Wedding Photography - 21 Tips for for Amateur Wedding Photographers

From: digital-photography-school.com

Photo by rougerouge

“Help me - I’m photographing my first Wedding!… Help me with some Wedding Photography Tips Please!”

It’s a question that’s been asked a few times in our forums over the last few months so while I’m not a Pro Wedding Photographer I thought it was time to share a few tips on the topic of Wedding Photography .

I’ll leave the technical tips of photographing a wedding to the pros - but as someone who has been asked to photograph numerous friends and family weddings - here are a few suggestions.

Wedding Photography Tips

1. Create a ‘Shot List’

Get the couple to think ahead about the shots that they’d like you to capture on the day and compile a list so that you can check them off. This is particularly helpful in the family shots. There’s nothing worse than getting the photos back and realizing you didn’t photograph the happy couple with grandma!

2. Family Photo Coordinator

I find the family photo part of the day can be quite stressful. People are going everywhere, you’re unaware of the different family dynamics at play and people are in a ‘festive spirit’ (and have often been drinking a few spirits) to the point where it can be quite chaotic. Get the couple to nominate a family member (or one for each side of the family) who can be the ‘director’ of the shoot. They can round everyone up, help get them in the shot and keep things moving so that the couple can get back to the party.

Photo by wiseacre photo

3. Scout the Location

Visit the locations of the different places that you’ll be shooting before the big day. While I’m sure most Pros don’t do this - I find it really helpful to know where we’re going, have an idea of a few positions for shots and to know how the light might come into play. On one or two weddings I even visited locations with the couples and took a few test shots (these made nice ‘engagement photos’).

4. Preparation is key

So much can go wrong on the day - so you need to be well prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and time to get to places and get an itinerary of the full day so you know what’s happening next. If you can, attend the rehearsal of the ceremony where you’ll gather a lot of great information about possible positions to shoot from, the lighting, the order of the ceremony etc

5. Set expectations with the Couple

Show them your work/style. Find out what they are wanting to achieve, how many shots they want, what key things they want to be recorded, how the shots will be used (print etc). If you’re charging them for the event, make sure you have the agreement of price in place up front.

6. Turn off the sound on your camera

Beeps during speeches, the kiss and vows don’t add to the event. Switch off sound before hand and keep it off.

Photo by Ella’s Dad

7. Shoot the small details

Photograph rings, backs of dresses, shoes, flowers, table settings, menus etc - these help give the end album an extra dimension. Flick through a wedding magazine in a news stand for a little inspiration.

8. Use Two Cameras

Beg, borrow, hire or steal an extra camera for the day - set it up with a different lens. I try to shoot with one wide angle lens (great for candid shots and in tight spaces (particularly before the ceremony in the preparation stage of the day) and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm if you can get your hands on one - I use a 70-200mm).

9. Consider a Second Photographer

Having a second backup photographer can be a great strategy. It means less moving around during ceremony and speeches, allows for one to capture the formal shots and the other to get candid shots. It also takes a little pressure off you being ‘the one’ to have to get every shot!

10. Be Bold but Not Obtrusive

Photo by ShhPeKo®©™

Timidity won’t get you ‘the shot’ - sometimes you need to be bold to capture a moment. However timing is everything and thinking ahead to get in the right position for key moments are important so as not to disrupt the event. In a ceremony I try to move around at least 4-5 times but try to time this to coincide with songs, sermons or longer readings. During the formal shots be bold, know what you want and ask for it from the couple and their party. You’re driving the show at this point of the day and need to keep things moving.

11. Learn how to Use Diffused Light

The ability to bounce a flash or to diffuse it is key. You’ll find that in many churches that light is very low. If you’re allowed to use a flash (and some churches don’t allow it) think about whether bouncing the flash will work (remember if you bounce off a colored surface it will add a colored cast to the picture) or whether you might want to buy a flash diffuser to soften the light. If you can’t use a flash you’ll need to either use a fast lens at wide apertures and/or bump up the ISO. A lens with image stabilization might also help. Learn more about Using Flash Diffusers and Reflectors.

12. Shoot in RAW

I know that many readers feel that they don’t have the time for shooting in RAW (due to extra processing) but a wedding is one time that it can be particularly useful as it gives so much more flexibility to manipulate shots after taking them. Weddings can present photographers with tricky lighting which result in the need to manipulate exposure and white balance after the fact - RAW will help with this considerably.

