Wedding Photography Tips For Wedding Photographers

I've been a wedding photographer about 10 years now and as each year goes by I see more and more people getting into the business. The advent of the digital camera has opened a lot of doors for people who would otherwise shy away from picking up a camera never mind shooting a wedding. I never intended to shoot weddings. It sort of just fell on my lap. A prominent wedding photographer in Southern California had seen my music photography and like my raw style and hired me as an assistant at first. Mind you this was back before people were shooting digital cameras. The technology just wasn't there yet. So I learned the hard way by making way too many mistakes. I learned so much as an assistant and built up my confidence as a shooter and eventually shot as a second photographer and some major weddings. I set off on my own in 2003 and thought I knew it all. Ya right. Nothing compares to shooting your first wedding as a lead photographer. The pressure is all on your shoulders and if “it” hits the fan its your butt on the line. I still learn something knew with each wedding I shoot. Not a single one is alike. There are a few things I do to prepare and keep the drama of the day to a minimum. Here are the my personal Top 10 wedding photography tips.

Now your client inside and out. Take the time to find out who they are as people. They are after all putting food on your table and have trusted you with the biggest day of their life. By the time they say “I do” you should know them pretty well. If you don't you've dropped the ball. I stay in constant contact with my brides from the moment they sign on the dotted line. I send out a quick survey to find out what the couple likes. Keep it simple but find out who they are and what makes them tick. It will help you when your shooting.

Your beckon in the fog for big wedding events is often but not always the wedding coordinator. If the bride has a big budget chances are they've hired someone that knows the game inside and out. You need to become buddy buddy with whomever that is. If your an introvert and don't like chatting it up with people don't move on to tips 3 – 10. Get out of the business now. The reason I get in contact with the coordinator is two fold. First, I want him or her to know who I am, how I shoot, what I expect during the day, and of course what the game plan is and how I can help. That one line alone will build you bridges you will not believe. “ How can I help...” You also want to find out who the other vendors are because they will become your “free” marketing campaigns. Be prepared to take photos of everything the vendors bring to the wedding. Send them a free disk of images with photo credit a priority when they use any photos. Give a little, gain a lot.

Do not shoot a wedding if you are not comfortable with your gear. Period. You can not expect to feel confident shooting a wedding if you don't know where everything is on your camera. Practice makes perfect so get out there and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more before you ever step into the wedding arena. When the pressure is on you will not have time to wing it. If your camera decides to suddenly have a mind of its own, you need to know how to fix it on the fly or work around whatever is happening. Buying the brand new $8,000.00 dollar SLR the day before a wedding could spell trouble. You'd be surprised how many times I've almost had a nervous break down during a special moment and I know my gear like the back of my hand.

When I say back it up I mean everything. Back up pretty much everything you have to shoot a wedding. Something will go wrong. I promise you this. I have yet to shoot a wedding where something didn't go wrong some way some how. I always at a minimum have three camera bodies ready just incase something goes wrong. I usually shoot two cameras and have a back up in the bag at all times. It's not practical to have two of each lens but be sure you know exactly what each lens does for you in certain situation so that if one does break you can just switch gears and shoot an other lens with the same results. Back up your memory cards if you can during the shoot. This is where a trusted assistant can be a very valuable investment. If you can't afford the extra help yet then as soon as you walk in the door after 10 hours of shooting back up the images. You'll sleep better knowing you do so.

The “formals” as their called can be the most stressful time of the day for photographers. The main reason is you have to actually coordinate and try to control the circus for a very limited amount of time. I don't market myself as a “formal” photographer so my clients know that is part of the day is going to be quick paced and to the point. You have to let your “A Type” personally shine during this part of the shoot our the rest of your day will me a nightmare. Trust me and get the list early and visualize how you want it to flow. I require that my clients have their list of “family formals” to me two weeks prior to the wedding. A week is fine but people procrastinate so push the due date out a wee bit. I also prepare my clients right at the first interview. I usually will pitch it like this: Betty & Brian I know you'll need those family images and of course the usual formals. I want you to know that on average I spend no more then 30 minutes doing these images. It's your special day and I'm sure you don't want to sit around all afternoon taking pictures. I'll get the most important images in that 30 minute period for you and the rest is gravy. Don't be afraid to tell your clients enough is enough. I've had brides give me list a mile long. I very quickly give them a time estimate for the images they've requested and there is usually a gasp and a revised shoot list in my email inbox the next day that fits within a 30 minute time frame. Get it early and make suggestions if needed. You'll be glad you did.

Unless your location is out of the state or on location out of the country you should be willing to scout the location out. Now if you've shot a certain venue a million times you can skip this step. Eventually this will happen. But if its a new location and you've never shot there before you will save yourself a lot of stress by going and see how the light is during the times you'll shoot there. Churches can be a nightmare when it comes to light so you should find out what its like before the shoot if you can. If you can't actually get to the location get on google and scout it out. Don't be afraid to ask other photographers that have shot the venue what their thoughts were of the location also.

Shoot your camera in RAW mode unless you are so savvy with exposures that you can shoot in JPEG mode all the time. Pack a lot of heat (memory) and shoot a lot and be willing to take some chances when the time is right. Change up your perspective from time to time and get an images that pushes your creative boundaries. I often get into routine modes of shooting and have to push myself to use different angles and change things up a bit. It will be good for you creatively and will spice up your portfolio. Shoot a lot and change your perspective from time to time.

There I said the F word. Film. Know I know most people reading this article might not have ever shot a roll a film let alone know how to actually load a roll of film into a camera. Film is fun. It will also give you a slight creative edge over your competition. Pack a few rolls a film in your bag and have some fun with it. I often pack a Holga medium format toy camera and shoot some film with it just to see what comes of it. Believe it or not certain black and white films and color films have a look and feel you can't get with a digital camera. I don't care how much post production you do in photoshop. Sometimes its nice just to shoot film because its still got some magic in it.

During my interview with my mentor he looked me in the eye and said that if he saw me talking to any of his clients he would fire me on the spot. At first I thought that was a bit harsh until I saw what he was trying to bring forward in his images. Be friendly of course but also know when to shut up and shoot. I usually keep my small talk limited to the bride and groom when needed and to the time when we are shooting formals. The rest of the time I keep on the move and avoid getting into winded conversation with guests, family, or vendors. If you want timeless images that tell the story of the day you have keep a sharp eye out for those little moments. You want to keep your distance and let people be themselves. Most people don't like the camera in their faces. Be obtrusive and keep the chit chat to a minimum if you want great images. Besides the last thing you want is the bride to see you talking it up with her college roommate while dad is giving his once in a life time toast to his little girl. Practice being silent and productive for your clients.

Never let them see you sweat. Try to have fun. Wither you like it or not your clients are counting on you to get great shots. If your having a bad day don't let them know it. If your a professional in this line of work you have to have thick skin and in many cases you have to be that rock for your clients. Smile as much as you can. You'll surprised how quickly a quick glance and a smile towards your clients will ease the tension and stress of the day for them. If they see your happy and everything is good they will tend to ease up and just let it be. If your stressed out at home leave it at home for the 10 hours your on the clock. If a client pushes the wrong button don't let them know it. A true professional in this game will keep their cool, have fun, and create amazing images for their clients. Smile its proven to make you and everyone around you feel good.