All About Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is distinctive compared to other genres of photography because you only get one chance to get it right. The wedding day is the only day that matters in a marriage. Therefore, the photographer has very little room for error. Make sure you are prepared to shoot at any moment.

Create an advance contract for wedding photography that the wedding party can sign. Having a contract in place from the beginning reduces the likelihood of future issues. How many deliverables your clients will receive after the shoot is over should be specified in this agreement. Additionally, it would be best if you kept a cheerful, laid-back attitude because the bride and groom, as well as their families and friends, will probably be stressed.

There are additional aspects to consider when photographing a wedding in addition to these.

Best tips that would help you get the most of of your wedding photographers: 

1. Make a list of shots to be captured

One of the best pieces of wedding photography advice is to compile a list of the photos you want to take on the big day. After that, make a list and go through each photo one at a time which is perfect for family photographs. The worst is getting your pictures and realising you missed the happy couple with Grandma!

2. Find a wedding photography family photo coordinator

The family photo shoot may be one of the day’s more strenuous activities. You need to make aware of all your near and close family members to the photographer, but still as everyone is in a “festive spirit,” which may be chaotic, A family member (or two from different sides of the family) should be chosen by the couple to serve as the “director” of the shoot. To ensure that the pair can return to the celebration, they can gather everyone, help get everyone in the picture, and maintain the situation.

3. Scout the entire location with the photographer

Visit the many places where you’ll be filming before the big day or atleast few hours before the event.

Most professionals don’t do this; it’s essential to know where they are going, ask them to have a few shooting angles in mind, and see how the light might affect the shoot. 

4. Be fully prepared

It would be best if your photographers were well-prepared because so many things could go wrong on the day. Just remind them to Charge their batteries,keep extra memory cards, send exact location routes and arrival times, and have a backup plan for inclement weather. If possible, attend the ceremony rehearsal; you’ll learn a lot about potential shooting positions, lighting, ceremony sequence, etc.

5. Ask your photographer to Use two cameras

Ask to get a second camera for the day and set it up with a different lens. Try to use a wide-angle lens (great for candid shots and in small spaces, especially before the ceremony during the day’s preparations) and a longer lens when taking photos (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm if you can get one; I use a 70-200mm).

6. Ask your Photographer to accompany a partner for photography

The use of a second photographer can be a very effective strategy. As a result, there is less movement during the ceremony and speeches; one photographer can take formal pictures while the other takes more candid ones. Additionally, it lessens some of the stress as “the one” who must receive every shot! Also if by chance if one gets sick or have some problem the event can be covered by the other. 

7. Behold, but not obtrusive

Give your Photographer enough freedom to ask whats needed for best photography. They need to have enough guts to capture a moment since being timid will not earn “the photo.” Planning to be in the correct position at the right time is essential to avoid interfering with the event.

During the ceremony, ask them to capture the event from every angle, but try to time them to match songs, sermons, or extended readings. Ask them to be assertive, know what they want, and tell the couple and their party what they need for professional photos.

8. Ask your Photographer to use the diffused light

It’s essential to have the capacity to bounce or disperse a flash. Numerous wedding sites have very dim lighting. Check of the ceiling is white and whether bouncing the flash would work.Ask your Wedding Photographer to utilise a fast lens with a wide aperture or raise the ISO if they can’t use a flash. A lens with image stabilisation can also be advantageous. Also ask them to keep and use reflectors and diffusers for the candid moments.

9. Shoot in Raw

Always ask your Wedding Photographer to shoot in RAW, this can be very helpful at a wedding because it allows for much more versatility in post-processing. However, many photographers dont take photographs in RAW mode as it take more space and time (due to the additional processing). RAW will be beneficial because weddings frequently present photographers with challenging lighting, necessitating adjusting exposure and white balance after the event.

10. Ask your Wedding Photographer to Display your Wedding shots at the reception

The speed of digital photography as a medium is one of its best features. Bringing a computer to the reception area, uploading pictures taken earlier, and letting them play as a slideshow throughout the evening are one of the unique things I’ve seen more and more photographers do recently. This gives the evening a fun element.