Photo by Jen Clix

13. Display Your Shots at the Reception

One of the great things about digital photography is the immediacy of it as a medium. One of the fun things I’ve seen more and more photographers doing recently is taking a computer to the reception, uploading shots taken earlier in the day and letting them rotate as a slideshow during the evening. This adds a fun element to the night.

14. Consider Your Backgrounds

One of the challenges of weddings is that there are often people going everywhere - including the backgrounds of your shots. Particularly with the formal shots scope out the area where they’ll be taken ahead of time looking for good backgrounds. Ideally you’ll be wanting uncluttered areas and shaded spots out of direct sunlight where there’s unlikely to be a wandering great aunt wander into the back of the shot. Read more on getting backgrounds right.

15. Don’t Discard Your ‘Mistakes’

The temptation with digital is to check images as you go and to delete those that don’t work immediately. The problem with this is that you might just be getting rid of some of the more interesting and useable images. Keep in mind that images can be cropped or manipulated later to give you some more arty/abstract looking shots that can add real interest to the end album.

Photo by shutupyourface

16. Change Your Perspective

Get a little creative with your shots. While the majority of the images in the end album will probably be fairly ‘normal’ or formal poses - make sure you mix things up a little by taking shots from down low, up high, at wide angles etc.

17. Group Shots

One thing that I’ve done at every wedding that I’ve photographed is attempt to photograph everyone who is in attendance in the one shot. The way I’ve done this is to arrange for a place that I can get up high above everyone straight after the ceremony. This might mean getting tall ladder, using a balcony or even climbing on a roof. The beauty of getting up high is that you get everyone’s face in it and can fit a lot of people in the one shot. The key is to be able to get everyone to the place you want them to stand quickly and to be ready to get the shot without having everyone stand around for too long. I found the best way to get everyone to the spot is to get the bride and groom there and to have a couple of helpers to herd everyone in that direction. Read more on how to take Group Photos.

18. Fill Flash

When shooting outside after a ceremony or during the posed shots you’ll probably want to keep your flash attached to give a little fill in flash. I tend to dial it back a little (a stop or two) so that shots are not blown out - but particularly in backlit or midday shooting conditions where there can be a lot of shadow, fill in flash is a must. Read more about using Fill Flash.

19. Continuous Shooting Mode

Having the ability to shoot a lot of images fast is very handy on a wedding day so switch your camera to continuous shooting mode and use it. Sometimes it’s the shot you take a second after the formal or posed shot when everyone is relaxing that really captures the moment!

Photo by missmellydean

20. Expect the Unexpected

One more piece of advice that someone gave me on my own wedding day. ‘Things will Go Wrong - But They Can be the Best Parts of the Day’. In every wedding that I’ve participated in something tends to go wrong with the day. The best man can’t find the ring, the rain pours down just as the ceremony ends, the groom forgets to do up his fly, the flower girl decides to sit down in the middle of the aisle or the bride can’t remember her vows….

These moments can feel a little panicky at the time - but it’s these moments that can actually make a day and give the bride and groom memories. Attempt to capture them and you could end up with some fun images that sum up the day really well.

I still remember the first wedding I photographed where the bride and grooms car crashed into a Tram on the way to the park where we were going to take photos. The bride was in tears, the groom stressed out - but after we’d all calmed down people began to see some of the funny side of the moment and we even took a couple of shots before driving on to the park. They were among everyone’s favorites.

21. Have Fun

Weddings are about celebrating - they should be fun. The more fun you have as the photographer the more relaxed those you are photographing will be. Perhaps the best way to loosen people up is to smile as the photographer (warning: I always come home from photographing weddings with sore jaws and cheeks because of of my smiling strategy).

