Wedding Photography

Use these important wedding photography tips to make sure your wedding photos are as memorable as your special day.
Weddings are one of the most important events in our lives and while memories are great you can't show those to your grandchildren. That's why that wedding album is so priceless and why wedding photography tips, including ideas for lighting and for selecting the right photographer, should be followed carefully.

Making the Photographer Choice

The best wedding photographer tips can save you from making a huge mistake in who you hire for the job. Don't try to skimp here by asking a friend of a friend to do the work just because he happens to have a high quality digital camera. Don't automatically take the lowest quote either. Remember you usually get what you pay for.

Instead, look at the portfolio the photographer presents to you. Make sure it includes wedding shots. Make sure those shots are from several different weddings. If you're not happy with what you see in the portfolio, you're going to be a thousand times unhappier with what you see in your own wedding album if you hire this person. Keep shopping around until you make a "love connection" with a photographer.

Dealing with Lighting

One of the biggest problems photographers have is lighting. Without the right lighting, your photos aren't going to turn out well and even if a true professional is limited in the kind of magic he or she can work in their lab on the prints. Here are a couple of good wedding photography lighting tips to follow:

1) Require the photographer to do test shots at the ceremony and reception locations using similar lighting to what will be available for your wedding.

2) Ask photographers only to use flash if absolutely necessary – during the ceremony and reception those flashes can be distracting and painful after awhile. You don't want to end up squinting in every shot.

3) Bring in extra artificial light for posed shots involving the wedding party, if needed. Make sure the photographer can do this if the need arises.

4) Be creative with lighting if you are going to be doing candid photography. Flash lights, for example, can be used effectively to create a beautiful mood that makes spectacular shots.

Always talk about lighting before you make a hiring decision. It's one of the factors that sets the pros apart from the amateurs.

Other Wedding Photo Ideas

If you want a unique approach to your wedding photos, ask to have some shots taken in the photojournalist style. With this method, your photographer uses the shots to tell a story about your wedding. These look fabulous when printed in black and white and can be the perfect way to capture the behind the scenes wedding morning chaos of the special day.

Another of these interesting wedding photography tips is make sure you provide the photographer with a list of photos you definitely want from the event. Most people want a shot of their first kiss, a photo of their first dance, and pictures from the cake cutting, for example. If you want special shots of relatives or friends, request these in writing and add them to your contract.

Serious about becoming a wedding photographer? Here is the non-hype wedding photography courses that can help you shot amazing wedding photos.

By Qing Gu
Published: 4/7/2009
 
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