The challenges of wedding photography are uniquely difficult from those of other photography genres. While landscape photographers wait for the right light to come, and macro photographers look for new species of the minutest creatures, wedding photographers aim to combine great lighting, composition, and action in a single day. The most challenging of all? There are no take twos in weddings.
How then do you come up with wedding photos which are pleasing not just to you as the photographer but also to the bride and groom? Follow these essential shooting tips to make more memorable and technically improved wedding photographs.
Shoot from the hip, from the outside looking in, and through curtains and leaves. Everyone is aware of the beauty of straightforward shooting, so perhaps you can veer away a bit and slouch, so you are eye-level with that charming ring bearer who is gaping at the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony. Look through curtains, lights, or even leaves, and incorporate them into your composition. Photos taken from such angle make the viewer feel like they're looking at the scene from afar, lending your photos an air of mystery. While the bridesmaids flock to the bride, fixing this hem and that, applying a second coating of lipstick, or else just putting a stray hair strand back to place, go out of the room and shoot from there.
Make excellent use of your ISO. Many photographers shun high ISO settings and use flash instead. But a seasoned photographer would tell you that gritty photos from high ISO settings would in fact add a one-of-a-kind appeal. Use this setting to capture people as well as movement..
Aim for action photos, especially when crowds of people are involved (usually in the middle of the wedding reception). Dances and other performances are captured best with the motion, so don't ditch the slow shutter speed just yet. Not all blurred photographs are inferior.
Capture candid moments with simple compositions. The less cluttered the composition, the better. This is a task that wide-aperture lenses would do wonderfully, and most of the time, they turn out into some of your best shots of the day. An 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 is a great choice, as is the 24-70mm f/2.8. Cheaper alternatives are the 35mm f/1.8 and the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8.
How then do you come up with wedding photos which are pleasing not just to you as the photographer but also to the bride and groom? Follow these essential shooting tips to make more memorable and technically improved wedding photographs.
Shoot from the hip, from the outside looking in, and through curtains and leaves. Everyone is aware of the beauty of straightforward shooting, so perhaps you can veer away a bit and slouch, so you are eye-level with that charming ring bearer who is gaping at the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony. Look through curtains, lights, or even leaves, and incorporate them into your composition. Photos taken from such angle make the viewer feel like they're looking at the scene from afar, lending your photos an air of mystery. While the bridesmaids flock to the bride, fixing this hem and that, applying a second coating of lipstick, or else just putting a stray hair strand back to place, go out of the room and shoot from there.
Make excellent use of your ISO. Many photographers shun high ISO settings and use flash instead. But a seasoned photographer would tell you that gritty photos from high ISO settings would in fact add a one-of-a-kind appeal. Use this setting to capture people as well as movement..
Aim for action photos, especially when crowds of people are involved (usually in the middle of the wedding reception). Dances and other performances are captured best with the motion, so don't ditch the slow shutter speed just yet. Not all blurred photographs are inferior.
Capture candid moments with simple compositions. The less cluttered the composition, the better. This is a task that wide-aperture lenses would do wonderfully, and most of the time, they turn out into some of your best shots of the day. An 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 is a great choice, as is the 24-70mm f/2.8. Cheaper alternatives are the 35mm f/1.8 and the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8.
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