50 wedding photography tips for beginners
A collection of essential wedding photography tips, techniques
and tricks for beginners from candid wedding photography to a more
classic approachIf youre new to wedding photography, this is the
place to start. Whether youre looking to gain some experience as
the unofficial photographer on the big day, or simply looking for
some pointers for improving your portraits in general, theres lots
of great advice on offer here.
General wedding photography tips1 Use a wide apertureThe use of
the widest aperture that your lens permits (for a narrow depth of
field) can create a very appealing effect for wedding photography,
keeping your subject in focus while making the background blurred
although you need to be sure you focus accurately.2 Try slow-synch
flashIf using flash, try as slow a shutter speed as possible 1/15
to 1/25 second, say to make the most of ambient lighting. Try
panning with moving subjects while you fire the flash to freeze the
subject and blur a distant background.3 Pose the brideFor
flattering images of a bride, make sure she doesnt have her arms
bent (a slight bend is best, but not straight) while holding her
bouquet. If possible, ask her to create an S bend with her body,
similar to the way fashion models pose. Look through womens
magazines like Vogue and Cosmopolitan to see how the models pose to
get an idea.4 Look for linesTry to make the most of strong
architectural lines, such as pillars, for backdrops to your wedding
photographs. Remember, if you sort out the background, the
foreground falls into place to create the perfect composition.
Scout out the venue beforehand to see which architectural elements
might work best.5 Use light patterns creativelyIf there are any
interesting light patterns outside the church or register office,
you can use them to add impact and drama to your images. Be aware,
however, that such patterns may come and go as the day progresses,
so you may have to work quickly to capture them.6 Frame the
coupleWhen taking pictures of the bride and groom with their bridal
car, try being creative by using the windows to frame them, or even
jump inside the car, if its OK with them.7 Tilt the cameraCamera
tilt adds a sense of motion to an image. You dont have to always
keep the camera in landscape or portrait format, be adventurous and
align the composition lines at diagonals in the image to create
impact. As with all techniques dont over do this one or two images
is ample.8 Find the shadeIf youre shooting a wedding on a day with
very strong sunshine, try to move the couple or group into the
shade for a better exposure, or use fill-in, or forced flash to
balance the scene. Youll find the fill flash setting by cycling
through the cameras flash modes.9 Add some blurTry experimenting
with pictures of the first dance using a very slow shutter speed to
give your images a sense of movement. Use a combination of flash
and a slow shutter speed to freeze the motion of the couple while
still capturing ambience and movement. You may need to increase the
ISO sensitivity of the camera although noise will become more
obvious in darker indoor conditions.10 Use a ash bracketAttach an
external flashgun to a flash bracket to lift the flash a few inches
above the lens, eliminating shadows on the subject. The best frames
works on a hinge mechanism and enable you to move the flash for
portrait shots or landscape format shots accordingly.
Candid wedding photography tips11 Look the other wayWeddings
dont just happen in front of you. Look around for other photo
opportunities that may be behind you. After all, youll be looking
at what your subjects can see, so if youre aiming to capture their
memories of the day, look at what theyre looking at.12 Pay
attention to detailLook for the small stuff as well as the big
picture. Often, details may go unnoticed by the wedding guests, and
yet when they see a detail shot, memories will come flooding back.
So be aware of everything around you and dont be afraid to
photograph it.13 Go lowTry shooting from a low vantage point. Avoid
crouching on your haunches, however. Such a stance makes you
unsteady and you may find your shots ruined by camera shake. If the
ground is dry, kneel down, or even lie down, in order to stand a
better chance of keeping the camera steady.14 Wait a secondLet
other people take their photographs and then capture the subjects
as they relax. Formal, posed shots are OK for the record, but when
aiming to capture the emotion of the event, people come across
better in photos when theyre happy, relaxed and unworried about
people taking pictures of them.15 Add grainGrain can add atmosphere
and lack of flash can keep attention from you. The last thing you
want is for a flash to distract the wedding guests, drawing
attention to yourself. The high ISO settings used in low light
photography may increase noise a little, but this can give them
character.16 Try a telephotoLong lenses keep you out of the action
as an observer. They also create interesting perspective effects,
which can add drama to photos. Be careful to avoid camera shake
that can be induced when wielding such lenses a sturdy tripod is a
handy accessory in such situations.17 Make friends with the
organisersThey know whats actually happening, as opposed to what
should be. The organisers can tip you off about whos going to be
where and when, so its wise to consult them in order to be in the
right place at the right time.18 Dont be intrusiveIf someone doesnt
want their photo taken, leave them alone. Theres little point in
taking shots of people who dont like being in front of the lens.
