As well as my day job here on AP, I shoot a few weddings a year, something I’ve kept on as a sideline since my days of being self-employed. The money’s useful to fund my motorbike, art and travel addictions, but more importantly, it makes me a better photographer.

Often, when I mention to other photographers that I do weddings or marriage-related ceremonies, they pull a face, as if I’ve just divulged that I clean sewers at the weekend for fun.

‘Oh I’d never do that, you must be mad to keep doing it,’ is a common response, along with ‘God, I shot one once – never again.’

I can understand that wedding photography is not for everyone, but I believe that a lot of my peers could benefit from at least giving it a go (as well as showing a bit more respect to photographers who do it for a living). Here’s why.

Wedding photography teaches you good technique, and quickly. Credit; Getty Images

1. It makes you a better photographer technically

A lot of people are put off wedding photography because of the responsibility – you are, after all, recording a once in a lifetime event (even with the west’s high divorce rate). So you need to be on top of your game technically. If you foul up the exposure or focus, you can’t get everybody back to do the exchanging of rings again.

You have to swim or sink, and as a result, anyone who survives their first wedding naturally gets more adept at mastering and applying the exposure triangle, and working in challenging lighting conditions.

I remember doing a ceremony at Bristol registry office where the walls where a deep shade of crimson, like Castle Dracula. So you also get good at mastering manual white balance, or at the very least, fixing it quickly in software.

Not every wedding is white, but if one is, you must watch those highlights on the dress. Picture credit: Getty Images

And then there’s the wedding dress. Not every bride wears white, but if they do, you better not blow out the highlights on their expensive outfit. You learn to watch the histogram like a hawk!

2. You get into good habits

Do you sometimes forget to back up memory cards or lose pictures altogether? Do this with wedding photography and you’re toast. The prospect of having to tell a bride/couple that you’ve mislaid half the pictures is terrifying and could even end up in legal action, so you soon get into the habit of promptly downloading images from the memory cards and backing them up. This good practice transfers into other areas of your photography too.

Shooting a couple is a great way to enhance your portrait skills generally. Credit: Getty Images

3. Your portrait photography skills improve

Many couples will want lots of shots of them together, both before and after the ceremony, and you soon learn ways to get them to relax and pose more naturally (getting them to hold something is a great tip as often they don’t know what to do with their hands).

This also benefits other types of portrait photography, including street portraits or working with models. You also learn that even with a technically imperfect shot – a slightly soft or noisy one, for example – the customer usually doesn’t care if it captures a very emotional moment or helps tell the story of the day.

I am not saying you should slack-off on good technique, but you do start to see the bigger picture and become less of a pixel peeper. This can help when editing your personal work.

4. Your composition skills get better

As you are (usually) selling the images you take at a wedding, you want them to be as good as possible to save any awkward conversations about refunds. So again, you quickly learn the art of framing, quickly scanning all four corners of the frame before pressing the shutter button.

Said bride (or groom, or couple, or whatever) won’t be very happy if there’s a tree sticking of their head on most of the shots. You also need to work out the best way to include large groups in your shots; spotting ugly distractions in the background, such as bins and vans, soon becomes second nature.

When couples ask for black and white, you need to be on top of your game. Credit: Geoff Harris

5. Your black and white skills sharpen

Many of my couples ask for a mixture of black and white and colour shots, so deciding which images to convert to black and white gets you thinking more carefully about tone, texture, contrast etc. Not every image works so well in black and white, after all. It also gets you ‘thinking’ in black and white when you are out there taking the pictures.

You are faced with lots of different lighting challenges with weddings, indoors and out. Credit: Getty Images

6. You get more enlightened about lighting

A lot of wedding photographers only use natural light, which is fine, but I prefer to use a bit of fill flash, both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors it can help to smooth-out shadows on a very sunny day, and indoors it can help keep shots sharp and punchy. Necessity is the mother of invention, so you soon learn to get to grips with your flashgun, including manual settings.

Group shots – a great way to develop people skills and polite assertiveness! Credit: Getty Images

7. You develop people skills

A big part of wedding photography is the organisational side, particularly when it comes to the group shots of family and friends. After the ceremony, everyone is as high as a kite, so any seasoned wedding shooter will have already got a list of the groups and somebody in the know to help them get said groups together (unless it’s your family, you won’t know what Aunt Petunia looks like, remember).

Even when very organised, you have to learn how to politely but firmly corral excited – and sometimes slightly tipsy – people into groups and pose them correctly, so it’s a good lesson in assertiveness.

Most officials are accommodating, but always remember they are running the show. Credit: Getty Images.

Yes it can sometimes feel like herding cats, but get a lot of group shots under your belt and you soon lose your shyness about asking people for pictures in your street or travel work, for example. Furthermore you learn to handle clergy and registry office officials in a polite and mutually productive way.

8. Your editing skills improve

Having to whittle 500 wedding shots down to 150 or so will soon hone your photo-editing skills, through intense practice and repetition. You also learn to be a better picture editor, developing a keener sense of which images work and which don’t.

The discipline you develop pays off. When there is no deadline or money at stake, images can sit on your memory cards for ages before you get round to looking at them (if ever).

9. It offsets imposter syndrome

Like most artists, a lot of photographers tend to be insecure. Getting good feedback from a couple and their families really boosts your confidence. Heck, you are out there taking photos which people are willing to pay good money for. That is quite an achievement these days, and something that a lot of so-called experts on social media or in camera clubs can’t lay claim to.

Also shooting weddings in a professional capacity helps you to take a more professional approach to your own work, rather than being very thin-skinned and precious about it.

Even the best wedding photographer in the world sometimes encounters a difficult couple who take issue with some of the pictures, though in my experience this is often because they spent too much money and want some back. Stand your ground, unless they have a valid point, in which case learn from it for next time.

Wedding photography is not a chore – you are part of a wonderful experience. Picture credit: Getty Images

10. Shooting a wedding is rewarding

Yes, weddings can sometimes be stressful but the adrenaline usually gets you through, and you can take satisfaction from a job well done. I’ve worked so hard on some days, my shutter finger aches, not to mention my feet and shoulders.

Suck it up and book a massage – you will be delivering images that generations of people will hopefully look back on and enjoy, which again, is not something that a lot of photographers can claim in our image-saturated age.

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Further reading
10 shots you must get at a wedding
Best photo-editing software
Lightroom vs Photoshop, which is best for editing?
The best lenses for portrait photography
Portrait lighting tips from the pros
Best portable hard drives for photographers

The post 10 reasons why every photographer should shoot weddings appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Professional wedding photographers can charge a small fortune for what on the surface appears to be just a few hours work.

However, they spend many more hours working on a wedding than most amateurs can afford to. A lot of preparation goes into wedding photography, and many hours afterwards editing images so that each photograph is perfect.

Most photographers, at some point in their life, are asked to photograph a wedding, be it as the main photographer or merely to document the day’s events.

The task can seem a bit daunting at first, but even if you are not a professional photographer, there is no reason why your images can’t be as good as a pro’s.

However, there are certain pitfalls and tricky areas that professionals have spent much of their careers learning and avoiding.

By following our guide to avoiding the pitfalls of wedding photography, you will be able to take not just good, but top-class wedding pictures that will keep the bride and groom delighted. And if you’re still shopping for a good camera, check out our guide to the best cameras for wedding photography.

Welcome to the AP Improve Your Photography Series – in partnership with MPB – This series is designed to take you from the beginnings of photography, introduce different shooting skills and styles, and teach you how to grow as a photographer, so you can enjoy producing amazing photography (and video), to take you to the next level, whether that’s making money or simply mastering your art form.

Each week you’ll find a new article so make sure to come back to continue your journey, and have fun along the way, creating great images. If you’ve found these articles helpful, don’t forget to share them with people you know who may be interested in learning new photography skills. You’ll find a whole range of further articles in this series.

Essential Guide to Wedding Photography – Planning

Photo by Michael Topham

The quickest way to turn a couple’s special day into an unmitigated disaster is to show up without a plan. Like it or not, if you want to photograph a wedding you need to invest a lot of time into planning the day. Here are the main things to think about.

Wedding Photography Planning – The Agreement

Just saying yes to bringing your camera along to a friend’s wedding is one thing, but if they are relying on you for the main photos it’s probably best to draw up something a bit more formal. This doesn’t have to be a long legal agreement; it can be a simple letter declaring that you agree to take the photos.

Of course, if you are looking to do this professionally, you will want to draw up terms and conditions, a formal contract, etc.

Wedding Photography Planning – Money

Unless you are taking photos for a family member or a close friend, there may be talk of payment involved for your time and photos.

If you’re not sure how much to ask for, consider the costs you’ll likely incur – your travel and any accommodation to consider, plus your working time, not just on the day but for the planning and, more important, the collating and editing time after. You might want to check out what ‘the competition’ are charging as a starting point.

Also remember that any money you earn will need to be declared to the taxman and you may need to pay tax on this earning.

Wedding Photography Planning – Insurance

There are two parts to this: first, camera insurance is a very good idea, as dropping, damaging or having equipment stolen can prove expensive – especially if it’s just before your shoot; and second, if you’re working as a photographer you should have some sort of public liability insurance.

Many people presume their camera will be covered on home insurance but if you use it to earn money, the chances are it isn’t. Have a look for the best camera insurance deals.

Wedding Photography Planning – Type of Shots and Style

Before you jump straight into the job in hand, you need to consider the look and style of the images both you and the couple are after. Take a look at as many wedding photography books and websites as possible to get a feel of the type of shots you like and ones you feel are achievable.

Wedding Photography Planning – Locations

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

Do some research into where you will be taking the photos and try to visit them to have a look around beforehand. This will give you a chance to work out the best places to take group or more intimate shots.

Trevor Yerbury on… Location Preparation

We asked Trevor Yerbury for a few tips on checking out the location for a wedding shoot. Here are his thoughts:

‘Personally we never scout any locations. Why? Well, first it will never be the same on the day of the wedding: the light will be different, backgrounds may have changed (scaffolding just erected, etc) and we believe it adds to the creative spirit if you have to think on your feet and seek out the locations that will work for that bride and groom on that particular day and all that it brings.’

‘One thing we do ask is: ‘Are there any surprises planned for the day?’ It may seem obvious but brides can neglect to tell you what they have up their sleeves in the way of surprises, anything from arriving on horseback to a flight of doves or firework displays.’

‘One way to make sure you have an image of everybody is to set up a small studio somewhere at the reception and do a portrait session of every guest. However, this is only suitable for smaller weddings as the numbers and logistics can become overwhelming.’

‘In the past we have had brides arrive for their interview with a folder stuffed full of the wedding details including a fully detailed itinerary of the day, in some cases down to five-minute time frames. We know, as will any wedding photographer who has covered a few weddings, that the likelihood of this schedule running to plan are so remote that it will never happen.’

Trevor and his wife Faye have been a professional photography duo for many years now. See their website for more.

Wedding Photography Planning – Shot List

Even if you are given a vague brief to just take pictures of everyone there, the couple will have at least some idea of specific images they want.

Photo by Michael Topham

Work with them to create a shot list of the main events they want images of, plus the formal shots. This will make life much easier on the day and will allow you to tick them off as you’ve done them.

Wedding Photography Planning – Weather

If your wedding is based in the UK it’s best to anticipate bad weather. That way, anything else is a blessing. Have a plan for alternative locations under cover, should it start to rain, or bring some nice umbrellas with you that will go with the shot.

If you plan to shoot inside, bring a studio light and stand to brighten things up.

Wedding Photography Planning – Back-up Plan

The chances are that if there is one day when your memory card corrupts or your shutter jams, it will be on the day of the wedding. So, rather than leave anything to chance, plan to take a second camera body, and back up your files as you go, with a storage device.

