Some thoughts on photography services available in Switzerland

You may spent months preparing for your wedding, but the day itself will pass in a heartbeat. You will be able to re-live the joy and romance of it by looking through your wedding album. So don't take chances with your wedding photographer. You need a professional, whose work you admire, who understands your vision and whose style reflects your own. 

·       Expertise & style

 You may be searching for a wedding photographer for your wedding that will take place in Switzerland or a professional in destination weddings that will come to the place of your choice, or if you are looking for a family in-home session or for a studio staged photo shoot – in any case, I would recommend to choose a photographer, who is experienced in the area and, what is even more important, whose style resonates with your personality. Photographer’s portfolio speaks better than all the words about the style and expertise, so spend some significant time looking through the pictures. Photographers are creative people and happy to experiment, but even trying something new we will stay true to our personal taste and style. 

·       Packages & hidden costs

Most photographers offer a selection of packages. Packages may vary in coverage, number of photos edited, number of images printed, quality of printed pictures and photo albums, etc. So, before making a decision, be sure to find out what is included in a package and which services are available at extra cost. Check for hidden costs, you may be surprised, but sometimes family and portrait photo packages don’t include digital images, the price of a photo session covers just time and talent of the photographer, while products, either digital files or prints, are purchased separately. It's important that right from the beginning you are absolutely clear on how you are being charged, ask your prospective photographer what their policy is. All my collections include full-resolution digital images with a release for personal use (sharing, printing and posting on social media). If you need the pictures for commercial use, please contact me first. Photographers often use password-protected online galleries that are very convenient for displaying  pictures from the wedding celebration/photo shoot. I would also recommend to check, if you or your guests will have to pay additionally to be able to download the pictures and how much. The nice thing about the online galleries is that you as a wedding couple or family on the portraits can regulate who may have the access to the pictures as well as which exactly pictures you want to have accessible.  

·       Duration of a photo session & coverage

The duration of time when the pictures are taken is certainly a very important factor. Don’t fall for longer coverage all other things being equal, except price, while choosing a family photographer – you don’t need 3 hours of a family photo shoot, since your children will be not willing to cooperate after certain time. At the same time, don't expect a variety of pictures, if you book a one hour photo shoot at one location. As my experience shows, 2 hours is the ideal time, we will be able to change the outfits as well as locations. Regarding wedding photography, you do need at least 6-hour coverage for a wedding session and even more, if you want to have the memories of the different stages of the day. We are all different, think what will have more value for you - portraits of you while getting ready, pictures of your dress, shoes, rings and flower bouquet or rather shots from the dancing floor? Formal portraits of the guests are regarded to be essential part of the wedding photo coverage, but are these pictures really so necessary? Why not to limit the formal group pictures to maximum 1-2 and better assign one hour to couple portraits? If you plan your photographer to be present at the Apero, ask her (or ok, him :) to make portraits of the guests (couples, separate small groups of friends), this will be a nicer memory from the artistic point of view! :)

You can’t get what you want until you know exactly what you are searching for, right? :) So be specific. Also, be prepared to ask right questions for getting comprehensive answers that will help you choose the best photographer for your needs.

Tips for amateur family photographers :)

If you are a beginner photographer and interested in photographing kids, here are some tips from an experienced family photographer in Zurich on how to treat children during family photo shoot session.

Keep Children Active and Engaged

Children love to change types of activity and get bored of monotonous plays rather quickly. So, a good family photographer is always prepared to offer several places and games at option for a photo shoot session. To keep children engaged, it is desirable to change activity every 10-15 minutes.

Make Sure That Children Feel Comfortable

Children need energy for playing games with you. Thus, prior to taking pictures, make sure that children are not hungry or tired. Even the best family photographer in Zurich won’t get good images if children experience physical discomfort.

Avoid Taking Pictures under Direct Sunlight

When having an outdoor family photo shoot session, try to take pictures of children in shaded places, so that they wouldn’t squint at the bright sunlight. The most beautiful and attractive thing in children portraits is their eyes. A professional family photographer in Switzerland will do his best to make the eyes clearly visible on pictures. If there is no shadow and you are forced to take pictures in the sun, don’t hurry and let children's eyes get used to bright lighting. However, you can create some shadow by putting a bucket hat or some kind of a hat with a peak on a child or by asking someone to hold a towel over children while you are shooting.

Keep Some Distance

Try using a lens with a larger focal length - you can move away from a scene and shoot from afar. This will help children to forget about your camera and to feel at ease, while you will get live pictures with a really natural touch. Generally, children under 5 should be photographed in a way that they don’t know that you’re shooting, while when it comes to older children it is better to get them involved in the game of shooting. For example, a good family photographer in Zurich will pretend that he is playing for real, while shooting just for fun.

Promise Reward after Shooting

Don’t stuff children with sweets during the photo shoot session. They will be chewing throughout the session, dreaming only about how to eat all the sweets. This can badly affect the images and even ruin your ideas about the photo shoot. Instead, promise some pleasant rewards after a family photo session, but don’t make much focus on this.