Shooting a wedding can be tough. You are working for many hours in a fast-paced environment and you only have one chance to capture all the wonderful photos that the bride and groom have hired you to photograph. As a professional, you will work as hard as you can to get the job done and take some amazing photos for your clients. Many of you wedding photographers out there know how much goes into shooting a wedding from start to finish and being prepared ahead of time is the key.
No matter what, you want to be ready so the wedding day goes over as smoothly as possible. Every single wedding you photograph is unique in some way. Even though you may work at the same venue often, the couple and their family will be different each time with different personalities. Whether you have been photographing in the wedding industry for years or are thinking about broadening your portfolio to weddings, here are 3 things to remember when shooting a wedding to make sure all goes according to plan:
1. Plan ahead.
It is always important when you are photographing a wedding to pre-plan the day. It is important to meet with the bride and groom to get a feel of how they are as a couple. You want to talk with them about the type of photos they want ahead of time so you know what they are expecting when the time comes for you to give them their photos. Ask for any specific shots they are interested in having taken, and be sure to discuss if they will be doing first look photos and what type of photographs they hope to get - whether it be candid, traditional or even photojournalist.
It is also important to know what the timeline of the day is so you know where you need to be when. You want to be ready for the first dance, the toasts and anything else that the couple has planned for the day. This is also helpful to know when considering whether or not you need an assistant or second shooter to accompany you on the wedding day.
It is also important to know specific details taking place that day. For example, if the bride's grandmother is only able to come to the ceremony, that is something you need to know ahead of time so you can plan to get a photo of the bride and her together while she is there. Knowing all of this information before the wedding day will help keep you on track, feel more organized and ready to capture exactly what the couple hopes for.
Photo credit: Robert Evans Studios
2. Think outside the box.
Take photos from every angle so you have variety in your shots and try to think outside the box. Perhaps there is a grand staircase and you can capture the bride and groom from the bottom of the stairs as they kiss at the top. Maybe you can get a great shot of the bride and groom during their first dance while standing on the second floor which would give a beautiful aerial view of them from above.
You also want to think of unique backgrounds for the photos; find some great outdoor spaces, or a photo spot with a background of the city or landscape in the distance. You can even get creative and use colorful objects around you like the this bright red building and yellow taxi in the photo below. Is there a colorful flowerbed nearby or an old building with beautiful features that would be great to shoot in front of?
Photo credit: Dave Robbins
3. Shoot lots of photos.
Even if you think you have shot enough of one specific shot, you can never take too many. Take one more. You never know, that final photo you snapped could be that special one that stands out from all of the others.
And remember, you will be taking lots and lots of photos over the course of the wedding day. Be sure to plan ahead with extra batteries and memory cards.
Photo credit: Nick Otto Weddings via SnapKnot
If you are a wedding photographer, here are a few more wedding related posts you may enjoy:
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