Wedding tips...

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Found this article very interesting as well as a few others dotted around the interwebz. Got me thinking about what wedding photographers on here would say is their best tip to amateurs who intend to shoot weddings???

annnnnnd go! :)
 
My tip would be:
If you are going to ask for wedding advice on here buy a good flame-proof suit !
;) :exit:
 
GHP said:
My tip would be:
If you are going to ask for wedding advice on here buy a good flame-proof suit !
;) :exit:
Click to expand...

True. But it would be lovely for a discussion to started on this forum that wasn't just an excuse for pros to bash amateurs and trolls to wind up pros. I'm not saying 'teach me to be a wedding photographer in a forum', I'm interested in the photographers own experiences and their own take on the work at hand. It's a forum, not a life coach! (Not for me anyways...)



And as a side note, I have a serious heart issue and have actually suffered a heart attack at an early age, people posting in forums doesn't scare me too much ;)
 
I absolutely agree Kris.
There are some amazing, helpful, informative posts on here, and I have certainly picked up a lot of good info and tips.
It would be nice to see a wedding advice post not end up going down the tube, like so many others.
Lets hope, eh?
 
GHP said:
I absolutely agree Kris.
There are some amazing, helpful, informative posts on here, and I have certainly picked up a lot of good info and tips.
It would be nice to see a wedding advice post not end up going down the tube, like so many others.
Lets hope, eh?
Click to expand...

It would be lovely...:bat:
 
From my differing experiences:-

Your first wedding is a gut churning experience of nerves and worry. Once your over that hump you can see where you stand and if you are happy with your pics. If you are very happy with the pics you are either David bailey or arent striving to imrpove and it may not be the job for you.

From advice on here i gathered before my first wedding, I scoped the venue out beforehand, met the couple, got used to my gear, checked the weather, brought lots of spare umbrellas, bought lots of spare batteries, mem cards etc.

Afterwards i thought i done 'ok'. Put some pics up here and i realised they were, well, not very high quality (i was going to say **** but some were nice lol).

Back to the drawing board. I have now started structuring my day. Im not there just to snap away, its esentially a long drawn out photo shoot over multiple locations.
I start planning shots to get in the brides house, then the church, pics of the groom etc, service, then after it we have confetti shots, crowd shots, bridal party then im starting to get more top heavy with the couple portraits. Ive shamelessly stolen lots of poses and ideas of this website and the welath of brilliant togs that post here. I have lots of poses printed on sheets to try and work through with the couple as a starting point. You will then get some 'of the cuff' poses and ideas about the location and gauging the mood of the couple. your then onto the reception to get detail shots, cake etc and speeches and first dance. Now im starting to realise the limits of my gear and my wife is going to kill me if I order a full frame camera and 70-200mm F2.8 with VR :D

The scouts got it right "Be prepared"
 
I did my first wedding last year for friends. I came on here looking for advice, being very honest about my level and kit and willing to listen to others more experienced.

I didn't get flamed - instead I got useful advice and followed it. So not every 'I'm doing my first wedding' thread degenerates...

I went to the venues (church and reception) and took test shots (I went to the rehearsal in the church which also meant I could talk to the minister about what photography she allowed - very little but the couple had already told me about that and were happy with it), I borrowed a spare body, got an extra flash, a new lens (Tamron 17-50 after advice on here), borrowed some other lenses (an UWA and 85mm) and brought a friend along to assist (who also knew the couple a bit). I had plenty of cards, batteries etc and quite a detailed shot list (on which I had what I would be shooting and what lens I planned on using and what my assistant would be doing). I had extra copies of this for the best man and others to help organise the group shots.

I was very nervous but I ended up enjoying the day and decided I'd be open to doing more. So I spent 6 months or so on developing people photography skills, in studio and at events. I then upgraded my kit (D700 & 24-70), took out PL and PI insurance, went on Dave's course, and did a couple more weddings as a second shooter as preparation for starting to do them by myself.

There is a lot of exciting and inspiring wedding photography posted here and I hope I'm learning from viewing those thread and blogs as I continue to try to learn more and become better.
 
