I am pretty sure the memory of shooting my first wedding will be etched in my brain forever. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and still had a lot to learn when it came to my camera. Nothing overly traumatic happened or anything, I just wish I had been a little more prepared.
With weddings you only have one chance to get it right, there are no redo’s, so I feel like it is better to over prepare than try and wing it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are unsure of what time something is happening or if you aren’t completely sure what the plan is.
So while I am far from the most experienced wedding photographer out there here are five things I have learned over the last few years…
- Camera settings – There is nothing worse than loading your pictures on to your computer only to find out you forgot to change your ISO when you went from inside to outside and all your pictures are grainy. Or things end up so over exposed they are unusable. It is SO easy to get caught up in what you are doing and forget to change your settings, try to take a moment every now and again and check in.
- Detail shot list – wedding days are busy and shots easily get missed. Having a list is super helpful and don’t be afraid to pull it out to see what you’ve missed.
- The first kiss – Pay attention to the ceremony so you don’t miss the first kiss. I have a tendency to tune out what is going on and focus completely on what photo I am taking next so I don’t always listen to the vows. Getting caught off guard when the first kiss happens is the worst, you are scrambling to get your settings right and get your shot composed, before you know it the moment is over. I try to keep a half an ear on what is happening and try to give myself plenty of time to get set up for the kiss.
- Special moments – Always find out if something important is happening so you are ready to take pictures of it. I’ve had moments where all of a sudden there is something happening and I’m like WAIT…NO….I NEED A DIFFERENT LENS…they never wait trust me. If it is possible to find out if something special is happening ahead of time it makes life a little easier.
- Know where you are taking pictures (scout ahead of time or get the bride and groom to choose a location) You do want to get to the portraits only to realize you have no idea where to take the pictures. Whether you go out and choose a location or you get the bride and groom to choose it doesn’t matter just as long as you have some plan when comes time to take the wedding portraits.
In the end, I feel like until you are super sure of your work more is better when shooting a wedding. Sure taking lots of photos creates more work for you in the long run but you are less likely to have missed something important and it is always better to have too many photos to choose from than not enough.
Happy shooting!
