Put Your Skills into Motion, Be Wedding Photography Maestro!

“Hey, I just landed my first gig as a wedding photographer! I want it to be perfect. I’m nervous. Please! Help me!”

Every budding photographer goes through such emotions. Feeling of happiness, pride, sense of achievement, and perhaps fear too, that you might mess it up. Getting the first gig in your field of passion is unexplainable. Believe me! I’ve been there because I’m a photographer myself, and I will guide you from my experience. Everyone has that fear of messing up when it’s the first time. No exception in any field! Trust your skills and get some last-minute tips from someone who has been there. With the skillset that you have, you will be able to solve every problem that may arise. Here in this article, I will give you some tips that will make your work easier, and your skills will take care of the rest. We believe in you.

The news of landing the first wedding shoot will make you fly high. The grasp on your gear will decide how well you can satisfy the client from the shoot. The first thing to consider is how calm and confident are you when you shoot such a big event. Let’s get on with a mission to make your wedding photography project a huge success.

“Prepare for the Chaos!”

When you get your first project or any project for that matter, make sure everything is legalized so that both parties (you and your client) are tension-free. Signing a contract is a must when there is money involved. When your client signs the contract, it means that they know what kind of services they will get and what will be the time duration for your services to them. A contract will keep you safe from any adverse situation that might occur. It is the most crucial step as a photographer who has a client. Now that you and your clients have signed the contract, you can focus on preparing for the wedding shoot.

Preparation Before the Shoot

Preparing before the big day is a good option to consider if you want amazing results. As I told you before, a written agreement will always be helpful. So, always keep that ready. Along with that, keep a Model Release ready too. It will allow you to use the photos for professional purposes.

Take time out and spend some time with your clients to know them better. Usually, the bride and groom get conscious of a new person taking their pictures.  No matter how photogenic they are, you might not catch their natural expressions. Spend time with them to talk about the story that has glued them together. Ask about their love story. You might get a few ideas about how to click them. After that, when you’ll click them, they will feel comfortable having you around and clicking them. So, know your clients before you click them, and you will capture some amazing memories at the event.

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After your time with your clients, it’s time for you to check your equipment. Be sure that every piece of your gear is working properly and will not fail at the venue. It is a nightmare when you shoot, and your camera will shut down. Any wedding photographer will sweat with the thought of it. Make sure you have multiple gears ready to work for you. Try carrying more things than usual. Two camera bodies, flashes, and many other gears are needed. In case one fails, you can use another one to carry on with your work.

Keep Shot List Ready

Sometimes couples might not give the exact pose they want but ask you later. To save that argument, ask the couple about the shots they would want you to take ahead of the event. In this way, you will be able to curate a list and strike off as the event progresses. This way, you will gain the trust of your clients, and they might recommend you to their friends. That is just the wedding business. Your smart work will get you, new clients. This shot listing works best when you don’t want to miss the photo of the couple with family members. It would be worse if you missed out on old grandma from family photos.

Location Scouting Is a Must!

Scouting the location where the wedding will take place is a must for every aspiring photographer. What if you get involved in a wedding place that you miss some serene places around the venue? You will regret not using the place and get beautiful shots of the couple. To save yourself from this, scout the location beforehand and decide at what places you will shoot when the big day arrives. I have learned this the hard way, and I don’t want my readers to go through the same. Suppose there’s a beautiful tree or a pond right behind the venue, and you don’t know about it. Just imagine how beautiful images you could have taken there. Scouting the location would have made it easy for you to decide the shots you might want to take. Making the best use of the place must be among the skillset of a wedding photographer.

Prepare For The Unexpected!

No matter how well you have read the location or people, things will take a sharp turn for sure. Preparation is the key, and you have to be prepared. Always have a backup plan ready for certain situations like bad weather. Keep extra batteries, all charged. Your memory cards must be blank. Try carrying small cards rather than big ones. You will not get time to transfer data to your PC. Multiple small memory cards will save your time. Also, an itinerary of the day will come in handy when planning the day. All these things will make you stronger to face the day.

No Camera Sounds, please!

Budding wedding photographers tend to make this mistake very often. They go on clicking the photos, but they forget to turn off the camera sound. Beeping sound from the camera while taking vows, the kiss, and speeches just kill the actual vibe of the wedding. Wedding photography is all about capturing the candid moments that are enticing. With the camera sound, those candid moments lose their naturality. No one likes smiling at a camera, and it goes beep. During candid shots, the audience will be distracted if they hear your camera making sounds. The dance performance by bride and groom will lose touch every time your camera clicking them goes off. So, it is better your turn off your camera sounds.

Focus On Small Details, Capture Them

Photographing wide shots at a wedding is favorable, but if you want to stand out, you have to get close to certain small things that hold more value. Sometimes an emotion or a moment can be found in a small frame rather than the whole wedding venue. Suppose the newlywed couple is dancing on the floor. Their photograph of dancing together will be always a great moment captured. When you capture the hands of the same couple dancing, it brings the feeling of intimacy and connection among the souls. These photographs will make your client refer you to others and make you a successful wedding photographer. Photographing ring exchange up close in the ring ceremony is an amazing detail to be captured. Use your photographic eye to capture such small details.

Two cameras! Always!

Beg, borrow, steal or hire, doesn’t matter how you get it but get an extra camera with yourself, as told earlier. Use two different lenses on each camera. One can be a wide-angle lens for full coverage and candid shots. Another one can be a telephoto lens that you can use for shots where you can’t get closer or need a tight composition. It is usually recommended to have a 70-200mm lens with you.

Bring Help Along with You

An assistant or a second wedding photographer can be a masterstroke for your first project. With extra help, you can easily move around and worry less about capturing each shot. Your stress will be reduced significantly, and you won’t be bothered by everyone for the photos.

Diffused Lights, please!

No one wants to be a deer in the headlights when your camera flash goes off. That sharp light might ruin the vibe and mood of the guests. Moreover, a direct flashlight will ruin your photos as they will become flat and without any highlights. Being a photographer, you know that lighting inside many churches is not that good. You can’t get the right photo without an ample amount of light. To counter that, you need to bounce the flash. It will help you adequately light the venue, and you can get the photos as desired.

Capturing Children and Old People

In the events, children and old people often leave the party early because they get tired and bored. Be sure to capture them as soon as you can, or else you will be blamed for not having photos of them in the album. Capturing them will give you an image of a family-friendly person.

Frame The Couple Use People and Things

Photographing the bride and groom through people gives you an amazing perspective that can make a photo memorable. Using the guests as a foreground can make a creative shot. It will show how guests look at the couple during the wedding. You can click the picture of the mother wiping her tears while keeping the couple in the foreground and vice versa.

Related: 5 Ways To Earn Money As A Freelance Photographer

Conclusion

Wedding photography isn’t a child’s play. A lot of effort goes in for capturing that one moment for which your client will pay for you. Now that you have landed your first wedding photoshoot, I congratulate you on starting your career as a photographer. We wish this photoshoot reels more clients and you be the best wedding photographer on the turf.