Ahhhh! This is pretty nerve-wracking but here goes…

For 2015 I’ll be offering Stop Motion Videos as add-ons to my photography coverage.

It all began when I was interested in playing about with stop motion for a personal family Easter video earlier this year.. I really enjoyed messing around and making something new from my photographs, and I loved how it mixed something similar to videography with still images to create movement and tell the story in a different way than I was used to… it felt like adding another dimension to what I did.. then a little while later my best friend Louise got married over in Italy and, as I was already doing her wedding photography, I decided to create a surprise stop motion video of the few days we were over there to celebrate. It was really well received and Lou and Ste said how much they loved it, and how it really captured what their day was all about…

After having a few more people ask me about them and people telling me I should consider offering them alongside my wedding photography I decided to jump in and give it my best shot. Hannah and Dan married in France at the end of August this year and I decided to throw everything at trying out a stop motion video for them on the day and see how it would turn out and how I would work the day.. I loved it.. loved shooting it, loved putting it together, loved the end result and loved their feedback:

“Thank you so much Sally for our beautiful video, it’s one of our favourite parts from our photography! I didn’t even notice you capturing all the wonderful tiny moments of our big day, watching the video we remember every second, every laugh and every smile. When you asked if we didn’t mind you having a bit of a play with a stop motion video, we had no idea that you would capture not only our whole day, but even the bits we missed! We can’t imagine a better way to preserve the memories of our wedding, and we could not have asked for a better photographer, you could not have fitted in better! We all felt so relaxed and happy around you, Sally, thank you. Love from Hannah and Dan xxx”

So this is it! I would love to hear what you all think – I’m so excited to take the plunge but it’s pretty scary putting it all out there. I’m obviously still building a portfolio and ironing out a few other details about this coverage, so the first five couples that add this to their full day coverage will be able to book at the special introductory rate of just £275.

I’m going to be working on updating my wedding photography brochure for 2015 over the next few weeks, but here is a little more information in the meantime:

What exactly is a Stop Motion Video?

It’s actually around 1,000-1,300 images compiled in a similar way to a slideshow, obviously at a much faster pace, to create movement from still images rather than video footage. It will be around 3-4 minutes in length and set to one track which I will pick (and license for use) myself.

How will you do it on the day?

I will need a little extra time on either side of your wedding day than I would for full day photographic coverage, which will allow more time to prepare certain sequences and make sure I have covered the evening reception enough too. A lot of the photographs I’ll use to compile your stop motion video will be on your USB of still wedding images too, and I’ll be continuously shooting both still images and images for your stop motion video throughout the day.

Do I need to have booked you for full day coverage to add a stop motion video to my package?

Yes. I’ve found that covering a full day, from bridal preparations to dancing, works best for the one-track video I’ll put together, so my stop motion videos will only be available for couples who have booked me for full day coverage – I want to be able to tell the full story of your day.

What about the ceremony?

As I tell all my couples, it’s really worth checking about what photography coverage is allowed during your wedding ceremony. Some ceremony officiants are stricter than others, which is why I always make a point of having a quick chat with whomever is conducting this part of the day myself on the day too. I will endeavour to appropriately cover your ceremony within your video but it’s worth noting that sometimes my coverage here can be restricted.

Will it take longer to get my video than my photographs?

Both your USB of images and your stop motion video will arrive together, and I will be honouring my current waiting time for images of 4-6 weeks.

Can you record sound?

Not at all, this video is made from compiled still images, for video coverage of your wedding you’ll need to book a videographer.

How much will they be after the introductory offer?

As it says above, the first five bookings I get for this will be £275, which will cover my time and music licensing – at this stage I’m still portfolio building and smoothing out how I put these videos together – after this I will be charging £350 for a video add on.

How do I add a stop motion video to my photography?

Drop me an email at info@sallytphotography.com if you’ve already booked me for full day coverage and I’ll add it to your booking form, and if you haven’t yet booked just request it when you enquire.