The same goes for batteries – some DSLR batteries may only be good for 300 shots and you may be looking to take at least double that, so carry a spare.

Wedding Photography Planning – Schedule

No matter how big or small the wedding, there will be some form of schedule kicking around for the day’s events. Try to get hold of this in advance so you can plan where you need to be and when. Things rarely stick to the schedule but at least you’ll be able to stay one step ahead, rather than dashing between events.

Wedding Photography Planning – Pre shoot

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

Before the big day it is common to arrange for a pre-wedding shoot, to get the couple used to the photographer, and to some poses together.

This can take place in a studio, outdoors or even in the couple’s home and though it is primarily a getting to know each other session, can sometimes produce some great shots.

Wedding Photography Planning – Payment

Although you may not be the official wedding photographer, the happy couple may still offer you a small payment, or at least cover your expenses. Many unofficial wedding photographers offer to take the images as their gift to the bride and groom.

Whatever you have decided, it is best to make sure that all the necessary arrangements are sorted out with the couple beforehand. This ensures that everyone knows exactly what the deal is and avoids any unnecessary problems and confusion after the event.

Wedding Photography Planning – If the Worst Should Happen

To be clear – if you are the official photographer for a wedding then you need to turn up, come hell, high water or the M25.

If, however, a genuine emergency means that you categorically cannot make it, then it is still your responsibility to have arranged cover, i.e. another photographer who can photograph the day at short notice.

This is where a mutual arrangement with another wedding photographer to cover each other’s jobs in event of a true catastrophe can be beneficial, though of course you will have to notify your partner of dates in plenty of time so they can ensure they are free.

What equipment do you need for Wedding photography?

You’ll need to be properly geared up to take on something as big and complicated as a wedding. We spoke to a professional wedding shooter to get the lowdown on the kit used on the job.

The core essentials needed for wedding photography:

• The Camera (of course)
• Spare Mirrorless/DSLR/SLR body
• Standard Lens
• Long lens
• Memory cards
• Flashgun

If you’re starting out, or want to make sure you’ve got the best camera for the job, then have a look at our guide to the best cameras for wedding photography.

Other essential wedding kit:

• Backup Drive or laptop
• Studio Light
• Reflector
• Stepladder
• White Umbrellas
• Tripod

Though not essential for most shots (and a real hindrance for candids), a tripod can be useful for some of the posed shots.

This is especially the case for big groups, where you can leave the camera set up and talk to your group directly, rather than barking directions from behind the camera. It’s also handy for posed shots of the bride and groom, as it leaves you free to adjust the bride’s dress etc without moving the camera.

Beyond the camera choice, you’ll need to make an informed decision on the other kit needed, so make sure you have a look at our guide to the best kit for Wedding Photography – Cameras and accessories.

Essential Guide to Wedding Photography – On the Day

Photo by Michael Topham

So, it’s the big day – don’t panic!

Wedding photography is definitely a challenge. But assuming your technical skills are up to scratch (and if they aren’t, you shouldn’t even consider letting yourself loose on someone’s big day) your problems are mainly about time and crowd management.

Follow our guide to keep a cool head and make sure you get all the shots you need.

Wedding Photography – Arrive Early

Allow for worst-case scenario with the traffic, or consider staying somewhere local the night before if it’s a long journey. That way you can arrive in plenty of time and unflustered.

Wedding Photography – Location Final Check

Try to visit the church and reception locations in the morning if possible, just to have a quick look around, brush up on potential shot locations, and check nothing has moved or changed – scaffolding or building work could make for an ugly background.

Wedding Photography – Getting ready

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

If you’ve been asked to shoot the bride getting ready, check what time is best to arrive – you don’t want to be too early or miss the process.

Around the time she is having her hair done is normally a good starting point, especially if the hairdresser is coming to her.

Photo by Michael Topham

Don’t crowd her, try to stay in the background, as this can be the most stressful time of the day. Pictures of the groom and best man getting ready can often be done alongside the bride pictures, as long as they’re not too far apart.

Wedding Photography – Arriving at the Church

Make sure you get to the church before the bride, and if possible, be there as people start to arrive – this is where working with an assistant or second photographer can help.

Make sure you take some general shots of the surroundings and the church/building, as these can help set the scene. Inside, take detail shots of any arrangements and decorations such as the flowers and books of service.

Wedding Photography – Bride Arriving

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

The bride arriving is a key moment and takes some swift action on your part. Get to the arrival point as the car pulls up and grab some shots as she walks to the church doors. Again, this can be where having an assistant/second photographer can be handy too, as you’ll then want to be by the altar by the time the bride makes it down the aisle, in time for the main ceremony.

Wedding Photography – Ceremony

This is the main event, so it is important that you get some pictures – as long as the couple want you to – but you need to remain discreet so as not to distract from the ceremony, or spoil the view for those who have turned up to see it. If your camera has a quiet mode, use it, and switch off any confirmation beeps and your flash. Using a longer lens will allow you to stand well back. Some vicars may have reservations about shooting during the ceremony itself, so ensure that the couple are happy with arrangements.

The signing of the register is a great photo opportunity but can look a bit staged and be a bit of a bun fight as guests try to grab shots too. Grab discreet shots as they sign for real, then grab a posed shot before standing back to let other guests snap away.

As per on the way in, you need to be out the door before the couple, so keep a close eye on proceedings. Once outside take some initial shots with the couple before other guests leave the church, making best use of the doorway and the open space before the crowds begin to descend.

Wedding photography – What camera settings do I use?

Know your camera settings to get the best results when shooting weddings

You’ll need to vary your settings to suit the conditions. By camera settings, we mean aperture, ISO, and shutter speeds, as well as JPEG and file settings.

During the ceremony you’ll most likely need to raise the ISO to 400/800 or higher to shoot without flash, especially in darker churches. With modern cameras this isn’t as much of an issue as it once was.

In high-contrast light you’ll need to be careful with white wedding dresses and dark suits, one of which can easily lose detail if your exposure isn’t spot on.

The best insurance is to shoot in raw format (or raw and JPEG), with its greater latitude, it will let you correct images later if needed.

Take a mid-tone light reading and check your LCD regularly. The flashing overexposure warning of many cameras may be helpful but it’s only a guide.

To learn more about camera settings, have a look at guide to exposure, aperture, ISO and shutter speeds.

Wedding Photography – Posed Shots

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

Depending on the reception venue, you may want to take some pictures in the grounds of the church. However, you may find the couple will want some time to greet the friends and family after the service. For this reason try to be quick and be patient – get some shots done straight away, then step back and take incidental shots as the couple chat to guests. As the couple start to leave there’s normally the opportunity for confetti, and this can look great in photos if shot right. If there is a car waiting, use it as another location, both inside and out. Once the door is closed though, get moving, as you’ll want to be at the next venue in time to meet them.

Wedding Photography – Candidly Speaking

Photo by Michael Topham

While a few posed shots are important, it’s best to keep them to a minimum and spend more time on semi-posed and unposed candid shots, which are less disruptive to the day and better convey the atmosphere and emotion of the event.

Use the wider end of your zoom and get close to create a sense of intimacy. But also try zooming in to telephoto and using a wide aperture to isolate small groups and individuals from the background.

Wedding Photography – Confetti

Photo by Michael Topham

One of the classic wedding shots is the throwing of the confetti. Yet it can be quite a tricky shot to get right. We have found that the best shots usually come when taking a slightly alternative angle of the scene.

Try crouching down and shooting up towards the bride and grooms’ faces to show the confetti falling. Alternatively, take a higher vantage point and try to capture the crowd of confetti-throwing guests.

Most of time the situation is completely out of the hands of the photographer. One little tip is to ask everybody to throw the confetti on the count of three. However, confetti can end up obscuring the bride and groom’s faces, or the sun can cast shadows from the confetti across them. You can try to reduce this by using a soft fill-in flash technique, but if you set the flash too high it will itself cause harsh shadows.

Often the bride and grooms’ best facial expressions come just after most of the confetti has been thrown; their faces will be less obscured and they won’t be squinting trying to avoid getting confetti in their eyes and mouth. However, the obvious problem with this is that there will now be little confetti in the image. Thankfully, you can add it in using image-editing software.

Post-Processing Tip – Add More Confetti

Add more confetti – before and after

Step 1. Select the Marquee tool and create a selection around a single piece of confetti. Select more random pieces by holding the shift when you make the next selection.

Step 2. Select Layer>New>Layer via Copy, which copies the selected pieces of the confetti to a new layer. Repeat this a few times. Now select the original background layer again and repeat step 1, this time selecting different random pieces of confetti.

Step 3. Once again copy the selected confetti to a number of new layers. Now, select each layer in turn, and use the Move tool to shift the confetti around the image to make it look as if more was thrown. Try to vary how far you shift each layer to avoid repetitive patterns.

Essential Guide to Wedding Photography – The Reception

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

Depending on the distances involved, you should have time to whisk the couple off for pictures before most guests arrive at the reception.

Though if guests are already there they may want more time with them first. Remember, you are there to document the day, not run it.

Place Settings

Photo by Michael Topham

A lot of time and effort goes into the place settings and table for the reception, so grab some shots of the room and details before people get to it. See our guide to food photography if you want more tips.

The Wedding Cake

Make sure you get a shot of the cake, Photo by Michael Topham

Everyone wants a picture of the couple cutting the cake but by staging a shot in secret beforehand, you can ensure you get the perfect angle.

Before the meal, try to sneak the couple off and stage a fake cutting of the cake in secret. Then, when the event happens after the meal, you can stand back or take a different angle to include the crowd – essentially giving you two goes.

Formal Group Shots

The formal group shots can be a Herculean effort to organise, so try to involve the ushers or best man in rounding up the troops.

With your pre-planned shot list, try to do it in an order that minimises swapping over; for instance, grouping the bride’s family shots together and the groom’s family together.

A group shot of everyone is a nice one to have, and is best shot at the end of the group shots or at the beginning, to get everyone in one place. For this you will need a high viewpoint to get everyone seen, so pick your location carefully, or use a stepladder and a wide-angle lens.

The posed shots present the best opportunities to make sure everyone looks good in the shots and, for example, the bride’s dress is shown in its full glory.

Don’t keep guests waiting too long while you do them – they’ll soon become irritable.

Shoot a few key groups too, as a record of everyone who was there (it’s easy to miss people using the reportage approach).

Be clear and decisive in your instructions so guests know what’s required. Pose them quickly and don’t faff with the camera.

Informal shots

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

A long lens is really handy for grabbing informal shots of the guests chatting at the reception. This time, as people are still arriving and before the meal, is also ideal for some impromptu group shots and portraits of various guests.

Location shots

Photo by Michael Topham

Your location shots should already be planned, at least in your head.

Feel free to go with what works on the day though, if locations aren’t working or you spot somewhere else worth trying.

Try to keep it fluid and relaxed, because if you look nervous it will make them nervous. Make sure you’ve got a good range of shots, both of the couple and individually but, equally, don’t take too long, as there will be guests waiting for them.

Using Flash

Most weddings take place in summer, and in strong sun, so images taken outside can suffer harsh shadows.

Shooting with your subjects facing the sun could cause them to squint their eyes, creating unflattering facial expressions. However, having the sun behind them can create equally problematic backlighting, as the bright light can fool a camera’s metering system, causing incorrect exposures.

Fill-in flash can help soften shadows caused by bright sun and can add light to the front of a backlit image.

Even the relatively weak power of a camera’s built-in flash can be suitable for fill-in flash at close range. For a slightly better effect, use an off-camera flash bracket, or wireless flash mounted on a stand or tripod. While an elaborate set-up is impractical for documentary-style images, it may be useful for group shots.

Another tip is to avoid the bright sunlight altogether by shooting in a slightly shaded area, using a hint of flash to brighten the subjects’ faces.

