Recently, we were lucky enough to speak to renowned photographer, Damien Lovegrove, at a special Guild of Photographers event which we were sponsoring.  The ‘Group Therapy’ event saw Damien provide training and lots of handy hints and tips to 15 wedding photographers in the idyllic setting of a Staffordshire country house. We followed the event with a chat with Damien who provided lots of helpful insight into the professional photography industry. For those of you that don’t know, Damien learned his trade over almost two decades at the BBC, working as a camera and lighting man. From there he went on to pursue his main passion of photography and now, years later, has travelled the world teaching others and capturing priceless moments. Wedding photography was a main part of Damien’s business for a decade. Here’s what we found out when we chatted to him:

What do you love about leading training days?

Being able to pass on the knowledge, wisdom and experience I have attained over the years is such a privilege.  One of my key roles, in my eyes, is to infuse ideas and inspire the next generation of photographers.

Is this the first one you’ve done with The Guild of Photographers?

No, I have led a number of events for The Guild of Photographers in the past, after becoming a member in 1998. The Guild is growing and is a very valuable tool for photographers – I would really recommend any professional, amateur or aspiring photographers to join.

Why do you think training is so important for wedding photographers?

Training is important whatever profession you are in. In particular, wedding photography training brings new ideas and inspirations to the fore and allows photographers to keep up with ever-changing industry trends. Professional photographers must be able to offer their customers a unique and contemporary product, so continual training and development is key. I am mostly retired from wedding photography now but shot 400 weddings over 10 years in the business so have lots of experiences to share!

How did you get into wedding photography?

When I left the BBC in 1998 wedding photography was badly represented in the market place – it wasn’t seen as a prestigious occupation at the time and there were very few dedicated wedding photographers. I knew we (Damien’s wife Julie runs his photography business with him) could succeed in this market.

It’s changed so much now, there’s far more competition and quality out there which does make it harder to succeed. In order to make a living you need to be offering a product with an edge. Also it’s as much about customer experience now as it is about the photos, your clients need to feel involved and entirely comfortable on their wedding day. That’s why we would always do a pre-wedding shoot to get the couple comfortable and educate them on the process, as well as a post-wedding viewing when we would meet up with the couple and view the photographs together. It’s always nice to relive the day with the couple.

What are your top tips to consider before and during a wedding shoot?

On the day before the big day, planning and preparation is vital. You should check your timings for the day and enter addresses for all locations in to your Satnav.  Check for any road closures and don’t rely on motorways – you can turn around if there’s an accident on an A-road but you can’t on a motorway. Obvious one here but remember to sync your camera and check your batteries to avoid any disasters!

On the morning of the wedding the most important thing is to get yourself in to a positive mental state. You should be switched on and feeling great irrespective of the weather or the moods around you. The bride and groom will often be very nervous so it’s your job to keep them calm and turn nervous energy in to excitement.

And as for the biggest changes in the industry over the past 15 years?

“When we moved from film to digital in 2001, that was a massive change”, Damien tells us. “It allowed us to take more risks as we could receive instant reaction to photos and change them if necessary without having to take a whole new film reel.”

Lovegrove also attributes golden couple Posh and Becks to turning weddings into a multi-million pound industry. “It wasn’t uncommon for couples to take out a second mortgage to fund their wedding, with a number of idyllic venues charging in excess of £60,000 per day for 24 hours exclusive use.” Increased spending meant that wedding photography was a profitable job, if done right. Nowadays however, Damien believes that the industry has “levelled itself out”, with no great change expected for the future. As a result of this, his last piece of advice to wedding photographers is “keep the day job.” No wiser words spoken!

Check out Damien’s wedding photography website here: http://www.lovegroveweddings.com/