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Wedding photography hints
April 18, 2005 5:40 PM   RSS feed for this thread Subscribe

I'm shooting my sister's wedding. I don't have experience shooting events like this. What should I know about shooting weddings?

I have a pretty grasp of the fundamentals of photography. I'll be shooting with digital and film, and I'll probably be putting up a web site for the event, too. Does anyone with experience shooting weddings have some advice? I'd like to avoid making rookie mistakes if possible, and taking some good pictures would be nice, too. Hints, tips, tricks, and references I can study would all be welcome. This will be a relatively small (< 100 guests) affair. I'm especially interested in pointers for composing, editing and cropping the shots.
posted by mullingitover to sports, hobbies, & recreation (30 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
I'm assuming you are going to be the primary shooter here. If there is a pro hired for the event, the first thing to do is not get in his/her way.

No. 1, get ahold of the program if there is one, and confirm the order of the ceremony with the officiant. Ask which directions/he is going to have them facing during each key point in the ceremony. You need to make a plan and be one step ahead to get into the right shooting position.

A nice first shot is from behind the bride and her escort just after the doors open, then after they are on their way, scurry around an outside aisle (NEVER down the center "virgin road" itself) and from a kneeling position at the front of the aisle, get several close-up and full-length shots of the bride and her escort.
(more later or I'll email you)
posted by planetkyoto at 6:05 PM on April 18, 2005


Also, be sure to check with the officiant to find out if s/he (or the venue) has regulations/guidelines about when in the service flash photographs are permissible and when they are not.
posted by ChrisTN at 6:21 PM on April 18, 2005


I've done this once and here are some pointers I was given by a Pro at the time.

If you are using an external battery powered flash (and you almost have to have any real power) you need to bring a ton of spare batteries). You will want to replace these often to ensure that your cycle time between pictures is short.

A nice that can be had at the beginning of the ceremony is from the back of the church looking down the ailse as the bride and groom face the celebrant. You will want to frame this shot so that foreground is filled with people...you don't want to show a mostly empty building.

I second getting the program and encourage you to attend the rehersal if at all possible. This will give you great ideas on how the action will unfold. Also, this will give you a chance to meet with the priest/rabbi/etc. to make sure you aren't doing anything that they ask you not to. Also, since you are shooting digital, you might get a chance to shoot some test pictures if the lighting conditions will be similiar to what you will face during the ceremony.

Another thing is to ask the bride and groom what types of photos they would like and keep a list that you can easily check. Most people shoot some of the photos before the ceremony, you should too since that cuts down on the time needed after the ceremony.

Extra film/memory. Its not a shame to have leftovers, but its a shame to not take a picture because you ran out of media.
posted by mmascolino at 6:23 PM on April 18, 2005


If you are going to be the sole photographer (no pro) then I would really recommend getting a book written by a pro to peruse prior to the wedding. I was just looking through the photography books at our rather modest library last weekend and I noticed at least four or five books devoted to wedding photography. These guys who do this for a living and can devote the writing time to a whole book rather than on online post will likely have much more for you than we can provide. Good luck. The one tip I can pass on from a wedding photographer friend is to take some shots with the flash out towards the side (you will need a long cord or wireless flash) to light the bride and groom yet keep the background dark (since the flash is not pointing at the background). Also, try to work out a time between the wedding and reception to pose some photos with the bride, groom, wedding party and family, preferably in front of a background cloth or an attractive outside background. You may have to work fast on these important photos so a little practice prior to the event might be in order.
posted by caddis at 6:46 PM on April 18, 2005


The trick with group shots is to "Everybody look over here", then pop a small flash in their face. The cheap 20$ ones work fine, use the test button. Take the real one a second or two later and they all have their eyes open at the same time. Nobody is blinking, because they don't need to, we all just did, thanks. You can catch a group of 20 with their eyes open all at the same time.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 6:55 PM on April 18, 2005


If your sister is getting married in a church or early evening, I would suggest using fast lenses and 400 speed film. Most churches aren't well lit. You can rent lenses in most urban areas and here's a link to my question about film from a few months back that had some good answers.

