Wedding Photography
Wedding photography, professional photographer, flower girl, bride and groom, digital camera,
Wedding photography is when two people get married, and want photographs to remember their special day. Everything has to be planned as to what pictures the bride wants. It is the job of the person doing wedding photography to take the pictures, as you only have one time to get it right. Photographs are one of the few tangible items left of the wedding. It isn’t immediately after the wedding that there is value, it is when the anniversaries come and the memories become refreshed.
If you decide to do wedding photography it would be a very wise idea to work with an experienced, professional photographer first. You will be taking some of the pictures and helping the professional with a variety of tasks.
Take plenty of pictures. It will have been decided before the wedding what pictures the bride wants. Don’t stop at what is on her list. Take a picture of anything of interest. Be original and use your imagination.
Some of the important pictures and locations are:
The brides home. Dressing room: Variety of pictures of her getting ready, with her mother, maid of honor, father, sister, brother, children, grandparents. The living room: Bride herself (numerous) and with each member and members of her family, bridesmaids, flower girl. Leaving the house: Coming out of the door, walking to the limousine, father helping her into the car.
At the church: Father helping her out of the limousine, entering the church, gag shots of groom and best man, guests arriving.
Balcony or choir loft of the ceremony, shots of everyone walking down the isle, random pictures of guests, candle lighting, father kissing her good by, exchange of rings. Any special religious traditions of the church.
After the vows: The recessional, the receiving line, variety of shots of all the wedding party, parents, relation, with bride and groom, and anything else of interest.
Leaving the church: Bride and groom on the church steps with the bridal party, bride and groom with the church in background, rice throwing, and any gag shots if the opportunity arises.
Getting into the limousine: Variety of pictures of the bride and groom, numerous shots of them kissing, and driving away.
Formal portraits: Variety of shots, close up and full length, of the bride and groom and bridal party. Casual shot outside, all depending on the area. Family group and single shots of everyone. Gag shots of children having fun.
The reception: Bride and Groom, and all the bridal party. The first dance, any toasting, table pictures, candid shots of everyone, special dances, the cake. Bride and groom feeding each other, bride and groom kissing with cake in composition. Throwing bouquet, removing garter, throwing garter, placing the garter on the bouquet catcher’s leg.
Bride and groom leaving, and any other interesting. Don’t forget the person performing the ceremony, the band, the limousine driver, waiters and waitresses, or any one else that is part of the celebration.
Make sure that you have more than one camera, batteries, memory cards, tripod, flash unit, and portable radio if there are multiple photographers. Make sure you are dressed for the occasion. Wear nothing less that a suit and tie or better yet, a tuxedo.
Now that you have taken a thousand to two thousand pictures, you job is just beginning. Go through them all once and throw what is obviously bad. Then again, and pick out the quality shots, making sure you have what was on the brides list. Don’t throw anything away, as they might ask for something special that you didn’t pick out.
Hopefully everything turned out ok, and you are satisfied with the effort and work that was required to do the job. Next is to see the looks on the bride face when she sees the pictures.