ShoeQueen said:
I did my first wedding last year for friends. I came on here looking for advice, being very honest about my level and kit and willing to listen to others more experienced.

I didn't get flamed - instead I got useful advice and followed it. So not every 'I'm doing my first wedding' thread degenerates...

I went to the venues (church and reception) and took test shots (I went to the rehearsal in the church which also meant I could talk to the minister about what photography she allowed - very little but the couple had already told me about that and were happy with it), I borrowed a spare body, got an extra flash, a new lens (Tamron 17-50 after advice on here), borrowed some other lenses (an UWA and 85mm) and brought a friend along to assist (who also knew the couple a bit). I had plenty of cards, batteries etc and quite a detailed shot list (on which I had what I would be shooting and what lens I planned on using and what my assistant would be doing). I had extra copies of this for the best man and others to help organise the group shots.

I was very nervous but I ended up enjoying the day and decided I'd be open to doing more. So I spent 6 months or so on developing people photography skills, in studio and at events. I then upgraded my kit (D700 & 24-70), took out PL and PI insurance, went on Dave's course, and did a couple more weddings as a second shooter as preparation for starting to do them by myself.

There is a lot of exciting and inspiring wedding photography posted here and I hope I'm learning from viewing those thread and blogs as I continue to try to learn more and become better.
Click to expand...

Great post thanks!
 
Bhoy_Whunder said:
From my differing experiences:-

Your first wedding is a gut churning experience of nerves and worry. Once your over that hump you can see where you stand and if you are happy with your pics. If you are very happy with the pics you are either David bailey or arent striving to imrpove and it may not be the job for you.

From advice on here i gathered before my first wedding, I scoped the venue out beforehand, met the couple, got used to my gear, checked the weather, brought lots of spare umbrellas, bought lots of spare batteries, mem cards etc.

Afterwards i thought i done 'ok'. Put some pics up here and i realised they were, well, not very high quality (i was going to say **** but some were nice lol).

Back to the drawing board. I have now started structuring my day. Im not there just to snap away, its esentially a long drawn out photo shoot over multiple locations.
I start planning shots to get in the brides house, then the church, pics of the groom etc, service, then after it we have confetti shots, crowd shots, bridal party then im starting to get more top heavy with the couple portraits. Ive shamelessly stolen lots of poses and ideas of this website and the welath of brilliant togs that post here. I have lots of poses printed on sheets to try and work through with the couple as a starting point. You will then get some 'of the cuff' poses and ideas about the location and gauging the mood of the couple. your then onto the reception to get detail shots, cake etc and speeches and first dance. Now im starting to realise the limits of my gear and my wife is going to kill me if I order a full frame camera and 70-200mm F2.8 with VR :D

The scouts got it right "Be prepared"
Click to expand...

Really detailed! Much appreciated. :)
 
I think my tips would definitely be to recce the venue(s) with good & bad weather in mind, have a plan of what you are going to shoot and on the actual day stick with what you know - its not the time for trying new things - and also use the voice you have, if you're not in control of the group shots they won't get done
 
This is an interesting thread.

There's lots of good tips on here from wedding photographers. Its nice to be able to hear how photographers go about their business, the tools they use and the suppliers etc. Album printing is a subject much discussed on here and I am particularly interested to learn from other photographers experience.

I personally believe that the most important thing is to understand and be good at the fundamentals of photography ie exposure, focus, composition etc, and additionally people skills.

Your first wedding shoot is always going to be a very stressful occasion but my tip is learn from your experience. Each subsequent wedding will get a little bit less stressful.
I've been doing some wedding photography on a small basis for a number of years. It has never been my main profession but as a "competent" amateur photographer (of many years) I have always felt that I am more than capable of giving a client an excellent value for money product. In terms of the the images, the difference between mine and a "professional's" is, in the end going to be subjective, but the difference in the business model, is major - a professional has to put food on the table for themselves and their family, fortunately it's not the same for me.:)

I think wedding photography is no different to most other trades/professions - anyone starting out with their own business will start small, build a reputation and slowly grow. This will enable them to increase their rates, win bigger jobs, charge more etc, etc.

