Essential Guide to Wedding Photography
Professional wedding photographers can charge a small fortune for what on the surface appears to be just a few hours work.
However, they spend many more hours working on a wedding than most amateurs can afford to. A lot of preparation goes into wedding photography, and many hours afterwards editing images so that each photograph is perfect.
Most photographers, at some point in their life, are asked to photograph a wedding, be it as the main photographer or merely to document the day�s events.
The task can seem a bit daunting at first, but even if you are not a professional photographer, there is no reason why your images can�t be as good as a pro�s.
However, there are certain pitfalls and tricky areas that professionals have spent much of their careers learning and avoiding.
By following our guide to avoiding the pitfalls of wedding photography, you will be able to take top-class wedding pictures whenever the bride and groom make that request.
Essential Guide to Wedding Photography � Planning
The quickest way to turn a couple�s special day into an unmitigated disaster is to show up without a plan. Like it or not, if you want to photograph a wedding you need to invest a lot of time into planning the day. Here are the main things to think about.
Wedding Photography Planning � The Agreement
Just saying yes to bringing your camera along to a friend�s wedding is one thing, but if they are relying on you for the main photos it�s probably best to draw up something a bit more formal. This doesn�t have to be a long legal agreement; it can be a simple letter declaring that you agree to take the photos.
Of course, if you are looking to do this professionally, you will want to draw up terms and conditions, a formal contract, etc.
Wedding Photography Planning � Money
Unless you are taking photos for a family member or a close friend, there may be talk of payment involved for your time and photos.
If you�re not sure how much to ask for, consider the costs you�ll likely incur � your travel and any accommodation to consider, plus your working time, not just on the day but for the planning and, more important, the collating and editing time after. You might want to check out what �the competition� are charging as a starting point.
Also remember that any money you earn will need to be declared to the taxman and you may need to pay tax on this earning.
Wedding Photography Planning � Insurance
There are two parts to this: first, camera insurance is a very good idea, as dropping, damaging or having equipment stolen can prove expensive � especially if it�s just before your shoot; and second, if you�re working as a photographer you should have some sort of public liability insurance.
Many people presume their camera will be covered on home insurance but if you use it to earn money, the chances are it isn�t. Amateur Photographer offers its own insurance service, which you can find at www.amateurphotographerinsurance.co.uk.
Wedding Photography Planning � Type of Shots and Style
Before you jump straight into the job in hand, you need to consider the look and style of the images both you and the couple are after. Take a look at as many wedding photography books and websites as possible to get a feel of the type of shots you like and ones you feel are achievable.
Wedding Photography Planning � Locations
Do some research into where you will be taking the photos and try to visit them to have a look around beforehand. This will give you a chance to work out the best places to take group or more intimate shots.
Trevor Yerbury on� Location Preparation
We asked Trevor Yerbury for a few tips on checking out the location for a wedding shoot. Here are his thoughts:
�Personally we never scout any locations. Why? Well, first it will never be the same on the day of the wedding: the light will be different, backgrounds may have changed (scaffolding just erected, etc) and we believe it adds to the creative spirit if you have to think on your feet and seek out the locations that will work for that bride and groom on that particular day and all that it brings.�
�One thing we do ask is: �Are there any surprises planned for the day?� It may seem obvious but brides can neglect to tell you what they have up their sleeves in the way of surprises, anything from arriving on horseback to a flight of doves or firework displays.�
�One way to make sure you have an image of everybody is to set up a small studio somewhere at the reception and do a portrait session of every guest. However, this is only suitable for smaller weddings as the numbers and logistics can become overwhelming.�
�In the past we have had brides arrive for their interview with a folder stuffed full of the wedding details including a fully detailed itinerary of the day, in some cases down to five-minute time frames. We know, as will any wedding photographer who has covered a few weddings, that the likelihood of this schedule running to plan are so remote that it will never happen.�
Trevor and his wife Faye have been a professional photography duo for many years now. See their website for more.
Wedding Photography Planning � Shot List
Even if you are given a vague brief to just take pictures of everyone there, the couple will have at least some idea of specific images they want.
Work with them to create a shot list of the main events they want images of, plus the formal shots. This will make life much easier on the day and will allow you to tick them off as you�ve done them.
Wedding Photography Planning � Weather
If your wedding is based in the UK it�s best to anticipate bad weather. That way, anything else is a blessing. Have a plan for alternative locations under cover, should it start to rain, or bring some nice umbrellas with you that will go with the shot.
If you plan to shoot inside, bring a studio light and stand to brighten things up.
Wedding Photography Planning � Back-up Plan
The chances are that if there is one day when your memory card corrupts or your shutter jams, it will be on the day of the wedding. So, rather than leave anything to chance, plan to take a second camera body, and back up your files as you go, with a storage device.
The same goes for batteries � some DSLR batteries may only be good for 300 shots and you may be looking to take at least double that, so carry a spare.
