When you are asked to be the one to take photos of the wedding is a huge responsibility.If you’ve been approached to do it as a friend, or maybe asked to do it as a professional, here are 5 great tips to do the job 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 ready for whatever may happen.
Our first tip is a simple thing you can do and that is to have the couple and the families go and make a shot list.With a day that can be as hectic and chaotic as a wedding day, doing this will help when you are trying to organize all the group and family shots later on in the day.You will love how you can just go through your list and get all the shots you want without leaving anything out.
The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots. In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Great as they are, they might tempt you to delete a shot they may like that you don’t since it is so easy to do.Don’t bother even peeking at the previews.What you think may be a great photo, can differ widely in what the couple considers a great photo.You know what, they might like all those un “professional” shots you take.
For the the third tip, make sure you get candid shots during and after the wedding.A good wedding photographer doesn’t look to just take your typical shots, like group shots, or wedding shots or your standard newly married shots. But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It may include the things that go wrong also, like a flower girl making a wrong turn or the ring bearer not wanting to walk down the aisle.Every photo matters.
The fourth tip is which is often overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras and other equipment as backup.Do you even want to think of a moment like that of not having a working camera halfway through the wedding. Plan for anything that could go wrong.By being prepared for the worst and bringing extra cameras and equipment you will avoid the horrible moment fo not having any working cameras to capture the rest of the wedding. day.
Last piece of advice, make sure you know the lighting of the wedding. The difference between the lighting in the church and the outside reception can throw you a curve ball, so just practice for all different lighting situations. Go see the locations and scout it out for the big day, by finding the best places to shoot as well as studying the lighting needs.
Doing these 5 tips will help you immensely. It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be. Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.
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