Taking photos for a friend or taking photos as a professional in a wedding is a huge responsibility. Either way, here are 5 tips for wedding photographers whether professional or amateur that will have you doing it right.
This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer. So whether you are seasoned pro, or a rank amateur, if you follow these tips, you will feel comfortable and not have to second guess yourself. You will be fully prepared for whatever may come.
The first thing you need to do is have the couple and their families make a shot list. This will help when you are trying to get family and group shots later on in the day. You can just go down the list and you won’t leave anything out by accident.
The second tip is a big one as well and that is to not delete any shots. Of course this is if you are using a digital camera, which most photographers use nowadays. Don’t even bother looking at the previews because you might end up deleting something that the couple would really like to keep. What makes a good picture in your mind and the couples could differ widely. And they might like some pictures that aren’t “professional”.
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. And that includes some of the things that could go wrong, like a flower girl not making it all the way to the front, or the ring bearer dropping the rings. Every shot counts.
Fourth, a wedding photographer should always have multiple cameras with different lenses as well as backups. It really can throw a kink into everyone’s plans if the camera isn’t working or the battery died. Make sure you plan for every possible problem and be prepared to deal with them. Usually if something can go wrong, it will.
And lastly, understand lighting as well. The difference in lighting outside and the difference in the lighting in the church is huge. So practice all the different lighting conditions. And if this is your first time, you might want to go and practice some shots at the location. This will help you not only with the lighting, but also will help you plan for the big shots by scouting the location.
These 5 tips will help you capture that day immensely. This will have you prepare and avert any disaster, it will prepare you to capture the moment perfectly, and it will prepare you to help the couple make this a wonderful day by being a wedding photographer they can count on.