Churches, gardens, restaurants, stages…a single-day wedding involves a network of vastly different settings, each with its own lighting and shooting conditions, as photographers have to alternate between group photos, portraits, close-ups, etc. Follow these tips to come out on top!
You want to be able to move about freely, which limits the number of lenses or cameras you can bring:
How do professional photographers pull off such beautiful wedding photos? They plan ahead, which allows them to be in the right place at the right time and capture that emotional moment perfectly. If you are daydreaming during the event, there is very little chance that you will be ready to snap the newlyweds as they exit the church. With a little pre-nuptial strategizing, you can choose your ideal position and make your final adjustments without having to elbow your way through the crowd. Unlike your lawfully wedded couple, you are still allowed to cheat: Determine with the bride the direction in which she’ll be tossing the bouquet; that way, you will know exactly where to place yourself for that perfect picture.
Before the wedding, make a list of golden moments to capture. Select a few of them and add some shooting ideas to the list. Feel free to take risks and improvise! Here is our list:
You can then envision a photomontage of the ceremony.
Between the church and the garden reception, lighting conditions will change completely. Indoor settings are typically brighter. Increase your ISO to avoid dull indoor photos. Approach your subjects and use the flash to avoid getting heavy shadows on the faces. You may also run into trouble restoring the whiteness of the bride’s dress, especially if the groom is wearing a dark suit.
To avoid yellowish tones, underexpose your photo slightly and, if necessary, make some adjustments before running a test. If the dress appears muddy, overexpose! Lastly, after night falls and the lighting dims, consider increasing your ISO for the cutting of the cake or the first dance. If the result is still dark, use a small diffuser (for example, a large sheet of white paper), with one of the spotlights in the room.
Between the church and the garden reception, lighting conditions will change completely. Indoor settings are typically brighter. Increase your ISO to avoid dull indoor photos. Approach your subjects and use the flash to avoid getting heavy shadows on the faces. You may also run into trouble restoring the whiteness of the bride’s dress, especially if the groom is wearing a dark suit.
To avoid yellowish tones, underexpose your photo slightly and, if necessary, make some adjustments before running a test. If the dress appears muddy, overexpose! Lastly, after night falls and the lighting dims, consider increasing your ISO for the cutting of the cake or the first dance. If the result is still dark, use a small diffuser (for example, a large sheet of white paper), with one of the spotlights in the room.
A few rules for capturing that most precious kiss:
You may change the store at any time.