When shooting indoors, flash is almost essential, even where there is bright natural light. If the people you are photographing are giving speeches or cutting a wedding cake, in front of a window, then fill-in flash can help even out the backlit scene.

Fill-in flash is essential if a scene is backlit

To avoid the harsh shadows caused by an on-camera flash gun try angling the flash head and bouncing the light off of the ceiling. The light will reflect down on to the subject, which is more natural and less harsh than using direct flash.

If the ceiling is too high for this to work, try a diffuser, such as the Sto-Fen Omni Bounce, or try attaching a bounce card to your flashgun. These soften the harsh direct light from the flash, and can be used inside and out.

Should your flash fail, or if it doesn’t recycle its charge in time, you can use Adobe Camera Raw’s Fill Light feature to brighten shadows.

The First Dance

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

The first dance is one of the trickiest moments to capture. There is usually little light, and it can be difficult to evoke any atmosphere.

Using direct flash can kill what atmosphere there is, as will bouncing it, as it can flatten the final image.

One way to get a nice image is to close in on the faces of the bride and groom, as they will be happy and laughing or in an embrace.

Better yet, use a slow-sync flash technique to capture some of the movement of the dance.

Handhold the camera and set the exposure so the shutter speed is around 1/30sec or less, and so that the image is underexposed by around 1EV.

With the flash set to rear curtain, use the flash to freeze the movement of the bride and groom.

The ambient light will cause a slight blur as the couple dance, creating a sense of movement, but with faces of the bride and groom remaing sharp.

Look for intimate moments, and get some shots of the bride and grooms hands. Photo: Michael Topham

Get the details

Photo by Callum McInerney-Riley/Stewart Clinton

Weddings can cost thousands and thousands of pounds with the bride and groom spending hours planning everything down to the finest detail.

With this in mind, make sure you take images of the little details that help make the day special.

Details on the bride’s dress, table decorations, gifts, cards and the wedding rings are amongst the obvious items to photograph.

Not only does it give you the chance to be artistic in the way you present images of these items, but it also serves as a reminder of the day for the bride and groom for years to come.

There are many small details that have gone into making the day perfect – try to capture as many as possible as they make great images for a wedding album.

Photo by Michael Topham

Essential Guide to Wedding Photography – After the Day

So the wedding is over, you’ve taken all of the photographs that you needed to. We’re afraid your work isn’t done yet! Here’s what you need to do next:

1 – Choosing the Winning images

Photo by Michael Topham

As most digital photographers know, taking the shots is only half the process and having taken all the wedding shots, the work really begins.

From a good day’s shooting you can expect to have anywhere between 300 and 2,000 shots, hopefully all backed up to a drive.

Your first challenge, once you have all of your images visible on your computer, is to reduce the number down to something that is a bit more manageable.

For an initial set this should be down to no more than 400 and potentially closer to 300.

Once you’ve removed all the obvious duds, start to rate the images to allow you to build up collections of definite ‘keepers’, ‘maybes’ and ‘maybe nots’.

Software such as Adobe Lightroom are specifically designed for this kind of heavy image crunching and allow you to whittle down your selection fairly quickly. Their non-destructive image management also make it easy to apply simple image adjustments individually or globally.

You can then perform more specific and accurate adjustments once the final selection has been made.

2 – Photoshop Tweaks

If you’ve done a good job of shooting you shouldn’t need to spend much time on the PC.

Obviously if you shot them in RAW there will be the standard processing to do: adjusting contrast, colour and so forth.

A few shots may benefit from a tighter crop, or the removal of the odd distracting background element. In some high-contrast shots you may find that a small adjustment of the Highlight/Shadow control (under Image>Adjustments in Photoshop) will increase detail in highlights (eg the bride’s dress) and shadows (dark suits) .

This is the time to edit your shoot. You will have probably taken many dozens of pictures, and there’s no point handing over photos of people blinking and so forth.

3 – Presentation

In days of yore a newly married couple would receive their precious photos mounted in a thick leather album, but nowadays there are many alternatives.

The album is still a great way to present pictures but you can also have them made into a hardback book. If you can display the images on a website or online gallery the guests will probably order some prints too.

Depending on whether this is a commercially motivated venture, you could put them on a site such as Photobox, where guests can order and pay for their own shots, or a simple gallery, where they must order through you. Another option is a DVD slideshow, with music – but only in addition to printed output, not instead of it.

4 – Final Selection

At this stage it is standard practice to show the images to the couple, to allow them to pick their favourites for the album, or individual prints.

This can be done by creating a preview book, or a series of contact sheets. Some photographers may offer to display these on a website, either in addition or as an alternative to the printed version.

Give the couple a limit in the number of images, so as not to overcrowd the album – depending on the layout, this should be around 150 images. Once the images are chosen, individual image tweaking can be done to ensure each one is as good as possible.

5 – Books

There are two main options when it comes to creating the album: the traditional, with prints mounted into the pages; or a modern photo book where the images are printed directly onto the pages.

The photobook comes in a range of prices from cheap paperbacks to high-quality coffee-table books for hundreds of pounds a time.

Photobook companies provide customisable layouts using their own software to produce the album. Many pros, however, will choose to design the layout themselves using a design or photo-editing program.

For album ideas see blurb.com and loxleycolour.com

Featured photo, and article by Michael Topham

More reading:

10 shots you must get at weddings!
Wedding photography is the most competitive
Best cameras for wedding photography
Best kit needed for wedding photography

Tune in next week, for the next article in the series of the AP Improve Your Photography Series – in partnership with MPB.

• Part 1: Beginners guide to different camera types.
• Part 2: Beginners guide to different lens types.
• Part 3: Beginners guide to using a camera taking photos.
• Part 4: Beginners guide to Exposure, aperture, shutter, ISO, and metering.
• Part 5: Understanding white balance settings and colour
• Part 6: 10 essential cameras accessories for beginners
• Part 7: Beginners guide to the Art of photography and composition
• Part 8: Beginners guide to Photoshop Elements and editing photos
• Part 9: Beginners guide to Portrait Photography
• Part 10: Beginners guide to Macro Photography
• Part 11: Beginners guide to Street Photography
• Part 12: Beginners guide to Landscape Photography
• Part 13: How to shoot Action and Sports Photography
• Part 14: How to shoot wildlife photography
• Part 15: Raw vs JPEG – Pros and cons
• Part 16: How to create stunning black and white images
• Part 17: How to photograph events and music
• Part 18: Pet photography – how to photograph pets
• Part 19: The ultimate guide to flash photography
• Part 20: The ultimate guide to tripods
• Part 21: Create awesome photos with light painting
• Part 22: Beginners guide to file and photo management
• Part 23: How to shoot food photography
• Part 24: Complete guide to outdoor light
• Part 25: Top tips for stunning car photography
• Part 26: How to master waterfall photography
• Part 27: How to use social media as a photographer
• Part 28: How to get started in film photography
• Part 29: How to connect your camera to your phone
• Part 30: How to make a great video recording with your camera
• Part 31: Why you should join an online community
• Part 32: Find the best online website to share and sell your photos

Find the latest Improve Your Photography articles here.

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post How to photograph weddings – Wedding Photography Guide appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

If you’re thinking of going into wedding photography – or you just want a nosy at what the pros might be using – we speak with Gurvir Johal, Tanya Weekes and Mick Shah about their kit recommendations and what you might find in the typical bag of a wedding photographer. Hint – it’s a lot.

Wedding photography is one of the most varied jobs, photographically, that anyone can do, and as such, you’ll find that the average wedding pro has to be prepared for all kinds of situations. There’s portraits, reportage, low light, macro, close-up, action – and more genres in between that all need to be captured. Even if you equip yourself with one of the best cameras for wedding photography, you’ll find there’s a lot more to think about!

Gurvir Johal

Birmingham-based Gurvir is a specialist in Asian and Indian weddings who is ranked Number 3, World’s Best Wedding Photographer in the One Eyeland International Awards. He’s also an SWPP Fellowship photographer and works closely with the society. See www.gurvirjohal.com, Instagram @gurvir_johal and Twitter @gurvy_johal.

Gurvir, who is internationally recognised for his skill at shooting Asian and Indian weddings, describes himself as a long-time Nikon ‘fanboy’ who now swears by the Z 6II. ‘As well as the invaluable dual memory card slots, the Z 6II is so light and nimble, which is really important for me. Asian and Indian weddings can sometimes be 20 hours long, over one day. Or I can be doing three weddings back to back… So it can be very physically demanding. A bulkier body and lens combination, such as the D3s, would kill my hands.’

Reena – a bride with a sliver of light 1/640sec at f/2.5, ISO 1600

Gurvir also cites the camera’s silent focusing, as well as the benefits of Eye-Detection AF generally. ‘The camera focuses so quickly, so I can worry more about the composition and the storytelling – the right angles, right position, and so on. Rather than constantly checking the back of the camera, I sometimes shoot blindly, knowing that the Eye-Detection AF will capture a sharp shot of the
subject’s face.’

Gurvir uses back-button focusing, which he also finds ‘snappier’ on the Z 6II compared to his older Nikon DSLRs. ‘The Z 6II’s AF is like “glue” the way it sticks to subjects. Although, having recently used the newer Z 9 I would say it’s more like superglue! Not that
I am planning to change, however, as the smaller Z 6II is perfect for me. It’s exactly the right size for my bookings.’

The Z 6II: relatively compact while offering outstanding AF, says Gurvir

So far, Gurvir has only used the Nikon Z 6II to record online tutorials and webinars. ‘My filming skillset is very basic and for me this does the job perfectly. I do know several videographers who love the filming capabilities of the Z 6II, however.’

Lenses and lighting

‘For general wedding coverage, whether it’s a Hindu ceremony on a stage or a Sikh wedding in a temple, I often use my Z series 35mm, 50mm and 85mm prime lenses. These enable me to shoot at f/1.8 or f/2 and easily isolate the main subject, blurring out any distractions or unwanted extra people in the background. You don’t want anybody in the background looking distracted, so these lenses are ideal for that.’

Sharan and Kul. ‘The Taj Mahal is so busy. I bribed security guards to keep people away for three minutes!’ 1/160sec at f 7.1, ISO 200

Gurvir is also renowned for his lighting skills. ‘I do love using my own lighting (continuous and strobes) as I have more control in shaping the final image. ‘I believe light adds depth to the image, and ultimately creates a sense of mood. Lighting is ultimately the main difference between a good image and a great one.’

He guides brides and grooms into poses with simple directional cues. Having already built strong relationships with all of his clients, they are already comfortable with being photographed.

‘I’m a Light & Motion ambassador and I use the company’s Clx10 continuous lights and more recently, the new Reflex S. Both are so small and powerful and fit well in my camera bag. I often couple them with a softbox, too.’

When it comes to editing, Gurvir does most of the work in Lightroom using his own custom-made presets for his style. ‘I only use Photoshop to refine the images further to create “fine-art” images or for skin retouching.

Amee and Prash. 1/200sec at f/4, ISO 3200

‘You can check out some online tutorials, which show you my editing and retouching work on my website by going to www.gurvirjohal.com/store.’

Gurvir’s top tips

1. You need to be spontaneous and prepared – I often have two cameras on me with different lenses so I can get different perspectives. This also enables me to work in a more unobtrusive way.
2. If you want the bride’s eyes to always be in the centre, a good tip is to get her to look at the end of her nose and then back straight up. Sometimes brides can look too much to the left or right and there is too much white.
3. Don’t oversharpen. I see a lot of this recently and it can cause halos around subjects (which can be removed in Photoshop). I always sharpen an image at the last stage, prior to printing.

Tanya Weekes

Tanya Weekes is a highly successful portrait, wedding and lifestyle photographer, currently based in Manchester. In addition to weddings, which takes her all over the world, Tanya also works on a wide variety of portrait and lifestyle shoots. See www.tanyaweekes.com, Instagram @tanyaweekes and Twitter @tanyaweekes. She is also an active member of the UKBFTOG community.

