Wedding Photography 101 by Antony Hands

How to photograph a wedding

Introduction
So you are an amateur photographer who has been shooting for a while, and everyone in the
family has seen you running around with your digital SLR for some time now, and have generally
acknowledged that you are the family photographer. You took the pictures of Uncle Charlie’s 50th
birthday, and he was pleased with the results, and your sister has asked you to take photos of her
kids which turned out good.

Word gets around and your cousin decides that it would save her a lot of money if you would take
the photos of her wedding. Maybe her husband-to-be spent a little too much on her engagement
ring and is now looking to save some cash. She says that she has seen your shots and thinks
that you would be a great photographer for her big day. You would like to do it, because after all,
you just love taking photos, and you feel that while you haven’t shot a wedding before, it can’t be
that different or hard. You are very tempted to take her up on her offer and shoot the wedding.

Sound familiar? If it doesn’t yet it probably will one day. Most keen amateur photographers come
across this circumstance at some stage in their lives, and many will choose to be the wedding
photographer. A lot of the time, this turns out OK and the bride and groom are happy with the
results. Sometimes, however, the day doesn’t go so well, and the photographer is left with the
knowledge that they have messed up one of the most important days of a couple’s life.

I am not saying that all amateur photographers shouldn’t accept the opportunity to photograph a
wedding for friends. In fact, many amateurs are truly inspired and competent event photographers
and will do an excellent job. What I am saying is that you, as the photographer, need to
understand the implications of accepting the job, the skills required to do it competently and
successfully, the equipment you will need, and the planning needed to make sure everything runs
smoothly on the day.

This article is designed to assist amateur photographers successfully photograph their first
wedding. I hope that you find it useful.

Lesson 1 - Before you accept - what to do and say.

So as detailed above you have been asked to photograph your first wedding. Before you accept
there are a few things you should consider.

1. Consider if you are competent enough to confidently photograph the

wedding

Lesson 2 will specifically talk about the techniques and basic photographic knowledge required to
successfully shoot a wedding, but you also need to consider your experience in wedding
photography, as well as general photography. For example you may be an excellent
photographer in general, but with no wedding experience. If this is the case you are not likely to
do a good job.
There are several ways to improve your skills in this respect. The best way, and the only real way
to fully prepare yourself, is to assist a professional wedding photographer to shoot several
weddings. Some professional photographers will be happy to accept the assistance of a keen
amateur with an interest in wedding photography, and allow you to be an unpaid assistant. You
may not even take a photo for your first several weddings, but you will undoubtedly learn a great
deal. This is how I started my photographic career. I learned how to manage the day, what photos
to take, what techniques are required, how to deal with brides and guests and many other skills
all by assisting a seasoned wedding pro.

If this is impossible the second way to improve your skill is to read text books on wedding
photography. There are many different titles that all provide great advice, I purchased a couple
and read them cover to cover before I ever picked up a camera at a wedding. I still regularly
purchase books where I see new techniques that interest me, or new poses and styles that I want
to experiment with. Simply do a search on Amazon under "wedding photography" to find dozens
of titles, all of which are likely to help you in some way. Scour these books not just for hints, but
for suitable poses etc. You want to have practiced these poses well before the wedding to make
sure you have them down pat.

2. Suggest that the couple still select a professional photographer

You should explain to the couple that while you are a good photographer, wedding photography
is a very specialised skill and that they would be well served to seriously consider hiring a
professional before appointing you. Non-photographers often do not understand the difficulties
involved, and they may simply think that by hiring you they get the same results but for no cost.
You need to disabuse them of this notion. If they want you to have an involvement for a reason,
suggest using a professional who will let you assist him. This will enable you to be involved, but
the photographer still has the responsibility of delivering the end result.

Another consideration is that by asking you to photograph the wedding they are effectively asking
you to work all day for them - this is not like asking someone to make a reading at the wedding or
to play the guitar as the bride enters the church. You will be working hard for 6 - 8 hours, and you
will not be able to just relax and enjoy the day as other guests will. While this might be fine if it is
a cousin or acquaintance getting married, the closer your relationship to the couple the more
important that you are free to interact with family and friends during the events. Remember that if
you are photographing the wedding you can't afford to get too involved with the day as a
spectator - you need to be looking every moment for that next photograph. In these
circumstances the couple will likely get the best photos by you being free to enjoy the event, while
another person does the photography. After all, you can always give your best photos to the
couple later - without the pressure of being the sole recorder of their day.

While you may be able to do a great job, if you do not the consequences could be dire, and at
best they would have the potential to damage your relationship with the couple and spoil their
record of their big day. If the couple is not severely financially constrained, or alternatively just
doesn't care about the photography you should press strongly for them to involve a professional.

3. Make the couple aware of your experience level

As detailed above, the couple may think that you, as an experienced photographer, will be able to
deliver a professional level of coverage for their wedding. While this may be the case, more than
likely if you are inexperienced as a wedding photographer you will not achieve a result as good as
an experienced wedding pro. This is just the nature of any task, as you perform it more often you
get better at it. When I look back at my first 10 or 15 weddings I see issues with my coverage of
the day. This was after assisting at many weddings, and loads of practice. It takes a lot of time to
become a good wedding photographer.
If they do choose you to shoot the wedding even after you have recommended that they get a
professional, you must make them aware that the quality of the final shots may not be what they
might expect from a seasoned wedding photographer.

4. Consider preparing a wedding agreement

Even though you are not charging for your services you should at least consider having a
wedding agreement to cover you in the event that something goes wrong. Professional
photographers generally use a legal agreement to protect their interests, but that isn't appropriate
for a friend. Something like this may be suitable, particularly if the person whose wedding you are
photographing is not close family. Please note, I take no liability that this may not help in your
jurisdiction.

"[date]

Dear [ names ]

Wedding date [ insert date ]

I am looking forward to taking photos of your wedding day, it's going to be a great day!

I confirm that the wedding takes place on [ insert ] at [ insert ] and I will be at the [brides] house at
[ ] to take pictures prior to
the wedding. I’ll also take pictures at [ insert other details ]

As you know I am taking these photos at no cost and as a personal favour to you. We have
discussed how you want your photos to look like and while I will take all care and responsibility in
providing these photos to you in accordance with both of your expectations, I accept no liability
that may prevent the supply of these photos to you or the outcome of the images in accordance
with your expectations.

As is standard practice with all photographers, all rights and copyright to the images taken will
remain with me (for example I might
use a fantastic shot for advertising, marketing or display purposes). However, you have an
unlimited non-commercial licence for the use, reproduction and distribution of the images (in other
words you can really do anything you want to with your photos).

While hoping to avoid any unnecessary legalities it is really important to me that you understand
the limit of my liability and other terms contained in this letter. Therefore, could you please
confirm your acceptance of the terms of this letter by acknowledging the duplicate copy and
returning back to me.

See you on the [insert].

Yours sincerely etc."

It is important at least to give them something that provides you with a restriction on your liability,
particularly if you accept any payment for the task.
5. Plan for the worst case scenario

You also need to plan against the contingencies most likely to be risks. For example, if you are
severely ill on the wedding day and can't shoot the wedding do you have a backup? Do you have
a second camera to make sure that problems with one camera don't stop you in your tracks?
What about if you drop and break your lens, do you have an alternative to enable you to keep
shooting? Do you have enough memory to shoot the whole thing in RAW? (more on this in a later
lesson). This is all part of planning for success, and will be covered in both lessons 3 and 4.

6. Before you accept, contemplate this

I know you want to be the photographer on the day - after all, you are probably passionate about
your photography and feel that you could do a great job. Well, let me assure you that when all is
said and done, you are not going to be as good at this as an experienced wedding photographer.
You need to think twice about how your relationship with the couple may be affected if (God
forbid) you screw up and do a poor job.