One more thing that may not be too obvious is to make the bride and groom write up a list of posed pictures with family members, friends, wedding party, etc. You can knock those off fairly quickly if you have a list before hand, calling out who's next in line to take pictures with the bride and groom. And don't be afraid to be a bully (although be respectful and tactful); you're there to get the pictures so tell uncle so and so to put down the beer and move in closer if you have to.
posted by inviolable at 6:59 PM on April 18, 2005


Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm taking detailed notes. I have a Fujifilm S7000 (6MP) which has a hotshoe for an external flash, and storage with a 1GB CF card. It will hold around 200 shots in RAW mode, with a laptop standing by to offload the memory card as needed. The camera uses sets of 4 AA batteries, and I'll have five backup sets ready. I'll also have a couple 35mm SLR cameras with an array of wide and telephoto lenses shooting film. I plan to have about five to ten rolls of film on hand.

I'll be shooting the rehearsal, and I'm considering putting together a storyboard of the event and running it by the bride and groom to get feedback ahead of time. I've also been plundering wedding photographers personal sites for ideas.
posted by mullingitover at 7:06 PM on April 18, 2005


If you're shooting digital then you should buy extra memory cards.

You don't want to be dead in the water if one craps out on you or if you kill it.
posted by bshort at 7:35 PM on April 18, 2005


mullingitover - You sound well prepared. The only other thing I would suggest is another CF card, so that you have no downtime.

I've been the secondary photographer at a few weddings, and I would have missed a number of good shots without a backup card.

The thing people enjoyed the most about my pictures were the candid shots at the reception. Lots of pictures of everything, don't bother telling people to look at the camera. This is after all of the staged shots, of course.

Oh, and bring more batteries.
posted by bh at 7:36 PM on April 18, 2005


I'm assuming you are going to be the primary shooter here.

That's what the second gunman said to Lee Harvey Oswald...

I kid, I kid.

Seriously, bring some nice blur filters and starlight filters if you have access to them. You can't really fake the starlight filters, but a little vaseline around the edge of a clear filter will give you that cheesy "soft" look that's only good for one shot in 10. Don't over-do it. Soft focus (open the lens as wide as it'll go) with nice backgrounds can set the tone too.
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 8:52 PM on April 18, 2005


[paging DaShiv]
posted by scarabic at 9:19 PM on April 18, 2005


0. If you're their only photographer, you're in way, way over your head.

1. 200 photos won't be enough, unless you're very, very good.

2. Angles are your best friend--just tilting the camera slightly adds a dynamic feel to generally boring shots. A lot of brides like standard shots of their shoes or the cake or placesettings or what have you--these are perfect candidates for tilted shots.

3. Get permission to use a flash inside the church. If no-dice, leave the big honking telephoto lens at home (all your shots will just come out blurry). Bring a tripod and a fast lens (f/1.8 should suffice).

4. Have a list of "must-have" shots. Here's a very short one, culled from my larger master list:Then there are the informal pictures (the "photojournalistic" style of wedding photography). This basically boils down to: the bride getting ready with her mom and her bridesmaids, any and all kids acting cute and doing cute kid things, the groom and his buddies goofing around beforehand, the bride tossing the bouquet, and the bride & groom taking off.

This doesn't even touch on artistic expression or style. There are plenty of cliche' shots that could fill a book--just look around the internet and you'll see a bunch. As mentioned already, bring extra memory cards and batteries. You will need them. If you use a flash, bounce it into a diffuser. Don't promise anyone anything. Good luck.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:04 PM on April 18, 2005


First off, lots of great tips above that should be highlighted:


  • The thing people enjoyed the most about my pictures were the candid shots at the reception. Lots of pictures of everything, don't bother telling people to look at the camera. This is after all of the staged shots, of course.


    • A few of my own:



    Good luck!
    posted by DaShiv at 10:18 PM on April 18, 2005 [1 favorite]


    My advice: don't do it. Imagine this: you shoot the wedding, then something hideous happens and you loose the pictures. How is your sister going to feel, and will you ever be able to look her in the eye again?

    I speak from experience: I shot photos at a relatives wedding, and the processors scratched the film. Every picture had a big black line down the middle of it. Sure, they replaced the film and gave me a voucher for free processing the next time, but they couldn't replace the pictures and that's where their liability ended.

    There's a reason that good wedding photographers get paid a lot: they know what do shoot, they have backups of backups and they can shoot quickly and efficiently.