As with many successful wedding photographers, it wasn’t Tanya Weekes’ first career choice. ‘I used to work in fashion buying,’ she explains. ‘One year, whilst lying on a beach in Spain and contemplating the thought of going back to work, I decided that it was time to try something else. With the extra time on my hands, I had time to pursue my curiosities, one of which was photography. After being asked to photograph an event and being paid, I decided that maybe this could be my new job.’

Vânia and Ricardo. 1/1125 sec at f/5, ISO 800

After using the Canon EOS 5D Mark III for weddings for several years, Tanya now favours the Canon R6. ‘For me, the main benefit of a mirrorless camera is the electronic viewfinder. You’re able to look through the viewfinder and see what the image will look like before you take the shot as well as instantly see the results of any adjustments to shutter speed, aperture and ISO you might make.

The viewfinder means that there is less time looking at the back of the camera to check how your picture turned out (and potentially missing shots) and in theory a reduction in the amount of editing adjustments you might have to make afterwards. The touchscreen focusing is also something new for me which I am still getting used to, and then there is the beneficial eye tracking.’

The R6’s bright viewfinder and touchscreen focusing appeal to Tanya

Tanya still makes use of her DSLR lenses via an adapter. ‘My Sigma Art 24mm lens is my go-to for big group shots and wide shots of the reception or ceremony room, because it gives me the width I need. I also use the Sigma Art 35mm F1.4 for preparation shots as it’s a great story-telling lens. I like to make use of it for portraits and smaller group shots too where I don’t need as much width.

My favourite lens is actually the Canon 85mm F1.8; when I come across a picture at the editing stage that I’m really happy with, it’s usually taken on the 85mm. It does a great job at creating those blurry backgrounds that clients love, so I like to use it for bride and groom portraits and capturing reactions during the speeches and also sometimes during the ceremony. Another go-to lens is the Canon 100mm F2.8 which is a macro lens – so it’s perfect for capturing details like the rings.’

Derin and Adam. 1/640sec at f/3.2, ISO 500

Tanya has a style that is both relaxed and informal – it’s been described as ‘light and airy’. She prefers to make the most of natural light, but will also use bounced on-camera flash at wedding receptions with artificial light.

The editing process

‘I use Lightroom to edit my pictures but I don’t use presets or filters because every wedding is different,’ Tanya explains. ‘However, there are some similar things I do to all of my images – for example crushing the blacks and muting the greens and taking out some of the blue, but again, it depends on the wedding, I like to keep the colours looking as natural and true to life as possible, since the client has spent of lot of time and money choosing those colours. I want my editing process to fit it into a specific aesthetic, which is different for each wedding.’

Tanya is also keen to record more video and again, the R6 is perfectly suited for this. ‘In theory it would be good to film a little bit during the bride and groom portraits, although sometimes when you’re in “stills mode” it’s not as easy to remember to take a bit of video footage whilst I’m in the moment.’

Afifa and Hamza. 1/1250sec at f/3.5, ISO 160

Tanya’s top tips

1. Practice. Work hard on understanding what makes a great image by studying the images you really like, and think about how to focus on these elements when taking your own images.
2. I am a big fan of Instagram and prefer it to Facebook. Whatever style of wedding photography you are into, you can easily search for that type. You can learn a lot from looking at photographs you like in terms of composition, lighting, posing etc.
3. There is no excuse not to have a collection of your best images readily available as most of us now have smartphones. My tip would be to create an album of your best images and save it in the photos section of your phone so that if you’re having a conversation about your work or what you do as a job, you can quickly pull out your phone and show your work.

Mick Shah

Mick Shah is the founder of MIKI Studios, which he runs with his partner, Ash Davenport. With over a decade’s experience of shooting weddings, both stills and video, the duo are in demand all over the world. See mikistudios.com, Instagram @mikiphotography, Twitter @mikistudios.

As with Tanya, Mick became a wedding photography through a somewhat circuitous route – he started out in the music industry before seeking a job that would give him more family time. As both a wedding photographer and a video maker, he’s a huge fan of the Sony Alpha 7 IV, while also using Sony Alpha 7S III purely for video.

Sammy and Tom. 1/160sec at f/4, ISO 6400

‘The way the wedding market is moving, clients expect both stills and video,’ explains Mick. ‘While the Sony Alpha A1 sits at the top of the tree, it is also quite expensive. The A7 IV is more affordable, while also giving you great options for both stills and video. The quality viewfinder, combined with the insanely good Eye AF, help me to be nimble and discreet and worry about capturing the best scenes, rather than worrying about the camera.’

Mick also appreciates the speed. ‘People say the A7 IV only shoots a bit faster than the A7 III, but with the right card it’s very hard to fill the buffer up. This is very helpful when shooting continuously through a confetti line, for example.’

The Alpha 7 IV – a wedding workhorse with ‘insanely good’ Eye AF, says Mick

The camera’s helpful ergonomics appeal, too. ‘There’s a little switch for changing from photo to video to slow motion/quick motion shooting, for example. So I can quickly jump between my custom settings for each. I also love the flip-out screen and the dual card slot. Then it’s got 10-bit 4:2:2 video recording, which is great for colour grading. Other highlights include a new menu system, the focus map feature in video mode in both manual and auto focus, focus breathing compensation and more.’

As for the Sony Alpha 7S III, Mick reckons that it’s probably the perfect video camera for weddings. ‘It’s good enough to shoot most commercial projects until you get to broadcast level. The camera has dual native ISO (for video) with the first base being 640 and the second being 12,800 – meaning it’s cleaner to shoot at 12,800 or even 25,600 than it is at 6400! This all makes shooting in low light easier.’

Erika and Cedric. 1/1600sec at f/1.8, ISO 640

Mick pairs both cameras with the Sony 35mm f/1.8 and the 50m f/1.2. ‘Between those two lenses I’d say 95% of the day is covered. The 35mm is so light yet incredibly sharp, which again means I can move fast. With the 50mm, I can get beautiful portraits and details. I also have a Sony 20mm f/1.8 for dancefloor shots, when I need to capture more action in the frame. It’s light, but a great performer.’

Lighting and editing

Mick tries to use natural light as much as possible. Every now and then he will supplement this with either off-camera flash or an LED light for speeches, and then on- and off-camera flash for dancefloor shots (he favours Sony flashguns, or Godox models as a cheaper alternative).

‘LED lights are preferred when possible as they are constant, and not as distracting as flash, but flash has more power – so it depends on the situation. LEDs weren’t very good when I started out in weddings, so I tended to go with off-camera flash. But now, for more natural, documentary style shoots, they are a great-value option. At a wedding, people’s eyes quickly adapt to an LED light being on, while off-camera flash can be distracting.’

Adam and Jenn. 1/1250sec at f/1.6, ISO 1250

For editing his stills, Mick culls images in Lightroom and then edits with customised presets. ‘I then take some images into Photoshop, for removing unwanted signs, for example.’

Mick’s top tips

1. Practice, practice and practice. You need to shoot every day. Remember the old adage that it takes 10,000 hours to get good at something, and it’s the same if you are honing video skills. I used to practise by filming lots of family events, for example.
2. You also need to know the particular characteristics of your gear. Study all aspects of the AF system and low-light performance in particular.
3. Look after your gear. Have a routine for packing down so you know where everything goes. You don’t want to panic on the actual wedding day.

More kit for wedding photography

Cameras

The choice of camera can be a contentious one for wedding photographers. There’s lots to bear in mind including how heavy the camera is, the lenses which are available for it, how sturdy the camera is, and the kind of photography you’ll be doing as part of your wedding photography style.

Most tend to find that a full-frame camera is the best option for wedding photography as full-frame sensors can cope well with low light, tend to have the most detail, and create beautiful shallow depth of field effects.

Time was that a full-frame camera left you with one option: DSLR. However, with the availability of full-frame mirrorless cameras, all that has changed. The benefits of the Sony system is that its light (which is great for carrying all day), and you can shoot silently (ideal when in quiet churches and for not ruining the atmosphere). The Sony A7S III is also famed for its lowlight capabilities.

The lens ranges for Canon and Nikon DSLR systems are far greater, so many will probably stick with these options. You have a good range of choices for full-frame Canon and Nikon DSLRs, including the Nikon D850, Nikon D6, Canon EOS 1DX Mark III and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Plus, mirrorless options include the Nikon Z7 II and Canon EOS R5 or R6. You could also consider the Canon EOS 7D II and Nikon D780, or second-hand options 7D and D700.

Most wedding photographers will also have a second camera in their arsenal. This means they don’t need to swap lenses all the time, and you can rely on one if the other fails for whatever reason. Some people stick with two of the same model, while others will have one camera which is cheaper than the other to cut down on costs. You can also consider buying second-hand, see the best second-hand full-frame mirrorless cameras here. 

Lenses

Because you’re likely to be shooting a fairly wide range of subjects, you’re going to need a seriously diverse range of glass.

Top of the list will probably be a full complement of prime lenses. 35mm and 50mm are great lengths for “documentary” style shots, while an 85mm lens is a classic portrait focal length.

You may also want to consider a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens which will give you a good range of focal lengths without the need to swap lenses. The maximum aperture is not quite as wide as prime lenses can offer though. 

Next up, telephoto lenses for when you can’t get close to the action, such as during the ceremony. A 70-200mm lens is a classic choice for many wedding photographers, but you may also want to consider going a little longer if you can. These are great lenses to consider: Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sport

Other speciality lenses which can be useful for wedding photographers include a macro lens for details such as wedding rings and flowers, a tilt-shift lens for interesting portraits, and a very wide angle lens for capturing venue interiors and for very large group portraits.

Check out the best lenses for portrait photography

Camera bags and straps

Many wedding photographers may equip themselves with two different camera bags which are useful at different points throughout the day.

You may want to use a backpack type bag which holds all of your gear – just make sure there’s somewhere suitable at the venue that you can securely leave your gear when you’re not working with it. However, a rolling camera bag will offer good protection while letting you drag your kit to where you need it, rather than carrying it on your shoulders, the 42T, 59T and 55BT from the Vanguard Veo Select range are great examples that can hold multiple cameras and up to eight to ten lenses, plus a laptop or tablet.

The Vanguard Veo Select 42T will accommodate a decent quantity of kit, including two cameras and long telephoto lenses

Another example is the Lowepro PhotoStream RL 150. Which features an armoured exterior and a flexible interior to protect your valuable gear in transit. Its streamlined design makes it carry-on compatible and it’s large enough to accommodate one or two DSLRs with a 70-200mm f/2.8 attached, plus up to eight additional lenses. A tripod can also be strapped on the side. The construction and materials are second to none, so it should survive many years of heavy use.

A messenger style bag is great for walking around the ceremony and you need to quickly access a couple of different lenses or other accessories.  A strap which allows you to carry two camera bodies can be a great investment too, see our selection of the best harnesses and straps for wedding photographers.

Tripods

A tripod won’t be necessary for many types of wedding photography shot, but they can be useful for certain shots, such as posed group shots. Placing the camera on a tripod and arranging various groups can be a quicker way to work than handheld. The 3 Legged Thing Equinox Albert is ultra-tall, which can be useful for large group shots. Also think about stands if you’re going to be using off camera flashes, diffuses, and lights.

Flashes and other lighting equipment

At least one flash is almost essential for wedding photography – especially when it comes to the end of the day and it’s time for first dances and night-time shots. A flash can also be useful for dark ceremony shots (although you’ll need to check with whoever is holding the ceremony that flash is acceptable).

You might also want to equip yourself with external lights, diffusers to soften the light if you can’t bounce it from a wall, and remote triggers if you’re using off camera or more than one flash.

