Getting to Know - Love Wedding Photos And Film

Interview with: Claire and Jonathon Fowler

Location / Coverage: Based in Edinburgh City Centre, we cover all of Scotland and the UK.

How did Love Wedding Photos And Film get started?

We married each other back in 2006 and at the last-minute added a video option to our photography booking. We loved the video when we first watched it, but by the time we’d viewed the video a handful of times we realised there was lots of footage that shouldn’t have made the edit.

Our videographer had filmed what he could, then burned the footage straight to DVD with zero editing. Our fault really, we were a bit naive about what to ask and just assumed he would edit the video before handing it over to us.

Anyway, Jonathon studied music production at college and had learned basic video production skills as part of the training. He got the idea to edit our own wedding video and managed to cut about 70 minutes down to 40 minutes, essentially cutting out cheesy zooms, the videographer setting up shots, long ponderous shots of people arriving at the church and that kind of thing. The end result was significantly more interesting to watch and our family loved the result.

This process sparked the idea that perhaps we could start providing a better quality of ‘budget wedding video’ and considerably better customer service. Within a month we had a couple of the first high-definition cameras available for sale in the UK, a website, an editing computer and monitor, and the start of a fantastic journey into the world of video production.

About a year of shooting videos at weddings taught us that the photography side of weddings also had room for improvement, so we introduced photography to the services we provide. After the first four years of shooting weddings, lots of training and developing our own style of shooting and editing, we got so busy that Jonathon quit his ‘regular’ job to put all his efforts into the business full-time. I continued to assist at weddings and with the editing and social media, joining the business full-time back in 2017.

Who works at Love Wedding Photos And Film? What are your roles?

Jonathon and I work together at Love Wedding Photos And Film full-time. Aside from photographing and filming weddings, we do everything else. This includes marketing, social media, updating our website, and editing the photos and videos. We do everything in-house and don’t outsource anything.

Which areas of the UK do you cover?

We cover the whole of the UK, with the bulk of our work taking place in east and central Scotland.

What do you feel sets you apart from other wedding photographers and videographers?

Us. When you hire us it’s a given you receive great photos and film, but what people always comment on is how much they enjoy working with us. We genuinely love what we do. This isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life and we live and breathe shooting photos and video. That comes across when people meet us. We love meeting people, finding out about them and of course documenting what makes them so unique.

How would you describe your photography and videography styles?

Candid, natural, with a little bit of wow-factor included. We’re not fans of weddings where the photographer or videographer is the centre of attention, so we are conscious of being discreet and working seamlessly in the background as much as possible.

What packages do you offer and what are your rates?

We’re not fans of the ‘one-size fits all’ wedding packages. We offer everything from just one-hour of coverage with one photographer for small, intimate elopements, starting at just £299, to both of us providing all-day coverage of large events where we charge up to £3,000. Every couple has different needs so we try and tailor what we provide to suit those requirements.

What is the best thing about your job?

Meeting so many wonderful people in so many fabulous settings. We are thankful to be able to do a job which we love so much.

Have you won any awards?

Yes, we’re delighted to have won ‘Scottish Photographer Of The Year South East’ at the Scottish Wedding Awards 2020, and in 2018 we won ‘Most Outstanding Photographer’ at the Best of the Wedding Industry Awards.

Who/what are your influences?

We both love art, black and white street photography, cinematography, history, and we keep a close eye on technology trends, but by far our biggest influences are our family and our clients. They are our best critics and keep us on our toes! We’re not big followers of creative trends, so you won’t see us using the latest filters or wacky in-vogue editing styles. Our aim is to create truthful images where beautiful light and telling the client’s story is the deciding factor, not post-processing filtering to emulate someone else’s look.

We are big fans of keeping up to date with technology; anything that allows us to create faster, better or for longer definitely gets our attention.

Do you have a favourite picture that you have taken (if you can choose!)?

We have so many photos which have captured a lot of candid and unique moments, but our favourite photo has to be the image of newly-weds Jenna and Andrew on the roof of The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, taken just as the Red Arrows flypast. A bit of inside knowledge, skill and good fortune came together to create a truly unique photo. The image really ‘put us on the map’ with a wider audience so to speak, as every major newspaper in the UK published the photo. What a crazy week that was!

What are your top tips for choosing a wedding photographer and videographer?

First, do lots of research to compare different styles of photography and video and decide which style you prefer — do you prefer candid, natural, traditional/posed…? Then seek out a handful of suppliers who offer your preferred style and compare their prices and offers. Try and meet them and at the very least to have a chat via Skype/WhatsApp/Zoom before you book. You might find that a photographer whose photos you love might not be your ‘cup of tea’ when you meet in person or chat on the phone with them. How can you expect someone to get the very best out of you on your wedding day if they cannot make you feel great at that initial meeting?

Most importantly, follow your heart. It’s your wedding day and, just like falling in love with your partner, you’ll know when you have found ‘the one’! We have a couple of informative pages on our website dedicated to helping couples to choose their ideal photographer and videographer…

FAQ — 60 Questions To Ask A Photographer

How to Choose a Photographer — 5 Essential Things To Consider

What’s your typical day like?

Busy, long and very rewarding. Being a photographer and videographer usually means about 10% of our time is behind the camera (usually at a wedding) with the other 90% of our time behind our computers editing, posting on social media, contacting clients, blogging and updating our website.

We plan our wedding days with military precision and they tend to be 12 — 14 hour days. It’s a long day, but because we are so busy documenting the day it’s over before you know it and you’re driving home excited to see what you have captured and to share it with the couple!