    Seriously: think carefully before you do it. It's great that you want to, but be very careful. Offer to shoot the candid stuff that the pro won't or can't. Offer to design and build the web site for those who can't be there. But don't be the designated photographer unless you are damn sure you know what you are doing...
    posted by baggers at 10:27 PM on April 18, 2005


    Second baggers' caution, from experience. Bluntly: if you're asking those questions, you're making a big mistake, esp. if you have no experience covering less stressful social gatherings. Ask your sister to hire a pro. All the wedding photogs I've met started out assisting established pros. Nobody in their right mind jumps in raw, esp. not for a close relative.
    posted by words1 at 10:43 PM on April 18, 2005



    One of the very best I've seen is Kevin Dunn--unpretentious, unobtrusive, spontaneous, and extremely creative. If you want to see photography that expands your horizons, have a look at his website. He told me he used to shoot weddings with nothing but a tiny Rollei 35, but is now mostly digital. Kevin lives in Penticton, BC, I think, but travels all over North America to shoot. He's tuned to catch those little moments missed by the photographer who's remembering rules.
    posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:30 PM on April 18, 2005


    I've shot a few weddings, for friends and relatives who couldn't or wouldn't afford to hire a pro, despite my efforts to persuade them otherwise. It's a tough gig and I have enormous respect to those who make a living at it. There's plenty of good advice here already, but I have to agree with those that say don't do it.

    Here's just a few of the things a good and experienced pro can offer that you perhaps can't...

    * Efficiency that comes from experience. Getting the 'formal' shots that everyone expects quickly and without fuss. The anticipation to know where to be and when, from having attended hundreds of weddings before. Being so familiar with their equipment that they don't have to think twice about exposure, focus, shutter speed, depth of field, balancing flash and ambient light....
    * Diplomacy, charm and crowd control. Knowing how to get folks into the right position and get their best face. Quickly. Attention to detail so that they spot that stray shirt tail, skewed collar, wonky tie, stray food on someone's chin...
    * Professional lighting equipment, especially for flattering fill-flash, and the experience to know how to use it well. Expensive fast lenses for decent quality images even in low light and when flash isn't appropriate or possible.
    * Liability and business insurance for when the lab screws up, the dog swallows a CF card or grandma breaks a hip from tripping over a tripod.
    * A practiced workflow for rapid delivery of decent quality prints of all sizes to all that want them and already nicely bound in an album, if that's a requirement. May have an established web based presentation and ordering system.
    * The security and reassurance of an individual style of pictures that's illustrated by a portfolio of previous work, so you know what you're likely to get in advance.
    * Objectivity and third-party professionalism, so that if things go wrong they're only losing a customer, not starting a family feud or disappointing a close friend.

    Having said all that, assuming you're not a complete novice behind a camera, and supplementary to everyone's good advice above...

    * Keep it simple. One camera. One lens. One flash exposure setting. The setup you're most familiar with. Try to get the technicalities out of the front of your mind so that you can concentrate on what's happening, where you need to be and timing your shots.
    * Film or memory cards are cheap, so shoot loads. Try to get lots of shots one after another. People often relax immediately after they hear the camera shutter or see the flash, so they often look much better in the second shot.
    * A bag with backup camera, flash, lenses, film/cards, batteries... Something is guaranteed to be dropped, break, be sat on or have booze spilled on it unless you have backups at the ready.
    * A good night's sleep the night before and a good breakfast. You're going to be on your feet and concentrating hard for several hours. You'll not have time to sit down or eat once things get underway. Avoid too much coffee (shaky hands) and no alcohol.
    * Try to recruit an assistant you can trust and who knows who's who. Really valuable for rounding folks up for the 'formals', keeping you informed about what's happening elsewhere.
    * Don't mix film and digital, decide on one or the other. It's yet another thing to have to think about during the event and mixing will make your post-event workflow a major hassle.
    * Any exposed film or memory cards stay on your person at all times.
    * Remember that once the pictures are taken, your work has just begun. You've got editing, scanning (perhaps), presenting proofs, printing and keeping track of who wants what and getting it to them to look forward to. When I've shot weddings for free, I usually avoid the fulfillment grief by handing the exposed film to the happy couple to let them deal with it.
    posted by normy at 12:07 AM on April 19, 2005


    Don't forget to get the bride at the window cliche shots. Cliche they may be, but they are often the most beautiful, and she may never look better for the rest of her life and it's your responsibility to capture it.