The Hahnel Modus 360RT is a good example for small mirrorless cameras. It’s a compact, lightweight flash that is powered by a dedicated Li-ion battery rather than AA cells, which packs in more energy. As a result, it promises more flashes per charge than its competitors, along with quicker recycling times of just 1.5sec.

Reflector

A reflector is a simple piece of kit than can save lots of subjects. They’re useful when photographing wedding portraits, or for photographing still life shots of things like wedding rings, flowers, clothing and so on.

Ideally you’ll want to look for a 5-in-1 reflector which features a gold side, a white side, a silver side, a black side, and a diffuser to equip you for various lighting conditions and situations. Something like the Lastolite Circular Bottletop Reflector is ideal for this kind of thing.

The Lastolite Circular Bottletop Reflector kit comes with two reversible covers and the main body of the reflector is translucent. The idea of the translucent part is that it lets a lot of light through, giving photographers the ability to diffuse harsh sunlight. The covers boast four different coatings to allow photographers to manipulate the light in different ways. The kit is available in 50cm, 75cm, 95cm and 120cm versions.

Read our Lastolite Circular Bottletop Reflector 120cm kit review

Batteries

You can never have too many spare batteries when it comes to a wedding. It’s likely you’ll be photographing all day, and quite intensely too. Make sure you pack at least two spare batteries for each camera. It might be worth carrying the charger with you too so you can find somewhere in the venue to charge any flat batteries. Remember to also pack spare batteries for any accessories, such as flashguns, that you’ll be using.

The secret to long battery life – Top 15 Tips!

Memory cards

As well as spare batteries, spare memory cards are also essential purchases for wedding photographers. Ideally your camera will have two memory card slots. You can use the second slot to make a backup of the first memory card to guard against memory card failures and corruptions. Make sure you have at least three spare memory cards, and ideally you’ll want to buy high capacity cards.

Take a look at our ultimate guide to memory cards  to find out how to select the right one for your camera.

As you’re going through the day, backing up your card using a back-up device (or your laptop) is also highly recommended if you can. The WD My Passport Wireless Pro is a good example of something you can easily fit in your camera bag for backing-up on the move. This handy device lets you back up your pictures from your camera to its robust internal solid-state drive without the need for a computer and is available in capacities from 250GB to 2TB for £220-£760.

It has both a built-in SD card reader and a USB 2.0 port that allows backup of other card types using plug-in readers. Its rechargeable battery will last for hours and can even be used as a powerbank to top up other devices. You can never have too many backups when it comes to wedding photography.

See more options here: Best portable hard drives for photographers

See more essential camera accessories here.

Considering also shooting some video at weddings? Check out our guides to capturing video and the essential equipment you need.

Further reading:

10 shots you must get at weddings!
Read our Complete Guide to Wedding Photography

The post Best kit for Wedding Photography appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Being asked to photograph the most important day in someone’s life is a huge compliment to your knowledge and skill as a photographer, but one that also comes with big responsibility. It’s precisely this that puts off many photographers from contemplating photographing weddings, however if you approach it the right way, capture the key shots and go into it with a fairly relaxed mindset, they’re actually very rewarding and great fun to shoot.

If you’ve ever spoken to a wedding photographer, they’ll probably tell you that no two weddings are the same, which is absolutely true. What appeals to one couple might not to another and people love putting their own stamp on the day to personalise it to how they want it to be. One thing you can be pretty certain of is that the rough agenda of the day will be similar from one wedding to another.

After your first few weddings you’ll quickly get the gist of what’s going to happen next so you can position yourself in the right place at the right time. The key to photographing a wedding successfully is in the planning and communication. A meeting with the couple over a coffee to go through the timings, the group shots they’d like and any other special arrangements is a must, so that you know what’s happening when as well as their expectations.

© All images by Michael Topham

Striking up a good relationship early, which can also be achieved by arranging a pre-wedding shoot, will help make your couple feel more at ease and rest any nerves they might have of being photographed. When the wedding day finally arrives, try not to overthink it. Let the day unfold naturally and capture things as and when they happen rather than forcing them to happen. This will always result in your images having a very relaxed and genuine feel to them.

If you’re just starting out as a wedding photographer, or you have been asked to assist on the day as second shooter, or have agreed to take a few shots at a wedding for family or friends you’re in the right place. This guide offers the advice and tips you need to getting the must-have shots, along with some kit insights to ensure you get the most from this most memorable of days.

10 photographs to get at weddings

1. Hair and makeup

For wedding photographers, the day often starts by visiting the bride-to-be – so check the best time to arrive. All photographers work differently, but for many it can take half an hour or so to get into the flow. During this time you’ll be getting to grips with your camera settings and starting to build a rapport with the subject so they feel relaxed, which leads to more natural shots.

Hair and makeup artists (MUA’s) like to work close to a window for natural light. Don’t get fixated with shooting from one position for too long and be sure to move around. Don’t disrupt hair and makeup artists from working for long either as this can lead to delays and a mad last-minute rush.

A fast prime lens with an effective focal length of 85-105mm works well for detailed shots of hair being sprayed, eyelashes being curled and decorative hair vines being attached. Don’t be afraid to pull up a chair or stepladder to shoot from a higher position. This can work well with brides who have long hair.

You’ll want to capture the fun, laughter and joyous mood of all those in the room. Suggesting a shot of the bridal party kneeling in their robes on the bed, or asking the bridesmaids to tell an entertaining story about the bride often gets a good reaction. It’s important to give the bride some privacy at the right time, too.

2. The dress

All brides will look back fondly at pictures of their dress. With so much time and money spent choosing the perfect gown, it’s crucial you capture a striking set of images of it. The best time to get shots of the dress before it’s worn is during hair and makeup. Ask the bride politely if she’s happy for a bridesmaid or family member to arrange the dress so it’s hung up out of its garment bag.

This will allow you to grab a few full-length shots. You might also fancy positioning the bride’s shoes beneath or off to one side. If the dress has some intricate beadwork or lace detail it’s worth capturing some close-up shots at the same time. When the bride is ready to put her dress on, step outside the room for a minute and ask a bridesmaid to call you back in just before it’s done up so you can capture a few more frames.

Another key moment you won’t want to miss is the reaction of the bride’s parents the first time they get a glimpse of their daughter in her wedding dress. I like to stand just behind the bride at this point and typically use my 70-200mm. This will allow you to record the emotion as they enter the room at the long end of the zoom and also the hug that usually follows by pulling back and shooting at the widest point in the zoom range.

Top Tip: If you have a few minutes spare after the bride has got into her dress, don’t be afraid to ask her to hold her bouquet in both hands and stand close to a window so you can capture a few elegant shots of her last moments in natural light before she gets married.

3. Groom preparations

One of the questions you’ll want to ask at the meeting you have with an engaged couple before their wedding is; would you like some photos of the groom getting ready? If the answer is yes then you may need to think about hiring an assistant (known as a second shooter) who can do this for you while you focus on the bridal preparations.

If the groom is due to get ready at the same venue as the bride, or within short walking distance, you might prefer to shoot both yourself and work alone. Doing this does introduce the risk of missing some key shots however as it’s impossible to be in two places at any one time. When you’re photographing the groom preparing, strike up a conversation between shots so he becomes comfortable with you working around him.

Look for details to photograph too, such as polished shoes and the rings, which the best man should be keeping safe. Some grooms like to go for a swift half at a nearby pub to settle any nerves they may have before the ceremony. This is a good time to capture a few relaxed shots of the groom and groomsmen and saves time having to do it later.

One of my personal favourite shots to get of the groom is the walk to the venue with groomsmen in tow. To give yourself the best chance of getting this shot you’ll want to be quite a way ahead of the group and set your camera to its burst mode with continuous autofocus deployed. Sometimes you might even get an odd request.

I’ll never forget the time I got asked to photograph all the groomsmen with their trousers around their ankles in the street so the married couple had a photo of them all wearing matching underwear. You have to be ready for anything at a wedding!

4. The exit shot

Rather like the first kiss, the exit shot of the couple leaving the church or place they’ve got married at can be challenging as you only have a few seconds to nail it. Nobody wants to hire a photographer who constantly asks for key moments to be repeated because they were unable to get the shot first time. A great exit shot requires some organising on your part.

Ask the couple kindly to wait off to one side or around the corner for a few minutes while you gather family and guests together to create an avenue for them to walk through. If you don’t feel comfortable raising your voice to move people into position, kindly ask the best man or ushers to help. If confetti is on the agenda make sure everyone has a good handful and let the guests know to throw it as high as possible.

The slower the couple walk down the avenue, the better the chance you’ll have of getting some striking shots – and don’t forget to tell the couple this before giving them the big thumbs up to start walking towards you. As you backtrack be mindful of people’s feet and any obstacles that could trip you up. Keep shooting until you reach the end of the avenue.

Asking the couple to briefly pause at the end and look back at all their guests while raising their hands makes for another good shot. There’s no right or wrong lens to use for the exit shot, however I typically find myself using my 24-70mm standard lens so I can control the angle of view instantly with a short sharp twist of the zoom ring.

Top Tip: To freeze confetti mid-air and minimise any risk of handshake I’d always recommend shooting exit shots with a shutter speed no slower than 1/500sec.

5. Venue

If you’ve carried out your planning and research correctly you should have a good idea of the best places to shoot at the venue before you arrive. If you do find yourself stuck for inspiration, try searching the venue on Instagram to get some more ideas of how other wedding photographers have approached it.

Wedding couples spend a huge amount of time and effort on the lead up to their wedding arranging the small details to put their own stamp on the day. It’s these little details that you’ll want to allocate time to photographing. Shooting a few wider shots of the rooms and the overall setup can show the venue off at its best.

The kind of details your loving couple will want to look back at and reminisce in the future include things such as the signage, the wedding arch, the layout of the room, place settings, the arrangement of flowers and maybe the memorial table or candle (if there is one). After you’ve walked around and captured these details it’s worth thinking about stepping outside.

Scenic shots of the grounds, gardens and any other points of interest such as signs or wildlife are a great way of breaking up people pictures in an album or online gallery. As you walk around getting your venue shots, look out for interesting backdrops, paths, walls, staircases and any other feature that might work well for the couple and group shots later in the day.

6. First kiss

This can be one of the trickiest shots to get and easily missed if you’re not on the ball. The trick is is to be ready in the best possible position. Many vicars, registrars and celebrants will be happy for you to shoot fairly close to the couple during the service if you promise not to be invasive or off-putting.

Some will ask you to set your camera to its silent mode – get into the habit of doing this as soon as you walk through the doors. I usually find myself crouching down in between the first row of pews to grab a few frames as the bride walks down the aisle. Straight after this I take a quick shot of the groom’s reaction before finding a spot that gives a clear view of the couple and their guests behind as they exchange their vows.

The classic wedding phrase ‘you may now kiss the bride’ isn’t always said, so as the formalities draw to an end you’ll want your camera raised to your eye ready to shoot as soon as the first kiss happens. Having your camera in its burst mode is a must to give yourself the best chance of capturing the shot.

Don’t be tempted to review your shots on the spot. This can wait as you’ll want to also capture the natural smiles and happy emotion as the couple pull away from their kiss. How wide you shoot is entirely up to you, however shots where the couple are larger in the frame tend to have the most impact.

7. Couple pictures

At some point after the ceremony, you’ll want to factor in time to capture a series of shots of the married couple together. When I first started out shooting weddings I created a scrapbook of all the shots and poses I wanted to try with my wedding couples, which quickly became engrained in my memory.

Over the years I’ve taken a more relaxed approach to couple pictures and like to keep them as fun and as unstaged as possible. Let the married couple chat, laugh, kiss and be themselves as you take a slow-paced walk through the gardens or grounds of the venue, stopping off at the locations you spotted earlier.