It is a lot easier to say no now, and help them choose a professional photographer (possibly one
that lets you assist), than it is to try to recover from a situation where you cost them the record of
their most important day. Think twice before accepting, and if you do, acknowledge to yourself
that you have an obligation to get them the best results you can, and prepare accordingly.
Lesson 2 - Basic photographic knowledge required

The first question that I suggested you ask yourself in lesson one was "Consider if you are
competent enough to confidently photograph the wedding". I was referring to the differences
between wedding photography and general photography, and how even competent
photographers may need time to learn a new type of photography. This lesson is not about that.

This lesson is about basic photographic skills that must be understood to get the best from your
photography, and that are vital to any professional photographer, or anyone thinking of doing a
job such as a wedding.

In today's world of "green box mode" and auto everything many amateur photographers take
photos for years and years without understanding the basics of photography. Their photos
normally look great, because the cameras today are getting better and better at assessing
exposure, but they often get photos that are under or overexposed, and they don't understand
why. This lesson covers the basics, but also the higher level skills that you need to be confident
with to get great wedding photography results.

1. 18% gray and the way your camera meters light

This is probably the most important lesson that anyone can learn who relies on the meter in their
camera to assess exposure (ie. 99% of us). The meter inside your camera is a "reflected light"
meter - it measures the amount of light reflected from something. The problem arises because
when light falls on different subjects, different amounts of light will be reflected. This can lead to
your camera meter being fooled.

When camera meters were first developed, manufacturers settled on a standard, commonly
known as 18% gray, to be the average meter reading. What this means is that after analysing
many photos, they decided that a meter reading that would expose 18% gray perfectly under the
current light levels would expose most subjects correctly. Basically, the camera is designed to
assume that everything is middle gray, and in most circumstances this works ok. The problem is
when subjects are significantly lighter or darker than 18% gray.

A white subject that fills the frame, like a bride for example, is going to reflect much more light
than a black subject such as a groom. Your camera doesn't realise that there is actually a
difference in subject brightness - it assumes the light has changed, rather than the subject has
changed. As a result it will underexpose the photograph of the bride, making the dress a muddy
gray. In the case of the groom it will overexpose the photo, adding extra light to make the black
suit gray, and resulting in the face being washed out. Both photos will require work to be able to
be used, and both will be worse photos than if they were correctly exposed in the first place.

You can test this by taking a photo of a white and black wall. Both will come out gray - perhaps
not exactly the same, but still not black and white. You need to use the exposure compensation
feature of your camera to adjust the exposure to make sure the shots are accurate.

Being able to easily determine when you need to use exposure compensation (EC) is a key part
of being a wedding photographer. With subjects changing rapidly, you must be able to quickly
and easily change the EC, and remember to change it back later or risk losing images. The use of
the histogram display makes this much easier for photographers nowdays, but still on the day it is
entirely too easy to either forget to change it at all, or get so focused on your technical stuff that
you miss the key details of the wedding. You need to be very confident with adjusting your EC on
the fly before you shoot your first wedding if you want to get the best possible results.
For more information on this subject there is a great book which is actually designed to teach the
use of a hand held ambient meter (which is a whole other story, and great for studio work etc.).
The book is called "The Hand Exposure Meter Book", by Martin Silverman, Jim Zuckerman and
Bob Shell. It's pretty expensive (I just checked and on Amazon it was $69.95) but it is very good
at teaching the basics. I am sure there will be other books out there, just look around.
Alternatively, if you want to there is plenty of info online that will help you get an understanding of
this key subject. A good reference from Kodak is here.

2. The relationship between aperture and shutter speed

I won't even go into this, suffice it to say that if you don't understand the relationship between
aperture and shutter speed you should not photograph the wedding under any circumstances. If
this is the case, have a read of some of these links.

Naturally, this is all pretty basic stuff. I am sure you will be past this level!

3. Apertures to use at a wedding, and how aperture affects depth of field

As you probably are aware, aperture and focal length both affect depth of field, or how much of
the photograph will be in focus. Small apertures and wider focal lengths create greater depth of
field and wide apertures and longer focal lengths reduce the depth of field. If you are unfamiliar
with exactly how this works, have a look here.

What the wedding photographer needs to understand is when to use wider apertures to achieve
their desired effects, and when smaller apertures are needed. Basically, wider apertures are used
to achieve separation from the background, to focus attention on the subject or for artistic
reasons. Here is an example of where a shallow depth of field has been used intentionally for
artistic effect:

Using shallow depth of field is great, but sometimes you can go overboard. You need to be very
familiar with how the subject will look at certain apertures - this comes from practice. Do not
expect the view in the viewfinder to be an accurate reflection of depth of field. The LCD is better,
but still too small to accurately assess critical focus.

That said, here a re a few rules of thumb that you can use as the basis for your practice before
the wedding. Make sure that you have done this practice to make sure you get the results you
expect. After all, different sensor sizes also affect depth of field, and what works for me may not
work for you.

• For bridal portraiture (head and shoulders) use an aperture of not less than f/2 unless you
are very familiar with your tools. Even at f/2 the whole face will not be in focus. If you
want to be sure you nail focus on the whole face an aperture of between f/2.8 and f/4 is
probably best. Naturally you are using a telephoto lens to get the most flattering
perspective.
• For the groom's head and shoulders shot use a smaller aperture, say f/4. The "dreamy"
look that wider apertures give generally does not suit men, as it implies femininity rather
than masculinity.
• For couple shots you really need to be above f/4 unless you can get their faces very
close together. It is very disappointing to get a great shot where one person is in focus
and the other is just out of focus. You won't see this on the LCD - you need to anticipate
it, and select a smaller aperture to increase your depth of field.
• For family formals the minimum aperture should be f/5.6. This should ensure that
everyone is in focus.
 • For group photos, say of the entire congregation outside the church you need a wide
angle, and preferably shoot at f/11.

4. The importance of fill flash

The use of fill flash is important for weddings in so many ways. For normal portraiture in the
shade it can be used to gently fill in eye sockets, making shots more flattering. In bright sun it can
be used to overpower the daylight, removing harsh shadows. The difference between the two
applications is the amount of flash exposure compensation (FEC) applied. Overall, it is a very
difficult thing to master, and something that MUST be practiced. As well as that, the way fill flash
works differs from manufacturer to manufacturer. While you need to work out how your camera
uses fill flash, here are a few suggestions that work for me using Canon digital gear.

• For fill flash in normal shaded light, use -1.5 to -2 FEC. Remember, at 0 FEC the camera
is trying to balance natural light with flash. This is a lot more flash than is required to add
a touch of fill.
• In bright sunlight when you are trying to eliminate harsh shadows from faces etc, you
may need to use as much as +1 FEC, using the flash to overpower the sunlight.

This is much more art than science. Thankfully you can get a good idea of fill flash by using the
LCD screen on the camera. That said, you need to practice this a lot so you can confidently use
fill in all light.

5. Use of flash in general

When shooting a wedding you will be constantly moving from environment to environment. You
need to be able to quickly change your flash settings to deal with these changes. Most
photographers do not use flash regularly, and so they are unaware of what you can and can't do
with flash, and how your camera is programmed to act on different settings and in different
environments. I could go on for hours about the way the Canon system measures flash and
controls flash exposure, but instead if you are a Canon user I recommend you visit here and have
a good (long) read.

To get good results it is more than just setting your camera to "green box" and shooting away.
That is a recipe for overexposed subjects in front of inky dark backgrounds. You need to make
the best use of ISO, aperture and shutter speed merged with flash to help get some ambiance
and a taste of what the venue was like. After all, no-one wants to get their photos looking like they
were married in a coal cellar. A good photographer will understand the capacity of him or herself
and their equipment, and will be able to get the best results possible with that combination.