Personally, I do think it's important to know your limitations and find your own niche in the market place. I'm never ever going to be a " Yervant " in the wedding photography world but wedding photography can certainly provide a useful income.
I don't think its an easy profession to succeed in but (much to the annoyance of the professionals) there is a place in the market for the amateur wedding photographer.
 
I did similar to Lynn, made sure I was a competent portrait photographer before considering weddings. I assisted at a number of weddings this year which really helped me learn the structure & flow of the day and I learned plenty of quick & easy poses that look great. Definitely recce the church/venue if you can & get to the rehearsal if they are having one and try and be prepared for anything, especially weather wise.

I've shot 2 solo weddings this year, both for family which in a way almost made it more nerve wracking, lol! I found it easier to start with the non people shots...rings, flowers, order of service etc, the nerves tend to dissipate after the first few shutter clicks.
 
Seniorshot said:
I've been doing some wedding photography on a small basis for a number of years. It has never been my main profession but as a "competent" amateur photographer (of many years) I have always felt that I am more than capable of giving a client an excellent value for money product. In terms of the the images, the difference between mine and a "professional's" is, in the end going to be subjective, but the difference in the business model, is major - a professional has to put food on the table for themselves and their family, fortunately it's not the same for me.:)
Click to expand...
But even if you're only doing it occasionally - if you're charging any money at all then you still have some of the same costs in terms of decent kit, insurance, time preparing records for HMRC, sorting out contracts etc. The difference being that you will have another income to fall back on.

If someone is charging for wedding photography - are they an 'amateur'? If they're not charging then its likely they are doing a one off as a gift to friends (how I got started).

So in that scenario - another tip is to be firm with your friends - they might not take you seriously as 'the photographer' and you have to make it clear that you can't stand around and chat or you will miss getting the shots you need. Usually if you're doing a friend's wedding you'll be there all day and evening so you can relax and go into party mode with the other guests later on in the evening.

Doing a wedding for family, esp close family, is different again and you have to ask yourself do you really want to spend the day behind a camera or do you want to be able to relax and be part of everything.
 
ShoeQueen said:
Doing a wedding for family, esp close family, is different again and you have to ask yourself do you really want to spend the day behind a camera or do you want to be able to relax and be part of everything.
Click to expand...

Agree with this, I learned it is not really possible to be a guest and a photographer! Thankfully, my weddings were for family I haven't seen in 20+ years and I was photographer 1st, guest second. Even though they were family, I still charged them more than some thought I would (more than the tog that had let them down was charging), but I had to cover my costs etc.
 
ShoeQueen said:
I did my first wedding last year for friends. I came on here looking for advice, being very honest about my level and kit and willing to listen to others more experienced.

I didn't get flamed - instead I got useful advice and followed it. So not every 'I'm doing my first wedding' thread degenerates...

I went to the venues (church and reception) and took test shots (I went to the rehearsal in the church which also meant I could talk to the minister about what photography she allowed - very little but the couple had already told me about that and were happy with it), I borrowed a spare body, got an extra flash, a new lens (Tamron 17-50 after advice on here), borrowed some other lenses (an UWA and 85mm) and brought a friend along to assist (who also knew the couple a bit). I had plenty of cards, batteries etc and quite a detailed shot list (on which I had what I would be shooting and what lens I planned on using and what my assistant would be doing). I had extra copies of this for the best man and others to help organise the group shots.

I was very nervous but I ended up enjoying the day and decided I'd be open to doing more. So I spent 6 months or so on developing people photography skills, in studio and at events. I then upgraded my kit (D700 & 24-70), took out PL and PI insurance, went on Dave's course, and did a couple more weddings as a second shooter as preparation for starting to do them by myself.

There is a lot of exciting and inspiring wedding photography posted here and I hope I'm learning from viewing those thread and blogs as I continue to try to learn more and become better.
Click to expand...
]
this seems like a sensible and measured way to do it
the fear is that people wade into something they see as an easy earner and do not appreciated the skill required, the kit needed and the pressure of the job...not to mentioned the hours.

