[wtb] 10 top tips for a wedding photographer...

[Kyle]

Willing to pay top dollar

I'm shooting a good friends wedding, very casual, all they want is a dvd with photos, so I offered to do so.

I'm pretty much prepared as best I can be, Have camera, lenses and backup camera, backup memory backup battery and reflector. Plenty of batteries for speedlite, an assistant etc etc..

I'm hoping some of the regular shooters here might be able to offer some wise words to help me get through the day with minimal fuss or hickups.

Anyone care to bite?

Cheers,
Kyle.

[phillipb]

Hi Kyle,
Believe it or not, shooting a friend's wedding is much harder then shooting a stranger's. It's very hard to be assertive with a friend, which you will need to be to get them to do what you want.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll get lots of advice in this thread.

[Kyle]

I hope so anyway Phillip

[seedyrom]

- When people sit back and look at the photo's after the event, they are really only looking to see themselves.
I don't really think casual ones of the crowd will be entertaining, but maybe try to encourage members of the gathering to go and pose with the bride and groom. If they introduce themselves rather than you appearing to line up each guest, then the poor bride and groom won't feel like its just you bugging them to pose every 5 mins. The day will be such a whirlwind for them that they wont remember most of it anyway

- At my sisters wedding, the photographer was able to go to a much elevated location (a balcony) and take a huge group shot downwards. Everyone was gathered around the couple, and waving to the camera. It's the only shot appart from the bridal party that has been framed and displayed in their house.

- At my cousins wedding, his friend from work with a decent camera and flash did the photography. It cheapened the night for me when at the end of it, I saw him upload the pics to his laptop, burn the dvd and hand it to my cousin and say "congrats, I'm off". Ummm ... I'm sure that could have been done later.

- They will have a spot in the catering for you, but don't expect to eat

- Dont be afraid to walk in front of anybody. Even if you are walking directly in line of the ceremony and the audience, no one will care, as they will be looking 'through' you.


cant offer any technical tips though

[methd]

have a "to-do" list of must have shots.

from the top of my head...

morning - ur getting ready shots, jewellery, dress, make up, bride in PJs, groom the same thing.

church - empty church shot, details in the church like windows etc, bride in and out the car shot, down the aisle shot, exchanging vows, exchanging rings, first kiss, church filled with guests, signing the certifcate (set shots), outside the church, candids and group shots most common here

photo shoot - integrate the environment, look for a nice landscape and then try to 'fit' the couple in best, try different poses and angles, work on free flowing shots here with full body an wide angle, photo shoot is most important for wedding album so take a bit more effort, take note of where hands are placed (holding the bouquet), where they're looking, what direction their body is facing. depending on candid or portrait, positiong of bridesmaid and groomsmen can be tricky. in this situation, u really need to communicate with the couple and tell them do what u want, otherwise they wander around aimlessly. goes without saying to clear out the background and have no one else in it, keep things as simple and natural as possible. if light outside is harsh then shoot in the shadows and use a flash to light their face. sometimes shooting INTO the sun with flash can be rewarding but isn't easy to get the right exposure.

reception - empty reception venue shot, dining table settings, layouts, candles, lights, all the small details, portraits of guests before they are seated (make sure lighting is perfect here), first dance, first kiss, bouquet throwing (get in position !!), dance shots (play with different lighting), couple as they leave shot...

there are more.. but being ready for these shots and making sure u have the right exposure setting in the camera BEFORE the event itself is pretty important.

if your flash has an extra battery holder (i know the sb800 does) use it! recycle time is reduced and u can fire off more flash shots. For eg. the aisle shot is important here as u only get 3-5 chances before they finish walking down the aisles, so make sure at least ONE of those is perfect (sharp and correct exposure)

goes without saying, bring at least one backup camera and flash and bring battery chargers just in case (plenty power sockets at reception).

indoors - church/reception look for the right lighting and combine the ambient light with ur flash to get the most natural lighting u can, without blasting away with the flash. if you dont have much ambient light, then try to bounce as much as u can.

hope that helps, good luck

[TonyH]

Here is the list that I have for "Essential" shots that may help you.
For me most of these are must haves and then in between go for the creative shots....

