1. The first bit of advice we have for you who have been asked to take wedding photos: hire a skilled, professional wedding photographer and a assistant. By doing so you will have:

• Better photos of their wedding day. You can split and capture different moments and angles throughout their wedding day.
• A much more enjoyable wedding day for yourself
• Backup images— you don’t need several photographers taking hundred’s of pictures throughout the day and getting into each other’s way. However, it would be nice to know that someone else throughout the day on a separate camera is capturing some images. Having a second backup photographer can be a great strategy. It means less moving around during ceremony and speeches, allows for one to capture the formal shots and the other to get candid shots. It also takes a little pressure off you being ‘the one’ to have to get every shot!

Another advice that we’d like to give you is: remember that In Wedding Photography PREPARATION IS THE KEY!!

So much can go wrong on the day – so you need to be well prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have your batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and time to get to places and get an itinerary of the full day so you know what’s happening next.

2.      PREPARATION

In wedding photography, preparation is as important as the shooting stage. If you are well prepared you won’t have any problems when taking the pictures and you won’t miss any photo opportunity. As a wedding photographer, you don’t have the right to make mistakes.
Skims through some ideas below – these are the list that will add a special touch to your clients.

• Bride’s dress on the hanger or over a chair
• Close-up of bride’s shoes and bouquet photo
• Bride in curlers or having makeup applied, bride putting on garter
• Bridesmaids applying their makeup
• Flower girl(s) ready to go
• Mom or bridesmaids putting finishing touches on bride, adding the veil, etc.
• Bride spending moment alone, thinking quietly, praying or looking out the window
• Full-length shot of bride all dressed and ready to go
• Groom putting on tie
• Groom with groomsmen— catch the fun!
• Groom with dad, hugging or whispering advice, ETC
• During the preparation stage of wedding photography, it’s also important to have your assistant to capture the wedding venue prior ceremony. Photograph  wide angles of the venue, flowers, table settings, close up of details (guest book, pew decorations, menus etc) – these help give the end album an extra dimension. Flick through a wedding magazine in a newsstand or check other renowned photographer’s portfolio for a little inspiration.  As it’s great for your client’s memories, it also familiarize yourself with the location and help to choose the spots from where you will take photos.

3.      THE CEREMONY

During the ceremony, ensure that you also shoot the small details! Every detail of the day is important. The clothes. The favors. The centerpieces. The people. Tensions are high. Schedules are tight. Emotions are charged. A wedding shoot is not the time to test one’s people skills or experiment with portraits. It is a day that an experienced photographer must practice everything he or she has ever known. During the ceremony, here are basic list for you to shoot:

• Guests arriving
• Ushers helping grandparents and special guests to their seats
• Front and back shots of flower girl/ring bearer walking down the aisle
• Groom and groomsmen waiting nervously for bride to walk down aisle
• Guests sitting down, waiting for ceremony to start
• Bridesmaids walking down the aisle
• Bride just before walking down the aisle  and back shot of bride (and escort) beginning to walk down the aisle
• Shot of both sets of parents’ faces as they witness ceremony
• The kiss
• Happy couple walking back down the aisle together, as married couple
• Guests getting ready to shower the couple with well wishes (and bubbles, birdseed, etc.) as they leave
• Bride and groom walking out of ceremony space, hand-in-hand

4. Photo Tour with bridal party before the reception

One thing that we’ve done at every wedding that we’ve photographed is attempt to photograph everyone who is in attendance in the one shot. The way to do so is to arrange for a place that you can get everyone straight after the ceremony. You can check around the venue to see where might be best for the group shots. The key is to be able to get everyone to the place you want them to stand quickly and to be ready to get the shot without having everyone stand around for too long.

Another idea is to get the bridal party to some place around the venue and make a group shoots just for the wedding party (not all attendee). Ensure to check on the concept with your clients’ prior taking the shoot. Some might prefer intimacy; some might like something fun and ‘crazy’.

5.      THE  RECEPTION

Reception is the ending phase of the ceremony. Even if tensions will be not as high as the ceremony, but there are lots of details for you to capture. Some shoots that needs to be captured as follow:

• Wide shot of entire room before everyone arrives, even better if taken from above
• Any special moments during the receiving line process
• Bride and groom’s first dance
• Bride dancing with her dad — close-up of her face as seen over his shoulder
• Groom dancing with his mom
• Bride and groom’s faces as they listen to the toast(s)
• Close-ups of guests’ faces, laughing and having a great time — lots of these

6.      Have Fun!!!

Last but not least remember that weddings are about celebrating – they should be fun. The more fun you have, as the photographer the more relaxed those you are photographing will be. Perhaps the best way to loosen people up is to smile as the photographer

]]> http://www.dsightphotography.com/wedding-photography-survival-tips-for-professional-photographers/feed/ 0 http://www.dsightphotography.com/alan-jessica-bali-pre-wedding-photography/ http://www.dsightphotography.com/alan-jessica-bali-pre-wedding-photography/#comments Mon, 25 Jun 2012 04:28:13 +0000 D http://www.dsightphotography.com/?p=1204