Exclusive interview with Ian Clark

by Lucy Moore | 13 January 2014

One of Ian's happy couples!

We talk to wedding photographer Ian Clark about his tops tips for picking the perfect person to capture your memories on one of the biggest days of your life.

What are your top tips for selecting a photographer for your wedding day?

This is a great question, and my first response would be research, research, research!

With the power of the internet today, it’s possible to delve deep into many photographer’s portfolios and pricelists without ever having to pick the phone up or leave the house. I’d say know what style of photography you are looking for and then do as much searching as you can to get a shortlist of photographers that match your chosen style. Be realistic about your budget; don’t expect your dream wedding photos to come dirt cheap, because they won’t. Once you shortlist some photographers, I would arrange to meet them, it’s really important that you are comfortable and happy with your photographer as they are effectively going to be an extra guest at your wedding, and they are going to have a front row seat for your most intimate moments on the biggest day of your life. I pride myself on the great relationship I build with my wedding couples, and I think this is really important. If you meet a photographer and it doesn’t feel right or you’re not happy about something, then accept that they might not be the one for you.

When should you start looking for a photographer as you start to plan everything for your big day?

You should start looking for a photographer straight away! The best photographers, and possibly your dream photographer will get booked very early; I’ve had wedding enquiries for weddings 3 years in advance! And I regularly take wedding bookings 2 years in advance. Availability of photographers can vary greatly depending on what time of year your big day is. For example the summer months will tend to get booked first. August is my hot month; it’s always the first month to be filled for me, so bear that in mind when planning too. Whatever you do, don’t leave it until the last minute. Your choice of photographer could be seriously limited if you wait until a couple of months before the day, and you could end up having to just take anyone who is available, which may not match your style or your tastes. Book early!!

What are your thoughts on the photo booths that have begun to pop up at weddings as a substitute for a photographer?

I think these photo booths are a great fun idea. It’s a great alternative to the disposable camera on the table, which in my opinion very rarely produce good photos due to their cheap nature. I can see the photo booths becoming more and more popular but I’m not sure if they will be a passing phase/trend or whether they will stand the test of time as a fun must have for the wedding day. They’re not to everybody’s taste and one thing’s for sure, they’re not going to replace a professional!

In your opinion what are at least the basic shots every bride and groom should have of their wedding day?

When I meet couples to discuss their requirements for the day, I use a carefully constructed checklist that we sit down and go through and which covers a variety of shots that we will decide are essential or not for the day. I think this careful planning is very important so as not to cause problems after the day, as we only get one chance to get it right! As a bare minimum for the day, I like to suggest we take some portraits of the Bride, the Bride arriving at the church/venue including shots in the car where applicable. The Bride with her Bridesmaids, with her Father and both parents, again where applicable. I take as much of the ceremony as possible (or allowed) but the Bride walking up the aisle as a bare minimum. The signing of the register, followed by the newly married couple walking back down the aisle together are normally a must have. Formal family group shots are important to most couples (but not all), and then I like to take the couple for some intimate shots of just the two of them, even if only for a short time. From that point I think the main must have shots would be some of the speeches, followed by cutting of the cake and the first dance. These are all some of the basic requirements for a typical traditional English wedding, although weddings do vary and a lot of young couples now are steering away from some of the traditional styles and going for a much more photojournalistic look.

The key point is; it’s your choice. It’s your day and your photos so you decide how much you want the photographer to be involved and what shots you want him/her to take. I have quite a laid back style and try not to take over the day, capturing as many natural shots as possible keeping formality to a minimum. The clients that book me know this and that’s generally what they’re looking for in their photographer.

How important is it for the couple to take the photographer with them to look at the venue before the big day if they haven't been before?

I make a rule of never turning up to a venue I haven’t done before, on the wedding day. I always go and check the venue out beforehand, usually a few days before the big day. Although the approach to photographing a wedding is the same for any venue, I like to be prepared. I like to look at possible locations for full group shots, nice spots for the couple’s intimate shots and positions for formal group shots etc. I do this close to the day so I know where the light is going to be. I know where the sun will be and I can plan for it. This planning makes the actual day go quicker and smoother from the photographer’s point of view. It also allows me to make a plan B if the heavens open on the day.

I do like to have the couples with me when I do this planning, so they also know where we are planning to shoot on the day, although it’s not essential. I’m going to pick the best positions for lighting and background, and generally the couple on the day will be happy with the choice, I always have other options if not. I always meet my couples in the days before the big day to discuss the checklists I mentioned earlier, so if we can do it at the venue, then we usually do.

What is the most unusual request you have had to photograph at a wedding?

I have a couple this year that want to have a micro pig bring the rings up the aisle and me capture this moment as it happens! This is definitely a bit different to the norm and I just think it’s fantastic. I love anything that’s breaking from tradition and making the day unique. I love the fact it will be a bit unpredictable but it’s guaranteed to create huge emotions and it’s these moments that always make good photographs. I’m not sure if the venue have agreed to the request to allow a pig in as a guest yet but I sure hope they do!

Please can you give us some insight into your background in the field.

I started my interest in photography from a young age, a field trip to York with the photography club at school being one of my earliest memories. This was of course in the days of film cameras when you had to wait until you got into your home made lab in the loft to see whether your photos had turned out as planned!

After school I moved into IT and engineering and it was only with the invention of the digital camera that my passion was reignited. Suddenly cameras had become ‘techie’ and you could post produce images on your computer. This was heaven for me as I could now combine two of my favorite things, taking pictures and sitting on a computer being creative. I bought every digital camera you could think of as the technology inside them got better and better at a huge rate of knots.

It was around 3 years ago that I decided I wanted to start making money from my photography and wedding photography was the ultimate challenge. You can be an event photographer, a portrait photographer, a landscape photographer, a nightclub photographer, a still life photographer etc. etc., but a wedding photographer has to be all of these. Jack of all trades and master of most!

After carrying out some training courses and a number of workshops with some of the country’s best wedding photographers, I set out to become a wedding photographer myself. I had no idea how much hard work is involved but the rewards make it all worthwhile. It’s a very competitive industry with a lot of varying styles but my aim is to be the best. You never stop learning with photography and no two weddings are ever the same, that’s what keeps me going and what makes this job hard to beat!