Wedding planners and photographers are an essential part of planning any wedding, and more Australian couples choose to hire wedding planners and photographers. Weddings are also dreamlike — at least for the couple who’d paint a “stunning, one-of-a-kind experience” for their memories as guests bustle around at the venue.
Amid the many dream weavers that decorate a wedding — a gallery of emotions — is Amjad Alsaboory, an Australian film director who has planned and produced events “styled to perfection” for 15 years with the Sydney-based ShooTime.
The constituents of a ‘perfect wedding’ are subjective, and a lot of it lies in the post-wedding memories animated with photoshoots. But the wedding photography industry is just not about taking pictures — it’s a part of a larger business strategy housing “unique ideas to fulfill client-specific requirements.”
“Our business follows unique strategies in photoshoots and films that focus on storytelling. We shoot the small details, including rings, backs of dresses, shoes, flowers, table settings, etc. “These details give the end album an extra dimension,” explains Alsaboory.
Crafting a unique approach
Much of the precision comes from the team’s experience. Being in the photography industry for years, the ShooTime team had previously worked on a wide range of film productions, producing films, series, micro-documentaries, music videos, and more.
With 12 directorial credits and five producing credits under his belt, Alsaboory and his team offer high-quality wedding footage shot on 6k cameras and deliver them within a time frame. They also provide their clients professionally decorated and edited videos on a high-quality USB.
For photographers, it also helps to have access to a wide range of services when partaking in a wedding gig — something which ShooTime has done well over the years.
It offers various video and photography services related to wedding events, proposals, engagements, pre-weddings, ceremonies, and other parties’ occasions. ShooTime has filmed and photographed hundreds of weddings. “We also provide reasonable packages to our customers, a range of locations to choose from, albums and canvas, limousine hire, and other valuable services for bride and groom. There’s also wedding ceremonies, decoration, bridal procession, catering services, florist services, and the special wedding photography,” says Alsaboory.
ShooTime’s unique photography and videography approach has gained it a popular following base. It has over a million followers on social media platforms and several positive reviews on its public profiles on Google and Facebook. This widely-covered wedding shoot service also won the Fairfield Local Business Award in 2020 for outstanding wedding services.
Adding inclusivity
For ShooTime, it’s also about giving back to the community, especially when the pandemic has severely impacted the wedding industry. With wedding ceremonies under strict pandemic-related protocols, planning a wedding shoot can be an intricate affair. Giving back, however, always helps.
“ShooTime provides support to the local community by creating unique community identity. For instance, we support a Mandaean local community and provide them with free of charge service for any traditional ceremonies that come along with the wedding,” explains Alsaboory, adding that they also provide volunteer opportunities to youth and students to “build their skills, knowledge and practice practical training.” ShooTime also has access to professionally trained staff from Assyrian and Arabic backgrounds to service the local community to avoid language barriers.
Alsaboory is well aware of the growing demand for professional wedding photography, making expansion inevitable. In the future, ShooTime plans to open branches in different locations based on their clients’ distinction. “We are now in the process of expansion intending to double our equipment as we are receiving more than three weddings in a day. I see my business growing with outlets all over the world,” he says.