Want to Learn More about Wedding Photography? Check out these Wedding Photography Books:

• Digital Wedding Photography: Capturing Beautiful Memories
• The Art of Digital Wedding Photography: Professional Techniques with Style (Amphoto)
• Digital Wedding Photography
• The Best of Digital Wedding Photography

The darkroom for black and white film processing & printing

Many black and white photographers rely upon commercial film labs to do their processing for them, while others feel they get the results they want by handling the job themselves. Discounting the time required, it is less expensive to develop and print your own film. In order to do this, you need a darkroom. (If you take pictures using a digital camera, then you will need to "process' them in the digital darkroom - on your computer. Click here for tips and hints on editing digital images.) DARKROOM ESSENTIALS Darkness - The ideal darkroom is pitch black, but total darkness is sometimes difficult to achieve in the home, especially if you have commandeered a room that also serves other purposes, such as a bathroom or kitchen. Here's a good rule of thumb for the minimum amount of darkness required - if you don't see any light in the room over a period of five minutes, it's dark enough for normal usage. It's surprising, but the room that appears to be totally blackened for the first five minutes may reveal a number of dim light leaks after you've been in it for twenty or thirty minutes. Note where light seems to be coming in, usually around the door, windows, around ceiling tiles and even through electrical outlets. Block all light leaks. Sometimes this means simply placing a towel along the base of the door. Use cardboard, cut to size, to seal a window, taping it in place for peace of mind. If, for some reason, you just can't block a dim light leak (one that you first observe only after you have been in the darkened room for five minutes) and are concerned that it might fog fast film, you can create a simple light barrier by opening the film cartridge inside a cardboard or wooden box that faces away from the trace of light. Added insurance is achieved if the interior of the box is spray-painted with matte black paint and has a heavy, black velvet curtain over its opening.

Two separate work areas - one dry, one wet - One practical darkroom design has a table or countertop along one wall for the enlarger, trimming board and paper supplies (the dry side), and another countertop or table along the opposite wall for print processing trays and, preferably, a sink (the wet side). This separation is effective in preventing damage to the enlarger, timer, film and paper supplies from splashed or spilled liquids. When space is at a premium, you do what you can, and keep wet and dry materials separated as much as possible. If your darkroom has only one working surface, build a small partition between the wet and dry areas to keep the liquids on their proper side. The work surface on the dry side must at least be large enough to hold the enlarger and a paper trimmer. The area of the wet side's work surface is dependent upon the largest size of enlargement you plan to make. Why? Because you will need space for four processing trays, each of which can fully contain your biggest enlargements. If you are not going to make any prints larger than 8" X 10", you need far less work area than if you are going to produce, say, 20" X 24" enlargements.

Layout for a 6-foot by 8-foot darkroom.

A light-tight fresh air inlet on the dry side and an extractor fan located above the wet side ensure a continuous supply of fresh air.

Water - And lots of it - both hot and cold, ideally with a mixing control that maintains a constant, selected water flow temperature. Such controls can be quite expensive. Most amateur darkroom enthusiasts rely instead upon a simple thermometer and their own attentiveness to temperature variations. (In a pinch, when you don't have a darkroom sink, you can haul water in and out in pails - an activity youll probably soon tire of.) Ventilation - A darkroom should have a continuous supply of fresh air. One problem that can occur by zealously sealing off light leakage cracks and crannies is that you also seal off entrances for fresh air. The answer is a light-tight air entry, which can be achieved in a number of ways. One way to do it is to cut a hole in the outside of a wall at one height, preferably about a foot above the floor, and another hole on the inside of the same wall at another height, ideally above shoulder height. Like a chimney, air can get in; light cannot. The air enters the lower wall opening, travels up through the wall space and goes into the room through the upper wall opening. The darkroom should be equipped with an extractor fan that pulls air from the room, causing fresh air to be drawn through the light-tight air entry. It is important to locate the extractor fan above the wet side and to locate the fresh air intake on the dry side. This way, fumes from the liquid chemicals are not drawn across the work area, but are instead extracted away from you. The extractor fan can be an ordinary bathroom fan, a multi-speed fan, a special darkroom fan or even an air conditioner. The fan should be exhausted to the outside, which may require a duct. The bonus in having a duct for the exhaust is that it usually must be bent and turned to direct the exhaust outside, thereby creating an effective seal against light. If using an air conditioner, its installation should be made so that light cannot leak in around its edges.

