Tips for Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is the photography of activities relating to weddings. It encompasses photographs of the couple before marriage (for announcements, portraits, displays or thank you cards) as well as coverage of the wedding & reception

1. Have a frank talk with the couple before the marriage day to have a clear understanding of cultural issues/family rituals. Discuss the specific shots with the couple
2. Have clear understanding on what all needs to be included/ engagement events to cover, the format used, number of images, album size, video coverage etc. to avoid last minute confusion. Have written down contract. Identify the family coordinator
3. Visit location at least a day in advance to have clear understanding of location
4. Plan the Wedding Shoot & Create a Shot List in advance & memorize it. Preparation is the key
5. You can use Canon 5D mark 3 Full frame body with lenses like 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon 70-200mm f/2,8, Canon 17-40mm f/4 & Canon 100 mm f/2.8 lens
6. Use shutter speed of 1/250^th of Second. It is sufficient to freeze mild movements
7. Use ISO between 100-200 for quality photography & for low light situation you can bump on to 400
8. Show your confidence & take charge. Feel relax, cool & patient, weddings always run late
9. Wear Comfortable shoes as it involves lot of running around & movements
10. Shoot in RAW mode to capture maximum for post processing table. RAW is cure baby
11. Have one or two sessions with couple with complete dress up, hair styling & make up to do pre wedding shots. Get your ipad, laptop to show some good poses/images
12. Use simple props/accessories such as frames/different dresses/make up kits/hair stylist to capture different moods
13. Go for quick movements & experiment with angles. Don’t miss out on details venue landscape/surroundings. Use your background to your advantage & fill the frame
14. Turn of the sound on your camera
15. Don’t miss out on important relatives/family members/friends during wedding session. Get the names & cell numbers if required. They are important people in planning so engage them
16. Watch out for little, unexpected, pleasant special moments to add value to the shoot
17. For Golden hour moments go for Continuous shoot /burst mode to capture laughter, tears & overall joy
18. Take some sharp & good family group photographs use f/8 & bump on your ISO. Mix it up & make them stress free. Ask them to talk to each other & be casual. Keep the group size between 5-8 as it matters a lot
19. Change the lenses for changed expression; you can even use 200mm Zoom lens to start and give them the space required to get used to camera lens. The shoot is about wedding couple so be invisible/Silent Assassin & throw on longer lens to give them personal space during rituals/ceremony
20. Know your lighting conditions. Make use of light meter to ensure correct exposures & Compensate the white balance
21. Use Strobe frame flash brackets/diffused lights as it helps in controlling shadows
22. Ensure to keep sufficient power back up/batteries / High Speed Memory Cards /Sticky tapes & Extra Camera Body/Step Stool. It gives a peace of mind. Don’t run of juice
23. Ensure to get the Secondary shooter as back up so not to miss out on important moments
24. Use tripod/monopod for greater stability/using slower shutter speed
25. Use framing, shoot through glass in wedding to give super dreamy & romantic look
26. Shoot the wedding partly in Black & White to give a classic look
27. Display your shots during reception to create a positive impact
28. Keep your editing & post processing Simple
29. Secure & keep it safe your costly equipment & gears. Avoid crowds pushing
30. Have fun, be entertainer & enjoy the wedding photography. It is quite rewarding experience