Wedding Photog Checklist
a) At the Bride's Home
Bride dressing
Mother helping with veil
Mother/maid of honour adjusting veil
Bride looking in mirror
Bride & Mother looking in mirror
Bride putting on garter
Bride putting on garter with bridesmaids looking on
Bride full length
Bride half length
Bride close-up
Bride with Mother full length
Bride with Mother close-up
Corsage being pinned on Mother
Bride with father full length
Bride with Father close-up
Bride pinning on Father's buttonhole
Bride with both parents full length
Bride with both parents close-up
Bride with Grandparents full length
Bride with Grandparents close-up
Bride with sisters full length
Bride with sisters close-up
Bride with brothers full length
Bride with brothers close-up
Bride with immediate family
Bride with maid of honour full length
Bride with maid of honour close-up
Bride with her attendants full length
Bride with her attendants close-up
Bride & flower girl/ring bearer
Bride leaving house with parents & bridesmaids
Father helping Bride into car/limo
Father helping Bride out of car/limo

b) At Groom's Home
Groom full length
Groom Half length
Groom close-up
Groom with Mother full length
Groom with Mother close-up
Groom with Father full length
Groom with Father Close-up
Groom with both parents full length
Groom with both parents close-up
Groom with Grandparents full length
Groom with Grandparents close-up
Groom with sisters full length
Groom with sisters close-up
Groom with brothers full length
Groom with brothers close-up
Groom with immediate family
Groom & best man full length
Groom & best man close-up
Groom & best man shaking hands
Groom & groomsmen full length
Groom & groomsmen close-up
c) At the Ceremony
Grandparents being seated
Groom's parents being seated
Bride's parents being seated
Flower girl walking down aisle
Ring bearer walking down aisle
Bridesmaids walking down aisle
Maid of honour walking down aisle
Father walking with Bride down aisle
Father "giving Bride away"
Bride & Groom at altar
Bride & Groom exchanging Vows
Bride & Groom exchanging rings
Bride & Groom the kiss
Bride signing register
Groom signing register
bride and Groom walking back down aisle
Pictures of receiving line
Bride & Groom leaving church/ceremony location
Bride & Groom getting into car/limo
Bride's and Groom's first toast - in limo

d) Ceremony Location Poses
Groom kissing Bride at altar full length
Groom kissing Bride at altar 3/4 pose
Groom kissing Bride at altar - tight head shot
Groom putting ring on Bride's finger
Bride putting ring on Groom's finger
Bride & Groom lighting candles full length
Bride & Groom lighting candles 3/4 pose
Bride's & Groom's hands with rings & flowers
Bride and Groom with clergyman/celebrant
Bride & Groom & Bridal party with clergyman/celebrant
Other missed shots during ceremony
Bride with bridesmaids flowers all around her
Bride with Groomsmen
Groom with Bridesmaids
Bride & Groom at church door
Bride & Groom on church steps
Bride & bridesmaids on church steps
Groom & groomsmen on church steps
Bride & Groom with bridal party standing
Bride & Groom with bridal party sitting
Bride & Groom with bridal party (M-F-M-F)
Bride & Groom with all Brides family
Bride & Groom with Bride’s immediate family
Bride & Groom with bride's parents
Bride with her parents
Bride with her Mother
Bride with her Father
Bride & Groom with all Groom's family
Bride & Groom with Groom' immediate family
Bride & Groom with Groom's parents
Groom with his parents
Groom with his Mother
Groom with his Father
Bride & Groom with both sets of parents
Bride/and/or Groom with special family members,
Bride & Groom leaving ceremony location
Getting into car/limo

I hope this helps, sorry it is so long a post.

[shutterbug]

1. Shoot wide open.
2. Shoot available light
3. Enjoy the day and look like a guest
4. Leave your bags in the boot, carry minimal gear and walk around and observe and capture.

Have fun
Vince

[who]

Don't force anyone in really hot circumstances....

Let the groom go when he is about to faint......

Ensure everyone else inthe bridal party is not totally dehydrated.....

