forced and awkward. I will, however, help you by suggesting, for example, that you sit here or walk there, but that’s more to keep the shoot moving, giving it momentum which always translate well on the camera. I may also ask you to shift the position of your hands – as hands tend to reveal nervousness – and while I’m at it, I may suggest you stand a little straighter and drop your chin (but any friend would do the same). In short, I aim to create an environment where the two of you can interact in the way you would if I weren’t around, albeit with good posture and relaxed hands and keeping make-out sessions to a minimum.
What do you cover on the day?
Again, there is no hard and fast rule so if you want to we can change it up – I’m more than happy to craft something for your particular needs. Generally, my Collections include the bride and groom getting ready with their entourages, the ceremony, a couple session after the ceremony, some details of the reception, family photographs, bridal party shots, cake cutting and the first dance. Of course, if there’s time for a few other moments like bouquet throwing and speeches, I will capture these too.
What traits would your ideal couple have?
Though I mentioned above that I’m not going to ask you to strike any awkward poses, I am prone to asking you to romp around in fields, to step into a thicket and to sit on dust roads. All this tomfoolery goes well with couples that don’t take themselves too seriously and brides that aren’t too precious about their dresses or fazed by my request to jump over a fence. That said, I won’t ask you to do something if I don’t think you’ll be comfortable with it. Also, I – like many photographers – have a thing about golden hour. Sometimes wedding schedules don’t allow it but if I can steal you away from your guests in the best light, it is so worth it. Forget fancy flashes and reflectors and and and… there is nothing as exquisite or flattering or daydreamy than true golden hour. You deserve to be bathed in that beautiful warm light. Let’s have some fun in it!
I don’t see any packages on your site, do you have any?
While I’ve been taking photographs for many years, I’ve only recently embarked on wedding photography. I’m sure in time I’ll divide my work into neat packages because that seems the industry norm (actually package is a very unattractive word so I think I’ll refer to them as Collections rather). For now though, I have only really have one offering and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. What is that offering? I’ll take photos at your wedding. Let me break that down into some more details:
- One photographer
- A full day’s story-telling (plus minus 10 hours)
- 350-400 edited photos
- Top 20 images (the best of the day)
- Any high-res image you request
Of course, this leads to the next question: How much will it cost? While it would be fun if you’d have to contact me first before I reveal my starting price – because I’d be able to gauge interest – I’m going to resist that urge. R15,000. This amount may vary but that’s to give you an idea of what you may be in for. Let’s talk.
