Cafe Zouk

It’s a strange fact that for many people entering (or trying to break in to) a career in photography, that wedding pictures are very often one of the first commercial jobs people get. I say this is strange only because you are attending what will hopefully be the couples, or at least the brides biggest day in her life, and the memories are being captured by someone with less experience than is really required. When I talk about experience I don’t just mean in taking photographs, but also the additional skills required by a wedding photographer, such as crowd control and being an expert in not getting in the way. I hope the 10 tips which follow, will help anyone in that situation.

1. Change Perspective – whilst the bride will be expecting certain standard wedding pictures, it’s also nice to have a few which stand out and are a bit different from the norm (after all they don’t have to display them if they don’t like them) but changing your perspective can add an extra layer of interest, try getting up high, or even taking a picture with the camera close to the ground.

2. Things will go wrong – if you make sure that you are as well prepared as you possibly can be, hopefully the things that go wrong will be nothing to do with you, however your job is to capture the day, so when something happens unexpectedly, be ready to catch people expressions, these can make for fantastic and totally unique photographs.

3. Use Continuous Shoot Mode – With the storage available in modern camera equipment, it’s a good idea to use CSM, as it’s sometimes the second after a posed picture is taken and everyone relaxes which can be a great image.

4. Always have a plan – meeting with the bride and groom in advance to discuss the pictures they want can first save you a lot of thought on the day and make everything run smoother, by knowing exactly which formal shots are to be taken, the order of the day and timings, allows you to relax and be ready to catch those moments mentioned in point 2 above.

5. Crowd Control – to the inexperienced photographer getting all the guests together, in the right place, at the right time for group shots can be a major headache, so whilst the family will be helpful it’s your job to organise them.

Of course if you would rather pass the job on to a wedding photographer with many years experience, Clickart photography would be pleased to help.