Before we delve into our list of tips for exquisite wedding photography, a couple of concepts form the foundation of your practice.
The first concept is that you only get one chance to take the perfect picture at a wedding. Weddings festivities might last up to a week, but the actual wedding lasts less than an hour, and that is the time frame you have to take the perfect shot. There is very little room for error, and you need to be ready to take a photo at a moment’s notice.
The second concept is that weddings can prove to be quite stressful. The bride, groom, and friends and family are usually under great duress, making sure that everything goes smoothly. As a wedding photographer, it is your responsibility to put everyone and ease and maintain a positive, easy-going attitude.
It is noteworthy that even the very best photo needs a dash of something extra for it to be truly phenomenal. Wedding photo editing can offer your pictures that extra dose of awesomeness.
10 Top tips for exquisite Wedding Photography
So here you go, the good stuff has arrived. Enumerated below are our top wedding photography tips to make every shoot of yours an amazing experience for everyone involved.
1. Assist a Professional
Dreary though it may sound, assisting a professional is an excellent way of getting to know the finer nuances of wedding photography. You get acquainted with the dos and donts of the discipline, but you also learn on the job. Learning the tricks of the trade from a veteran can help you get ready a lot faster than traditional methods.
By assisting a professional, you can gain hands-on experience that can later be applied to your shoots and understand the process professionals follow, thereby making the transition to a photography business of your own a lot simpler.
2. Test Your Camera in Advance
Even the best wedding photographer in the world cannot produce a quality output if his equipment fails. Make it a point to check double all your gear, cameras, lenses, and accessories before leaving for the location.
The stability offered by a tripod gives your photos a classic, by-the-book feel and is perfect for family shots. Also, make sure that you carry external flashes and a good set of diverse lenses. If the wedding location is indoors, your flashes will compensate for the lack of natural light (which every photographer holds as the best light source)
You can substitute your lighting equipment with a bounce for an outdoor location to make your photography brighter and make colors vivid. Opting for wedding photo editing services can help you achieve the perfect lighting for your photos.
When it comes to storing the photos you click, make sure to carry adequate storage space. A couple of large flash drives should do the trick. Also, don’t forget to carry several batteries so that none of the festivities miss out on being snapped by you.
3. Photograph with a Partner
Photography accessories can get quite cumbersome to cart around. Most often, you will find yourself needing a helping hand to enable you to take appealing photos. Remember that at weddings, several ceremonies happen simultaneously, and you can’t be everywhere at once.
While all the dads are at the bar, laughing and joking about old times, the ladies may be enjoying a private Mehendi ceremony on their own. Working with an assistant ensures that every ceremony is captured, adding to your value.
If you are starting and cannot afford an assistant, you could ask a wedding photographer to be your assistant in exchange for you being his second of command at his next event. This is a smart way to reduce costs while getting help from a pro.
4. Pre-Plan the Shoot
Ensure that you plan your shoot well in advance of the ‘D-day.’ Planning out environments, backgrounds, angles, and even whom to shoot can prove of great value to your efforts on the actual wedding day, given that you already have a clear plan of the what, how and who of the event.
Keep locations for exclusive couple shots away from the rest of the family and attendees so that when you hand over the photos, they have a dash of never-seen-before appeal.
Moreover, the couple might have their ideas for a private photo-op, and if you have your angles and locations planned, snapping photos of the couple in poses and locales of their own choice will be a breeze.
As a wedding photographer, not only should you provide instructions to achieve a perfect shot, you also need to make the couple at ease so that they enjoy the experience. You get the chance to shoot genuine smiles and the authenticity of their relationship if your subject feels good. In contrast, you shoot them, the chance of them recommending you to friends and family increases, thus adding value to your business. Partnering up with a wedding picture editing partner can also help you create some truly remarkable pictures.
5. Capture the Firsts
Weddings are a time of “firsts’. The first dance, the first kiss, or even the first look are moments the couple wish to preserve forever. They might even have their list on offbeat firsts like a secret handshake or their first beach volleyball game. As a wedding photographer, you need to ask them about their plans and any unique moments they want to be photographed.
Make sure that you set aside time to snap these firsts and remained prepared to snap them as they happen.
Pro-tip. Set your camera’s shutter speed high so that you can take sequential photographs as the special moment unfolds allowing you to choose the best shot among the burst photos.
Moving around is also a great way of capturing varying angles of the moment again, offering options. You could set up more than one camera with a remote shutter for even more angles and options if you have the required equipment.
6. Capture a Group Photo
Everyone wants to have a picture with the couple and that too a portrait. This could take up the whole night, and shooting group photos makes a lot more sense. As a photographer, you need to manage these groups while offering every individual a position. Getting the perfect group photo is difficult as some might close their eyes, and some might be out of focus.
Asking your subjects to say something like ‘cheese’ just before the shot ensures that everyone is present in the moment and also has a big smile on.
7. Look for Smiles
Speaking of smiles, if someone is smiling, the moment is worth capturing. Kids playing, people sharing funny secrets, friends laughing over drinks, or the bride and groom sharing a laugh, all these moments are must-haves. These smiles are the magic potion that makes viewing wedding photos such a pleasure.
These moments cannot be created or planned, and their candid nature makes them rare and authentic.
Conclusion
So there you go; Our top tips to becoming a pro wedding photographer. Hopefully, this article will help you in getting ready for your next wedding photography shoot. Be sure to watch this space as we continue to post content relevant to photography and photo editing. We wish you happy snapping!