Try some shots of the happy couple walking towards you, standing still holding hands and embracing closely. Don’t be afraid to offer direction on where you’d like them to stand or look. You won’t be working with professional models who know how to strike a new pose as soon as the shutter has been triggered so your guidance and positive encouragement will go a long way to getting the results you’re after.

If the couple ask to see a few shots show them, but don’t offer to do this as it wastes vital time. After 30 minutes or so your couple will be itching to get back to their guests and canapés. You’ll want to shoot as many shots as you can in this time, but don’t fret if you think you’ve missed a few opportunities.

Explain there are a couple more you’d like to take later in between food courses or when the light is at its optimum. Most couples will happily oblige if it means getting a once-in-a-lifetime shot of them.

Top Tip: If you’re photographing on a bright sunny day take your couple into the shade to avoid squinting and any harsh shadows. It’s worth capturing a few frames shooting towards the light too – just remember to set your metering mode to spot metering and tweak exposure compensation if needed.

8. Group shots

Group shots are some of the most important shots you’ll take on the wedding day. They’re not the most exciting to shoot, but you can guarantee that your couple will look back at them fondly and print a few to pop in a frame to create gifts for various family members. First things first, you’ll want to have a list to work to.

A few weeks before the wedding you’ll need your couple to write down exactly which group shots they want, including the names of the people. Try to aim for no more than ten group shots, on the basis it takes time to locate everyone and you don’t want to be that photographer who ruins the couple’s day by making the process tedious.

For a really slick operation I like to get the best man on side to find the people who are needed for the next shot. As soon as I’m done with one group of people, I can bring in the next and so on. Try to work to getting your group shots done and dusted in 30 minutes. Sometimes this isn’t possible and the process will overrun, but try to be as efficient as you can be.

Remember the best group shots are the fun ones, so make sure you encourage people to put their arms around each other, get close, laugh and have fun. Don’t worry if the couple or guests look off-camera either as this can give shots a much more natural look to them. For the group shots of four to ten people don’t be afraid to frame up tightly so that the image cuts off at knee height.

Shoes aren’t important in group shots. When you attempt the big group shot with everyone, elevation is key to success. Getting up high and shooting down will allow you to see everyone’s faces. Ask the venue where the best place is to shoot from and they’ll point you in the right direction. Some might even have a ladder ready and waiting for you.

Top Tip: A fast prime with an effective focal length around 50mm is ideal for capturing small group shots. Just remember when you shoot the big group shot, you’ll want to use an aperture around f/5.6 to f/8 to uphold excellent sharpness across the frame. This is likely to be narrower than the aperture you will have used for previous shots.

9. Speeches

The speeches are often a real highlight of a wedding. It’s the time when you get to find out all about the couple you’re photographing and capture people in hysterics from all the funny stories and jokes that are told. They can happen at any time during the day, but more often than not they’re either before or after the meal.

Some people choose to split them up between food courses too. Check the time and location of the speeches and refer to them from the agenda. You’ll want to request this before the wedding and have access too on the day so you know if things are running to time or behind schedule.

As important as it is to get a few shots of the key speakers saying a few words, what you really want to focus on are the reactions and emotions. If you have the luxury of a second shooter working beside you, decide who is going to capture the couple’s reaction to what’s said and who is going to photograph the guests.

You’ll want a fast shutter speed upward of 1/250sec and rather than waiting for a moment to happen only to find you responded too slowly, have the viewfinder raised to your eye scanning between people ready to fire at the opportune moment. Much like the preparation shots earlier in the day, don’t get fixated on shooting from the same position. Move about, try shooting from high or low angles and make sure you take plenty.

Top Tip: A long lens such as a 70-200mm is ideal for zooming in closely from the edge of the room. To emphasise the person you’re photographing and avoid distracting backgrounds, shoot with a wide aperture around f/2.8 to f/4.

10. Dancefloor antics

It’s a well-known fact that a good party at a wedding starts on the dancefloor. It also tends to be where most couples embark on their first dance together as a married couple. This can be a challenging moment to photograph, particularly if you’re working in dark conditions that aren’t conducive to using fast shutter speeds without pushing the ISO uncomfortably high. You’ll likely want to turn to your flashgun or flashguns to help freeze fast movements and illuminate the scene.

Try positioning yourself the opposite side to all the guests watching the first dance so you can use them as your backdrop and make the image feel busy. If you’re lucky the DJ’s colourful lighting set-up might be all you need to get a spectacular first dance shot, but don’t bank on it. Gaining some height on a stepladder and shooting down is worth a try too.

The ten to 20 minutes after the first dance is a great time to capture guests letting loose as they flock to the dancefloor. Don’t be afraid to get stuck in amongst the crowd. Some of the best dancefloor shots are those taken on a wideangle lens slap bang in the middle of it all. To give your dancefloor images a sense of speed and movement you’ll want to learn how to use slow sync flash. This can result in extremely vibrant and fun-looking shots that are more pleasing on the eye than the frozen effect you get with standard flash.

You’ll want to make an effort to go around shooting different groups of people on the dancefloor too. Tapping guests on the shoulder and suggesting they gather together for a quick shot usually works well and before you know it other people will cotton on and ask you to photograph them.

Top Tip: Photographing a wedding is an extremely long day, but you shouldn’t plan to rush off home straight away after the first dance. Persuade the couple to get you a drink and in return stay for a little longer to capture some more entertaining shots. Always make a point of saying farewell to the couple too before you leave and inform them of when they can expect their images.

Kit list for weddings

Cameras

Camera failure is everyone’s nightmare. It’s this reason you’ll see all wedding photographers carry a minimum of two cameras so they have a spare to turn to should one fail when it’s least expected. Have a look at our recommendations for the best cameras for wedding photography!

Batteries

A good supply of spare fully-charged batteries is essential as your camera will be powered all day, ready to shoot any spur-of-the-moment opportunities. Don’t leave all your spares in your bag. Keep one on you for instant access at all times.

Memory cards

If your camera has twin card slots, set up the camera so it duplicates images to both cards simultaneously. This will give you a backup should a card unexpectedly corrupt. Use fresh cards at regular intervals too, just to be on the safe side.

Flashgun

You can’t guarantee that you’ll be blessed with bright lighting conditions at weddings. A flashgun is essential for adding some extra illumination indoors and will allow you to get creative with slow-sync flash on the dancefloor.

Roller bag

A rolling camera bag or Peli case will offer good protection while letting you drag your kit to where you need it. Your shoulders and back will thank you for it. Get a comfortable camera harness, that lets you carry two cameras with ease.

Further reading:

Read our Complete Guide to Wedding Photography

Wedding photography: Avoid the pitfalls when photographing weddings

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post 10 shots you must get at weddings! appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

To give yourself the best chance of capturing some impressive imagery, it’s firstly important to ensure that you have the correct equipment for the job. Starting with the obvious, you’re going to need a camera that’s up to the task of shooting hundreds, if not thousands, of photos across the day. A full-frame DSLR, such as the Canon EOS 6D (£1,119 body only) and 5D Mark III (£2,178 body only), is often the preferred choice for professional wedding photographers as the larger sensor provides greater amounts of detail for the highest quality images. However, if your budget can’t quite stretch to the glitz and glam of a full-frame camera, then don’t worry, as a mid-range APS-C sized D-SLR, such as the Canon EOS 80D (£999 body only), will still be able to cope with the fast pace of a busy wedding day.

Shoot with the sun behind the couple to avoid squinting eyes and harsh shadows

All of these cameras are able to create 20-megapixel (or higher) resolution images, which means they are ideal for creating up to A3 sized prints without the need to interpolate the images in post production – handy for any clients who are looking to order large prints of your work.

The lenses in your camera bag are just as important as the camera itself. If you don’t have a lens long enough to reach the action at a distance, or you’re without a wide angle in order to fit everyone into the group shot then you’re soon going to find yourself in hot water. Having a variety of lenses that cover most focal lengths is always the safest bet, though whether you decide to favour zoom lenses over primes, or visa versa, or both, is entirely down to your own personal preference. A medium zoom lens like the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM (£1,400) is a fantastic workhorse as not only does it provide a wide angle for group shots, the 70mm end is a perfect focal length for portraits. When opened up fully to the wide f/2.8 maximum aperture, this lens is able to let in much more light than most standard zooms, which is great for shooting dingy church interiors without having to crank the camera’s ISO to a higher sensitivity and run the risk of having shots riddled with digital noise.

Prime lenses are perfect for super-shallow depth-of-field effects

Sometimes the best shots are those that have been taken without the person even knowing, and the best way of doing this is by taking them at a distance with a telephoto zoom, such as the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L USM (£945). The 70-200mm focal length pairs wonderfully with the aforementioned 24-70mm lens, meaning that between these two lenses you’re covered for most types of photography.

The Canon EF-70-200m f/2.8L IS II USM

Aside from zooms there’s also the option to opt for prime lenses instead. Obviously the fixed focal length of a prime lens means that in order to get closer or further away from the action you’ll need to physically move the camera, which some may find limiting compared to a zoom. However, on the plus side, prime lenses are notably lighter in weight and offer a much wider maximum aperture.

Changing back and forth between lenses can be a fiddly and time-consuming chore, especially at a wedding where seconds often mean the difference between capturing the shot or not. One solution to this problem is to purchase a second camera body. If your pockets are deep enough to cover the expense, owning two camera bodies grants a number of benefits; firstly it means that you can attach a different lens to each body and have them available at all times. Also, the second body will mean that you always have a back up should the worst happen and one of your cameras ceases to function.

If bad weather is stifling your location choices, use off-camera flash for studio-quality portraits indoors

It’s often the case that smaller accessories are quickly overlooked, but are actually vital pieces of gear that will make the entire shooting process a much smoother operation. Investing in a handful of additional camera batteries will ensure that your camera never runs out of juice at a vital moment. If you want to further reduce the time spent swapping over camera batteries then you could always look to purchase a battery grip for your camera. This unit slots on to the base of your camera and allows you to store multiple batteries at one time, dramatically extending the battery life of your camera.

Over the course of a wedding day it’s not uncommon to take upwards of a few thousand images (depending on how snap happy you are), so you’re going to need somewhere to store all of that data. Purchasing half a dozen high-capacity, high-speed memory cards will not only ensure that you have ample space for all those images, but will also keep your camera’s buffer clear when shooting in continuous burst mode for uninterrupted shooting. Do bear in mind, however, that if you decide to shoot in Raw then your images will be far larger in size than a standard JPEG, meaning you will need larger memory cards (or multiple smaller cards) to store them.

Shoot with a wideangle lens to pack large groups of people into the shot

If you’ve been booked to photograph the wedding reception as well as the ceremony, then you’ll also need to make sure that you’re well prepared for capturing images in low light. Once the music starts blaring and the lights go down, it’ll be up to you to create your own source of light or be faced with noisy images created by using a high ISO. Investing in a flashgun, such as the Canon Speedlite 430EX III-RT (£219), will allow you fire a powerful beam of light at your target to illuminate them without relying on the ambient light.

It’s also worth mentioning that the ‘RT’ in the 430EX III’s name stands for Radio Transmitter, which means that the flash is able to be fired remotely off-camera via compatible DSLRs or with the aid of the Canon ST-E3-RT Wireless TTL Flash Controller (£239). This means that if you want to boost your creativity even further you could also look to invest in one or more light stands and flash brackets in order to fire the flash off camera for studio-style lighting effects.

Organisation is key

The night before the big day, spare a few moments to make sure that you have packed everything you may need for the day ahead. You could always write 
a checklist of essential equipment you think you’ll need and then go through it item by item to make sure that you have packed everything you require. 
As you’re working your way through the list, it’s also important to test each of the items to ensure that they are in full working order so that you don’t get any nasty surprises when you come to use them on the day. Stock up on fresh AA batteries (you can never have too many!) and make sure that all of your camera batteries are fully charged and ready to go. If you have a lens cloth, give your glass a quick once-over to remove any dust or dirt build-up, too.