I've been volunteered for a family wedding next year, will practise, have a plan, have backup kit etc
might bring along a competent 2nd shooter too
 
Madhouseof5 said:
Agree with this, I learned it is not really possible to be a guest and a photographer! Thankfully, my weddings were for family I haven't seen in 20+ years and I was photographer 1st, guest second. Even though they were family, I still charged them more than some thought I would (more than the tog that had let them down was charging), but I had to cover my costs etc.
Click to expand...
Yes its different for more distant family, that's more like doing one for friends. (I like your website btw. :) )
 
Most of the major tips have already been covered here or elsewhere on Tp however just to give a few

#1 Don't take it on unless you know what you are doing - don't get pressured into doing it by freinds or family if you arent sure you can - it will end in tears

#2 Always use a contract so expectations are clear and in writing - this applies even (possibly especially) if you are working for freinds and family

#3 Take back ups for every essential piece of kit that might break down - including batteries and memory cards

#4 Make sure you've got insurance both kit ( if you are working for money make sure your kit insurance covers pro work) public liability, and PI/Buisness costs

#5 If you are earning money , tell HMRC , dont try to do it as sideline for cash only , it isnt worth it and you will get caught
 
Apologies for any repetition in advance as I've only scanned the earlier posts....

Right, I started off shooting a wedding for a friend, without really the kit I needed and without a clue what I was doing, despite spending months on the forums prior to this looking at wedding photographs.

RULE #1 - Have a plan. First time I only had two weeks notice and didn't really come up with a decent idea of what I was going to do in advance. Now, weddings are a detailed, planned, thought through event. I nearly always check the venue out before hand (If for any reason I can't then I google stalk it to death) so I know what shots I want and where they're gonna be staged.

RULE #2 - Time flies, not only when your having fun - but also when your sh!tting yourself on a wedding day. Take the opportunity to get the snaps when you can - you'd be amazed how easy it is to think 'I'll get that in a minute' only for the day to move on with out you.

RULE #3 - Be upfront. This is difficult - especially when working with family. be clear about your experience AND ENSURE they understand this. I've seen people get caught out when relatives assume that because they take 'awesome photos of flowers' they are going to be Jeoff Ascough.

RULE #4 - Back ups are NOT optional. My third wedding I had an equipment failure (Unusual this early on) and I was able to drop the camera into a bag and carry on. If I hadn't I'd have probably committed professional suicide as I got soooo many referrals from this wedding.

RULE #5 - Shooting a wedding is the easy bit. The hard bit is the business side of the venture. Creative? then you'll be great at the snaps but are you going to be great at marketing, accounting, planning and sales?

RULE #6 - Under promise, over deliver. EVERY TIME!
 
This is a good thread.

I've often wondered the following:

If you are the only tog, what order do you take the pics?

:)
 
Crazyhorse said:
:

If you are the only tog, what order do you take the pics?

:)
Click to expand...

1) Bridal prep

leave early and get to the church well in front of the bride

2) Groom and best man , couples arriving if appropriate

3) arival of the bride

4) aisle shots

5) ceremony

6) group shots - starting with the everybody shot and thinning down to just the B&G ( working that way rather than building up saves issues with people wandering off to the bar )

7) Bridal walk

8) reception inc cake cutting, speeches, first dance etc - the order of these is out of your hands , but if you are working solo you need to carefully time any break to get some snack and change batteries and card to be during the wedding breakfast but not miss the speeches.
 
Good rules Josh.

For my first wedding my SD card corrupted. A card I'd used for months before. Only found out when I sat down to backup the files during the meal and I almost bricked it! Luckily I managed to recover most of the files using some special utilities.

My second camera stopped letting me changes lenses. The button got stuck.

Oh and a few weeks ago one of my lenses for no good reason just stopped working during a wedding. When you shook it, it rattled like it had been dropped but it hadn't. Luckily it was about a week from going out of warranty so I managed to get it repaired.

