Photographers who regularly shoot venues will have a set-out routine or 'guideline' of where they take their couples for photos. Well-known spots that either a Google search will spit out the same image results for or, that the photographer in question has used for every wedding that has taken place at that location. Do you want YOUR wedding photos, or someone else's? 

I go into each venue with a fresh set of eyes as for me, it's all about creativity. Even if I've shot the venue before, I try to forget about the locations previously used as the light and timings will never be the same as the previous wedding that took place there. Personally, I relish the most when working at a new venue. I get to see new sights and textures, interesting backgrounds, the list goes on and it's like a playground for my creativity. It's one of the reasons I like to do second shooting throughout the year if I have the time because I get to see new venues easily. 

Documentary photography, in particular, doesn't rely on the surroundings of the venue to make or break your images. It relies on the moments that are created there. Someone who is good at their job will get you good photos no matter the location. I've shot weddings in grand manors, Orangeries, beautiful hotels, East London pubs, the local Travel lodge down the road and even small village halls where usually your three year old would have their birthday party. It honestly doesn't matter. Yes, beautiful locations may make my job easier and knowing exactly where I am going may also be easier but that's not the point of being a photographer. Our job is to provide you with beautiful photos no matter what we're dealt with. If I haven't been to your location before, I allow more travel time or sometimes will even book myself a room in a hotel near the location the night before to make sure I am there on time and in the right place. 

I'm at my strongest in unfamiliar surroundings in terms of photography. The unpredictability of arriving at a location and finding beautiful pockets of light to shoot in is easier than trying to find new and interesting ways to use the same old blank canvas I've seen like 10 times that year already. The best time for me to figure out where we are going to take the photos is on the day during a quick walk around in quiet spaces of the day. Like when you're sitting down for dinner or after I've taken thousands of photos of you having your makeup done. A lot of the time it will be your venue asking if your photographer has worked there before or will try to recommend people who have worked there before and again, it's so they can have the 'best photo spots' captured but this is from someone who is not trained in photography and see it from a set of eyes that has seen ONE good photo from those spots and will assume that every other couple will want that photo. Photography has come SUCH a long way since the past and practices have changed.   

You have to remember some of us work 30+ weddings a year, if they were ALL at the same location, we'd get a bit stale in terms of creativity. One venue can give TOTALLY different results depending on the time of year, lighting, the couple .. so in my opinion, someone who has worked there before has no advantage over someone who hasn't. I actually offer to visit your venue either with or without yourself prior to your day if timing allows/ it's within local travel distance or I will arrive to your wedding slightly earlier/ take myself off during quiet parts of the day to scout locations.

So in short, no I may not have photographed your venue before and no, this won't impact the results you'll get.