As any veteran wedding photographer will tell you, wedding photography is never as simple as taking a few portraits around.
The professional will come up against issues such as family politics, logistical challenges and the pressure to photograph a couple's happiest day . You will not be able to disappoint them and you will have to take incredible photos, which capture the loving connection between the protagonists of the ceremony while doing maneuvers so as not to have their presence felt, or disturbing the party and the sight of someone along the way.
If you get the perfect poses, your customers will be able to enjoy the memory of their special day for decades. If you take the wrong pictures, you will ruin the memories of a special occasion. But photographing a wedding doesn't have to be as scary as it looks.
Whether you are about to embark on your first wedding photography session, or are already in the business, these ten tips for wedding photographers will make this whole process easier.
1. Talk to your customers
It may seem simple, but this attitude must be seen as an essential part of your job. Knowing the couple to be photographed and understanding their characteristics and tastes can help you get the perfect look for your images.
Take time to study photos of other weddings with the couple before their ceremony and ask for their opinion and what details they liked and disliked. Then, just apply this conversation in the photo shoot.
2. Create an essay list
While spontaneous photos are always more characteristic and can capture the essence of the couple, many people may be disappointed if you miss a specific scene - they can be the bride with the bridesmaids, the groom with the favorite uncle, it doesn't matter… To be sure that you will not miss any important moment, sit down with the couple and create a list for the rehearsal so that nothing escapes your lenses!
3. Use a long lens for intimate moments
If you are struggling to encourage newlyweds to act naturally and exchange caresses in front of the digital camera , one of the best tips for the wedding photographer is to step back, put a long lens on the DSLR camera and start shooting at a distance. This will make the bride and groom less shy and will help to capture more natural and affectionate photos.
4. Use positive exposure to compensate for dress color
If you are going to photograph a traditional wedding, the chances of the bride wearing a super light white dress are high. This can be a challenging color to capture, as the camera tends to compensate for too large bright elements in a scene. This can cause the dress to be underexposed and gray. Use positive exposure compensation as an easy way to fix this problem.
5. Bring reinforcement
No matter how reliable your photographic equipment is, every wedding photographer should know that you need to bring backup in a session. If the camera, or any other part fails, you're in big trouble! Always carry extra photographic lenses to make sure you don't get in trouble and the worst does not happen. And don't forget to take extra camera batteries too!
6. Clear the camera memory before taking pictures
Running out of memory is as disastrous as a failure in photographic equipment and can result in the final hours of the ceremony not being recorded. Avoid this constraint by taking more memory cards . Having 30 GB available is generally ideal.
7. Be presentable, but invisible
A good wedding photographer can be in control of the situation while shooting, but he also needs to be aware that the day is for the groom and the bride, and that he needs to make this aspect the best possible for the couple. Be yourself and add your own personality when you can, but don't overdo it. For the rest of the night, while you are doing spontaneous images, you need to take a step back and blend in with the crowd. During speeches, for example, wear a long lens and don't get in the way!
8. Details matter
Much love, care, attention and planning are dedicated to each element of a wedding, so it is important to record all the details, from beautiful coverage to the bride's nail and jewelry.
9. Photograph the location
Getting there early and taking pictures of the place where the ceremony will be held is important. This will not only satisfy your customers who chose that place because they love it, but it will also give you the possibility to show the images to the owner of the establishment who will be able to use you as a reference in the future.
10. Plan your clicks
Marriages always start late. This can make you tired of taking pictures before you even start the ceremony. To avoid this suffering, plan your clicks!
