Wedding Photography Tips

November 20, 2009

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By Brian Widdis

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Photo Tips & Techniques

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Wedding Photography Tips

Bryan gives us some great photo tips for weddings

Article rating: 6.50

1. Low light and night photographs.

I always like to use natural light whenever possible, but when the sun has gone down or the room lights are not sufficient, we have to deal with things a little differently. At a wedding reception, for example, often times the lighting is dim at best. Turning the flash on in these instances is usually our only choice, but we can get good results with the flash if we use a slow sync setting that's available on most point and shoot cameras. This option is usually in the flash menu and is indicated by a lightning bolt with an "S" next to it. By selecting this, you are telling the camera to fire the flash, and also to leave the shutter open a little longer. This allows the camera's sensor to gather more of the ambient room light, so the lighting is a little more balanced. When we don't use the slow sync setting, the flash illuminates only the foreground and the background goes completely black - this is our way of avoiding that.

Another photograph that I like to get at wedding receptions is an overall view of the scene. Usually this is a wide angle shot that shows the entire room, or if it's outdoors, the entire party area. This is a good time to consider using a tripod. If you don't have access to a tripod, try a table top or some other surface that can hold the camera steady. Experimentation is the key here. Turning off the flash can give the photos a more natural feel.

2. Capturing the action.

To get the best action shots, it really helps to shoot a *lot*. Many point and shoot cameras have a burst mode, which allows us to shoot 3 or 4 photos in quick succession - just like on pro cameras. Try to anticipate action shots by watching the action first and being ready for it the next time. For instance, if it's dancing that you're trying to capture and people are spinning, anticipate the shot by having the camera in the ready mode - with the shutter button pushed halfway down. This allows the camera to focus and determine exposure. And when you're ready to take the shot, just before the peak moment of action, push the button the rest of the way down and hold it down to get 3 or 4 photos in rapid succession. Having the camera in ready mode helps to minimize that annoying delay that occurs when you push the button all the way down at once. And having the camera in the ready mode, is also a good strategy for capturing action shots where you need to use the flash. You may have to try a couple times to get that perfect shot, because on most cameras the burst mode won't work with the flash on.

© Bryan Widdis

3. Candids.

I've found that the best way to get candid photos, is to turn off the flash. People are likely still aware that they're being photographed, but they tend to act more naturally if there's not a flash going off

© Bryan Widdis
wedding8

4. Different perspectives.

A great way to elevate your wedding photographs is to capture the scene from a different perspective. Shooting at eye level works for some things, but getting a low camera angle, or a high camera angle really helps to make the photographs more dynamic. The different perspective is a nice change of pace, but another reason this works is that is simplifies the background, which puts the focus on your subject.

© Bryan Widdis

You can also get great wedding photographs by ignoring the action. For example, after you've shot a couple photos of the bride and groom during their first dance, try turning around and focusing on the people watching the first dance. This is a great opportunity to record friends' and families' reactions.

5. Shots that are sometimes overlooked.

The goal in photographing weddings is to tell the story of the wedding day with photographs. Obviously, the bride and groom are central to the story - try to get as many photos of them as possible. There are other subjects though, that add to the depth to the story. An overall shot of the locations, whether it's a reception hall or a tent or a church exterior, help to put the viewer there. Details are often overlooked and can help give a little more flavor to the story. The table settings, centerpieces, favors, and flowers are all good to include. Also look for interesting details on the dress or the cake. Most photos of the bride are from the front, but there are often beautiful beading, stitching, and other details on the back of the dress - so look for those as well. Photographing small details is a good opportunity to use the macro settings on your camera. Most point and shoot cameras have some macro capability, usually indicated on the menu by a flower icon. Shooting in macro mode allows you to focus the camera much closer than normal - which is great for detail shots where you want to fill the entire frame with your subject.

© Bryan Widdis

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