In the 60s Maestro Villa , who is now the only person who issues the cards of the Archbishop's Curia of Milan. The teacher of the Wedding Photographers is himself, Maestro Villa, to whom we owe everything. In the beginning, flashes were used to take photos in church, but the shots that could be fired were unfortunately limited.
The magnesium flash took a long time to charge, so photos were dark, making weddings look like funerals. The photos in churches were counted: four or five.
Everything else was done outside , the cameras of the time were unable to keep the church dark, in practice the photography inside the church was grainy, in this way one of the most touching parts of the wedding was lost and it was not possible to immortalize the moment.
This is unlike today, where thanks to technology it is possible in post-production , even without using the flash, to improve the conditions of photography and make the photo, even in a church which has terrible conditions, beautiful to look at and very bright.
Therefore this step is fundamental , flash is no longer used in church, this is out of respect for the ceremony, photographers become invisible and only come out at the premises, at the baptism, at the exchange of rings and at communion for both guests and the spouses. In those moments the photographers take the opportunity to take a group photo, a photo with the Don and thus they manage to leave everyone with a memory of the day, especially of the more traditional moments.
At the time, the cameras, despite having analogue film, were unable to capture enough light and the photos were very grainy, as we have seen. Subsequently, in the 90s, the techniques evolved and we began to work with flash , which loaded immediately. However, this technique, the new flash, bothered the Don and those who celebrated.
Therefore the card of the Archbishop's Curia of Milan was born, which all photographers should possess. Unfortunately, some photographers improvise as such and risk ruining that very important day. The Don can decide, at his own discretion, to ask the photographer to show his badge before the celebration and not having it could create problems.
There are some rules to follow when photographing a wedding during a church celebration:
You cannot pass through the triangle that is created between the Don and the spouses;
You cannot go up to the altar;
You can't talk;
You must be elegantly dressed;
There are particular phases of the celebration in which photography is absolutely forbidden , for example during the homily .
The Don does not want shots that distract the guests and the bride and groom from his speech. Because every movement, shot, video taken by the photographer can divert attention and we must remember that the wedding is celebrated before God. Therefore it is essential to be respectful of the entire ceremony and having this card allows you to guarantee a peaceful celebration it's pleasant.
From 2005 - 2007 onwards we began to use top-of-the-line cameras such as: Canon and Nixon . These cameras are similar to the cameras that can be found at Mediaworld and looking at them at first glance they may all seem the same and in these stores they can be found for €500 . On the other hand, a professional camera that manages to keep the light on in the Royal Palace or in the Church, just the camera body costs around €5000-6000 . The minimum, basic lens: EF 24-70 mm which manages to capture a lot of light and is ideal for professional photos, of the Canon brand, with a red circle (therefore first class) and which has an f/1 aperture which instead costs around €3500.
We specify this because there are also lenses that cost €200. However, they have an aperture that goes from f/16 upwards and this does not allow you to take professional photos in any light condition.
If you are interested in learning more about the Diaphragm, read this: Diaphragm (optics ).
Every photographer has 3-4 camera bodies and 3-4 lenses for each camera body. Lenses that allow you to take photos with: zoom and wide angle for outdoor photos. The professional photographer comes out with €50,000 worth of equipment , to guarantee bright, grain-free photos.
Photos can be printed in any format, online photo albums, traditional albums, posters and canvases can be made. We give all originals and the photos are very large. In addition, we also provide a compressed format to share photos on social networks or to send them via email. We also give a professional 128GB USB stick , where there are all the large photos and the same reworked photos.
If a couple subsequently wishes, in complete autonomy , to compose an album with our photographs, they will just need to Google some site to create it, such as ilfotoalbum.com for example and then they will only have to compose it with the photos they prefer. This way you can have an album for €150.
It is also possible to make canvases for the living room and even in this the photo does not grain, this is because the photos are taken with professional and very high definition cameras. You can also make t-shirts, clearly using the original photo and not the compressed photo for social networks or photos from your cell phone.
Cell phone photos are really great these days, this is because the software and the camera itself have always been improving. However , they are not ideal for indoor photos because they do not keep the darkness and instead are suitable for outdoor photos. If, for example, your wedding were to be outdoors, in a large lawn , with the ceremony taking place directly there, then the mobile phone could be an economical alternative and the result might not be so disappointing.
Clearly, in this case, if we wanted to make an album later, as can be deduced, as soon as we try to enlarge the photo it starts to grain and therefore the result would not be so pleasant.
Around the years 2012-2014 the technology we had was the best:
Drones
Stabilized video cameras with weights to counterbalance and have a stabilized video (this is because we want to provide a video that has maximum stability and that does not look amateurish in any way)
Full-HD videos, so you can watch them on any screen
Dolby Surround Sound
We, Bride and Groom Photographers , never fall below these standards when the bride and groom decide to also integrate the video into their wedding package.