11. Keep in mind the backgrounds

The presence of people in the background of your images is one obstacle in wedding photography. In advance, scout the area where the official photos will be shot and dedicate a suitable locations where proper photography can be done. Ideally, you’ll want open areas and shaded locations away from the sun where a great aunt is unlikely to enter the shot. 

12. Don’t discard the not so good pics

With digital, the temptation is to review each photo as you take it and discard any that don’t immediately work. The problem with this is that you might need to get rid of some of the most exciting and practical pictures. Remember that photos can be modified or cropped later to produce more artistic or abstract images that can add a lot of mystery to the finished book.

13. Wedding group shots

Just focusing on Candid couple shots and forgeting group pics would land you in trouble later. Ask your photographers to capture every important guest and relatives also, ask them to capture the important personalities in one snapshot. To accomplish this, plan for a spot where everyone can quickly ascend right after the ceremony. This could entail going on a roof, lawn area or even using a balcony. The goal is to swiftly get everyone where you want them to stand so that a perfect shot or two can be taken without them lingering for too long. Believe it or not, it works best to get the bride and groom there and then have a few aides heard everyone else toward that location.

14. Dont hesitate to ask to use the flash

Ask your photographer to keep their flash attached to offer a little fill flash when taking images outside after a wedding or during posed shots. Avoiding flash for natural shots is ok unless it gets too dark and is impossible to take steady photos without a flash. To prevent photos from being blown out, fill flash is necessary, especially when there may be a lot of shadows, such as in backlit or noon photography. 

15. Expect the unexpected

On the wedding day, you are advised that “things will go wrong, but they can be the best parts of the day.”

In every wedding, something inevitably goes wrong on the big day. The groom forgets to tie his fly, the flower girl chooses to sit in the middle of the aisle, the best man can’t find the ring, it starts to rain just as the ceremony is about to end, or the bride forgets her vows.

These circumstances can be a little unsettling at the time. But for the bride and groom, these special moments can make the day unforgettable. Ask the phtographers to capture them, you can end up with some entertaining pictures that wonderfully capture the day.

Some extra technical tips to remember.

1. Camera

Excellent wedding photos can be captured with any camera, although most photographers use full-frame cameras with a minimum resolution of 24MP. Full-frame sensors enable photography in low light without the need for higher ISOs. Depending on the lens attached to the camera, they blur the background more.

You would benefit from having a camera that can take quality pictures at high ISOs, such as ISO 1600+, preferably with long battery life and excellent autofocus. Contrary to what owners of Canon EOS R cameras may claim, dual memory card slots are necessary!

For various reasons, many wedding photographers like mirrorless cameras over DSLRs, but there’s nothing wrong with a DSLR.

2. Lenses

Many lenses are available for wedding photography, ranging from wide-angle to telephoto, with options for specific types, including macro, tilt-shift, and fisheye.

The 24-70mm f/2.8 is suggested if only one lens is available because it can quickly capture an entire wedding. The f/4 model should be avoided, as the camera will have trouble in dim light. A “nifty-fifty” 50mm f/1.8 lens is an excellent idea to have on hand as a backup lens for low-light situations.

Several wedding photographers carry zoom lenses. An excellent lens combination is the 24-70mm and 70-200mm since it enables a range of ‘looks’ without requiring numerous lens modifications.

It’s also advisable to solely utilise prime (fixed focal length) if your budget allows. Prime lenses because of the dreamy rendering of a shot with a large aperture and the ability to blur cluttered backgrounds. Even if shooting a wedding with a single prime lens is challenging, a 35mm or 50mm can work best is 85mm F1.4.

The majority of seasoned photographers combine 35mm and 85mm lenses, try finding out what lenses your wedding photographer is carrying. 

3. Flashes

Regardless of how well your event location is Lit, there can be uncertain moments like power failure or dark areas where the camera can’t tolerate high ISOs, using a few flashes would be best.

Weddings should be fun because they are occasions for celebration. People will appear more at ease in your photographs the more chemistry you have with your photographer.