Wedding Photography

Wedding is one of the most important and valuable day for the couple and their families. Photographic memories are a precious gift and remembrance. Shooting a wedding is one of the biggest challenges to a photographer. He is responsible to capture all the great memories and the best moments. Wedding photography is very different from other types of photography, as it’s a one-time occasion, so there is very less room for mistakes. In this article, Shaw Academy, will share some of the tips to help you succeed and capture the moments that the couple will remember forever.

Prepare a shot list: Ask the couple, what are the most important moments for them. Help them in finding out the situations that they’d like to get clicked. Compile a list of some of the main pictures and share with the couple and their families. Remember that the couple is doing this for the first time, and they may forget something important. So, suggest a checklist of the essential shots, such as getting ready – bride & groom, ring exchange, first kiss, portrait of bride with bridesmaids, portrait of family, cake cutting and more.

Scout the location: Visit the location in advance that you will be shooting to have an idea for good background, positions for shots and lighting. Pre-planning will make sure that you don’t miss any of the important shots. If possible, do internet searches for the same location to see how other photographers’ have captured the location. Doing this will really help in getting nice ‘wedding photos’.

Shoot the small details: One of the things that makes wedding photography successful is capturing the small details. Photograph every small detail, such as rings, dresses, menus, flower decoration, table setting, etc. Use different tools to capture the subject that matter in a different way. This will give an extra dimension to the wedding album.

Use two cameras: If you want to shoot a wedding properly, then you need an extra camera to do several things. Get a spare camera for the day and set it up with a different lens. According to a study, it’s preferred to shoot with one wide angle lens (great for candid shots and in tight spaces and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm. Also, the second camera will help in fast changing circumstances, where you might otherwise want to change lenses but don't have time.

Use diffused light: Lighting in wedding photography is another important factor for getting fantastic photographs. In a low lighting situation, use a flash. Check whether bouncing the flash will work or whether you might need a flash diffuser to soften the light. If you can’t use a flash, then you can use a fast lens at wide apertures and increase the ISO.

Always shoot in RAW: If you really want to get good results, then shoot in RAW mode. RAW photos contain all the available information a camera can capture from a scene that means, you can fix too-bright highlights and recover much detail in the shadows. There are many benefits of RAW mode, in which you can correct: level of quality, brightness, adjustment of white balance and correction of dramatically over/underexposed images.

Continuous shooting mode: Don’t worry about the long list of shots. Switch your camera to burst mode or continuous shooting mode. It helps in capturing four to six shots at a time and gives you an option to choose the best shot. Capture everything happening all around you. Look for laughter, smiles, singing, dancing, or tears.

Expect the unexpected: Sometimes, thing happen which we don’t expect and we are left with no alternate. According to a famous wedding photographer “Things will not always be right, hence it’s your job to turn them into some of the best and funniest moments”. Don’t feel panicky at these situations and transform these moments into the great unforgettable memories.

Get hold of the event: Dominate the situation, otherwise it will become difficult for you to manage the crowd at the wedding. Make the crowd listen to you to get ready for the click. Or, if you have any assistant, take his help to align the groups.

Have fun: Weddings are always about celebration; they should be fun. The more fun you have, the more relaxed you are. So, be cheerful and do fun. Embrace the moment, embrace the couple and their family & friends. Smile a lot, while clicking the shots. You will see the reflection of joy in your pictures.

The key for a successful and beautiful wedding photography is to be organized, prepared and confident. You should have mastery in capturing the right moments and an eye for details to notice what makes a good photo, the components that can be included or excluded.