For example, understanding the way that the Canon flash system works, when I am relying on
flash I shoot with the camera in manual mode, and rely on the flash metering to expose correctly
for the foreground. My settings are at a level to optimise the background, without jeapardising
shutter speed that might lead to camera shake, or aperture, that might lead to areas I want in
focus being outside the depth of field. As a result, when I move from in the dark church to outside
I quickly need to change my mode from manual to aperture priority, my film speed from say 800
to 100, my flash exposure compensation from +0.5 FEC to -2 FEC, and then check my aperture
is correct for the subject. This happens automatically and quickly, because I have done it so
many times. Make sure you understand the way your camera performs best in low light and bright
light, and what settings you need to adjust when moving between venues etc.

Unfortunately, I don't know the way it works with other brands - the answer is practice.
Ok, so that's about it for the basic photographic knowledge you should have before considering
shooting a wedding. Naturally, there is a whole lot more it would be good to know, but these
things are a must if you want to be confident of delivering great results.
Lesson 3: Equipment - what will I need?
Well now we get to the gearhead's paradise. I am sure some of my readers following this series
will have been waiting for just this topic, because it might give you an excuse to buy something
photographic in nature. Well, it might, but that is not what this lesson is all about. This entry is
about the tools that will help you shoot a wedding and get results that are of a professional
standard.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not one that believes that better gear will make a better
photographer. Photographers become better with experience, training, and a commitment to
improve. That said, there is a basic level of equipment needed to capture images that will make a
couple look their best, and make the photos something of which you can be proud, and they can
be proud to display.

Where to start? Well let's start with the camera and go on from there.

1. What camera do I need?

Well, to shoot a wedding properly you need a camera that can do several things. Firstly, it needs
to be able to capture a range of different angles, from wide angle to telephoto. Secondly, it needs
to support an external flash. Thirdly, it needs to be able to shoot in low light and get reasonable
results. Next, it must be able to shoot in RAW mode, and finally, it needs enough resolution to
give you some capacity to crop and still have enough pixels left for a good shot. What does this
mean? Well what it means is that you really need a digital SLR.

A DSLR offers the greatest amount of flexibility for the modern wedding photographer. I don't
want to knock shooting film, or some of the great wedding photographers who shoot in a
photojournalistic style with Leica rangefinders or the like, but hey - this blog isn't directed at them.
As detailed previously this blog is focused on the aspiring beginner, or enthusiastic amateur who
has been asked to shoot a wedding, and these days 99% of these people will be shooting digital.

So you really need a DSLR, but what does that mean? There are dozens of different cameras
available, different brands, different price points etc. Some are deemed "professional", others
"prosumer" or "amateur" or even "entry-level". What is good enough?

To be honest, it doesn't really matter what type of camera you have to a large degree, what is
supremely important is that you know your chosen tool inside out. You need to understand
exactly how your camera will respond in a given circumstance, and if this is the case you can get
the most out of it, and get the results you expect, and that your bridal couple are looking for. That
said, I won't try to kid you that some cameras aren't better than others for wedding photography,
but effectively if your camera can achieve decent image quality at ISO 800, and is say 8MP
resolution, it should be fine. Higher resolution cameras give you more capacity for bigger
enlargements and also give you more room for cropping without affecting image quality too much.

Finally, and importantly, if you are the official wedding photographer for someone for their big day
you need to have two cameras. This is an absolute must, no questions about it issue. If you only
have one camera, borrow a camera from someone, or make sure someone at the wedding will
have a camera you can use if yours craps out. If you are doing this, also make sure that the
second camera has the same settings as yours. If I ever shoot with another photographer on
weddings and we swap cameras for some reason we invariably end up cursing each other,
because we set up our cameras differently in terms of selecting focus points etc. These leads to
us missing shots as we get used to the different controls. You need to make sure that you can
confidently use your spare camera if required.

Having a spare camera is also a bonus for fast changing circumstances, where you might
otherwise want to change lenses but don't have time. Simply grab camera 2 with the different
lens and shoot, before going back to camera 1.

2. Lenses, or "I have the kit lens - is this good enough?"

In the old days of film, it made sense to spend money on lenses rather than the camera, as after
all, the camera was just a light tight box that held the film. This changed with the development of
digital photography, and we have seen a very quick improvement in camera bodies. However as
detailed above, virtually all modern DSLRs meet the requirements needed for professional quality
results. This means that once again the focus for the photographer buying a new camera should
be on the lenses rather than the camera to a large degree.

Different lenses enable you, as the photographer, to achieve different results in your pictures. In
terms of focal length, wide angle lenses can capture a large crowd or the feeling of a vast church
interior. Telephoto lenses can provide a flattering compression of features and great seperation
from the background in portraiture. Zoom lenses can help you quickly respond to changing
circumstances. What do you need?

In terms of focal length, a friend of mine worked for a couple of months with a Canon 20D and a
28-70mm f/2.8 L lens when she first started shooting digital. That was an equivalent focal length
of 45mm - 112mm on a 35mm film camera, and quite honestly, it wasn't wide enough. You should
aim to have a lens that can cover at least a 28mm field of view in on a full-frame camera - this
gives you capacity to shoot the church, large family groups, the congregation and in America
anyway, the wedding party (my wife had 8 bridesmaids!). For the vast majority of DSLR users
using crop cameras, this means a lens with a wide angle of say 17 or 18mm.

At the other end, you probably don't need more than an 85mm equivalent in terms of focal length.
I often shoot at longer focal lengths to get close ups of the bridal party during the ceremony, but
for the portraiture 85mm is generally enough, and unless it is a massive wedding you can
normally get close enough without a long telephoto.

Based upon the above, I am sure there are people out there that are concluding that their Canon
18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens will be fine for the wedding, after all it is an effective range of 29mm to
88mm on a full frame camera. Well that is true, but focal length is only one aspect of a lens, there
are also other factors, such as speed and image quality.

The speed of a lens determines two important things, being the level of light you can shoot in,
and the control you have over depth of field. Well three things actually, if you count cost - fast
lenses have a tendency to make your wallet a lot thinner. Joking aside, in wedding photography
the speed of a lens really has an impact upon the flexibility of the lens, and your capacity to get
good shots.

This is because wedding photography generally involves shooting in a lot of marginal light
situations. Circumstances like dimly lit churches or poor lighting indoors on overcast days can
cause real issues quickly if your lens' fastest speed is something like f/4 or above at the focal
length you are shooting at. In these circumstances shutter speeds can quickly drop to levels of
under 1/30 sec even at ISO 1600, resulting in camera shake unless you are using a tripod. The
way most photographers respond to this is to use flash, with the result that while your subject
might be lit correctly, the background is underexposed so much that it looks dark, or even black.
If you have a faster lens you can shoot at a wide aperture and get a lot more ambient light in your
photographs, making the background look brighter, and more like it really was on the day.
Photographs like this are really what capturing the details of the day is all about. The feel of the
ceremony can be portrayed in the photographs the way the couple remembers it - not as them
well lit but in front of a very dark church.

The other factor of fast lenses is that they enable you to restrict the depth of field, meaning you
can create real seperation from the background, something that is much harder to achieve with
slower lenses. If your fastest lens is f/5.6 at its telephoto end, you are simply not going to be able
to get the same portraiture results that can be achieved with a faster lens. Your shots may still
look great, but they just won't be the same. For example, the shot below was taken in front of a
really ugly walkway, but it was the only place at the bride's house where we could get any light. It
was taken at 85mm and f/1.4, resulting in the ugly background being so blurred that it is not
distracting. If I was shooting with a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6 this background would
have been very obvious

So how do you deal with it? Well that depends on what your current gear is. If you have a DSLR
with the kit lens package you probably don't have a lens fast enough to achieve this sort of result.
If that is the case it's no big deal - most manufacturers offer lenses that will enable you to get
results like this quite inexpensively.

