Being asked to be the photographer for a wedding is a big 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.You could be a seasoned pro, or you could be an amateur, but by following these tips, you will do the job smoothly without second guessing yourself. You will be fully prepared for whatever may come.
Our first tip is easy and that is to have the couple and maybe their families make a list of photos they want to take.When you know the day will be hectic and chaotic, doing this will help you get the family and group shots later on in the day more smoothly.Imagine how wonderful it will be to just go down your list and know that you aren’t 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 even think of looking at the shots.Remember, what you think is a great shot, could be vastly different than what the couple thinks is a great shot.You never know, they might like all those so called un “professional shots.
A third tip to consider is making sure you get candid shots. A good wedding photographer will not just try and get the typical shots, like family group shots, wedding party shots, or your standard bride and groom. 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 one to consider, and something that can easily be overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras with several lenses 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.
Finally, practice your lighting as well. 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. You should try and see if you can scout the locations for the big day and try and find the best spots to shoot as well as gauging the lighting needs.
Following these 5 great tips will help you greatly on that special day. 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.