Theyll not look comfortable and you could end up causing offence.
With experience, youll get to recognise the signals that the
camera-shy give out.19 Listen for laughterWeddings are happy
occasions, so keep an ear out for laughter. Shots in which people
look happy and relaxed work very well, so use your ears as well as
your eyes to monitor the dynamic of the wedding party and move in
on where the actions taking place.20 Use the windIf its windy, face
people into the wind and get lots of movement. The brides dress in
particular can look wonderfully dynamic when theres a breeze its
lines will flow out with the movement of air. However, if youre
changing the lens on a DSLR, get out of the wind to avoid dirt
blowing into the camera body.
The considerate wedding photographer21 Consult beforehandAlways
have a pre-wedding consultation with the couple to get to know them
and find out what they want first. Its their day, not yours, so its
wise to have a clear idea of how they envisage the occasion. Be
polite and dont promise anything that you cant deliver.22 Smile a
lotIf you smile at people, they smile back, so make lots of eye
contact. Dont hide behind your camera. Someone with a big lump of
technology permanently attached to their face can be off-putting
and youll likely end up missing a lot of potentially excellent
shots.23 Give the couple spaceAfter the ceremony, give the couple
time and space to be congratulated. This helps you when you come to
shoot the organised photographs people wont keep coming up and
getting in your way as they attempt to pass on their best wishes to
the bride and groom.24 Be candidWhile the couple are busy being
congratulated, you can go round and get some candid shots of the
guests. Theyll be happily distracted and therefore more relaxed
than when they feel they have to pose for the camera. The
unobtrusive photographer can have some of the best shots of the
wedding day.25 Compose subtlyPre-focus and compose your subject
through the lens, then get their attention by talking or smiling at
them they wont know youre taking the photograph. When they do
realise, theyll laugh and you can then take more natural-looking
photographs. The more relaxed people are, the better the shots will
turn out.26 Go with the flowDont fight the rain, wind, people and
time. Theres always a way to get round a problem, so think
laterally. As you become more confident and experienced, youll
develop numerous ways of making the unexpected play into your
hands, so exercise your problem-solving skills to the full.27 Plan
for rainIf its raining, use brollies. Its handy to have a white one
and a black one in your car. Get the couple walking with them,
kissing each other and so on. They make excellent props, and can
save your expensive digital camera from a soaking, which is
unlikely to do it much good.28 Use the crowdIf people are in the
background in public places, just let them be there. Sometimes its
good to take pictures of strangers wishing them the best.29 Manage
your timeYou should always have enough time. If you dont, you didnt
ask the right questions at the consultation. Be aware of the
schedule of the day, how youre going to get from A to B and where
the wedding party will be and when. The disorganised photographer
will miss out on key moments, so dont let it be you.30 Enjoy
yourselfWedding photography can be a lot of fun, but not if youre
fretting about the camera or the light. Relax and have a good time,
just as the rest of the attendees are meant to be doing. You may
find that your photography improves as a result.
Reportage wedding photography tips31 Use your inside knowledge
of the family to get shotsIf some relatives havent seen each other
for 20 years, a shot of when they first meet at the church could be
very emotional. Think about the attendees and how they get on, then
use that knowledge to plan your shooting schedule.32 Avoid shooting
when people are eatingDont take pictures of people eating. They
never look good and no one will thank you for it. You may as well
pack away the camera during the meal and have some food yourself
while you wait for the speeches, which provide far more
opportunities for good people shots.33 No chimpingDont chimp after
each shot (chimping is looking at the cameras screen to check your
pictures). It uses up the batteries and takes your eye off the
action. Youre better off reviewing the photos en masse
occasionally, being careful to delete only those that you cant
feasibly use.34 Bounce the flashWhen shooting indoors, bounce your
flash off the ceiling and balance the exposure with the ambient
light. Bounced flash is far more diffuse, so you wont end up with
those harsh shadows that are characteristic of amateur snaps.35
Tell a storyAdopt a photojournalistic approach look for pictures
that tell the story of the day. The classic way is to get three
pictures of each moment, not necessarily taken at the same time.