3 tips from my wedding where it was 37 degrees in October in Brisbane and I, as bridegroom, was nursign 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns to my left arm from what was supposed to be the Buck's weekend (the weekend prior).... which finished for me in Emergency at about 1am Sunday

[Kyle]

Thanks for all the tips guys, and thanks Tony for the massve list of shots

Vince, I'd love to shoot with as little flash as possible, Thats my aim, but fastest lens will probably be 2.8 so i might not be able to avoid flash all the time.

Cheers guys

[Yi-P]

1- Smile, even tho you're not the one in front of camera
2- Expect what will happen, be there before it happens
3- Dress smart and comfortable
4- Take control of lost bride/groom and their maid/men, they're all nervous out there
5- Have fun as you were in a large party

Ok, that's 1/2 the tip requested, but I guess the many other fills up much much more than what I've said...

I find shooting for friend has many times more pressure than shooting for strangers that are willing to pay you top dollars. They often expect more than what they should get and in the end if you ever end up arguing, its not a good thing between friends.

[Kyle]

Ayone free on saturday? YI-P?

[Reschsmooth]

I am not sure if it has already been mentioned, but scout out the place a day or so before the event (at the same time of day, if possible) - find out where the better poses/light/vantage points will be. Basically, plan ahead.

And if you are going to shoot under trees with good sunlight, consider using some fill flash to avoid mottled shadows on people's faces (does it sound like that comes from experience? Particularly as one who paid for the shots!)

[bouyant_clown]

Hi Kyle,
i was in a similar situation to you at the begining of the year (although my friends also asked one of thier uncles to photograph as well so that took a lot of the pressure off).
anyway i found this to be a pretty good read:
http://www.aljacobs.com/NEW%20WEDDING.pdf
theres a lot of the things that people have already mentioned (like the shot list) in there but set out in an easy to follow format.
Hope that you find it helpful.

[Bindii]

Its been said before but I can't help myself I have to say it again... doing a friends wedding is so much harder than a strangers... don't be surprised if you are disapointed with the whole experience....

But on the day there are a few things that you might find will help you...

the first being is to take some water as you won't have time to be chasing down drinks etc and while its normal for one of the guests to maybe offer you a drink when you arrive at the brides home in the morning its also normal for them to forget you from that point on... I often throw a few snacky things in my camera bag or car also to eat on the way to the church/reception/park etc as its almost impossible to find the time to eat when your working... and you'll be needing the sustanance to continue... a small esky in the boot of your car with some cool drinks and a sandwich will be much appreciated...

Don't be afraid to speak up in order to get people organised for group shots etc.... if you dont get them out of the way quickly you wont have time/light for the important couple shots... and trust me even though you were forced to wait an hour to get everyone organised cause Aunty Ethel had disappeared and Uncle Harold was throwing up in the toilet they wont take that into account if you havent got the shots you need at the end of the day...

Use flash if you have to... especially in those shaded areas... just a little fill flash so as not to blow out the brides dress....

Don't worry so much about the arty shots till you have the 'money' shots first... get the important shots then if you have time play a little if you want..

Write a list of key words on the back of business cards for posing ideas if you think you may forget some or get stumped for ideas once you start... keep the cards in your pocket for easy referance...

Unless you know your camera inside and out and can work it in your sleep put it in something like P mode... and concentrate on composition instead of fiddling with the settings...

Check how many images you have left on your memory cards before important events.. eg dont be caught out halfway through the ceremony with no images left cause you forgot to change cards...

If you change your ISO for low light shots for the church etc don't forget to change it back...

I am sure that I can think of 100 more things with time but these are just off the top of my head...

but if you forget everything else remember this...

Take your sense of humour.. it will be one of your most valuable tools...

and have fun...!!!

[Kyle]

Thanks Sue!!

What a legend


A note, i'd still be happy to assist a pro sometime as an assistant to get some hands on experience. I lurve to help out and learn stuff


Cheers all for your tips, I'll be sure to put them into practice!!

Kyle.

[hyperhiryu]

Wow some kickass tips here, I've been asked to do a friends wedding in a few weeks time as back up to the the official photographer. I'll definately be taking notes!

[Ivanerrol]

Here are some more tips
Although this was written a few years ago back in the film days, the info is still valid

http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/

[mattyjacobs]

I don't know if you look at strobist.com, but this was up the other day, as a creative thing that a wedding photographer in the states does: click here to see a crazy video

just make sure you can catch. oh, and the photographer said that he usually photoshops himself out of the pics, unless he's formed a bit of a friendship with the bride & groom.

