For most "location" weddings, I have an assistant, as logistics dictate the need for someone to have equipment moved as I am shooting. I sometimes have a second shooter for the ceremony, but have no problem delivering the highest quantity and quality by constantly looking for creative images the whole day. (Some studios offer a package with several photographers, which is probably a good idea with less-experienced shooters). My clients hire me for their wedding images, and I work hard to make each photo have great value!
Only a terrible illness would prevent me from photographing your wedding. I haven't had this problem but once, when I was stuck in Italy after the Sept. 11th tragedy (all airports were closed). I did then what I would do now: call a photographer friend to substitute for me. I'm in a network of photographer friends who have a similar style of wedding work, and we refer extra jobs back and forth. The strength of this network is physical support when needed. (The friend who helped me with the 9-11 wedding problem did a great job-the family told me they loved him and the photos).
I always have extra cameras, and extra flash units, in case of equipment malfunction. This is a good question to ask...I learned early on (shooting sports from the west coast and sending images back to the paper for deadline) that having redundancies in every critical piece of equipment is essential!
I normally shoot everything in color, and then convert specific images to B&W as desired. This leaves all options open, whereas color isn't an option when I shoot only B&W. Certain photos make better B&W images (higher contrast images...), and we can look at them both ways before making any enlargements or albums.
My cameras give 12.5 (minimum) megapixel images, and I shoot JPEG and RAW format, to give my clients unlimited capabilities. My commercial work produces many images for billboards, so enlargements are never a problem!
We have several packages to suit any budget. Please see our Packages page for more information.
My style is photojournalistic (picture story), as my career and UGA teaching experience has all been in photojournalism. What separates me from others using this style? I have 20 years experience in real photojournalism: working for newspapers, contributing to national magazines such as Life, Sports Illustrated, and winning over 30 state and national awards in the process. I was on the test team for the first digital camera, a $60,000 collaboration between Kodak and Nikon. This is experience you want on your wedding day!
More information about Wingate's Photojournalism style
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