A few words of caution about air flow and dust. If your darkroom's intake vent brings in air from a dusty room - where there is a furnace, for example, or from outside in a city environment - you would be wise to place an air filter in the vent to trap particles that can settle on your film or printing paper. Don't sweep the floor or dust your darkroom before you begin to work in it, because you'll find that airborne particles can stay suspended for just long enough to settle on and ruin your work. Room height - You never know how high you may need to raise your enlarger head when cropping or making a super-sized enlargement, so be sure that there is sufficient headroom for your enlarger to be extended to its full height. Sometimes, this can be achieved by removing the ceiling tile directly above the enlarger, if you have a suspended tile ceiling. Can't raise the enlarger? Lower its base. When you just don't have the ceiling height, you can often build a drop-base - a paper support that can be set at different heights beneath the enlarger. (We've even made enlargements with the paper on the floor.) Four kinds of lighting - (1) white light, (2) safelights, (3) enlarger light and (4) no light at all. No light - Film must be handled in total darkness. Keep in mind that it is so sensitive to light that exposures of 1/8000 sec can be used to take pictures, so film that encounters the slightest amount of light in a darkroom can be irretrievably destroyed. Panchromatic black and white film is also sensitive to all colors of the spectrum, so it cannot even be exposed to a safe light without damage.

Don't locate your safe light switch close to the room's main white light switch to avoid accidentally turning on the wrong light.

White light - You will be amazed how frequently you will need ordinary, bright room lighting in a darkroom. You use it for negative selection, mixing chemicals, cleaning up, inspecting finished prints, and so on. Just be sure to turn it off when handling unexposed film and paper. Safe light - Photographic paper, unlike film, is designed to be handled under certain colored, dim lights, known as safe lights, without adversely affecting the paper. Nonetheless, printing paper should be kept in the dark as much as possible, and should not be brought nearer to safe lights than is absolutely necessary. Make sure you are familiar with the manufacturers recommendations for safe distances, and never use a bulb that is brighter than recommended.

Enlarger light - When you turn on its light to focus the enlarger or to expose printing paper and make a print, that is preferably the only light that is on in the darkroom at the time. However, many darkroom technicians are comfortable with also having a safe light on at the same time. The advantage of having only the enlarger light on is that you are able to clearly see the resulting projection on the enlarging base or paper, without the influence of the safe light.

Room temperature - You don't want to work in a room that is too cold or too hot, and your photographs don't like such conditions, either. If the temperature of the air in the darkroom is between 65 and 80 degrees F., you and your images will both be all right. Any colder or hotter, and you will not enjoy your darkroom experience.

Source: http://www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/4710

How to Take Great Group Photos

From: http://digital-photography-school.com/

One of the most common types of digital photographs is the ‘group photo‘. They happen everywhere from weddings, to camps, to parties, to sporting teams, to school etc.

Thousands of group photos must be taken each day around the world - but unfortunately many of them leave those taking them disappointed with the results. Common problems include:

• one or more subjects always seem to be looking away or in different directions (ie at different photographers)
• subjects blinking (there’s always one)
• someone being missing from the photo
• different moods in the group (some smiling, some serious, some playing up to the camera etc)
• the group being too far away or not all fitting into the shot

While there will always be such challenges with Group Photos there are a number of things you can do to help improve your chances of getting the shot you’re after:

1. Prepare

There is nothing that will make of people posing for a photograph turn upon you faster than you not being prepared. People don’t like to be kept waiting so think ahead about some of the following aspects of your photo:

• scope out the location of your shot before hand
• think ahead about how you will pose people and frame your shot
• one of the group’s head hiding behind another person
• make sure everyone you want in the shot knows you want them a few minutes ahead of time
• make your your camera is on and has charged batteries

Photo by Erin

2. Location

The place that you have your group stand is important to group shots for a number of reasons. For starters it can give the photo context - for example a shot of a sporting team on their playing field means more than a shot of them in front of a brick wall. The other reason that choosing locations carefully is important is that it can have distractions in it.

Get Free Weekly Digital Camera Tips via Email

Choose a position where your group will fit, where there is enough light for the shot and where there is no distractions in the background. Also avoid setting up a group shot directly in front of a window where the light from your flash might reflect back in a way that destroys your shot.

3. Take Multiple Shots

One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking just right in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. I often switch my camera into continuous shooting mode when taking group shots and shoot in short bursts of shots. I find that the first shot is often no good but that the one or two directly after it often give a group that looks a little less posed and more relaxed.

Similarly - shoot some frames off before everyone is ready - sometimes the organization of a group shot can be quite comical with people tell each other where to go and jostling for position.

Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.

Photo by Mark MacClean

4. Get in Close

Try to get as close as you can to the group you’re photographing (without cutting some members of it out of course). The closer you can get the more detail you’ll have in their faces - something that really lifts a shot a lot.