EDIT: there's a bit more talk about Mike Larson's trick here. And, check out his site (http://www.mikelarson.com) for ideas.

[Kyle]

I owe a MASSIVE thankyou to YI-P who is coming along to help me (or me help him) for the whole day!

Thanks mate, we will have a tops time


Thanks again to all who contributed in this thread, it's been invaluable!!!!!


I love this forum

[Reschsmooth]

I love this forum

And the forum loves you, too, it really does There's gotta be somewhere on the net I can spend too much time!

[methd]

I owe a MASSIVE thankyou to YI-P who is coming along to help me (or me help him) for the whole day!

Thanks mate, we will have a tops time


Thanks again to all who contributed in this thread, it's been invaluable!!!!!


I love this forum

great stuff. walking into a solo wedding for the first time is daunting, so that's great news.

[barry]

Kyle, I shot a wedding with Yip earlier this year. He is a good operator. You guys will have fun.

[aloysius]

Im about to get into doing weddings each weekend hopefully. just working out equipment. I did one couple of weeks ago for first time and it showed me how much i have to learn...but im still really happy with results. The biggest tip i can give you is not to be scared to speak up to get people to do what you want. at the end of day if they thing you were a bit cranky but still get good shots they will be happy.

I had a lot of people not listen to me or paying no attention that i had to physically walk up to and grab to get them doing what i wanted. Sense of humour is essential. I found 1 beer every 2 hours kept my nerves down whilst still being sober it was in 30 degree QLD heat which this little tassie man isnt used to...xxxx schooners were a godsend

[Ronza]

Here is the list that I have for "Essential" shots that may help you.
For me most of these are must haves and then in between go for the creative shots....

Worked with a photographer once who had a bride email him a list like that, needless to say, he declined the job.

I think one of the hardest elements is just organising the people for group photos - keep a sense of humour, drop some Kath and Kim "look at moiiiiis" and try and work as quickly as possible to keep people interested. Don't feel rushed though, once the people have left their poses, its a PITA to get them back to where they were to reshoot because you've messed something up.

[Kyle]

Here is the list that I have for "Essential" shots that may help you.
For me most of these are must haves and then in between go for the creative shots....

Worked with a photographer once who had a bride email him a list like that, needless to say, he declined the job.

I think one of the hardest elements is just organising the people for group photos - keep a sense of humour, drop some Kath and Kim "look at moiiiiis" and try and work as quickly as possible to keep people interested. Don't feel rushed though, once the people have left their poses, its a PITA to get them back to where they were to reshoot because you've messed something up.

Look at moiii great big lens please people


Picking YIP up @ 9am.. wish us luck, though I know i'm in good hands

Ciao!

[Yi-P]

lol I should be asleep by now... 2.30am and I have a 9am start for a whole day tomorrow... something wrong with me...

Weather for Newcastle tomorrow looks ok, hopefully the weather people is right this time.

[Kyle]

Morning yip

[michael_]

hurry up and get here i need to go back to sleep

[TonyH]

Here is the list that I have for "Essential" shots that may help you.
For me most of these are must haves and then in between go for the creative shots....

Worked with a photographer once who had a bride email him a list like that, needless to say, he declined the job.

I think one of the hardest elements is just organising the people for group photos - keep a sense of humour, drop some Kath and Kim "look at moiiiiis" and try and work as quickly as possible to keep people interested. Don't feel rushed though, once the people have left their poses, its a PITA to get them back to where they were to reshoot because you've messed something up.

When I shoot a weddding there are 3 of us.... 2 shooters and 1 organiser... I reckon the most important person on my crew is the organiser as she makes things so simple......

I just have to worry about exposures, angles, poses etc..... you know the easy stuff This way I have a great time and so do the clients.

[Kyle]

WOW what an awesome day!

Big big big big thanks to YIP who came and helped run the show, don't know what i'd have done if it werent for him being with me!

Stories/pics/blah blah to come.. i've just got in from the ling trip home from newcastle

[Kyle]

Just two or three..

