Bridal portraits are such a special time for the bride-to-be. She is so extremely happy and excited for her upcoming wedding and she feels beautiful in her wedding gown. As her wedding photographer, you want to make her feel relaxed so you can capture the most gorgeous photos of the bride ready to say 'I do.'
There are so many things to consider when taking bridal portraits, including the location of the shoot, the lighting, the details and even how you are going to have her pose. So today, we wanted to share these 6 tips with you to taking beautiful bridal portraits.
Photo credit: Golden Vision Photography via SnapKnot
1. Get to know your bride.
It is so important when you are photographing anyone that you really need to know their personality a bit before you capture photos of them. When it comes to bridal portraits, it is good to know what she feels are her best qualities, what she loves about her wedding gown, or maybe she tells you that she is absolutely in LOVE with her bouquet and wants to showcase it in the photos. Getting to know the bride is so important and can even help with tip #2.
2. Help her to relax.
Having your photo taken can always be a little stressful for most people. Unless you are a model and used to having people snap pictures of you, it can feel weird or awkward to smile so long or stand in specific poses. If you are taking these bridal portraits on a separate date then the wedding, keep her excited and her mind off the photos by chatting with her along the way. Perhaps use this time to get to know her and the groom a little bit more so you are more prepared the day of the wedding. Keeping her talking is a great way to stay relaxed and not focused on the photos being taken.
If you are taking the bride's photos on the day of the wedding, you may find that the bride has a bit more on her mind as she awaits the ceremony that day. Remind her to relax her shoulders, take deep breaths and use this time to enjoy the gorgeous wedding gown she is wearing. Just like we mentioned before, try and keep conversation going to keep her mind of the photos, but remember the nerves that she is already feeling.
3. Shoot variations of every pose.
When you have the bride set in a pose you both love, be sure you capture that pose from many different angles. Every angle can make the photo unique and you may find that one angle stands out beautifully from the rest. Along with capturing different angles, make sure you also have the bride focus in different directions, tilt her head a different way, or even change up how she is holding the bouquet.
Photo credit: Made Media Photography via SnapKnot
4. Make sure the lighting is right.
Natural light from outdoors is always wonderful but if you are shooting indoors, you want to make sure you have enough light. It is good practice to scope out the space you will be shooting at before the day of, so you know ahead of time what to expect. Take into consideration if there are windows that allow a large amount of natural light in the room or whether you need to bring extra lighting with you.
5. Shoot from above.
Shooting from a little higher than the bride is always good to remember. This will make sure you get the best angle because if you are lower than the bride you could catch a double chin or get an unpleasant shot of nostrils that is not always the most photogenic part to photograph.
6. Capture all the little details.
Does the bride have a beautiful necklace on that was her grandmothers that she simply adores? Perhaps her wedding gown has a section of intricate lace or maybe the bottom of her shoes have blue rhinestones that spell out 'bride.' Be sure to capture all of these little details as these are the items she will want to remember for years to come.
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