ESSENTIAL Wedding Photography Tips

[Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU)]

ESSENTIAL Wedding Photography Tips[/b]

1: Wear comfy shoes

You're going to walk like you wouldn't believe as a wedding photographer on a wedding day.  Sure, the Stilettos might look good at the wedding reception, but you'll be the grumpiest wedding photographer on the planet.

2: Take out Uncle Bob early with a sharp elbow to the stomach!

It's funny, but I have seen "Uncle Bob" ruin more wedding photos than you could possibly believe.  What I mean by this is that there will (almost) always be someone in the wedding party who likes to get in the way.  They either tell people how to pose while you're trying to get everyone in the right spot, or they step in front of you to take pictures, etc.  The wedding photographer must be CONFIDENT and take charge.  Simply saying something like "Thanks for your help.  I'm trying to do something a little different here.  Is it all right with you if I go ahead and get the posing set up here?"  It might seem forward, but your couple will be glad to see you moving quickly and getting the photos done correctly.  (Thanks Julie Gallagher)

3: Have a frank talk about seeing the bride

Some couples are very serious about the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding day.  I like to sit couples down and explain that I really NEED at least an hour just with the couple (nobody else in the wedding party) in order to get a decent album together.  Once they realize that they need to commit to this much time and see they can't fit it in the wedding day plans, they are usually open to doing a shoot the day before the wedding all dressed up.  It gives the bride a chance to try her hair and makeup out, and you'll have unlimited time with the couple to nail the wedding photos.

4: Avoid the number one complaint of brides about the photographer

More than any other complaint I hear from brides is that the photographer missed getting a certain photo (such as the bride with her high school roommate, her little sister in the pink dress, etc).  The best way to avoid this is to simply meet with the bride before the wedding and have her create a shoot list.

5: Change lenses for changed expressions

If you notice that you aren't getting the bride and groom to relax and interact with each other while you're taking photos, the best thing you can do is to switch to a longer lens (like 200mm) and scoot way back.  The couple will naturally begin to interact with each other and you'll be able to get the shot since you're out of their way.  This is my favorite way to START a wedding shoot of the couple.  By starting far away, they feel like it's just them and they can get used to the camera from a distance.

6: Get the names!

When you meet with your bride to get your shoot list, ask for the name and cell phone number of the maid of honor and the best man.  They are usually part of the planning and are important people to be able to call by their first name during the event.

7: Guess What!  Wedding dresses are white.

Yep, it's true... and it has been true for over 150 years.  If you want the dress to stay white instead of a dull gray, then you'll probably need to dial in some positive exposure compensation.  The light meter in your camera will see the white dress and think it's bright, but it isn't bright–it's just white!  The camera tends to compensate for this large "bright" spot in the photo and makes the exposure of the dress too dark.  Positive exposure compensation fixes this problem in a jiffy

Source:http://improvephotography.com/3236/wedding-photography-tips/