If you are a Canon shooter without any fast primes and are on a tight budget the 50mm f/1.8 II is
a very inexpensive fast prime lens that on a crop camera has a field of view equivalent to a
traditional portrait lens. Price in the USA is a tiny $80, and this lens alone is enough to expand
your ability to shoot low light shots in the church, plus shallow depth of field portraiture.

Sure it's a cheap lens, but the idea here is to help you achieve your goals of successfully
photographing the wedding with a very low budget. Nikon have a similar quality lens, the Nikkor
50mm f/1.8D which retails for a little more, about $115. These two lenses are probably the best
value glass that money can buy.

Of course, if you have a bigger budget the world is your oyster, all the manufacturers make great
prime lenses that will perform very well in low light and enable you to take shots without flash, or
with flash fill, giving you very natural photos in the church and other dark places.

Ok, so the rules re: lenses are as follows:

• You really need lenses that cover at least the 28-85mm range on a full frame DSLR (ie.
wide angle to moderate telephoto).
• If the wedding will be conducted indoors you should have a faster lens that will enable
you to capture more natural shots than the kit lens, with more ambient light. The same
lens will help you isolate the subject for better bridal portraiture. If you don't, you better
have a tripod!
• Just like the camera, you need a spare lens that is at least able to cover most wedding
shots. If you are shooting with just one lens and God forbid it malfunctions, or you drop it,
your day of shooting is over. Remember, the bride and groom are relying on you, you
must be prepared.

Remember, as with all of your tools you need to be fully familiar with your tools before the
wedding. Go to a local church or building and practice shooting in low light with your camera.
Become familiar with changing the settings moving in and out of bright light. Determine at what
speed you can reliably hand-hold the camera, to make sure you don't take the whole wedding just
to find that your photos are ruined by camera shake.
3. Flash photography

To shoot a wedding, you MUST MUST MUST have an external flash with bounce and swivel
capability. This is an absolute priority, above even getting a fast lens. All the manufacturers have
flash units with this capability, the most affordable for the Canon system is the 430EX at $250.
The Nikon equivalent is the SB-600 at about $180. Alternatively, I understand the Sigma EF-530
DG for $190 is a good alternative for those Canon users on a budget.

So why do you need an external flash? Because internal flash units are appalling, providing flat,
harsh and unflattering light, with the risk of red eye. Additionally, as they do not light up the
environment, this leads to the "deer in the headlights" look, of overexposed people in front of a
black background.

By using an external flash you can bounce light off the ceiling or walls, providing a much more
natural appearance to your subject, and lighting up the room at the same time. After all, we are
used to seeing people lit from above, it's not surprising that it looks better. As well as this, by
bouncing the flash you achieve a much more diffuse light source, resulting in much softer
shadows, as shown below.

Even for general event photography bounce flash is preferable where you are able to use it. The
quality of the light is just so much better. Here's an example of a quick shot at an event - sure it's
not the most interesting photo, but look how natural the light is.

Direct flash is still often required, such as when you are shooting from a distance, or do not have
a suitable surface to bounce from, or for fill of course. If you are unfortunate enough to have to
shoot a wedding in full sun the use of direct flash to overpower dark shadows (as explained in
lesson 2) can be invaluable.

Ok so there are the key things that in my opinion you must have to shoot a wedding at an
acceptable standard. Sure it's only my opinion but I think it's pretty justified. As the chosen
photographer of a couple you have an obligation to deliver the best photographs that it is in your
power to provide. If this means you need to buy some gear to get the right results, then you really
should consider it. However, remember, if you buy new gear make sure you are fully familiar with
its use before the big day!

4. Optional extras

In addition to the above items there are literally dozens of things that you can do to improve your
photography and provide better results to your bride and groom. Some of these things are as
follows:

Flash Bracket: By lifting the flash to a position where it is always above the camera, even in
portrait orientation, it ensures that when direct flash must be used that the shadows fall behind,
and not to the side of the subject. This can be quite objectionable, particularly if flash is the main
light and a light coloured wall is close behind. I use a product called the Stroboframe Pro-T which
suits my requirements very well.

Tripod: A tripod is essential in a lot of cases, particularly where light is very poor and even with a
fast lens you struggle to maintain a handholdable speed, or for some reason you wish to shoot
with a smaller aperture. Quite often it will be used in the church, or even for bridal portraiture in
the home before leaving for the church if the light is particularly poor.
Reflector: A reflector is a large, generally circular device which is used for reflecting ambient light
onto a subject to help fill the shadows naturally, without the use of flash. These fold up and can
be easily carried, but remember you will normally require an assistant to effectively use a
reflector. This is probably the most inexpensive lighting tool that can deliver the best results for a
user who is familiar with it. I prefer a combination of gold and silver on my reflectors to get a nice
subtle warm fill. Reflectors are also great to provide shade where there are nasty patches of sun
coming through trees or something and making bright spots on the couple or group you are
shooting.

Flash diffuser: A flash diffuser such as the Omnibounce provides a diffusing effect on a flash,
sending light in all directions and making the light in a room more gentle, even than normal
bounce flash. Additionally, it sends some of the light directly onto the subject, filling in eye sockets
etc that sometimes is hard to manage with direct flash.

Polariser: A polariser is a filter that enables you to block reflected light coming at a particular
angle from glass or foilage etc. You adjust the effect by turning the filter while looking through the
viewfinder, but the effect is quite impressive. By eliminating reflected glare foilage gets greener,
and reflections off glass or water can be eliminated. This is great for shots where your subject is
behind a window etc. I use one for shots where there is a specific need, as they can be quite
fiddly taking off and putting on all of the time. Polarisers reduce the light getting to the lens by
about 1 stop, so generally you do not leave them on all of the time. Modern cameras also need a
certain type of polariser, called a "Circular Polariser" to avoid affecting the beam splitter used in
the AF system, so make sure you get this type as opposed to a cheaper "Linear Polariser". These
are also great for landscape photography, because they can make the sky markedly bluer by
reducing reflected glare off dust particles in the atmosphere.

5 One last recommendation

This shouldn't really be a recommendation, personally I think that this should be compulsory.
Please shoot RAW format for every wedding you do. Sure it takes up more card space and
requires more work later, but only through shooting RAW do you have a real chance to address
any mistakes you may make on the day. The ability to adjust brightness, white balance,
saturation and contrast after the event is critical to ensuring consistency in your photos, and
making them the best they can be. I cannot express just how important this is. Sure some
professional photographers shoot in jpeg, but these are people who know exactly what they are
doing and have done it hundreds of times. For everyone else - please use RAW.

Anyway, I have spent hours typing this so far, I am sure I will think of more later but for now that's
it. Next lesson will be "Lesson 4 - Planning the day and dealing with change". I hope you visit
again soon. By the way, if you have any questions don't hesitate to post a comment and I will
respond as best I can. Similarly, if you have suggestions I haven't mentioned, please pipe up!
Lesson 4 - Planning the day and dealing with
change
Shooting a wedding can be a very challenging experience for an inexperienced photographer, or
even for an experienced photographer if he or she has never done a wedding before. Heck, even
a professional wedding photographer with hundreds of weddings under his or her belt can make
errors at the start of the wedding season, because it will be some time since they shot a full day,
and they will be out of practice. If a professional wedding photographer needs to plan to make
sure everything is done properly, you can see how this is even more important for an amateur
who is doing this for the first time.

In terms of this lesson, it will be broken up into four sections:

1. Preparation to conduct in conjunction with the bride and groom.

2. Your preparation for the day.
3. Gear preparation.
4. Dealing with change on the day.

Some of you might think that this is overkill, but let me assure you it is not. I know I have harped
on this in every lesson so far, but you need to understand that a wedding is not like any other
type of shoot, it is a once in a lifetime (hopefully) event that can't be repeated. It's not like an
advertising or modelling shoot where just money and time is at stake, it's a couple's memories of
their most important day. It is not something that one walks into without serious preparation.

