Wedding Photography Tips
December 3, 2009
Here you will find tips, tricks and good all-round advice for your digital wedding photography section at All Things Photography. Please use this part of our site to refer to often as you make your journey to hopefully becoming a successful wedding photographer. Use the navigation bar on the left to find your way through the "book" or simply follow the links at the bottom of each page.
Now is probably the best time to say that wedding photography can be one of the most stressful and demanding, but at the same time, enjoyable and lucrative professions within photography that there is.
It is hard work, tiring, no…exhausting and time-consuming although at the end of the day when you are handing over a beautiful wedding album or book and see the look of pleasure on the brides face, it can be a very rewarding experience both financially and personally.
Before I start I would like to give you some background on myself so you can see where I am coming from.
I would also like to state early on that this whole digital wedding photography tips section is free and based purely on my own experiences and recommendations after feedback from many people involved in weddings and wedding photography from the families, officials, planners and organisers to the actual couple themselves.
I will include mistakes and cock-ups to show that nobody is perfect…far from it. However, a strong desire to succeed and a "perfectionist attitude" will go a long way to moving you up in this highly competitive market.
I am a full-time, professional photographer and I attended my first wedding in 1984 as an assistant at 16 years old during an apprenticeship with a local, well known photographer in Kent.
I shot my first solo wedding at 23 or 24 in the early 1990’s using a Canon EOS 5 and a Mamiya RBZ67, I immediately felt the buzz! It was as a favour for a family member so in some respects the pressure was more than if it were a stranger.
Note: For the record, that was also the last wedding I ever shot as a favour or for friends or family, you will see why as we progress.
Last year I shot close to 40 weddings, (not many some would say, I will come to this later also) with 12 in June alone. I made myself a mental note after this season to teach myself to say "No!" now and again.
I have shot weddings of all shapes and sizes in a variety of locations and religions/traditions so I hope to make these wedding photography tips as diverse as possible;
Some of these weddings include;
* Traditional English church weddings
* A 2 person wedding in a cave in Spain
* On board a posh catamaran in Puerto Banus harbour
* In a converted monastery in the middle of nowhere
* A "Wiccan" wedding for White Witches in the heart of the New Forest in England (Jumping of the broomstick included!)
* 6 Star, "no-expense-spared" Jewish weddings with hundreds of guests
* Beach weddings
I have no favourites as each wedding is different and the Bridal Party and guests are what really make it a hit or miss affair with regards to the success of your photography. Of course, a spectacular location and good weather make your job that much easier and enjoyable but with un-cooperating people, all that goes to waste!
My point here and as a start to these wedding photography tips is that you must be prepared for any situation and above all research the wedding to death well before you arrive on the big day and that is where hopefully this entire section will help.