5 Great tips from a San Diego Photographer
Being asked to take photos for a wedding is a huge responsibility.If you are doing it as a favor, or if you are doing it as your profession, following these 5 tips will help you do the job right.
This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer. So whether you are seasoned pro, or a rank amateur, if you follow these tips, you will feel comfortable and not have to second guess yourself. You will be fully prepared for whatever may come.
Our first tip is easy and that is to have the couple and maybe their families make a list of photos they want to take.When you know the day will be hectic and chaotic, doing this will help you get the family and group shots later on in the day more smoothly.Imagine how wonderful it will be to just go down your list and know that you aren’t leaving anything out.
The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots. In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Even though they are great, it is also tempting since it is so easy, to delete a shot.Don’t bother even peeking at the previews.What you think may be a great photo, can differ widely in what the couple considers a great photo. And who knows, they might appreciate the so called un “professional” shots.
A third tip to consider is making sure you get candid shots. A good wedding photographer will not just try and get the typical shots, like family group shots, wedding party shots, or your standard bride and groom. But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It could include things that don’t go perfectly, like a flower girl not wanting to walk down the aisle or the ring bearer making a wrong turn.Every picture counts.
The fourth tip is which is often overlooked is to make sure you have several cameras and other equipment as backup.Do you even want to think of the horror of not being able to take any more shots of the wedding because of a broken camera. Plan for anything that could go wrong.By being ready with extra equipment, you will avoid the uncomfortable time of not being able to take any more pictures of the wedding day with a broken camera.
Last piece of advice, make sure you know the lighting of the wedding. The difference between the lighting in the church and the outside reception can throw you a curve ball, so just practice for all different lighting situations. Think about seeing if you can go to the locations of the big day and look for the best spots to take pictures as well as study the lighting needs.
Doing these 5 tips will help you immensely. It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be. Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.