Want to know a little more about your wedding photographer?

Who the heck is Wedding Snapper? It's a great quesiton and I'm glad you asked it!

I could be a politician with a response like that...

Well, my name is Simon Woodcock and I'm the business owner and lead photographer of Melbourne-based Wedding Snapper.

Originally, I'm from a TV broadcast background having started my career at BBC Television Centre in London where I commissioned photography for publicity use in magazines, on screen and advertising. 

Initially, I was a 'workie' and my job required me to fetch lots of tea and run rolls of unprocessed film to the lab. After fetching more buckets of tea, I'd then run back to the lab to collect the processed film. It kept me fit and being the BBC, there would always be someone or something to see on the way! 

It was a really interesting time to be working with photography as the changeover from film to digital was in progress and after graduating to being a full time publicist I was given lots of freedom to experiment and try out new ideas.

After three years at the BBC I moved into magazine and newspaper publishing as a picture editor, working on and contributing to a broad range of titles including The Times, The Guardian, and an extended period on magazines at the Daily Mirror. 

It was during this time that I started treating my own photography as a second job, shooting photocalls, live music, stock for image libraries and weddings for friends, which is how I ended up nearly fully immersed in the world of weddings.

Following a move from London to Melbourne, over 15 years ago I decided it was time to pursue my photography, and weddings were the events that I got most enjoyment from so it made sense to focus my efforts in that area.

Now, the majority of our photography work consists of events and weddings in and around Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Valley, with all of us shooting a variety of corporate and event photography.

From starting out as a solo photographer under the name Wedding Snapper, there are now 3 photographers who regularly shoot under the brand with me, all with a similar style and ‘vibe’.

People often ask us to describe our style, and I honestly find that really hard to answer. Some might say it's wedding photography without being too weddingy. If that makes any sense to you?!

We're obviously going to capture the key moments you'd expect, but we also like to hunt down the details that you might not expect, offering a complete story of the day, not just the shot list from Cosmo Bride or whichever dreadful bridal magazine you mistakenly picked up for inspo.

I could tell you that with our wedding photography we will make all your dreams come true, describe ourselves as a 'boutique studio', call the price list an 'Investment', and make your veil blow in the wind. But...it's not our style and we find that side of things all a little bit fake and contrived.

As photographers, it's our belief that we’re there to capture the action of the day rather than create it. Obviously we might tweak and move things about slightly when we're shooting family or posed photos, but otherwise we follow the day’s events in a relaxed and candid style, as discreetly as possible.

We promise that we will never ask you or your bridal party to jump off a bench for a photo....and  like to think that everyone goes home with their dignity still intact after working with us!

Some photographers are a bit precious, preferring to call their work 'art', but that doesn't sit particularly well with any of us.

Veteran photojournalist Don McCullin nailed it in a recent quote, saying “I’ve always thought photography is not so much of an art form but a way of communicating and passing on information."

Planning something unusual or alternative? Every wedding is different, and that's what so fun about photographing them.

From 3 guests in the Botanic Gardens to several hundred on a cliff top overlooking the Great Ocean Road. Wherever it is and whatever you have planned; it's your day, not the photographers, so please feel free to tell us what you would like to see from it.

Do you have a nervous groom or a jittery bride who doesn't enjoy having their photo taken?  Ironically I don't particularly enjoy being photographed either so know how to treat people gently and let them enjoy themselves whilst still getting the shots. Wedding photography should be a collaboration between the couple and the photographer.

Being a Pom, I'm not always the best at 'selling' our services so it's probably best you hear about it from someone else - click here to read our wedding photography reviews.

After several near misses over the years, we know how to deal with both groomzillas, bridezillas, mumzillas and even priestzillas, so if you think there maybe some 'zilla action during your wedding feel free to give us a call for some tips on getting through unscathed!