    Just a few days ago, Saturday it was, I was doing a wedding and the bride had an Auntie Shutterbug making a nuisance of herself, going right up behind the couple and blocking everyone's view, despite there being two professional photographers on hand. That's so commonplace I wouldn't even mention it except that her battery died and she dispatched a hotel staffer to the gift shop for a replacement, used her pocket digicam for a while, then when he returned she took the battery and sorted her change right there in the middle of the aisle as two not insignificant people nearby pledged their eternal love. That's probably good enough for my top 10 wedding incidents list.
    posted by planetkyoto at 2:25 AM on April 19, 2005


    Some more tips that might help:
    1. Try and shoot the formals before the ceremony. A lot of b&g's are superstitious about seeing each other before they're married, but it will give you some (slight) breathing room if you don't have to worry about the stock shots. Plus, they'll look better before the ceremony (when they're makeup is fresh, without tears, sweat, etc.) than after. If you can't get them to go along with it, at least try and do the separate bride & groom standards (bride & mom, bride & dad, bride & mom & dad, bride & bridesmaids, bride & maid of honor, + all groom versions).

    2. (Previously alluded to) Find a papasan or mamasan. In any family, there's usually one or two members that command authority--everyone seems to listen to them. Your job is to find out who this is and make friends with them. It's a hell of a lot easier to have Uncle Joe yelling for everyone to get together for a group shot than for you to do it.

    3. Churches suck up light. Really, they're like a black hole. For the (quintessential) shot of the bride and her father walking down the aisle, you have to be careful when shooting the pair because the difference between outside the church doors and inside the church is enough to trick most camera meters. What will probably happen is that you'll be facing them as they open the doors and are walking in--your camera will be pointed to the door (which will be very bright) but once they're through those doors, all that light hits their back. If you expose for the bright light, they're going to be sillouetted. This isn't necessarily bad if you're going for that "look"--but frankly it's a wasted moment if you don't capture a shot of dad's face.

    4. Artsy shots are all well and good (like the one hotlinked above) but get the standard shots out of the way first before turning all Man Ray on them. If a wedding photog handed his clients that shot above, but missed a shot of bride & mom, they're going to be pissed. Is it a pretty shot? Sure, but that could be any couple. People like faces. Capitalize on this (preferably later in the reception when everyone's more... loose.)

    5. On that note, I want to second the recommendation that you stay as far away from the bar as possible. Nothing good will come of it.

    6. Finally, in case this hasn't been brought home by the constant chorus of posters: bring a fast lens. Buy one if you don't already have one. A 50mm f/1.8 can be had for less than a hundred bucks for just about any camera mount. If you bring a 300mm f/5.6 but don't have at least a 50mm f/1.8, you're going to wedding photographer hell.

    posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:29 AM on April 19, 2005


    Oh, and notice something about that Kevin Dunn shot above? It's ANGLED. Like I said, tilted shots are your friend. Just don't over-do it.
    posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:36 AM on April 19, 2005


    DON'T shoot with equipment/media/techniques you aren't familiar with. Don't take a recommendation to use a new film, lense, etc. from this list or a book, and then not have experience before the big day.

    Think about how much film you want to shoot, and then bring double or triple that. Really.

    I hate to be another sourpuss, but if you weren't asked to shoot based on similar work, you might be putting yourself in a bad spot.
    posted by Jack Karaoke at 6:50 AM on April 19, 2005


    Take a mix of horizontal and vertical shots. The bride and groom will receive beautiful expensive picture frames that will only orient one way, and if all the shots are longer than they are tall, that tall frame will go to waste.
    posted by rainbaby at 7:31 AM on April 19, 2005


    Imagine this: you shoot the wedding, then something hideous happens and you loose the pictures. How is your sister going to feel, and will you ever be able to look her in the eye again?

    I shot pictures for my dad's wedding. The next day my house was broken into and my camera bag stolen with all the exposed film in it. I'll never know how well or poorly I did, because now there is no photographic evidence of their wedding. This was disappointing, and I've forever felt guilty but in our case there is no hard feelings. Consider if the same would apply in your case. Remember to guard your memory cards and film with your life!
    posted by raedyn at 7:34 AM on April 19, 2005


    I have to chime in with the crew that says to think twice about even shooting it. Not only are you risking bad results, but you are guaranteed to miss most of the fun stuff in the wedding. My friend shot his cousin's wedding last weekend and said that:

    "It would be stupid to ever ask anyone you knew to go through that if you really wanted them to enjoy the wedding."