The secret to good preparation is to give yourself ample time to go through and pack everything instead of rushing it at the last minute and risk forgetting something. It’s also vital not to over pack – it’s good to cover yourself for every eventuality, but taking too much stuff may end up slowing you down.

Back-up as you shoot

It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you happen to own a laptop and an external hard drive, be sure to pack it with the rest of your camera gear as you can use it to back up your images on the day. Usually there will be a lull period while the bride and groom enjoy their wedding breakfast, so this is a good time to back up your shots onto your laptop for safe keeping. It’ll also allow you to free up some space on your memory cards for further photos during the evening’s celebrations.

The post Master your Canon: Photographing a wedding with your Canon DSLR appeared first on Amateur Photographer.

Luckily, every couple getting married will have their own idea of what they want from their wedding photographs, and one style that is currently very popular is documentary wedding photography or wedding photojournalism.

When shooting a wedding like this, the idea is to tell the story of the wedding through pictures, without any direction or intervention from the photographer. And the key thing to remember is that you should be shooting in a candid manner.

This doesn’t mean that the photographers who direct their clients and organise the shots are wrong – it just means that those who choose to shoot in a truly documentary style choose to do it totally candidly.

And this is more difficult than it seems. When you have a gorgeous bridal prep room and the make-up artist decides to prepare the bride in the bathroom, sometimes it’s difficult not to interject. However, the plan is to tell the true story of the day, and that day must be allowed to flow completely naturally.

Observation

When you are commissioned to photograph a wedding – and perhaps this is true for any type of photography – you are chosen because of your eye for the frame. The clients have selected you based on your portfolio. They love the types of images you are capturing.

What does this mean? Well, it means they are not selecting you because of your camera-operating skills. They are selecting you because they like the moments you see at weddings and how you chose to photograph them.

Being a documentary wedding photographer is far more than understanding how your camera works, or how flashguns operate. It’s about people-watching and understanding the dynamics of the guests.

Try to avoid a standard formula for shots – capture what’s in front of you instead

Listening

Almost as important as seeing is listening. When you are shooting a wedding with a documentary approach, it’s important to be on your toes at all times. You can usually tell if a small group has formed that is perhaps a little more gregarious than the rest by simply listening. Is somebody about to tell the punchline of a joke? Is dad gearing up for a very emotional part of the speech? Honing these skills will give you a better chance of capturing the right moment.

Emotion

Human emotion is what drives weddings. There are few events more emotional in most people’s lives and it’s really important to try to capture that in the storytelling element of your wedding coverage.

Be ready for when the bride and groom exit the wedding room as this is when all their close family will rush forward to hug them. Make sure you are in a good position to capture these moments.

Be quick with your camera skills. Move in very quickly, take the shot and then retreat, allowing the moment to continue uninterrupted by you. If you linger, the subjects will react to you and the moment will have gone away.

Emotion is what drives weddings and it’s crucial that you capture these moments

Be different

At almost every wedding there will be guests with camera gear to rival you and your set-up. And even if this isn’t the case, almost every guest will have a mobile phone with a camera or a small point-and-shoot camera out all the time.

Try to make your images different from the rest by using good natural light, metering accordingly (spot metering in harsh sunlight can be very powerful), using low angles and thinking more about your composition. Don’t simply shoot from the standing upright position as everybody else is. Get your knees dirty if necessary, and get the bride and groom images that none of their guests would have even considered trying to achieve.

Work hard on your composition to make your images different from everyone else’s

Remember it is a story

A good documentary of any kind will have a start, a middle and an end. It will also answer the core questions of who, why, what, where and when.

When shooting, remember you are there to give a concise record of the day, so your images should stand together to tell the story but also stand up individually as moments in time.

A good documentary wedding photographer will not just take endless ‘headshots in a natural way’ using a 70-200mm lens. A good documentary photographer will link each section of the day together with cornerstone images, such as venue shots, transportation and guests moving between locations. They will also strive to incorporate details such as the weather to help weld the components of the day into a coherent set of images that tell the whole story.

A good documentary has images that show a start, a middle and an end

Keep it simple and light

While you can use any camera to shoot a good documentary wedding, you will have a better chance of getting those fleeting moments very quickly if you use smaller DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. Try to stick to a couple of focal lengths, such as 35mm and 85mm. The less you’re changing lenses and worrying about gear, the more opportunity you will have to capture those killer images.

Keep it simple by working with only a couple of lenses for the entire day

Behind the scenes: Overcoming difficult conditions

Shooting this image proved a little problematic for a few reasons. While the light was good inside the barn, the bride and groom were standing in front of a very large full-height glass window. This meant that the subjects were swamped with light and I had to use the camera’s spot metering and exposure compensation to get a correct exposure.

Additionally, the pastor had indicated he was happy for me to photograph from the front, but he did not wish to hear any ‘clicks of the camera’. Luckily, the Fujifilm cameras I use have an electronic shutter mode, which I can resort to when I need silence. In this case, as the bride and groom were deep in prayer, I was able to shoot this image not only in silence, but also from my hip, which helped me respect the moment more.

Thanks to the electronic viewfinder (where you can see the live exposure), I could check my exposure and shoot the image safe in the knowledge that the moment had been captured. In post-processing, very little needed adjusting as I could see exactly how the image would come out of the camera.

What is candid?

the word candid is derived from candour, and candour is described in the dictionary as ‘the quality of being honest and telling the truth’.

So, if photographers take it upon themselves to control the moment, tell people to smile, direct them or stage the elements of the photograph in any way, it can’t be classed as a candid moment.

Be nimble, react to the scene in front of you and then move on

Kevin’s top tips

Position

Use your skills as a photographer to position yourself accordingly for the image you are about to capture. For example, get down low to shoot children, rather than shooting down at them from above.

Light

It’s imperative to understand the way ambient light works. If you have a ceremony at 4pm in December, the light is going to be much more difficult to work with. Use of metering can create a more dramatic image that has impact.

Get in close

Using small cameras will allow you to be nimble and react to the environment around you.  Observe and listen, move in close, raise the camera and shoot, then remove yourself from the scene to let the moment run its course.

Humanity

Weddings are all about humanity – and it is everywhere. Even if you think the wedding is boring, there will be emotion in the form of human touch, smiles, hugs and kisses. Keep an eye out for these moments.

Story

Remember to use wide scene-setting images to tell the story of the day. You will be looking to answer who, why, where, when and what. Wide shots can often allow more context into the frame.

Kit list

Small cameras

The Fujifilm X-T1 and X100T cameras are perfect for documentary weddings. The X-T1 has a flip-down screen that allows you to get shots you may not be able to achieve by raising a camera to your eye.

Prime lenses

Try to steer clear of zooms. There is nothing wrong with them, but by using just a couple of prime lenses you will add uniformity to your coverage. You will also start to understand the focal length and the types of images you can achieve with them.

Sustenance

Weddings are unpredictable, so you may be shooting for prolonged periods of time. Make sure you keep a bottle of water and some power snacks, such as peanuts, in your kit bag. It’s impossible to operate at your best when your body is flagging.

Lighting

While most documentary wedding photographers will shoot using available light as much as possible, it’s important to have something in the bag for when the light is simply not there. A small LED torch is suitable, or a full flashgun – just make sure you know how to use it and when.

Spare batteries and cards

You will shoot a lot during a documentary wedding. If you are using smaller cameras, the batteries may not last all day and you will almost certainly fill a regular memory card. Use fast memory cards such as UHS-II where possible.

Kevin Mullins

Kevin is based in north Wiltshire, but photographs weddings across the UK and Europe. He specialises in a candid style of wedding photography, which emphasises the emotional and humorous elements of a wedding. You can find more of his work at www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk and f16.click.

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Professional wedding photographers can charge a small fortune for what on the surface appears to be just a few hours work.

However, they spend many more hours working on a wedding than most amateurs can afford to. A lot of preparation goes into wedding photography, and many hours afterwards editing images so that each photograph is perfect.

Most photographers, at some point in their life, are asked to photograph a wedding, be it as the main photographer or merely to document the day’s events.

The task can seem a bit daunting at first, but even if you are not a professional photographer, there is no reason why your images can’t be as good as a pro’s.

However, there are certain pitfalls and tricky areas that professionals have spent much of their careers learning and avoiding.

By following our guide to avoiding the pitfalls of wedding photography, you will be able to take top-class wedding pictures whenever the bride and groom make that request.

Wedding photography – Payment

Although you may not be the official wedding photographer, the happy couple may still offer you a small payment, or at least cover your expenses. Many unofficial wedding photographers offer to take the images as their gift to the bride and groom.

Whatever you have decided, it is best to make sure that all the necessary arrangements are sorted out with the couple beforehand. This ensures that everyone knows exactly what the deal is and avoids any unnecessary problems and confusion after the event.

Wedding photography – Preparation

Professional wedding photographers spend a lot of time preparing for the big day and there are a number of tips that you can learn from them.

1. Speak to the bride and groom about the type of images they want.
2. Find out if there are any particular family or friends who need to be photographed and make a list of these people.
3. If possible, visit the venue beforehand to scout for locations to take pictures.
4. Try and speak to the people hosting the ceremony to find out whether they have any restrictions on photography. Some venues will not allow you to use flash during the service itself.
5.Look at the seating plan and make sure that you have noted where all of the important guests are sitting.

Wedding photography – Equipment preparation

Besides the obvious camera and lenses there are other items that are a must for wedding photography. If you are taking a landscape image and you have forgotten something, or the image hasn’t turned out quite how you want, you can always go back and re-photograph it on a different day. However, a wedding is a one-off event, so it is important to make sure you are covered for any eventuality.

1. It’s essential to bring spare batteries for both your camera and flashguns. Remember to make sure that they are fully charged.
2. Take as many memory cards as you have available
3. Format memory cards rather than just deleting all of the images. This helps prevent them becoming corrupted
4. Clean all of your lenses and your camera’s image sensor beforehand, and take a lens cleaning cloth with you
5. Take a grey card and a white balance card to ensure that you get good exposures and that the bride’s dress comes out the correct colour.

Wedding photography – Using flash

Most weddings take place in summer, and in strong sun, so images taken outside can suffer harsh shadows.

Shooting with your subjects facing the sun could cause them to squint their eyes, creating unflattering facial expressions. However, having the sun behind them can create equally problematic backlighting, as the bright light can fool a camera’s metering system, causing incorrect exposures.

Fill-in flash can help soften shadows caused by bright sun and can add light to the front of a backlit image.

Even the relatively weak power of a camera’s built-in flash can be suitable for fill-in flash at close range. For a slightly better effect, use an off-camera flash bracket, or wireless flash mounted on a stand or tripod. While an elaborate set-up is impractical for documentary-style images, it may be useful for group shots.

Another tip is to avoid the bright sunlight altogether by shooting in a slightly shaded area, using a hint of flash to brighten the subjects’ faces.

When shooting indoors, flash is almost essential, even where there is bright natural light. If the people you are photographing are giving speeches or cutting a wedding cake, in front of a window, then fill-in flash can help even out the backlit scene.

Image: Fill-in flash is essential if a scene is backlit

To avoid the harsh shadows caused by an on-camera flash gun try angling the flash head and bouncing the light off of the ceiling. The light will reflect down on to the subject, which is more natural and less harsh than using direct flash.

If the ceiling is too high for this to work, try a diffuser, such as the Sto-Fen Omni Bounce, or try attaching a bounce card to your flashgun. These soften the harsh direct light from the flash, and can be used inside and out.

Should your flash fail, or if it doesn’t recycle its charge in time, you can use Adobe Camera Raw’s Fill Light feature to brighten shadows.

