Unlike some events where you get to re-take, weddings do not allow you the option to re-take, and you have to get the pictures that record your occasion right the very first time!
A few basics: your camera must be in good condition, and you should have extra accessories in the event of a mishap. Have a helping hand – you need someone to help in carrying the accessories, to help with light, test shots, etc.
Conceptualize the moment, and plan the shots ahead of time. Show the couple a catalogue and get them to pick positions that they will like to pose in. Ask them for any locations or events that are dear to their hearts that they will like to replicate or pose in.
Make sure that the couple is comfortable with you, and with the positions that they will be in. Have fun, laugh, talk to people. You’re capturing people you’ve only just met, and you need them to feel comfortable with you when you do it. Comfortable people make for authentic photos. You’re there to work, but your job requires a lot of socializing.
Your positioning to capture the entrance into the venue, and other views and firsts is crucial. Take firsts – the first glimpse, their first laugh, their first kiss, their first dance. There will several firsts, some of them happening very quickly and you have to position yourself to be able to capture them. You must put the camera on high shutter speed and take multiple photos, so you have a choice of selecting the best ones from numerous pictures. These firsts are the backbone of your wedding shoot. Family & Friends are there to celebrate with the couple, and you should be deliberate about capturing them and their expressions as the couple celebrate. Know the VIP guests, and know when they should be in pictures. Be deliberate about shooting pictures of the couple with their friends. Take group shots also. If you have permission to use drones, they come in quite handy for aerial shots for the group. Make the best of group dynamics.
Look out for priceless moments – photogenic kid smiling, some children playing around, people whispering about any special moment, laughter from a corner, and other lively events. Be free, click as many times as possible and get as many priceless shots as you can. Also, hidden cameras like motion activated the hidden camera and hidden spy cam can let you capture every single moment that you might have missed.
If there will be pictures away from the venue, plan the location. Be deliberate about lightning. use natural lights for the best pictures. Use breathtaking natural environments as the backdrops for your pictures. Use shadows to create an effect.
At the end of the day, you are looking to get beautiful, memorable photographs of the couple in different locations, doing different things within a period of time and making it look super fun while working around traffic, lighting, backdrops, parking and even random people in the backgrounds.