Your Rule 4 in my opinion should be Rule 1. Backup backup backup.
 
a few practical tips :
- comfy shoes,
- accessible bag,
- wearing something smart that you don't mind getting dirty (kneeling down on damp grass etc),
- flexibility and the ability to revise your plans to accommodate the unexpected!
- a partner who doesn't mind when you get home 2 hours after you promised
- efficient processing skills
- and the ability to put up with 'uncle Bob' ;)
- and ALL of the above! :lol:
 
Very interesting and valid comments to a total newbie like myself :)
 
big soft moose said:
Most of the major tips have already been covered here or elsewhere on Tp however just to give a few

#1 Don't take it on unless you know what you are doing - don't get pressured into doing it by freinds or family if you arent sure you can - it will end in tears

#2 Always use a contract so expectations are clear and in writing - this applies even (possibly especially) if you are working for freinds and family

#3 Take back ups for every essential piece of kit that might break down - including batteries and memory cards

#4 Make sure you've got insurance both kit ( if you are working for money make sure your kit insurance covers pro work) public liability, and PI/Buisness costs

#5 If you are earning money , tell HMRC , dont try to do it as sideline for cash only , it isnt worth it and you will get caught
Click to expand...

Joshua James said:
Apologies for any repetition in advance as I've only scanned the earlier posts....

Right, I started off shooting a wedding for a friend, without really the kit I needed and without a clue what I was doing, despite spending months on the forums prior to this looking at wedding photographs.

RULE #1 - Have a plan. First time I only had two weeks notice and didn't really come up with a decent idea of what I was going to do in advance. Now, weddings are a detailed, planned, thought through event. I nearly always check the venue out before hand (If for any reason I can't then I google stalk it to death) so I know what shots I want and where they're gonna be staged.

RULE #2 - Time flies, not only when your having fun - but also when your sh!tting yourself on a wedding day. Take the opportunity to get the snaps when you can - you'd be amazed how easy it is to think 'I'll get that in a minute' only for the day to move on with out you.

RULE #3 - Be upfront. This is difficult - especially when working with family. be clear about your experience AND ENSURE they understand this. I've seen people get caught out when relatives assume that because they take 'awesome photos of flowers' they are going to be Jeoff Ascough.

RULE #4 - Back ups are NOT optional. My third wedding I had an equipment failure (Unusual this early on) and I was able to drop the camera into a bag and carry on. If I hadn't I'd have probably committed professional suicide as I got soooo many referrals from this wedding.

RULE #5 - Shooting a wedding is the easy bit. The hard bit is the business side of the venture. Creative? then you'll be great at the snaps but are you going to be great at marketing, accounting, planning and sales?

RULE #6 - Under promise, over deliver. EVERY TIME!
Click to expand...

Some great point here, thanks to both :thumbs:
 
:nono:
HopefulM said:
a few practical tips :
- comfy shoes,
- accessible bag,
- wearing something smart that you don't mind getting dirty (kneeling down on damp grass etc),
- flexibility and the ability to revise your plans to accommodate the unexpected!
- a partner who doesn't mind when you get home 2 hours after you promised
- efficient processing skills
- and the ability to put up with 'uncle Bob' ;)
- and ALL of the above! :lol:
Click to expand...

Comfy shoes is a must have....

I have developed a reputation as being the shoeless photographer as when I'm shooting the ceremony I always take my shoes off so people can't hear me clumping about which the chatty bits are going on.:suspect:
 
Last edited:
Can I ask those of you who shoot weddings what your ISO settings are like generally in churches.
 
Dan_H said:
Can I ask those of you who shoot weddings what your ISO settings are like generally in churches.
Click to expand...

I push it to 3200 all the time in church situations to get a shutter speed that freezes subjects, as long as the exposure is correct then it works just fine. Underexpose and you'll have a job pulling any detail out of the RAW file in PP.
 