1. Preparation to conduct in conjunction with the bride and groom.

So your cousin or friend has asked you to photograph their wedding, and you have done the
whole "Lesson 1" thing with them and they still want you to shoot it. The first step is to sit down
with them and get a sound understanding of the type of coverage that they want.

Wedding coverage generally falls into two types, photojournalistic or traditional, or commonly a
combination between the two. Photojournalistic coverage has grown in popularity in recent years
because it emulates the style of photography used in some of the larger wedding magazines. It is
a more candid approach, with less posed photographs and more focus (pardon the pun) on
capturing the story of the day. Traditional coverage is just that, a more traditional approach that
involves posed photographs that are designed to capture the feelings between the bride and
groom.

As the photographer you need to determine what your couple is looking for. In my experience the
vast majority of couples will say that they want a less formal, more candid approach to the day.
However, this doesn't always mean they don't want any posed portraits. If you ask more
questions they will normally say that "Oh, yes we do want some posed photographs, they just
want them to be natural looking. Oh, and we want the formal family shots, because Mom and Dad
will want those", etc.

What most couples want is a degree of traditional coverage, but with shots that don't look posed.
Sure they want some candids, but it is a very rare couple that wants a true photojournalistic
wedding without some traditional coverage. If they actually do want this, I would strongly
recommend that as an amatuer you do not agree to shoot the wedding. Why? After all, you are
probably thinking that it is easier to successfully shoot a candid, photojournalistic style wedding
than a traditional one right? Well if you are thinking this, sorry, but you are quite wrong.

I can't tell you how difficult it is to successfully shoot a wedding in this style. Personally, I think it
takes a much more talented photographer to shoot a photojournalistic style wedding and get a
good result. This is because it takes a great deal of experience to candidly capture the special
moments in a wedding consistently, and still get an even and full coverage of the day. I really do
feel sorry for couples that choose this type of wedding photography and do not get a truly talented
photographer, because often they will be disappointed with the results.

If a couple requests you to shoot the whole event candidly I would strongly encourage you to get
your couple to understand the risk associated with having an entire wedding shot in this style, and
get them to agree to some posed, but casual shots if at all possible. Sure if they are dead against
it, don't force the issue, but make sure that they know you can't guarantee the results in these
circumstances.

Suggestions about the best way to pose people in different circumstances, including trying to
make the photos look less posed and more natural, will be covered in Lesson 5, "Wedding poses
101". In the interim, you need to just reassure the couple that you will do your best to capture
some truly candid moments, some posed but very natural looking moments, as well as their
formal shots. By doing this you can work with them to organise the wedding day best to enable
you to do your job, while not getting in the way of them enjoying their day. As well as this, both
you and the couple will be "on the same page" regards the way the day will go.

Once this is settled, you need to get an understanding of the time you have to work with. This is
something that will vary with every wedding, because people have different timeframes etc. for
the big day, as well as different cultures having different traditions. In Australia for example,
couples often have some time, up to several hours, between the wedding ceremony and the
actual reception enabling plenty of time for photographs. In the USA I understand this is
somewhat unusual, with most weddings having the ceremony and then the reception with a short
break in between. Whatever the arrangements for the wedding, you need this planned very well
beforehand. The best way to do this is to start with a schedule. Draw up a standard document for
the bride and groom to fill out with the following details:

• Bride's full name

• Bride's address and telephone numbers
• Bride's parents' names
• Bridesmaids' names
• Bride's email address
• Groom's full name
• Groom's address and telephone numbers
• Groom's parents' names
• Groomsmens' names
• Groom's email address
• Address where bride will be getting ready
• Address where ceremony will be held
• Address where reception will be held

These are all the key items of information that you will need prior to the wedding, excluding the
timetable. During the day, you will have a copy of this in your pocket all the time to help you
remember everyone's names if needed. At the bottom of the document, draw up a timetable with
the following key items and the times they occur, adjusted as required for your specific
circumstances. Add whatever extra items in you need to enable the timetable to accurately reflect
the day:
 • Arrive at the bride's house
• Leave the bride's house
• Arrival at the ceremony - photos of groom and parents
• Ceremony
• Formals
• Portraiture with wedding party
• Reception
• Finish

In discussion with the couple you need to settle on the times for each section. Don't forget to
include travel time, set-up time etc. After the ceremony remember you will generally need to allow
the couple to mingle for ten minutes or so, and then you will need at least 20 minutes to take the
family formals unless they have very small families. If there is limited time between the ceremony
and the reception find out if the couple are prepared to see each other beforehand. This would
enable you to take some of your portraiture early when you have a little more time and a lot less
pressure.

Between your discussion on styles of photography and settling on the timeframe both you and the
couple will normally have a good understanding of the way the day will run, and what is expected
of everyone.

In addition to all of the above, it is a good idea to ask the couple if there are any key photographs
that they must have. Sometimes there will be a special group of friends they want photographed,
or a grandmother who needs to leave early because of bad health, or they will want a group shot
of all of the guests. At the same time, ask them to have a think about what family formals they will
require (ie. who needs to be in the photos) and if possible get them to prepare a list. On the day,
get a trusted family member on each side to round up the people who need to be in the shots so
when you go to shoot the formals there is as little delay as possible.

2. Your preparation for the day

In previous entries I have talked about how you need to be totally familiar with your equipment,
the use of flash, fill flash, moving between different lighting situations etc. This section is simply to
reinforce this requirement. You need to be totally comfortable with your equipment so that on the
day you spend virtually no time changing settings or fiddling around etc.

To help with this, start experimenting at home. The bride's house is likely to be similar in terms of
brightness etc. Shoot a friend at home, experiment with window light etc. Make sure you know
what looks good in terms of your settings etc. Find out how slow you can shoot without camera
shake becoming an issue. Importantly, get an idea of how your flash behaves indoors, when
being bounced. This is also a great time to practice your poses.

Next, go outdoors in full sun and practice using flash to overpower shadows. This should only be
needed when the actual ceremony is in full sun, because you will normally be looking to have
your portraiture, family formals and in fact any photo where you have control over the location,
shot in the shade on a sunny day. Nevertheless you need to be ready to tackle full sun just in
case. On an overcast day we simply need to praise the Lord and thank him for the giant softbox
that an overcast sky provides.

In the shade, take portraits using fill flash at different settings. Later examine the shots and
determine what looks best for your system. As I said for my Canon gear I prefer -1 2/3 to -2 FEC,
but your gear may be different - you need to test this.
Test your lenses at various apertures for portraits. Know what will and won't be in focus at any
given aperture. If you plan to shoot with shallow depth of field practice achieving these results.
Review the shots later to make sure they are what you expected.

If at all possible, visit the church and reception venue that will be used on the day. Get an idea of
the brightness of the church, and determine what sort of results you will be able to get in terms of
ambient light. Plan for where you will stand during the ceremony, and determine if you will need a
longer lens to adequately photograph the couple. Will you need a tripod? If so, determine where it
will be set up. If using a tripod, make sure you have some form of quick release system, so you
can quickly release the camera if required.

Outside the church look for a suitable location close to the entrance where your family formals
can be shot. Make sure you determine a nice shaded spot (in case of bright sun), and ensure that
the spot you select has a non-distracting background.

At the reception centre scout around for suitable locations for photographs. If you have plenty of
time between the ceremony and the reception look for nice locations close to the venues where
you may be able to take shots. Ask the venue manager if they have sample albums left by
professionals with shots that were taken at the venue - these may give you good ideas.

In summary, do your best to be fully prepared - this way even if things don't go right you can rest
comfortably in the knowledge that you were as prepared as you could possibly be. The alternative
is to think afterwards "If only I had done that before the day...." etc.

