Taking Photos at a Wedding
There’s nothing worse than terrible shots or no shots of one of the most momentous events in a person’s life. A wedding may very well be made in heaven but trouble often lurks in the details. Skip some important points and you can wish you were in the trashcan with the rubber chicken and leathery lettuce.
Here are some tips to help you negotiate this photographic minefield.
Hire a professional.
No? Don’t want to do that? You think Uncle George can do it fine on the cheap? Save a few bucks and spread the joy around? Then read on, reckless fool…
Be prepared.
Emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and photographically. You will need more than just a strong heart and nerves of steel. You’ll need extra memory sticks, extra batteries, a flash outfit, a tripod and a zoom/wide-angle lens. You’ll also need decent image editing software to produce the finished product in an acceptable form.
Have an assistant or a helper.
You should have lots of stuff to carry around, and you need someone who will watch your gear when you’re busy. Have someone to help you. It’s also good to have someone relatively sane to talk to.
ALWAYS shoot for the bride.
Men aren’t interested in photos of themselves. Well, that’s a generality. 99.9% of men don’t care. Usually the only time a man looks at a wedding photo under his own volition is just after the divorce with a drink in the other hand.
Get a list of wanted shots.
Don’t go into this blind. Find out what shots the happy couple expect and try to oblige. Weddings generally go through 4 stages: dressing, the ceremony itself, post ceremony (time for less formal shots with the newlyweds), finally the reception covering groups, cake cutting etc. Take your lead from the bride not the juiced up guests at the reception.
Shoot a lot.
This is good advice for any photography. At a wedding you’re dealing with human nature at its most confused. Who can really tell what shots will be the big sellers? Just cover everything (even the speeches) and shoot everything three times and be safe.
Get the groups.
Groups are important but watch out here because semi-inebriated guests will want to be photographed with pot-plants, the foxy waitress, each other, maybe the bride and groom, and towards the end of the evening fascinating cloud formations. Get from the bride who should be in what group. Stay with her.
Get the proofs done and presented as quickly as possible.
It is not only great service, it great business as well. Happiness and the vows of matrimony can be fleeting. Get your wedding photography bill in before the first fight if possible. Definitely before the divorce.
Be a professional. Weddings can be scary things.
They’re all about love, sex, eating and drinking. Passions and confusions can be rampant. Get your shots first and party later if anyone is left to party with. If you find yourself at the end alone with your camera, at least you can console yourself that you completed your mission.
Do your own quality control before you submit the proofs.
Your reputation can be destroyed by a handful of misaimed shots of the bride or her friends. People often remember that one shot where the matron of honor looked as if she was zonked when it was just an untimely blink. If it sucks delete it. Better safe than sorry.
Wedding Photography Until The Last Minute
A lot of brides and grooms get so caught up in their wedding ceremony and reception issues that they actually forget about wedding photography until the last minute. This is a bit unfortunate, as the photography during the wedding is going to be one of the most prominent aspect of any wedding.
Your wedding is the most special day in your life, other than having children, and so of course you are going to want to make sure that everything goes smoothly and also that you are going to have memories afterwards that you can see to treasure the moment and remember it forever.
Having brilliant wedding photography is going to be so worthwhile, because what is the point of going through all the trouble to have your wedding if you are not going to have any pictures or video afterwards to remember it all?
This might turn out to be the best wedding photography tip of your life, to help you choose the right company. Now that you know the great importance of getting pictures taken while at your wedding, make sure that you choose a company that you are going to be able to rely on.
Wedding Photography Tip: Find A Right Professional Photography Company
When you are trying to find a wedding photography company, one of the first things you want to look for is how long they have been in business for, or at least how long the photographers on the team have been in the photography field. You really don’t want to give someone new a chance at your wedding, because they do not have the experience that you can trust in.
Just see to it that you do not get into any contact with any company without checking facts about the company. You want to ensure that they are going to not only offer you the knowledge and experience that you know is important here, but as well that they are going to suit your style and mesh well with what you as a couple are looking for.
Maybe you are a more formal couple who want very elegant photos at your wedding, or perhaps you are having a very casual beach wedding and want fun, creative wedding photography. Either way, make sure that you know what you want and that you find a wedding photographer that is going to help you capture that and the real spirit and essence of your wedding.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: wedding photographer, wedding photography, wedding photography company, wedding photography tip | Comment (0)Tips from a San Diego Wedding Photographer
When you are asked to be the one to take photos of the wedding is a huge responsibility. If you’ve been asked to do it as a favor, or have been asked to do it professionally, here are 5 tips to do to get the job done right.
This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.You could be a seasoned pro, or you could be an amateur, but by following these tips, you will do the job smoothly without second guessing yourself.You will be ready for whatever may happen.
Our first tip is a simple thing you can do and that is to have the couple and the families go and make a shot list. When the day is hectic and chaotic, this will help immensely when you are trying to get family and group shots later on in the day.You will love how you can just go through your list and get all the shots you want without leaving anything out.
The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots. In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Great as they are, they might tempt you to delete a shot they may like that you don’t since it is so easy to do.Don’t even think of looking at the shots. What makes a great shot in your mind could differ widely that what makes a great shot in the couples minds.You never know, they might like all those so called un “professional shots.
A third tip to consider is making sure you get candid shots. A good wedding photographer will not just try and get the typical shots, like family group shots, wedding party shots, or your standard bride and groom. But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It could include things that don’t go perfectly, like a flower girl not wanting to walk down the aisle or the ring bearer making a wrong turn.Every photo matters.
The fourth tip is which is often overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras and other equipment as backup.Do you even want to think of a moment like that of not having a working camera halfway through the wedding. Plan for anything that could go wrong.By being prepared for the worst and bringing extra cameras and equipment you will avoid the horrible moment fo not having any working cameras to capture the rest of the wedding. day.
Finally, you have to be prepared for the lighting and you do that by practicing. Don’t get thrown a curveball by the different lighting conditions whether inside the church or outside, practice and you will be prepared. You should try and see if you can scout the locations for the big day and try and find the best spots to shoot as well as gauging the lighting needs.
Taking these 5 tips into account will help you immensely. It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be. Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: photographer, photography, wedding photographer, wedding photography | Comment (0)