Wedding Photography Planning � Schedule
No matter how big or small the wedding, there will be some form of schedule kicking around for the day�s events. Try to get hold of this in advance so you can plan where you need to be and when. Things rarely stick to the schedule but at least you�ll be able to stay one step ahead, rather than dashing between events.
Wedding Photography Planning � Pre shoot
Before the big day it is common to arrange for a pre-wedding shoot, to get the couple used to the photographer, and to some poses together.
This can take place in a studio, outdoors or even in the couple�s home and though it is primarily a getting to know each other session, can sometimes produce some great shots.
Wedding Photography Planning � Payment
Although you may not be the official wedding photographer, the happy couple may still offer you a small payment, or at least cover your expenses. Many unofficial wedding photographers offer to take the images as their gift to the bride and groom.
Whatever you have decided, it is best to make sure that all the necessary arrangements are sorted out with the couple beforehand. This ensures that everyone knows exactly what the deal is and avoids any unnecessary problems and confusion after the event.
Wedding Photography Planning � If the Worst Should Happen
To be clear � if you are the official photographer for a wedding then you need to turn up, come hell, high water or the M25.
If, however, a genuine emergency means that you categorically cannot make it, then it is still your responsibility to have arranged cover, i.e. another photographer who can photograph the day at short notice.
This is where a mutual arrangement with another wedding photographer to cover each other�s jobs in event of a true catastrophe can be beneficial, though of course you will have to notify your partner of dates in plenty of time so they can ensure they are free.
They are making several good pointers on the subject of Wedding Photographer Lake Macquarie as a whole in this content down below.
Wedding celebration Digital photography is fairly an integral part of a Wedding event and also particularly for a Reception, it is one of the most essential as well as essential element. The Wedding event Professional photographer must get it ideal as well as do it to excellence. At the very least they are well-appointed with what to take and also not just what to take. We need to recognize that in this complex age of wedding photography, also if you know the basics of digital photography, you need a professional in the field.
Your wedding photographer ought to be fluent in all the technicalities of the digital photography. The things that you and your visitors should seek in the photograph can be talked about in advance. These are a few pointers that need to be reviewed: - what sort of cam you are using, to which one - is it high or low light, and so on. In selecting the sort of lens, you can also go over concerning the kinds of filters and what type of film you wish to utilize. All these points can be reviewed as the wedding celebration pair would not be educated ahead of time so if there are any type of troubles, they might raise throughout the shoot.
It is additionally needed to provide priority to the place of the function location. If you want a daytime wedding celebration after that it can be best to choose an area that is not also loud. If you will have an exterior function the optimal place would certainly be the yard, where there would certainly suffice shade from the sun and also the natural light. Also the place needs to not be really crowded. But naturally, you do not want to select a wedding celebration place where you and your visitors would not fit. This can be a real trouble for your digital photographer.
It is additionally necessary to ask the professional photographer concerning the moment of the shoot, the approximate variety of shots, as well as the amount of charges depending upon the amount of shots, as well as various other information such as precise date and also place of the wedding celebration. One have to bear in mind that the prices of the Wedding celebration Photographer can likewise vary substantially. Some websites that focus on pricing a wedding can givegood info concerning the prices of a Wedding event Professional photographer.
So in fact, you do not need to fret whatsoever when it involves Wedding Digital photography. Right here are some other points that you need to consider:
You need to make an appointment with the wedding photographer prior to the big day itself. This is to determine the accessibility of both the wedding event photographer and also the receptionist. It is not required to make an appointment in any way time yet at least a consultation can be made and also you would wish to make sure whether you would certainly like the digital photography.
As soon as you have actually made an appointment with the photographer, you can schedule a consultation session with the photographer to establish whether you would like to go on with the wedding celebration pictures. Depending upon the result of the consultation session, you would make the final decision about the real company website photographs. As quickly as the session is over, you can choose whether you want to go on with the Photographer or not.
Nowadays, the usual individuals do not have much time to invest in considering wedding celebration pictures. Hence, they click for more info want to do their wedding today and are in no chance planned for the entire thing.
So, the really first and also the most crucial points that you require to consider is the availability of the Digital photography. When it pertains to rates, you require to consider the services and also the type of the Photography you are going to get and also the amount of money you are paying the Professional photographer.
If you are doing a wedding celebration and also the spending plan enables, you can constantly outsource the Wedding event Digital photography to another person, in order to save some cash. Nevertheless, this would just be in case the photos are not well-planned and also you and your family members are not well-prepared to take the photos. Likewise, the quality of the shots can not be ensured, if you outsource the digital photography.
Twedding photographer Nowadays, you can discover great deals of on-line wedding digital photographers that can supply the most effective wedding celebration photos at affordable rates. You might inspect these websites: Blog sites with Wedding find out here Event Photographers, Photographers Direct, Photographers Direct, Photographers International, etc.
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