Wedding hotography - weddings photography

Photographing weddings:
14 tips for wedding photography

Wedding photography means that as a photographer you are responsible for the beautiful photos and for the special and wonderful memories of the special day.

14 tips for wedding photography:

1. know your technique!

Since there is no time to deal with technology during the various phases of a wedding and the necessary settings on the camera have to be made quickly, you need to know how to operate your own technology. Preferably almost blind! Depending on the situation, you have to be able to react quickly and adapt to changing lighting situations. The lighting situation changes dramatically (for the camera) when you leave the church and the guests are standing in a row outside. The camera setting must also be changed immediately here.

In order to have a buffer in post-production (image processing), always shoot in RAW.

2. know the planned wedding schedule (this makes wedding photography easier to plan)

Often the witnesses organize the wedding, sometimes also the bridal couple or the planning is outsourced to wedding planners. This is the point of contact to get information about the planned schedule with times and prepared activities.

Weddings follow a certain choreography. As a photographer, you should know this in order to be able to position yourself correctly.

Here is a small collection of possible sequences: Bride is escorted in by the bride's father, groom sees the dress for the first time, church with ring exchange, bride and groom kiss, bouquet toss, trellis walk, rice toss, guests take photos, group photos, bridal couple shoot before, during or after the ceremony.

If there is a planning team (wedding planner etc.) - contact them in advance and exchange information.

3. don't miss moments (know the schedule)

Because a missed moment is not repeatable (or only very tense). That's why you have to be present and focused throughout the entire wedding. Trying all the spirits on offer in between and enjoying the 5-course meal will definitely be difficult.

Special moments include intimate moments such as the bridal couple's kiss as well as the tears of the bride's parents, the funny moments as well as the quiet moments.

These moments are often carried by the eye contact between the bride and groom or by looking directly into the camera.

If possible, don't miss an important photo.

4. do not stand out and disturb despite taking photos!

You should actually be a ghost and not disrupt the wedding by taking photos. This starts in the church, where you should set your camera to silent mode. And flash is a no-go in most cases. You should also discuss with the priest in advance whether you are allowed to take photos in the church and whether there will be any stress because the priest forbids it.

You should also not disturb anyone during the festivities. Some people really hate being photographed. Therefore, stay in the background.

However, the statement that you shouldn't attract attention is contradictory when it comes to special photos with eye contact. As the photographer, you are responsible for the beautiful photos and memories. Eye contact between the photographer and the wedding couple is also important. This can also be “demanded” for the special photos. However, as this is also one of the wedding couple's goals, they will be happy to be there (especially as this is not the case all the time). So don't let the other guests with cell phones crowd you out here.

5 Wedding photography is similar to reportage photography. It is desirable to capture events and “preserve” the moments for later. The bride and groom cannot be everywhere and are happy to experience even more of the wedding later via the photos or to relive moments from a different perspective.

6. the bridal couple photo

Here it is important to find a suitable pose for the couple. Work is needed in advance to see what would be a suitable pose for the bride and groom. Communication in advance and then spontaneity at hand-picked locations is important and never forget the joy of the situation.

Don't overexpose the wedding dress!

As the important garment of the day, you should never overexpose the wedding dress, which is often white. The situation is made more difficult by the fact that the groom often wears a dark (black) suit. Therefore, if in doubt, underexpose a little to be on the safe side and always use the RAW format! Experience is worth its weight in gold here. It will also be difficult to photograph the bride and groom in glaring sunlight and to capture the entire contrast range from the white dress to the dark suit with the camera sensor. Therefore, place them in the shade (then the make-up won't run).

7. the wedding is not just about the bride and groom - photograph everyone taking part!

When taking photos, remember that the wedding is not just about the bride and groom. That's why you should also take photos of individual people, such as just the groom and the interaction between different people. At the end of the day, every guest should also appear in some of the photos! Otherwise, it will be a disappointment at the end for those who don't spot themselves in the photos.

However, as a photographer you should know best who of the guests is more important (family members, close friends) and who is only important. Here we have prioritized who should definitely be in the photos more often.

8. Capture the surroundings

A wedding is not just about the people, but also the surroundings. The surroundings were specially prepared and lovingly designed for the celebrations. This should also be honored and immortalized in the photos. An eye for detail is important here and corresponding photos will brighten up the wedding photo book. This can start with specially designed invitations, menu cards and the choice of food, details such as flowers and other decorations.

9. Be aware of the stress!

The task of wedding photography also involves a great deal of stress for the photographer due to the unrepeatable moments. You are on the road a lot during the wedding and often have the feeling that you can't be everywhere you should or want to be.

So here's a practical tip: be good on your feet - suitable, comfortable shoes make it easier to walk the long distances that photographers inevitably have to cover during a wedding. Therefore, your shoes shouldn't slow you down or make the next day a living hell.

10. paid wedding photography

The smartphone is the competition to the paid wedding photographer! The photos delivered should always be better than any cell phone photos taken by guests.

Therefore, you should score points with open aperture (which cell phones cannot physically achieve), with great lighting situations, with great ideas, with suitable perspectives (also from above and below or at an angle).

However, grandparents expect different photos than young visitors. Therefore, a certain proportion of the photos should also correspond to the “mainstream”. For us as photographers, this also means taking normal (for us almost boring) wedding photos. In plain language: satisfying expectations, which can be very different depending on the contact person. This can already lead to differences between the bride and groom as to what they expect as wedding pictures.

Don't sell yourself short as a paid wedding photographer! In terms of time, it is not only the time during the wedding, but also the preparation time as well as the time for post-processing and post-processing of the photos. So don't sell yourself short and don't use a wedding as practice! You don't practice weddings, you can do weddings.

11. know (and communicate) your own limits

You should know and communicate your own limits as a photographer in advance. This gives the wedding couple the opportunity to look for alternatives for this part of the wedding or not to use your services! But this should be done in advance and not lead to a big disappointment afterwards, as weddings are not repeatable!

12. gain experience as a “backup” photographer

If you lack experience and are asked by friends or acquaintances whether you could photograph their wedding, an honest assessment of your own level of knowledge and experience is important. Here you can also offer yourself as a “backup” photographer so that you don't have to carry the main burden. This also allows you to gain experience without being overwhelmed by the responsibility for successful wedding photos.

13. prepare your own equipment well

Pack a camera and a backup camera to be on the safe side! Even if it sounds exaggerated: in the end, it's the result that counts and not why something might not have worked. So it's best to have two of everything with you. High-light lenses for dark churches are very helpful.

In my experience, zoom lenses with focal lengths of 24-70 mm (KB format) are useful for taking pictures when standing close to people as well as a slight wide angle of 24 mm for indoors.

But also objects with focal lengths of 70-200 mm (KB format) to be able to keep your distance and capture emotions that you could otherwise change if you were standing directly in front of the emotionally touched person. In this case, 200 mm is the right choice.

And pack enough CHARGED batteries, enough memory cards already labeled, the right technical equipment ready to hand. Another pack of cough drops and 2 packs of tissues. Here you can be the savior in an emergency (usually in church).

Also come dressed according to the wedding dress code. So find out beforehand. You should fit in well with the wedding party, even if you don't appear in the photos later on. This is where point 4 comes into play - don't stand out

.

14. good mood

Weddings are (usually) joyful events that should be accompanied by a good mood. You should also be in a good mood as a photographer, even if wedding photography is a job that requires a lot of concentration throughout the entire celebration.

Last, but not least

And don't forget: have fun yourself on the wedding day and at the party. Your own joy will be reflected in the photos and make the day and the stress easier.