In all photography packages we provide basic services:
128 GB USB stick with all photos in social format and in original format for large prints and for the album.
Online photo album to share all photos with relatives and friends. All absolutely safe and protected with a password to be entered to view all the photos. Canon wedding site.
Top level equipment that is the same for every package you decide to book. If you want to book an introductory appointment: click here .
In 2016 and 2017 we were at maximum equipment, we had the best the market could offer us and this has remained unchanged today. We were able to offer exclusive services to our customers: large prints directly at the reception. We had 7-8 Photographers ready to capture every moment. Two videos: one from the groom and one from the bride, the drone , small thank you prints , Photo Boot where everyone took funny photos with mustaches and frames, with or without the bride and groom.
Everyone went home with printed photos, thanks to a boy from our team, who during dinner came by with a bunch of 200 photos , all different, to give immediately to everyone present.
Clearly for the parents, witnesses and spouses we brought up to 15-20 photos each.
Unfortunately, in the following years, the wedding in Milan was completely downsized , the guests and the locations were reduced. This is on average for studios in the Milan area. Being a large studio, first on Google since 2011 , always present in Milan and always present on the Google Map, we receive thousands of requests. With so many requests we also get weddings in luxurious locations such as Villa d'Este and also of important people: Borromeo and other families.
But the bulk of the work has changed and starting from 2017 , it has always moved towards simplification , a calmer ceremony. The municipality prevails over the church , with many weddings in the Royal Palace . So much so that we now know all the celebrants who are very nice. Unfortunately, the very nice Cleila who lightens up the ceremony is about to retire.
They are less luxurious weddings and more focused on the essence of the wedding. The newlyweds prefer to join in a small celebration with their closest relatives and closest friends. Since the number of guests is also reduced, the bride and groom require less staff, fewer photographers, fewer assistants and often no video is requested.
Therefore, I, the owner of Fotografi degli Sposi , who started out as my Master's Assistant and have always worked with two people, am faced with a great challenge. Many photos can be taken with only two people , for example when the bride enters the church, one photographer shoots that moment and the other shoots the groom waiting, or one shoots the signatures while the other shoots the guests. In short, in my opinion, it is essential to be more than a photographer at the wedding. Furthermore, with two people there is more room for creativity , one photographer can take photos in the traditional way and the other has the opportunity to experiment a little more.
In short, only 1 photographer finds it difficult to capture everything, inevitably he will miss moments, for example when the bride enters he will lose one of the two reactions (either the groom's or the bride's), he will not be able to capture every moment with precision, such as the exchange of the rings , the cutting of the cake and other fundamental and touching moments of the wedding. Reducing staff means losing eyes on the day.
However, it is a new challenge , which arises from a new market need, the spouses wish to have lower costs. This may be because they believe it is better to spend more on their honeymoon or they simply want to save money so they can invest it in a house or a car. Rather than spend money on more details: flowers, expensive clothes and lots of photographers. The newlyweds wish to focus on other details, namely a quality lunch and a beautiful location.
People ask for 1-2 photographers and maybe you, who after so many years in which you would never have thought that anything would change, need to know how to reinvent yourself and start being dynamic, learn to take work home and make choices.
The mission of this new way of being a wedding photographer is to know how to interpret which moment is most important , to understand what to photograph and how to do it. All in a few seconds. A wedding more focused on the symbol of marriage. The spouses no longer want every single detail but instead prefer the most spontaneous things, the most natural things and the photographer must interpret these needs and requirements.
As Alvin Toffler predicted almost 50 years ago:
"The illiterates of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn "
As a photographer, therefore, you must be able to summarize the day, without skipping any important and fundamental moments of the wedding.
We, Bride and Groom Photographers, who have been serving the bride and groom for 26 years , since 1994, know how to compose the scene , how to capture the attention of the guests , the right phrases to say , without imposing any photos. Thanks to these techniques acquired through experience, you know which photos people want without being asked by spouses, relatives and friends.
Our studio , more than ever, has opened up to this news and has found excellent feedback with these latest requests. The reduced involvement of staff has, in fact, also lowered costs for us, leaving satisfaction and profits unchanged.
We recommend, however, the presence of at least 2 photographers. We remind you that in any of our packages , which you can find here , such as the Digital Package which includes only 1 photographer, it is possible to integrate a second photographer, with the addition of €200 to the price of the package. Contact us for a personalized no-obligation quote .
Two photographers available throughout the day, from preparations to the end of the reception, when guests are greeted. We are available all day , in all packages , without any time limits .
Furthermore, if you were to choose 2 photographers , remember that you would have several advantages:
double the number of photos (instead of 1000 photos, 2000 photos will be taken)
2 different interpretations of the day
2 different styles
With two photographers we are also able to give more space to photos of guests, couples, families and children.
Giovanni Rusconi
Wedding photographers, Milan