If your group is a smaller one get right in close to them and take some head and shoulder shots. One effective technique for this is to get your small group to all lean their heads in close to enable you to get in even closer. Another way to get in closer is to move people out of a one line formation and stagger them but putting some people in front and behind.

5. Pose the group

In most cases your group will pose itself pretty naturally (we’ve all done it before). Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition:

• If the event is centered around one or two people (like a wedding or a birthday) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group (you can add variation to your shots by taking some of everyone looking at the camera and then everyone looking at the person/couple).
• For formal group photos put taller members in the group not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group.
• Try not to make the group too ‘deep’ (ie keep the distance between the front line of people and the back line as small as you can). This will help to keep everyone in focus. If the group is ‘deep’ use a narrower aperture.
• Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - they’ll thank you later when they see the shot without any double chins!

Photo by andrew.smith

6. Timing Your Shoot Well

Pick the moment for your shot carefully. Try to choose a time that works with what is happening at the gathering that you’re at. I find it best to do a group shot when the group is already close together if possible and when there is a lull in proceedings.

Also towards the start of events can be a good time as everyone is all together, they all look their best and if there is alcohol involved no one is too under the weather yet.

7. Think about Light

In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The way you get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group.

If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky try not to position it directly behind you or you’ll end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shot.

8. Take Control

I’ve been in a number of group photos where the photographer almost lost control of his subjects by not being quick enough but also by not communicating well with their group of subjects. It is important to keep talking to the group, let them know what you want them to do, motivate them to smile, tell them that they look great and communicate how much longer you’ll need them for.

Also important is to give your subjects a reason to pose for the photograph. For example at a wedding you might motivate people to pose by saying ‘((insert name of couple being married here)) have asked me to get some group shots’ or at a sporting event ‘lets take a group photo to celebrate our win’. When you give people a reason to pose for you you’ll find they are much more willing to take a few minutes to pose for you.

Another very useful line to use with group is - ‘If you can see the camera it can see you’. This one is key if you want to be able to see each person’s face in the shot.

If there are more photographers than just you then wait until others have finished their shots and then get the attention of the full group otherwise you’ll have everyone looking in different directions.

Of course you don’t want to be a dictator when posing your group or you could end up with lots of group shots of very angry people. The best photographers know how to get people’s attention, communicate what they want but also keep people feeling relaxed and like they are having fun.

Photo by EssPea

9. For large groups

Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph as even with staggering people and tiering to make the back people higher you can end up being a long way back to fit everyone in.

One solution to this is to find a way to elevate yourself as the photographer. If I’m photographing a wedding and the couple wants one big group shot I’ll arrange for a ladder to be present (I’ve even climbed up onto church roofs) to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group (you end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies). It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length.

10. Use a Tripod

There are a number of reasons why using a tripod when taking photographs of groups can be useful. Firstly a tripod communicates that you’re serious about what you’re doing and can help you get their attention (it’s amazing what a professional looking set up can make people do). Secondly it gives you as the photographer more freedom to be involved in the creation of the posing of your subjects. Set your camera up on your tripod so that’s ready to take the shot in terms of framing, settings and focus and then it will be ready at an instant when you get the group looking just right to capture the moment.

Photo by Austin Henry

11. Use an Assistant

If you have a very large group and assistant can be very handy to get the group organized well.

An assistant is also incredibly handy if you are taking multiple group shots (like at a wedding when you’re photographing different configurations of a family). In these cases I often ask the couple to provide me with a family or friend member who has a running sheet of the different groups of people to be photographed. I then get this person to ensure we have everyone we need in each shot. Having a family member do this helps to make sure you don’t miss anyone out but also is good because the group is familiar with them and will generally respond well when they order them around.

12. Smile

Yes YOU should smile! There’s nothing worse than a grumpy stressed out photographer. Have fun and enjoy the process of getting your shots and you’ll find the group will too. I usually come home from a wedding which I’ve photographed with an incredibly sore jaw-line from all the smiling because I find the best way to get the couple and their family to relax and smile is to smile at them. It really does work.

Enjoying this post - Digg it here

PS:

One more quick tip. Get a little Creative. Check out the shot below which is one of the more unique group photos that I’ve ever seen!

Photo by weaving major & tractor dan