This past Friday I shot my first Wedding. I have taken a few wedding shots for people here and there, but this is the first time where I was running the whole kit and kaboodle from Point A to Point B. I thought I would blog about the ordeal and pass on a few tips, tricks, and mistakes that I came across. Hit the jump for Wedding Photography 101.
So, one of my best friends decided to tie the knot. I have to admit he picked a great girl and I wish them all the best in life. However, as a sort of wedding gift I agreed to shoot the wedding gratis. I know how some of you must be gasping right now, but wait before you gape. Doing something free is never, EVER, really free. What you don’t make up for in new experiences you can make up in expanding your portfolio. Yes, I know a big portfolio doesn’t pay the bills, but it CAN bring in new work. Remember, it only takes a single image to get a client to sign with your studio, the more options they have to look at initially the greater the chances of that signing. This is especially true of the Wedding Photographer.
Almost all photographer have, at one point or another, shot a wedding. It is almost like a rite of passage, but unlike tribal rites the Wedding Shoot Ritual need not be painful. Below are a few tips I realized during my 1st shoot.
1. Business Cards: ALWAYS have business cards with you. Even if you’re a weekend warrior with a camera and shooting an ugliest fish show in a town of 60 people. Sometimes work comes not from the final image, but from how you carry yourself or even how creative you seem to be in real life. Get a friend who designs, or is at least good with art, to create an eye catching design that fit your budget and splurge on 500 or 1000 cards. Then work to exhaust those cards within a reasonable time frame for you.
2. Photography is a Spectator Sport: In the past, when I was IN the Wedding and not shooting it, I seen some photographers who insisted on only having the people that were in front of the lens present. He actually sent everyone out of the church’s sanctuary. Personally, I found working with spectators to be a lot of fun, not only did it help lighten the mood they also can have good suggestions. Remember, a ball tossed freely your way isn’t stealing and may even lead to something better when it comes into contact with your creative juices. This is especially true when the spectator is the bride/groom’s parents. Working with them not only looks good, but you can increase print sales by making sure to at least try to work with the parents.
3. Scouting is not only for kids: You should always try to scout the locations around the places the various phases of the wedding shin-dig is being put on. Sounds logical right? Well, I mean ALL the locations. Even look at the light situation in the bathrooms, you should be prepared for anything that might occur during a wedding. A wedding is, usually, a one time thing … so everything is game for the camera.
4. Be Artistic: Every bride wants to feel special on her big day, this is part of the reason that we spend so much time getting plenty of shots of the bride in her dress. Go the extra mile and try to create a shot that only she is going to have. This means going out on a limb and, of course, having a bride willing to let you experiment. If this turns out to be the case, run with it and make sure that the bride will feel special for years to come when she shows off her one of a kind fine art portrait of her on her wedding day.
5. Second Shooters, Third Party: On occasion, it is possible that someone else, either a friend of the family or a relative, is a shutterbug. If this is the case, you may find yourself in a situation where there is an unplanned second shooter at the wedding. My advice is to take it in stride. This person obviously matters to the family, therefore he/she belong right where he/she is. Perhaps set a few ground rules to ensure your shoot goes well and everything else is fair game for him. Remember, you are being paid, chances are good they are not. For this reason alone it is important that you keep your cool and work around him/her. If not, you simply look petty or jealous. If they become an issue, my tip is to mention it to the bride. Hell hath no fury as a bride not being photographed to the best of the ability of the paid photog.
6. Tick Tock Means Zilch in Bride World: Always expect a late start and when everything occurs on time it will be a happy, albeit rare, surprise. Many photographers take advantage of this fact by setting a time limit and charging extra for going over it. If you happen to be one of those photographers, I’m not really condoning the practice, but I am also not condemning it. Your time is valuable, I get that, but depending on “Why?” the wedding is running late should factor into your decision as to whether or not to charge for the extra time. Second, don’t be afraid to stay late and work on more pictures of the wedding party. Going the extra mile for someone is always a positive thing.
7. Time doesn’t stop at I Do: Be sure that you factor in post-processing time when determining how much to charge for a wedding shoot.
8. Its a camera, not a computer with AI: Your camera can’t read minds, therefore it can’t determine if you’re doing something stupid or not. It also can’t tell what is a good picture and what is not. With this in mind, ISO/aperture/shutter speed should be reset to defaults before each phase of the wedding to ensure that you’re getting the optimal shot by readjusting the camera for each location.
9. Telephoto or go home: If you don’t have a tele lens long enough to shoot the wedding from behind the crowd then go buy one. Nothing is annoying more than getting into someone’s face while they are watching the ceremony to take a picture. In my opinion, the only time you should approach the ceremony is at the exchanging of the rings and the kiss.
10. See Food: This is more of a personal rule than one generally accepted. I find it extremely distasteful to take pictures of people while they are trying to eat. Whether it’s at a rehearsal dinner or the reception, getting pictures of people with their mouths/plates full is just tacky. Not to mention horribly unflattering. When people are up walking around feel free to ask them to pose for a shot, but if they have a fork in their hands don’t take the chance of offending someone.
11. Keep the Dogs at Bay: Not the four legged pets, the two dogs at the end of your legs, the feet. Uncomfortable shoes can ruin a shoot, make sure you wear something that is a mix between stylish and function/comfortable. You’ll thank me for this when you’ve been on your feet for 8-10 hours…
12. Be a Stalker: Try to get candids of the bride and groom. This means sneaking with the best of them. Bushes, Trees, or camo nets its great for your photography for the subject to be unaware.
Thats all for now, I hope to bring another installment of this after I finish my post processing of the wedding shots. So far they look amazing and perhaps Ill show a few to you. If you have any tips of your own feel free to add them in comments section or email them to me! Thanks for reading and have a great day.
Tags: wedding, wedding photography