Will post some later on when I have a chance..

[Bindii]

Just two or three..

Will post some later on when I have a chance..

I count four... *grin*

But I also count four very good images.... the second and third are crackers!! Well done!

[shutterbug]

2,3,4 are great

[losfp]

Great shots, well done

[PiroStitch]

great stuff kyle. hope you enjoyed the day and learnt heaps!

[Willy wombat]

I just found this one - what a cool thread.

[BullcreekBob]

G'day

A few more wedding tips, these are based on experience after a friend got married on the weekend.

1) Be on time - on the weekend, the bride arrived and then we all stood around for 10 mins waiting for the wedding photog to arrive. He apparently drives slower than the wedding car driver. Both left the brides house at the same time.

2) Be assertive (preferably in a friendly manner) - on the weekend the wedding photog was "happy" to stand behind other guests when getting the shots. We could'nt believe he neither asked us to stand aside or just pushed in.

3) Dress appropriately - on the weekend there were two people in jeans - the wedding photog and his assistant.

5) Have better gear then the guests - sure the wedding photog may have lots of skill and we are yet to see his work but his twin Canon 10D's one with 50mm Canon and the other a Sigma 105mm F2.8 seemed not to be what we expected. The 12 guests between them sported mainly Nikon's a D200, a D70S, a D80 and a D40X and a Canon 30D. Perhaps IT guys are a geeky lot with too much cash, but we seemed to have the best toys.

I don't know what the wedding photog charged but I believe it is above $1,500 which will cover a DVD, a photobook, 2 large prints and proof sheets.

Cheers
Bob in Bull Creek

[Bindii]

G'day

A few more wedding tips, these are based on experience after a friend got married on the weekend.

1) Be on time - on the weekend, the bride arrived and then we all stood around for 10 mins waiting for the wedding photog to arrive. He apparently drives slower than the wedding car driver. Both left the brides house at the same time.

Yes.... but I am betting that the tog had to find a park (which could have been god knows where) and walk to the spot where the brides car arrived... this is why I always leave before the bridal car... which is a lot harder to do than say considering they also expect you there to get the shots of the bride getting into the limo...

5) Have better gear then the guests - sure the wedding photog may have lots of skill and we are yet to see his work but his twin Canon 10D's one with 50mm Canon and the other a Sigma 105mm F2.8 seemed not to be what we expected. The 12 guests between them sported mainly Nikon's a D200, a D70S, a D80 and a D40X and a Canon 30D. Perhaps IT guys are a geeky lot with too much cash, but we seemed to have the best toys.

Well you know what they say... the way to tell the difference between a pro and and amatuer... the amatuer has the better equipment... its not what you have got... its how well you can use it... *nods* Having said this I do kinda agree with you... just a little though...

I don't know what the wedding photog charged but I believe it is above $1,500 which will cover a DVD, a photobook, 2 large prints and proof sheets.

Wow... thats amazingly cheap... I'd be getting a little worried actually...

[CraigVTR]

Just found this post, great advice and some great shots Kyle.

I was drafted in to shoot a wedding I was going to as a guest last Friday. Got the phone call late Thursday after I had gone to bed. It seems the 'pro' who was to do the event had rung and cancelled Thursday lunchtime. Seems he had other commitments.

I was only able to get shots at the ceremony/reception venue as there was not time to go and get the 'getting ready' shots. Having not shot a wedding before, or any sort of event, I found the most difficult part was deciding on what to shoot. Then directing the subjects to where I wanted them. I found it was not easy to do but think it would become easier when the confidence kicks in.


Like Bindi said, make sure you have something to drink. I was lucky the other guests kept sticking a fresh beer in front of me.

[manas06]

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5. Although formal portraits are far from extinct, the trend has moved toward the quirky and the unique engagement photo ideas.

[martalbert57]

Good luck for this wedding. I think you capture all the moments very carefully so that your friend would happy to see all these pictures.

[Matt. K]

Here's my best tips...it's better to get 5 beautiful high quality images than 250 crap ones. Don't let quantity take precedence over quality....and avoid cliches like the plague. Don't try and get too tricky but do take a few risks now and then. And lastly...every time you see emotion....catch it.