    It is not just work, but stress, and you are working on a fixed time budget with people who want nice pictures, but don't want to spend the time to pose for them. Be prepared to boss your sister around, I hope that she is willing to take direction from you on her wedding day.

    That being said, there is a lot of good advice in this thread.
    posted by jonah at 9:04 AM on April 19, 2005


    Oh, good lord. You've gotten some great advice here, not the least being from those who have told you to not do this as the only photog. But if you really have to, here's just a few other things:

    1) Buy pro film--Fuji NPS/NPH or the Kodak Portra line. ALWAYS have some rolls that are faster than you think you'll need (i.e. 400 and 800 ASA), because even if you do scope out the venue first (which you MUST), you can never tell how much light you'll lose due to a cloud, time of day, people moving faster than you expected, etc. Faster film also is kinder to your battery power (if you don't have a rechargable external battery unit, like a quantum--this is NOT optional for weddings with any sort of interior settings--a used Quantum 1 will run you $100 or less, or you can rent something nicer).
    2) Speaking of renting, you need to buy or rent the strongest flash you can afford, and then practice "bouncing" it when appropriate (photo.net has archives that are invaluable--search under 'wedding', 'group shots', 'candids', etc.).
    3) Speaking of practice, please PLEASE do some dry runs of CANDID event photography at least twice before the wedding. This is the only way to anticipate/learn about/troubleshoot the fine art of unposed photography (it will also raise your ratio of usable-to-crap final images). It can be anything from being a secondary photog (staying out of the pro's way) at a different wedding to small parties with friends. Get over any feelings of self-consciousness; most people will be tickled to have you show up at their little party or whatever with your gear to "practice", you'll get some great stuff of your friends, and people who are uncomfortable? You need to learn how to get good candids photos of them too, because they represent probably a quarter or third of the camera-spooked people you'll have to spot and shoot like a wildlife photographer at the actual event.
    4) Finally, as someone who has done this for loved ones as well as strangers, please realize that you can do a great job of "working" an event as the photographer, or you can do a great job of enjoying yourself and being present as a guest. You can't do both. It's a labor of love, but realize the trade-off.

    Feel free to contact me with any other questions, but again, photo.net--if you haven't already been through the archives--is a great place to start, and to ask your own questions.
    posted by availablelight at 9:36 AM on April 19, 2005


    Purchase fifty disposable cameras and distribute them amongst the guests.
    posted by five fresh fish at 10:22 AM on April 19, 2005


    I would be wary about being the sole photographer. I was asked to shoot a friend's wedding once and I balked at the idea. She eventually hired someone and I was the secondary/candid photographer which made me feel much better (although I was still stressed).

    But I understand that not everyone has the Big Wedding Budget.

    My only suggestion would be (like someone said above) to just pick one - film or digital. If this is your first wedding, you will be overwhelmed. The simpler you can keep things, the better. I would personally ditch the film and use that money to load up on batteries and memory cards.

    Good luck mullingitover! Try and enjoy yourself too if you can. :)
    posted by mileena at 10:28 AM on April 19, 2005


    I didn't see this one mentioned above, but I may have missed it.

    * Consider taking the formal shots prior to the ceremony. That's what my fiancee plan to do and what my friend did when I was best man. It's not uncommon and allows for more mingling between ceremony and meal instead of wisking the bridal party away for an hour or so during the party.

    If the bride and groom don't want to see each other, consider doing each side of the wedding party before the ceremony.
    posted by jonah at 11:53 AM on April 19, 2005


    There's lots of great advice in this thread. Thanks to everyone who gave their input.

    I'm probably going to put together wedding albums to give out to the families and the happy couple, and putting the photos online for easy ordering of prints. Any advice on composing an album, and any recommendations for photo printing sites? I'm currently checking out yahoo photos and ofoto.
    posted by mullingitover at 2:39 PM on April 19, 2005


    For good looking, wedding quality pictures I would avoid online printers and go to an actual photo lab, they do color calibrating and you can check the print qaulity before printing the batch.

    This is really generous of you, you are taking on a ton of work!
    posted by jonah at 12:12 PM on April 20, 2005


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