3. Gear preparation

This is pretty straight forward, but you would be amazed at how often little things can catch you
out. The day before you need to do the following:

• Charge all of your camera batteries

• Ensure you have new batteries for flash units, and at least one set of replacements
• Format all flash cards. Make sure your spare flash cards are handy, and that you have a
way to know what you have already used on the day, and what is still empty.
• Make sure the cameras are set up the same - this is particularly important if you have
borrowed or hired a second camera.
• Make sure the date and time on both cameras is correct
• Check that the cameras are set to RAW capture, and auto white balance. You can use
other forms of white balance, but if shooting RAW you can adjust later, and trust me - you
will have enough to think about on the day without this as well.
• Clean your sensors to remove any dust
• Clean your lenses, and check they are set to AF. Preferably remove protective filters.
• Make sure you have the lens hoods in your bag (this is something I should have covered
in the previous lesson - you should never take a photo without a hood, except at night. If
your lens didn't come with a hood, buy it. The difference in terms of flare, colour
saturation and contrast is astounding).
• Check everything thoroughly, make sure it all works.
• Put a bottle of water and a snack (eg. an energy bar) in your bag - you will be amazed at
how draining a full day of shooting can be.

4. Dealing with change on the day

No matter how well you plan, there is going to be change on the day that means things don't run
the way you expected. You need to be able to roll with the punches and keep on shooting if you
are going to get through the day with coverage to be proud of. Here are some quick issues that
you may face:

• You will forget to take some photos you planned to take. For example, perhaps you forgot
to get a shot of the wedding dress before the bride put it on. Yes, it's an important shot
but don't fret - if it is really important you can take it another day. Only stress about the
must have shots - all of the rest just form a part of the overall picture, and the couple
probably won't notice that you don't have a shot of this or that, as long as you get the key
shots.
• You may arrive to take the photos of the bride, only to find she is late from getting her
hair done. All of a sudden your one hour of photos has become 30 minutes, or 15
minutes. If this happens do the shots you can do while you wait. Get the close ups of the
flowers, perfume bottle, dress etc. Don't get stressed, it is not your fault that she is late.
When she is ready get what you can in the time you have available.
• The couple will spend more time than you would like getting congratulated by guests after
the wedding. If you have plenty of time, let them relax and enjoy themselves before the
formals. However if you are on a tight timeframe give them the time agreed upon in the
schedule, and then gently and politely suggest that they start to move to where the
formals will be taken. The crowd will follow them, and you will be able to stay on-time.
• Don't be a tyrant, if things are going pear-shaped in terms of time explain it to the couple
and let them decide what is important. You can normally pinch 15-20 minutes from the
start of the reception if absolutely necessary, but let them make the call. Keep an eye on
the time, and don't let your photography cut into their reception without their consent.

The important thing is to try not get stressed. I know that this sounds easy to say, and hard to do,
but hey - the more practice you do the less stress you will experience. There you go, another
incentive to practice! If you are stressed or flustered you will make mistakes, and as well as that
the bride and groom will not enjoy themselves. It is very important to ensure that the bride and
groom are having fun, because if so that will come through in the shots. Joke with them, provide
positive feedback, make them feel good about themselves etc. All of this will contribute to them
having a better day.

Summary

You know what I am going to say. Practice practice and practice some more. Know your
equipment and your locations. Know what your couple wants from the coverage. Know what is
important to them. If you do all of this you will do the best job you are capable of, and nobody can
ask for more than that. Most of all, you will know that you gave it your best.
Lesson 5 - Wedding Poses 101
The title for this lesson is a little deceptive, because while I will be going through some tips for
poses, and some dos and don'ts for the big day, I won't be giving you a guidebook of different
poses to do. Wedding photography can be broken into two parts - the "record of the day" photos,
and the "creative" photos. If I tell you exactly what poses to do, where is your creativity getting a
chance to develop? Additionally, even experienced wedding photographers are constantly looking
for new ideas. You can learn more from other talented photographers, you just need to make the
effort to do it.

The best way to do this is to spend some time browsing other photographers work to get some
ideas of poses and photographs that you really like. Years ago this was so much harder than it is
today, now with the internet we can view photographs from some of the best photographers in the
world from the comfort of our homes. Some people might say that to copy someone else's style
or poses is wrong, that you should develop your own style. Personally, I think it is perfectly
acceptable, as long as you are learning from their work, and not slavishly copying it. After all,
artists have been creating in the style of previous artists for lifetimes, or have been influenced by
other artists. In fact, every professional photographer who learns under a pro will adopt some of
the style of their teacher into their wedding photography. This is one of the reasons why studios
develop a distinctive style, even when they have multiple photographers working for them.

When you find images that you really like, make notes about them, and gradually build up a list of
images that appeal to you. Then before you shoot your first wedding find a couple, preferably the
bride and groom, and shoot a practice session with them. Take the opportunity to practice all of
the poses that you have seen and liked, and try other things as well. On this day you are not
pressed for time so really look at the poses you set up. Look at the little details, the way the light
falls, the positioning of hands, the naturalness of the pose. Make sure you set up some photos
where they are interacting with each other, rather than the camera. Get the groom to whisper
something cheeky in the bride’s ear while they are embracing and capture her reaction.

When shooting these shots, remember to make sure you do the moving, rather than the couple.
What I mean is to walk around the couple, shooting them from a variety of different angles. This
helps create a range of different shots without causing too much work for the couple, and without
wasting time. One of the things most beginners do is to set up a pose and then shoot ten shots of
it, with only very minor differences. This is a waste of time. Once you have a couple of shots
move around the couple looking for different aspects of the same pose.

The practice session is very valuable for an inexperienced photographer, as it helps improve your
chances of success on the big day in several ways:

• Practicing with any couple will improve your portraiture. Naturally you can’t expect to
improve without actually taking photos, and weddings are not a place to learn on the job.
Practicing beforehand will enable you to try all of the poses that you want to use, and
learn new ones.
• If you actually shoot with the bride and groom it gives you a chance to improve your
communication with the couple before the day. By having photographed them beforehand
they are more likely to know what to do when you describe a pose for them, and you will
be able to use time more efficiently on the wedding day.
• Most people will be photographed more on their wedding day than on any other day. This
can be quite intimidating, particularly if people are self-conscious. By photographing them
beforehand they will get a little more comfortable with the process, and are more likely to
 be able to relax on the wedding day, which will help you capture better, more natural
shots.
• By reviewing all of the shots afterwards you will be able to get a better understanding of
what looks good and what doesn’t, what works and what just looks forced. Additionally,
you can seek feedback from other photographers on websites that host wedding
photography forums. Critically look at each shot, and determine what you might have
done that could improve it. This review should be taken from both an aesthetic
perspective (ie. the attractiveness of the pose) and from a technical perspective (ie. was
the aperture sufficient to ensure key elements are in focus, was the fill flash level enough
but not overdone etc.).
• You will see what issues you may have on the day with respect to the appearance of the
couple. For example you may get a bride or groom who is much taller than their partner.
By shooting beforehand you get an opportunity to look at ways to make them appear
more even. On reviewing the shots you may determine that the groom’s eye sockets are
quite deep. If this is the case you know you will need a fraction more fill than normally
would be the case, or alternatively (and preferably) you will need a reflector.
• Finally, the bride and groom will get a chance to review your work and show you what
shots they like, and what they don’t. It also gives them an understanding of the quality of
your work, enabling them to make an informed decision about getting you to shoot their
big day.

So as you can see, having a practice shoot is very beneficial and really should be done if at all
possible. Once done, print off a page of thumbnails of poses you and the couple really liked to
prompt you on the wedding day.

Key photo list and hints for the day

I have listed below a range of photos to act as a guide for the inexperienced photographer on the
wedding day. This is one area where everyone will have a difference of opinion, and there will
also be likely to be many shots which are not done here in Australia, but are important in other
cultures. Accordingly, please consider this as just a suggestion, and add or subtract items as you
feel appropriate, or based upon the specifics of your wedding day.