For example, a close up of the cake, a medium shot of the couple
cutting the cake and then a wide angle of the guests reactions.36
Take your own confettiTo make sure you get a good confetti shot,
take your own confetti. Frame the shot and throw the confetti high
in the air, not at the couple. Try a small aperture (f/11), slow
shutter (1/15 sec) and fill-in flash. Just make sure the wind isnt
blowing towards you, or youll look like an idiot.37 Listen for
storiesWhen mingling with the guests listen out for someone telling
a story. There are typically numerous characters at the wedding,
each with something to say, so let them warm up the crowd for you
and be ready to capture their reactions.38 Edit ruthlesslyWhen you
get back home, edit the pictures then edit them again. Remove any
shots in which the bride and groom dont look at their best. Retouch
any blemishes from their faces, and so forth. Then edit the
pictures again only let people see the best shots, not hundreds of
average ones.39 Dont let your camera sharpen the shotsTurn off any
automatic in-camera sharpening. This is best done on the computer
after youve resized the images. If possible, always shoot RAW
format. This transfers the data from the imaging chip directly to
memory without compressing it, although the file sizes will be much
larger than when shooting JPEGs, so youll need high-capacity memory
cards, or a portable storage device to copy your images onto over
dinner40 Underexpose in bright lightIn bright sunlight, try to
retain the detail in the brides dress by underexposing by 1 EV and
then bringing the shot up to the correct exposure on the computer.
Digital cameras have excellent dynamic range, so shadow detail
should be recoverable its highlights which is where they tend to
have problems. Again, shooting in RAW as opposed to JPEG really
helps in this situation.
Contemporary wedding photography tips41 Find a positionTry to
get a position in the church about 2 or 3 rows back from the altar
and to the side of the bride and groom. You can capture some
fantastic emotional images throughout the ceremony. And make sure
you turn the cameras sound effects off so you dont disturb people
seated nearby.42 Plan for key eventsThink beforehand at what points
youll be able to capture emotional or funny images for example,
during the ceremony itself, and the couples interaction while
register is being signed. This is often the rst time theyve spoken
together on the day and their reactions can produce some wonderful
images.43 Soften your flashNever use direct flash as well as using
an off-camera flash bracket, place a diffuser over the flash
head.Sto-fenswhite plastic caps are affordable and great for
helping flash pictures. They soften the flash, reducing those harsh
shadows that can make photographs look amateurish.44 Avoid
effectsKeep away from too many digital effects on the camera. If
you want to create a sepia print, or even solarize the happy
couple, shoot in colour as normal and convert the shot in an image
editor later. If you shoot with special effects, youll not be able
to turn the image into a standard colour shot afterwards.45 Go wide
on architectureUse wideangle lenses to capture interesting graphic
shapes. The lines of a churchs interior can look spectacular when
wideangle lenses distort them. Just avoid taking portraits with
them peoples faces will distort in a strange, bulbous way.46 Go
slow indoorsPractice slow-sync ash methods, which can transform
interior shots. The cameras flash will fire to illuminate
foreground subjects and the shutter will stay open longer so that
the backgrounds properly exposed. Rest your camera on a tripod,
though, otherwise youll introduce unwanted motion blur.47 Aim
highWhere possible, try high angles (or low ones) to get shots that
are different from those taken by the rest of the guests. Most
people will shoot from head height, so get on a chair, table or
windowsill to make your compositions stand out from the rest.48 The
best mans speechWatch for reaction from the bride and groom during
the best mans speech. This can be the funniest point in the whole
day, so keep an eye on their faces as he talks. When the inevitable
funny stories start coming out, the couples reactions will be well
worth capturing.49 Use exposure lockMake good use of the cameras
exposure lock yours may have an AE-L button, or it can be locked by
half-depressing the shutter and take spot meter readings from faces
to ensure you get the correct exposure. People are automatically
drawn to faces in a photo, so you dont want them under- or
overexposed50 Use a reflectorTheyre cheap, you can clearly see the
effect and its better than flash. The reector helps to reduce the
harsh shadows caused by strong, directional light, and is essential
when aiming to take flattering portraits.