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.It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned pro, or if you are an amateur, by following these tips, you won’t second guess yourself. Doing this you will be fully prepared come what may.
Our first tip is pretty simple and that is to have the couple and their families make a list for you of shots 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 bother even peeking at the previews. What makes a great shot in your mind could differ widely that what makes a great shot in the couples minds.You know what, they might like all those un "professional" shots you take.
For the the third tip, make sure you get candid shots during and after the wedding.A good photographer isn’t one who just takes the standard basic shots, like family shots, typical wedding shots, or whatever is the usual. But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It could include things that don’t go perfectly, like a flower girl not wanting to walk down the aisle or the ring bearer making a wrong turn.Every photo matters.
The fourth piece of advice is make sure you have back up equipment. Do you even want to imagine having a camera stop working halfway through the day.Be prepared for anything that can 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, you have to be prepared for the lighting and you do that by practicing. 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. Think about seeing if you can go to the locations of the big day and look for the best spots to take pictures as well as study the lighting needs.
Doing these 5 tips will help you immensely. 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.