In Australia the bride will normally get prepared at her house or her parents house before being
driven to the wedding. Generally I like to arrive when the bride is finalising her make-up, but
before the dress has been put on. By having the bridesmaids made up first and dressed it means
that photos can be taken of the bride getting ready with all the bridesmaids present. Shots I take
at the bride's house before she is fully dressed include:

• Close-ups of flowers
• Perfume bottle
• Jewellery
• Garter and veil
• Hanging dress
• Shoes
• Bride having makeup applied
• Bride relaxing, reading a bridal magazine, etc. in a gown.

After the bride gets into her dress the following shots normally get taken.

• Buttoning up the rear of the dress

• Putting on jewellery (mother or bridesmaid to put on bracelet/necklace etc.)
• Applying perfume
 • Putting in earrings
• Brides portraits - with/without flowers, veil up/down etc.
• Photos with parents individually, adjusting Dad's tie, pinning on flowers etc.
• Photos with both parents
• Popping champagne bottle with parents and bridesmaids
• Formal portrait of bride with all bridesmaids and bride with each bridesmaid individually (if
time permits, particularly if you are going to be pressed for time later in the day)

After this I normally head for the ceremony venue. In Australia shots of the groom and family are
normally done at the ceremony location).

• Groom portraiture
• Gazing at boxed rings
• Details of attire, close ups of cufflinks perhaps.
• Interacting with groomsmen
• Portrait of groom with groomsmen in the background
• Formal portrait of groom with each groomsman
• Groom pinning flowers on groomsmen
• Mother of groom pinning flower on, brushing lint off groom’s shoulders etc.
• Groom with mother
• Groom with father
• Groom with both parents

This is all done normally in the 20-30 minutes before the arrival of the bride. When the time of the
Bride’s arrival is near, leave the groom and head to the front of the venue to capture the bride
arriving. I prefer to get one of the bridesmaids to call me when the bride is about 5 minutes away
to make sure I get out in front without wasting time standing around doing nothing. This is also a
good time to have your assistant (if you have one) positioning themselves in the church to
capture the groom’s face as the bride walks down the aisle.

• Cars arriving
• Bride and father of bride (assuming they traveled together) in the car from front seat
• Bride portrait through open car window
• Bride exiting car assisted by bridesmaids
• Bridesmaids fussing over bride, getting her ready
• Photos of each bridesmaid and bride walking down the aisle (don’t hesitate to use flash,
this is a moving target in a low light environment and you will need a fast shutter speed
and a small aperture to ensure focus. Experienced photographers can often do this with
wider apertures giving more ambient light, but for a beginner it is probably better to shoot
these shots as described above. If you have two cameras, have one set up with your fast
prime for ambient light in the church, and the other set up for the shots where the couple
is moving where you will use predominantly flash).
• Photo after bride passes you of her and father with train down the aisle.
• Bride being presented to the groom

It is at this point that you will often get a few minutes to check everything. The next key shots you
need will be of any people giving readings, or of the exchange of rings and the kiss. Make sure
your cameras are set up correctly. You have practiced this before so you probably are on top of it,
but just make sure you are set up for the key shots. Check ISO, settings for flash, camera
settings etc.
The photos during the ceremony are pretty obvious, with differences based upon the nature of the
wedding. Make sure you know what the key parts of the ceremony are if it is an unfamiliar
wedding where there may be cultural differences from those you have attended before. The bride
and groom can tell you what is important to them if this is the case. In most cases in Australia the
key shots are of the ring exchanges and the kiss. If I have an assistant shooting I will normally
ask him or her to use a telephoto to try to capture close-ups of the ring exchange. IMPORTANT
POINT: Make sure you check your card has room for several photos before these key moments –
you don’t want to miss the kiss due to a full CF Card!

There are some important rules when shooting in a ceremony. First of all, you should have
spoken to the celebrant/father/pastor before the ceremony to know if there are any specific rules
to follow re. where you can stand etc. or the use of flash. Normally this is not the case and you
have free reign (within reason). Try to never move in front of the parents of the bride and groom,
and move slowly and quietly if you do need to move.

In Australia immediately after the service the bride and groom and witnesses will sign a marriage
certificate. It is normal practice to pose for photos of this before leaving the church. If so, try to
incorporate plenty of ambient light. If you can set up your tripod quickly and the light is low
enough to require it, then use it opposed to just blasting away with flash (normally I leave it set up
and ready to go near to the altar in these circumstances).

After these photos the bride and groom will normally greet the parents – this happens quickly and
requires similar settings for when the bride is walking down the aisle – a smaller aperture, faster
shutter speed (say 1/125 minimum) and more reliance on flash. Capture the bride and groom
leaving the church, normally I pose them for a shot immediately outside the door. NOTE: YOU
HAVE MOVED OUTSIDE, TURN YOUR ISO DOWN, AND CHECK YOUR CAMERA SETTINGS.

When moving outside, make sure your flash is set to high speed sync, otherwise you will start
getting overexposed photos as your flash tries to restrict your camera to your maximum sync
speed. The first time this happens to you it can be frustrating as you try to work out why the
camera is overexposing. Also ensure you turn down your Flash Exposure Compensation as
described in previous lessons.

After the bride and groom leave and are being greeted and congratulated by friends take a breath
and gather your equipment together for the next location. I like to shoot some candid shots of the
couple being congratulated, and if you have an assistant this is a good time for them to shoot
these shots while you prepare for the next stage.

After a few minutes, as previously agreed by you with the bride and groom, remind them of the
time and move them to the area where the family formals will take place. You should already
know what shots are required due to your preparation, make sure the delegated family members
are rounding up those required for the shots. Some tips for the formals are as follows:

• Always take at least two shots of each group. Someone will always be blinking.
• Remember to leave room at the sides of the shot for cropping to 8x10 size.
• Ask people with spectacles to remove them if possible.
• I personally get men to put their forward hand in their trouser pocket – hands just don’t
look good in group photos.
• Ladies should be asked to put their bags down. If anyone is carrying a camera or
anything else like an order of service get them to put it down.
• Shoot at at least f/5.6 for more depth of field.

Upon completion of your formals, it is time to shoot your wedding portraiture. Get the bridal party
away from the guests so they aren’t distracted and take the shots you need to take, including the
formal bridal party portrait. Try to ensure that everyone enjoys themselves, and have a bit of fun.
When shooting portraits of the bride and groom it is often nice to have the bridal party mingling in
the background, out of focus.

Finally, the reception. Normally in Australia the wedding coverage ends at the start of the
reception. We do a mock cake cutting, take photos of the room and the little details on the tables,
the bride and groom’s place cards etc. I also like to take some dance shots. These can often be
done nicely before the actual reception starts by simply shooting with a moderate telephoto at a
wide aperture from waist up. Get the bride and groom to be still, enabling you to shoot with only a
small amount of bounce flash, if any. The results look surprisingly good, and mean that you can
leave and let the bride and groom relax and enjoy their night.

An amateur shooting their first will normally be shooting as a guest, and so you can wait for the
actual dance and shoot that then. In this circumstance, remember that they will be moving so if
you can’t freeze action due to low light make sure you use flash, preferably bounced off the roof.

As discussed, this portion of the guide is somewhat “Aussie-focused” as the types of shots I take
are based upon the nature of most weddings over here, and the cultural settings. In the USA for
example, I know the photos at the reception are a vital part of the wedding coverage, including
the cake feeding shots etc. As long as you make sure that you are ready for all of these key
events you should be fine.