Joshua James said:
I have developed a reputation as being the shoeless photographer as when I'm shooting the ceremony I always take my shoes off so people can't hear me clumping about which the chatty bits are going on.:suspect:
Click to expand...

funny enough the vicar last weekend was laughing about 'the photographer the week before who took his shoes off, like it made a blind bit of difference' :D
 
HopefulM said:
a few practical tips :
- comfy shoes,
- accessible bag,
- wearing something smart that you don't mind getting dirty (kneeling down on damp grass etc),
- flexibility and the ability to revise your plans to accommodate the unexpected!
- a partner who doesn't mind when you get home 2 hours after you promised
- efficient processing skills
- and the ability to put up with 'uncle Bob' ;)
- and ALL of the above! :lol:
Click to expand...


this lot - plus a sense of humour :thumbs: ;)
 
Wow!! I was about to put a post on here asking for any last minute tips as I am shooting my first wedding tomorrow, then I came across this post. Such great advise!

By looking at this I think I have covered everything, got spare kit (cards, lenses, body etc etc) I've checked out the venue, done test shots, inside and out, I know where the sun will be if it's sunny too so have planned the areas to get shots accordingly, got a list of shots to take where and when, few examples of what I want to get printed out to take with me. Set my friends expectations low as this is my first wedding. I'm wearing trousers (black) and a blouse so no fear of the wind getting up my skirt while the camera is in my hand lol, (I did actually think of this when picking my outfit), and no worries if I have to kneel on the floor. I am wearing heals but have flats to change in to. I know what lens I intend to use for what and have it all written down in easily accessible note book!! Just one thing that a photographer did say to me which I thought was good.........Think natural, they make the best shots.

So thanks everyone for all the advise on here as even though I think I have got most of it covered, after reading this I am not sh!tt!ng myself as much as I was before reading this!! I suppose it has told me that I am doing all the right things preparation wise!

If anyone is interested I could let you know how it goes?
 
it sounds like you're prepared so you'll be fine - and you'll find the anticipattion is much worse than the actual event.

I was lucky that my first solo wedding I didnt have time to be crapping myself (I was second shooting but the 1st got stuck in traffic after bridal prep so I had to cover solo) and just had to jump into it

once you've done one you'll wonder what you were scared of - right up to wedding 5 or 6 when you have you first equipment failure :lol:
 
Q - what wedding photographers on here would say is their best tip to amateurs who intend to shoot weddings???

A - don't charge!!! Have fun :)

Charging makes you enter the 'Pro' world of liabilities, expectations and panic :lol:

Wedding Photography is not about shooting a 'Wedding' - its about shooting a series of min-events that require different skills at different times of the day, but rapport & crowd control are vital skills too; as is coping with everything going 'wrong' :D

As I repeatedly say on my course - Wedding Photography is about far more than taking pretty pics

But it is, or should be, bloody good fun :)

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
Q - what wedding photographers on here would say is their best tip to amateurs who intend to shoot weddings???

A - don't charge!!! Have fun :)

Charging makes you enter the 'Pro' world of liabilities, expectations and panic :lol:

Wedding Photography is not about shooting a 'Wedding' - its about shooting a series of min-events that require different skills at different times of the day, but rapport & crowd control are vital skills too; as is coping with everything going 'wrong' :D

As I repeatedly say on my course -Wedding Photography is about far more than taking pretty pics

But it is, or should be, bloody good fun :)

Dave
Click to expand...

I love this! I'm doing my first wedding shoot in November (unpaid, for friends) and it's refreshing to hear some positive encouragement to go with usual warnings (which are totally valid - this will be one of the biggest events in the couple's lives, so if you balls it up then it's on you. Not something to be taken lightly!).

I've checked out the church and reception venue, got backup gear, practiced spot metering and made sure that the couple know that this will be a first for me. I've also got the times of what is happening when, and have a notepad full of reminders of the key shots etc, so I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

That said, I'm still plopping myself. But I'm sure I'll have fun, because that's what the day is about. Well, that and holy matrimony, obviously.

One thing I will say is that visiting the church was a big eye opener - there's not a lot of light in there!

Great thread, keep the tips (and encouragement) coming!
 
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