Wedding photography: The first dance

The first dance is one of the trickiest moments to capture. There is usually little light, and it can be difficult to evoke any atmosphere.

Using direct flash can kill what atmosphere there is, as will bouncing it, as it can flatten the final image.

One way to get a nice image is to close in on the faces of the bride and groom, as they will be happy and laughing or in an embrace.

Better yet, use a slow-sync flash technique to capture some of the movement of the dance.

Handhold the camera and set the exposure so the shutter speed is around 1/30sec or less, and so that the image is underexposed by around 1EV.

With the flash set to rear curtain, use the flash to freeze the movement of the bride and groom.

The ambient light will cause a slight blur as the couple dance, creating a sense of movement, but with faces of the bride and groom remaing sharp.

Wedding photography: Confetti

One of the classic wedding shots is the throwing of the confetti. Yet it can be quite a tricky shot to get right. We have found that the best shots can be found when taking a slightly alternative angle of the scene.

Try crouching down and shooting up towards the bride and grooms’ faces to show the confetti falling. Alternatively, take a higher vantage point and try to capture the crowd of confetti-throwing guests.

Most of time the situation is completely out of the hands of the photographer. One little tip is to ask everybody to throw the confetti on the count of three. However, confetti can end up obscuring the bride and groom’s faces, or the sun can cast shadows from the confetti across them. You can try to reduce this by using a soft fill-in flash technique, but if you set the flash too high it will itself cause harsh shadows.

Often the bride and grooms’ best facial expressions come just after most of the confetti has been thrown; their faces will be less obscured and they won’t be squinting trying to avoid getting confetti in their eyes and mouth. However, the obvious problem with this is that there will now be little confetti in the image. Thankfully, you can add it in using image-editing software.

Add more confetti

Add more confetti – before and after

Step 1. Select the Marquee tool and create a selection around a single piece of confetti. Select more random pieces by holding the shift when you make the next selection.

Step 2. Select Layer>New>Layer via Copy, which copies the selected pieces of the confetti to a new layer. Repeat this a few times. Now select the original background layer again and repeat step 1, this time selecting different random pieces of confetti.

Step 3. Once again copy the selected confetti to a number of new layers. Now, select each layer in turn, and use the Move tool to shift the confetti around the image to make it look as if more was thrown. Try to vary how far you shift each layer to avoid repetitive patterns.

Wedding photography: Get the details

Weddings can cost thousands and thousands of pounds with the bride and groom spending hours planning everything down to the finest detail.

With this in mind, make sure you take images of the little details that help make the day special.

Details on the bride’s dress, the cake, table decorations, gifts, cards and the wedding rings are amongst the obvious items to photograph.

Not only does it give you the chance to be artistic in the way you present images of these items, but it also serves as a reminder of the day for the bride and groom for years to come.

Image: There are many small details that have gone into making the day perfect – try to capture as many as possible as they make great images for a wedding album.

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Wedding photography isn’t for everyone. But assuming your technical skills are up to scratch (and if they aren’t, you shouldn’t even consider letting yourself loose on someone’s big day) your problems are mainly about time and crowd management.

Wedding Photography: What equipment you need

Here are a few of the things you’ll need for wedding photography:

Spare SLR body

It’s assumed you’ll be using a digital SLR, but if you’re the official wedding photographer it’s essential to take more than one body, even though you’re unlikely to use it. Otherwise, what if your camera breaks down during the big day?

Few photographers have the luxury of two DSLR bodies,  so chances are you’ll have to borrow one from a mate or take an old film SLR body.

Essential extras

Take twice as many media cards as you think you’ll need. Make sure you have at least one spare battery, even if it’s the expensive Li-Ion kind. Battery failure is not an option.

Some photographers take a flash for subtle fill-light, others take a folding reflector (though you’d need an assistant to hold that).

Tripod

Though not essential for most shots (and a real hindrance for candids), a tripod can be useful for some of the posed shots.

This is especially the case for big groups, where you can leave the camera set up and talk to your group directly, rather than barking directions from behind the camera. It’s also handy for posed shots of the bride and groom, as it leaves you free to adjust the bride’s dress etc without moving the camera.

Wedding photography: Forward planning

Meet the couple in advance to discuss their needs. Make a list of who you need to photograph.

Although the candid reportage approach is fashionable, take some posed shots too, to be sure of securing at least one flattering, in-focus shot of all the key players.

If you can, visit the venues in advance to see where the sun will be, and scout for locations for the posed photos.

Seek places away from direct sun and with undistracting (but not ugly) backgrounds. Make a list of the shots you need to take (exchanging rings, cutting the cake etc).

Find out if there are any restrictions on photography. Check whether pictures are allowed during the service itself, and on any caveats that may apply (such as no flash).

Check your equipment beforehand to ensure that everything is working, batteries are charged and you have spares. Pack a back-up camera, just in case. Check all your settings too.

Wedding photography: Camera Settings

You’ll need to vary your settings to suit the conditions.

During the ceremony you’ll probably need to raise the ISO to 400 or higher to shoot without flash.

In high-contrast light you’ll need to be careful with white wedding dresses and dark suits, one of which can easily lose detail if your exposure isn’t spot on.

The best insurance is to shoot in RAW format, with its greater latitude. Take a mid-tone light reading and check your LCD regularly. The flashing overexposure warning of many cameras may be helpful but it’s only a guide.

Wedding photography: Be a poser

A good wedding shoot should be a mix of both posed and candid shots. The posed shots present the best opportunities to make sure everyone looks good in the shots and, for example, the bride’s dress is shown in its full glory.

Don’t keep guests waiting too long while you do them – they’ll soon become irritable.

Shoot a few key groups too, as a record of everyone who was there (it’s easy to miss people using the reportage approach).

Be clear and decisive in your instructions so guests know what’s required. Pose them quickly and don’t faff with the camera.

Wedding photography: Candidly speaking

While a few posed shots are important, it’s best to keep them to a minimum and spend more time on semi-posed and unposed candid shots, which are less disruptive to the day and better convey the atmosphere and emotion of the event.

Make sure you record the key events, such as the bride arriving; guests throwing confetti; tossing the bouquet.

Use the wider end of your zoom and get close to create a sense of intimacy. But also try zooming in to telephoto and using a wide aperture to isolate small groups and individuals from the background.

Wedding photography: Photoshop tweaks

If you’ve done a good job of shooting you shouldn’t need to spend much time on the PC.

Obviously if you shot them in RAW there will be the standard processing to do: adjusting contrast, colour and so forth.

A few shots may benefit from a tighter crop, or the removal of the odd distracting background element. In some high-contrast shots you may find that a small adjustment of the Highlight/Shadow control (under Image>Adjustments in Photoshop) will increase detail in highlights (eg the bride’s dress) and shadows (dark suits) .

This is the time to edit your shoot. You will have probably taken many dozens of pictures, and there’s no point handing over photos of people blinking and so forth.

Wedding photography: Proudly presents

In days of yore a newly married couple would receive their precious photos mounted in a thick leather album, but nowadays there are many alternatives.

The album is still a great way to present pictures but you can also have them made into a hardback book. If you can display the images on a website or online gallery the guests will probably order some prints too.

Depending on whether this is a commercially motivated venture, you could put them on a site such as Photobox, where guests can order and pay for their own shots, or a simple gallery, where they must order through you.  Another option is a DVD slideshow, with music – but only in addition to printed output, not instead of it.

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Essential wedding photography equipment: The camera

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III

A proper DSLR is essential for achieving professional quality results. Anything over 10MP is fine but a decent AF and low light performance can really help you out.

Brett uses: Canon EOS 1Ds MkIII & EOS 5D MkII

Consider: Canon EOS 7D, Nikon D700

Essential wedding photography equipment: Standard Lens

For your wedding photography you’ll need a range of focal lengths at your disposal. You’ll need a wideangle for group shots and a 50mm equivalent or longer for portraits, ideally with a large aperture to blur backgrounds.

Brett uses: Canon 50mm f/1.2 L, 50mm f/2.5, 16-35mm f/2.8 L, 24-70mm f/2.8 L, 15mm fisheye

Consider: Sigma 10-20mm, Nikon 50mm f/1.4, Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
Long lens

Sigma 70-200 28 EX DG OS HSM lens

For getting close in on the action while keeping out of the limelight, a long lens is essential for any good wedding photographer.

Brett uses: Canon 70-200mm IS L f/2.8

Consider: Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8

Essential wedding photography equipment: Flashgun

Even when working in bright daylight, using a flashgun can help your subject stand out. This can be essential for getting a sharp shot during the speeches or later in the evening.

Brett uses: 3x Canon 580 EXII flashguns, and four Pocket Wizards plus stands

Consider: Nikon SB-900, Sigma EF 530 DG SuperEssential wedding photography equipment: Backup drive

One reason for backup drives is the risk of running out of card space, but when images are as precious as with wedding shots you’ll want to double up your image-saving and keep both.

Brett uses: Epson P5000 Hard drive

Consider: Epson P-3000

Essential wedding photography equipment: Studio flash

If you’re forced to work inside due to bad weather, studio lighting can really save the day. Sets with battery packs could even be used outdoors too.

Brett uses: Elinchrom Quadra kit

Consider: Interfit EX150 Mk II two-head kit

Essential wedding photography equipment: Reflector

With the sun behind your subject, a well-positioned reflector can be more effective than a flashgun at lighting your subject and can be a very controllable light source – especially if operated by an assistant.

Brett uses: Lastolite Tri grip reflector

Consider: Lastolite Tri-Flip 8:1 kit

Essential wedding photography equipment: Memory cards

It sounds obvious but make sure you have enough card space to cover the number of shots you are likely to take. As an estimate, aim for between 10-20GB in 2, 4, or 8GB cards.

Brett uses: 8GB & 16GB Lexar 300 speed cards

Consider: Sandisk Extreme cards

Essential wedding photography equipment: Stepladder

In the absence of anywhere high enough to stand to get a group shot, a stepladder can come in very handy.

Essential wedding photography equipment: White umbrellas

If it starts to rain then using a set of colour co-ordinated umbrellas can keep the subjects dry and even add to the shot.

[ratings]

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Choosing

As most digital photographers know, taking the shots is only half the process and having taken all the wedding shots, the work really begins.

From a good day’s shooting you can expect to have anywhere between 300 and 2,000 shots, hopefully all backed up to a drive.

Editing the shots

Your first challenge, once you have all of your images visible on your computer, is to reduce the number down to something that is a bit more manageable.

For an initial set this should be down to no more than 400 and potentially closer to 300.

Once you’ve removed all the obvious duds, start to rate the images to allow you to build up collections of definite ‘keepers’, ‘maybes’ and ‘maybe nots’.

Software such as Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightroom are specifically designed for this kind of heavy image crunching and allow you to whittle down your selection fairly quickly. Their non-destructive image management also make it easy to apply simple image adjustments individually or globally.

You can then perform more specific and accurate adjustments once the final selection has been made.

Final selection

At this stage it is standard practice to show the images to the couple, to allow them to pick their favourites for the album, or individual prints.

This can be done by creating a preview book, or a series of contact sheets. Some photographers may offer to display these on a website, either in addition or as an alternative to the printed version.

Give the couple a limit in the number of images, so as not to overcrowd the album – depending on the layout, this should be around 150 images. Once the images are chosen, individual image tweaking can be done to ensure each one is as good as possible.

Books

There are two main options when it comes to creating the album: the traditional, with prints mounted into the pages; or a modern photo book where the images are printed directly onto the pages.

The photobook comes in a range of prices from cheap paperbacks to high-quality coffee-table books for hundreds of pounds a time.

Photobook companies provide customisable layouts using their own software to produce the album. Many pros, however, will choose to design the layout themselves using a design or photo-editing program.

For album ideas see blurb.com and loxleycolour.com

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