Summary

The main things to take away from the above are the importance of preparation and practice.
Shooting the couple before the day can make a real difference and will help you perform better on
the day. Doing a list of all of the formal photos needed and getting the bride and groom to
organize a family member to round up all of the people in the shots will make the formal shots run
smoother and be a lot faster. Having a reminder page of the poses the couple liked or you
preferred to refer back to when you need inspiration makes a big difference. Preparation by
looking at the photos of photographers you admire and incorporating lessons learned from these
into your poses will help you get better results.
Lesson 6 - Processing, presentation and post-
wedding review
So the day is over! You have photographed the wedding and now you are left with all of the RAW
files to process and review, before delivering the final product to the bride and groom. I bet you
thought most of the work was over! Well, perhaps it would have been in the days of film, but
nowadays that is not the case.

After shooting a wedding I normally have between 600 and 900 frames to review, process and
cull. The procedure I use is as follows.

Step 1 - Backup RAW files

Immediately after getting home from the wedding I will download all of the images taken to my
hard drive. Due to the slow transfer speed of most cameras I use a card reader to perform this
task. These can normally download images much faster than directly from the camera, and are
quite inexpensive. If you don’t have one I highly recommend investing in one.

Once the images are downloaded to the computer I immediately back up the images to an
external hard drive and burn DVDs of the images. The DVDs are then stored off-site. That is
probably an extreme precaution, but the important thing to ensure is that you have the key data
stored in at least two places.

I recently acquired an Epson P-5000 to enhance my capacity to manage this process, as it

enables me to back-up during the day, for additional protection. The Epson P-5000 is a portable
storage system with a 4 inch screen and an 80GB hard drive that downloads and displays both
RAW files and JPEGs. While I don’t feel that this is absolutely necessary on the day, if you have
a similar device consider taking it along to provide additional protection.

Step 2 - Process the images

Shooting in RAW provides great benefits to the inexperienced photographer, and in fact to any
wedding photographer. Firstly, it means that you don’t need to worry about white balance during
the day. When you are rushing around trying to photograph a wedding you really don’t want to be
worrying about white balance as well. Shooting RAW means you can adjust this later, and will
help you get a consistent white balance from shot to shot. Secondly, and importantly, you can
adjust brightness and contrast in a much more effective manner than doing it later with JPEGs. It
is VERY easy to underexpose shots when you are rushing around on the day, and as a first timer
you are likely to forget to use exposure compensation (‘EC’) to adjust for some situations where
your camera won’t meter well. By shooting RAW I can often pull up a shot that is underexposed
by up to 1.5 stops without any noticeable impact in terms of noise etc. (particularly at lower ISOs).
This is not an excuse not to use EC in the first place, it is just a way to save a shot that otherwise
is too dark or too light.

Shooting in RAW does, however, mean that you have a task ahead of you after finishing the day.
The process of optimising the images takes me approximately 3-4 hours after the wedding,
depending on the number of shots taken. I use a professional program called “Capture One” to
process my images, but every camera manufacturer provides a program with their digital SLRs
that will enable you to process the images satisfactorily. The professional programs are designed
for optimising workflow processes, and as a result can often be faster than the programs provided
by the camera manufacturers, but don’t worry, you will get there in the end. Additionally, there are
image processing forums on virtually every photography related forum site which can provide
advice and point you in the right direction.

One hint I have with respect to processing images is to err on the side of warmer images. When I
started and moved to a color-calibrated monitor I was able for the first time to get white balance
exactly correct on my prints and screen. What I found is that even though I might have had the
colour temperature technically correct, couples often felt that the images were cold. I now prepare
all of my shots with a touch more warmth, not enough so they look wrong, but just enough to give
them an inviting feel. Naturally if I later decide I want to go back to the original it is as easy as
pulling up my RAW and making a minor change.

Speaking of colour calibration, the monitor you are using right now, if not specifically color
calibrated, can often be quite off, resulting in electronic images that look different when viewed on
a different computer, and prints that look different to the way the images appear on your screen.
The process of color calibration can be expensive and certainly deserves another article, rather
than being covered here. That said, if you are going to be presenting prints to the bride and
groom it is worthwhile taking say 10 images to the lab and checking how they come out before
processing the whole lot! If your screen is significantly off you will need to try to correct it before
providing the finished products to the bride and groom.

That reminds me. If you are providing prints to the bride and groom I strongly recommend having
them prepared by a professional rather than printing them at home. This way you will ensure that
the prints have a longer life. Additionally, it is cheaper in the long run given the number of images
you will be providing.

Step 3 - Cull the images

I know how hard it can be to cull images before presenting them to the bride and groom. After all
we are all proud of our work, and can find it hard to criticise it impartially. On the other hand,
giving a couple 800 pictures including obvious errors and duplicate shots etc. is expensive, and
won’t help you look like a good photographer.

Here is what I do. First of all, I run through the images taken and I delete any where the focus is
off or I have made an obvious error, except where that image is a particularly important one. After
all a slightly blurry picture of the first kiss is better than no picture at all. Next, I review pictures
that are very similar. I often will take two or three shots of the one pose that are virtually identical
to ensure I have focus spot on etc. If so, I will pick the best of the shots and delete the others.
The only time I do not consider deleting shots is for the group formal pictures. These I always
provide all of to the couple. I then consider photographs where for whatever reason the bride or
groom look bad. This may be due to an unflattering pose, or a strange expression on the face. In
these circumstances I consider if there are sufficient photos that are relatively similar to enable
me to delete the shots. Finally, I review the candids taken on the day and pull out shots with no
merit (ie. backs of peoples’ heads etc.).

What I am left with is shots that are of a good quality, show the couple off to their best, and
provide a full and complete coverage of the day. These are the shots I will give to the bride and
groom.

If you are concerned about not giving them everything, don’t be. You are the photographer, these
are your photos, they reflect upon your competence and ability. As long as you provide a full and
complete coverage the bride and groom don’t need to see the stuff-ups.

Step 4 - Presentation
If you agree to do a complimentary wedding shoot for good friends try to ensure that you present
the couple with something nice. Don't just deliver them a DVD in a paper envelope with "wedding
photos" printed on the front. This is just not appropriate if it comprises your wedding gift. For
presentation you may consider the following.

If you provide 6x4s of the images taken to the couple, make sure they are professionally printed
and on good quality paper. I use my pro lab for this, which costs much more than a similar
consumer lab, but any good consumer lab will do. The cost of getting 400 or so images printed is
not to be taken for granted, so bear this in mind if you are proposing to do this for the couple. You
do not want to cull images just to save a few bucks.

You might consider placing the images in a presentation box, together with a DVD that contains
full sized images, plus folders with image versions resized email. No-one wants to get an email
containing four or five 12MP JPEGs, so make it easy on the couple by providing email sized
images for them to send around. This can be done easily by setting up an action in Photoshop,
and then using the “Automate” function to process the whole lot quickly and easily.

I recommend that you also include a handwritten card thanking them for the opportunity to be a
part of their day, and recommending that they back-up the DVD to their hard drive, and make an
extra copy and put it in a safe place.

Step 5 - Post wedding review

It is important that after the wedding you take the time to reflect on what went well, or poorly on
the big day. Have a think about what you could have done better, and what you need to practice
better for next time. Critically review your coverage and determine if there were any areas which
were underdone, and deserved more shots. Review the poses you set-up for the couple and
assess if they could have been improved. Importantly, look at every shot you took that was poor,
either through focus, camera settings, camera shake etc and determine what was the cause.
Check the metadata on the files to help get to the bottom of why the shots went wrong. These are
the shots you need extra practice on before you shoot your next wedding.

Thanks for reading my series on “How to shoot a wedding”. I hope you got a bit out of it, and if
you are ever called upon to perform the service for a friend or family member that it will help you
perform well and capture all of their precious moments.

About the author

Antony Hands is an experienced professional wedding photographer based in Coffs Harbour,

NSW. He is the principal of North Coast Photography, a studio which specialises in wedding
photography and services the surrounding districts including Port Macquarie, Kempsey,
Nambucca Heads, Grafton and as far North as Ballina