Photographing a wedding and not sure what to do?
Here are 4 tips you must know when you photograph a wedding
Photographing any big event for the first time in your life can be quite an intimidating situation! There are a billion questions running through your head and no matter how many times you remind yourself to be calm and confident, you might occasionally hear that tiny voice in your head ringing an alarm.
So for starters, as an amateur wedding photographer remember that even the most sought-after photographers in this niche had to begin from somewhere. They too had they’re first ever wedding to cover and probably they too faced a number of hurdles during it.
So our first wedding photography tip for you is to remind yourself that everyone has to start from a somewhat nerve-wracking position and you’re alone!
Now that we have that out of the way, here are some more additional wedding photography tips for beginners that might help you out:
Photo by Terje Sollie
1: Backup is everything:
When you’re covering an event which is once in a lifetime sort (like a wedding!) you know that there is very little room for mistakes. And since there is a lot that is going to be happening during a wedding, you can also not afford to waste time, especially if you are the only wedding photographer covering that wedding.
So an extra pair of batteries, memory cards and perhaps even an extra camera to bring along with you as your wedding photography equipment is highly recommended.
2: Arrive early:
You know your wedding angles, you know which lens to use for group portraits and which ones for solo photographs but you will need time to scoop the wedding location so that you can pick and choose which areas of it could possibly be used as amazing backdrops.
Some areas of the wedding venue may even have better lighting! The lighting, space, the views etc. of a wedding venue will further help you decide which photography gear and techniques should you be emphasizing on during the actual event. So be sure to check out the wedding venue before the wedding event.
Photo by Ibrahim Asad
3: Tiny details:
We get it. During a wedding, the couple is the VIP that needs to be highlighted the most, but that’s not the only thing you should be focusing on! When you are out there covering the wedding, why not take a few pictures of the little details of the event and use them as composition elements for your wedding?
Why not focus on the bride’s shoes? Or the rings that the couple exchanged! Speaking of incorporating tiny details into your photographs, another good wedding photography tip for beginners is to try taking pictures from various angles. Doing so will give you photographs that are definitely way more interesting!
4: Editing wedding photographs:
Shooting in RAW mode is ideal for wedding photography. The reason is simple: RAW images leave more room for editing, later once you are done shooting and before delivering the images to the client.
Always edit all your work and always shoot RAW.
Last but not the least, every wedding photographer be it an amateur or a professional one must speak with the couple in question to ask them what they are looking for their wedding photoshoot. Sure, you may be the expert on the topic, but this is not the biggest day of your life. It someone else’s so they should be the ones getting what they need and want.
These tips should get you up and go on shooting your first wedding. Always make sure you have fun out there and take lots of photos.
The more the better. Do you have any more tips to add? Leave them in the comments below. Don’t forget to check out our post on wedding poses.
