The Photographer

It’s not that easy to get a wedding photographer less than two months before one’s wedding. Or rather, it’s not that easy to secure the service of a highly recommended photojournalist two months before one’s wedding.

One of the best wedding photojournalists around would be none other than the Senior Photographer of Her World magazine - Ikram Ismail. His normal rate is RM250 per roll, with minimum of 4 rolls. But if you have been recommended by a previous client of his – you may get a good discount – up to just RM880 for four rolls. The package includes raw images in 4R size and a storyboard album with studio-quality photos of various sizes in colours, black-and-white as well as sepia, catching the essence of any particular kenduri. This guy is in great demand and must be booked many, many months in advance.

A noteworthy budding wedding photojournalist is Zulkarnain Hassan a.k.a Angah. I really, really love his pics and his rate is really affordable, beginning from RM400 for 100 images. His package includes raw images in 4R size in nice albums, a CD of the images and some 8R size studio-quality photos in wooden frames. His work could be seen here. A pity he’s already been booked to attend a wedding in JB on the date of my akad nikah and kenduri.

I must also admit that I admire Kid Chan’s work – yes, he of the exclusive Potrait One Photographers. There’s nothing wrong with admitting my admiration although I know that I can’t afford that particular package I really like, right?

One can always consult their recently married friends for recommendations of wedding photojournalists. But if all else fails, then, there are many wedding photographers ready to offer their service who could be found in and around Medan Mara, Pertama Complex and various photo studios. The normal charge is about RM150 per roll, with a minimum of 3 rolls plus some extras if the reception is held out of the town. I peeked at some portfolios and thought that a few are quite okay even if they are not as impressive as Ikram Ismail’s or Kid Chan’s. But hey, that’s the reason why they cost so differently, right?

It doesn’t take a pair of trained eyes to notice the difference between highly professional and semi-professional photography. When I attended Jue’s wedding in Kelantan about two months ago, I have seen how the photographer cleverly guided the newly wed couple for prompted shots. The end results, I must admit look natural and professionally handled. The photos Jue and her husband took for the sambut menantu kenduri in PJ though were something else – they looked rather stiff despite all the cheery genuine smiles. “The photographer did not guide us as thoroughly as the one in KB did,” Jue explained as I flipped the pages of her wedding albums, remarking on how different they looked on the two separate occassions.

While my fiancé doesn’t believe in spending a small fortune (“Our friends and family can take our pictures for free right?”) for a wedding photographer, I’ve consulted many friends and majority of them recommended hiring a professional. “Consider it a long term investment. This is something you want to share with your kids, insya Allah, with your menantu, your cucu…This is something you want to keep for life,” a friend advised.

Okay maybe my dearest fiancé has a valid point in pointing out that our wedding is just a one-day event to start our adventure together for the rest of our lives and if possible, it’s better to save what we can for the future. Still, I’m a sucker for beautiful photos. In fact, I’m simply a sucker for any kind photos, beautiful or otherwise. And I really, really want the essence of our big day to be nicely, naturally, professionally captured on photos.

Thus, I finally settled on hiring a photographer from Pertama Complex, who was personally recommended by a clerk in my office’s Administration department – which resulted in me getting a special discount. While I must admit that his portfolio is not as impressive as Ikram’s or Angah’s – I consoled myself that at least he’s willing to listen to my wish of must-take shots and even willing to take a look at other people’s photos to get a better understanding of my wish.

After some sort of research - browsing through friends’ and colleagues’ wedding albums, browsing the net for suggestions - I've just compiled a list of must-take shots. Of course these are apart from the obligatory photos on the pelamin – the bride and groom together, the couple with her parents, the couple together with his parents, the couple with all parents, the couple with her entire immediate family, the couple with his entire immediate family, the couple with immediate family members from both sides, the couple with both pengapits, the couple with her extended family members, the couple with his extended family members, the couple with guests insisting on having a picture together on the pelamin and on and on and on…

Here’s my personal list of crucial moments I hope not to be missed by my photographer – please let me know if I should add more, in case I’ve left some important moments…

Majlis Akad Nikah
- The groom before the akad
- The bride before the akad
- The signing of the last few forms in front of the Kadhi
- Ayah before akad (he’s going to do the akad himself)
- Ayah as he utter the akad
- The groom as he utter the lafaz nikah
- The groom as he is about to start the solat sunat
- The groom putting on the ring
- Close up of the hands as the groom slips the ring onto the bride’s finger
- Close-up of the bride kissing the groom’s hand
- Close-up of the groom kissing the bride’s forehead
- The group family picture after the akad

The Kenduri
- Shot from outside the house, the canopy and all
- The preparation by caterer, orang dapur & other last minute touch up on this and that
- The Marhaban group in action
- The bride getting ready/made up
- Mak helping the bride out with last minute stuff like checking on the selendang
- Ayah whispering last minute advice as he kisses the bride’s forehead
- The bride checking herself out in the mirror
- Detail of clothing, shoes, the invitation card, the ring, the bridal bouquet
- Detail of the hantaran, bilik pengantin, pelamin, bunga pahar
- Some touching shot with Mak, Ayah, Abang, Adik, cousins, uncles, aunties, grandma
- The bride with her pengapit
- The groom with his pengapit
- A rear shot of the bride standing, looking down one side at the floral bouquet in her hand
- Some touching shots of the groom with his family as they wait for the kompang procession to begin.
- Close up of the groom’s adorably nervous stance before the procession begin
- Close up of the bride’s nervous posture as the procession nears her house
- The flower girls laughing and grinning among themselves
- The kompang boys as they ketuk the kompang vigorously and sang loudly under the hot sun
- Flower girls happily leading the procession
- The procession
- Guests whispering to each other as they watch the procession
- Wide shot of the guests from the procession’s point of view.
- Close up of the hands holding firmly as the bride and groom proceeds
- Bride and groom at the head table for makan beradat (or is it makan berhadap?)
- All guests at the head table
- Detail of special bunga telur, goblets and food item on the head table from side view
- Close up of the groom and bride feeding each other
- Detail of the wedding cake and the cake table
- Bride and groom cutting the cake
- Bride and groom feeding each other the cake
- Congrats shots – bride and groom hugging, laughing, crying, and accepting well wishes and handshakes from close friends and family.
- Bride’s and groom’s parents chatting with each other
- Kids playing and messing around with the bunga telur, the canopy, the pelamin or something
- Bride laughing or giggling with her pengapit
- Groom with his arm affectionately around his pengapit
- Bride and groom chatting up guests