Wedding Photography Tips

Here’s the first of the wedding photography tips: if it’s your wedding – hire a professional!

A set of wedding pictures is a very specific product that has very great importance for the consumers, and a professional knows in advance all the pitfalls and cautions to avoid so that you get a real product.

“Uncle George has a camera – why pay someone…?” is usually followed a week or so later with, “Damn, why didn’t we hire a pro?”

. . . → Read More: Wedding Photography Tips

Wedding Photography Tips – Shots Before the Wedding

Wedding Photography Tips - Shots Before the Wedding

Getting ready, getting dressed, stuff in the limo.

These are usually candid shots of the bride freaking out with her dressers and friends. Sometimes the groom wants these too but you can only be in one place at once – stick with the bride.

These will probably be indoor shots at home or the hotel. If you want to cover these moments shoot a lot.I suggest waiting until the subject is looking . . . → Read More: Wedding Photography Tips – Shots Before the Wedding

Wedding Photography Tips – Photographing The Ceremony

If the ceremony is being done ‘on location’ – like at a home, a park, a beach, etc. this simplifies things a lot.

If you can’t shoot during the actual ceremony you may be able to shoot some posed shots after the ceremony in the church.

Talk to the priest or minister before hand and ask if you can come back after the bouquet is thrown and do a few shots. You’ll never know unless you ask.

This usually includes arriving at the church in . . . → Read More: Wedding Photography Tips – Photographing The Ceremony

Wedding Photography Tips – After the Service and Before the Reception

After the ceremony, take the bride and groom to a nearby beach or park and let them chill out and shoot some candid shots.

These are their first minutes/hours of married life, so the shots can be happy, affectionate, excited, relaxed, reflective, etc.

You could decide in advance if these will be posed and glamorous or relaxed and carefree, or a combo.

Put the couple in a good scene, walking hand in hand along a beach, leaning . . . → Read More: Wedding Photography Tips – After the Service and Before the Reception

Wedding Photography Tips – Shots at The Reception

Okay now you are really into straight reportage and flash country if it is being held indoors.

You can sneak about and shoot candid moments while your shrimp cocktail becomes one with the universe, but here are the main shots:

At the Head Table

Bride and groom looking lovingly/lustfully into each other’s eyes. Bride and groom toasting each other. Bride and groom looking intelligent while they listen to someone beside them drone on and on… Bride and groom eating…. Do not shoot these pix unless . . . → Read More: Wedding Photography Tips – Shots at The Reception

Wedding Photography Tips – Shots After the Wedding

Preparing the Proofs.

If the end product is to be an audio-visual presentation using slideshow software or basic video editing software, or a series of hard copy prints, you should provide a disk that acts as a ‘proof’, so the bride and groom can choose what pictures they want used or printed.

Arrange the content of the disk in a logical sequence, and title each folder: “At the Hotel…” The Ceremony…” etc.

Do your own Quality Control . . . → Read More: Wedding Photography Tips – Shots After the Wedding