More and more photographers are inclined to do wedding sessions because this style has become very popular since many of them post their work on social networks. More and more grooms want the great moment of their lives to be recorded forever. If you are a photographer and you are interested in following this line, keep in mind the following tips to make your session a unique, practical, and unforgettable experience:
1. Know the love story
Before the big day, meet the couple to talk with them and learn a little more about their love story and plans. By showing this interest in them, you not only create a better atmosphere of trust and fluidity between you, but you can also come up with more concrete ideas about the style you will choose for your photos.
2. Ask for reference material
After talking with them about their love story and learning about some of their qualities, ask for reference material, be it photos or videos. In this way, you will have a closer idea of what they want, and it will facilitate the process of creating the concept because there you will see the visual language they like.
3. Build the concept
After you have seen all the reference material that the couple sent you, analyze the points where they are most similar: type of framing, lighting, and style. With the clear points, put together the concept that you will use on that occasion.
4. Determine your work team
Being a big event like a wedding, you will hardly be able to do all the work alone. It is better that you go with an assistant or even more than one, who can help you, for example, with lighting, with a second camera to photograph from other points of view and even record videos. Thus, you will be more organized, and therefore, you will save time and feel less pressure.
5.- Determine your technical team
The higher the capacity of your SD card, the more photos you can take. It is recommended to use a couple of memories of at least 32gb: If you can carry 64 or even 128, much better. Thus, you could also capture your images in RAW, which is a heavier format than JPEG, because being non-processed, it reproduces colors and details with more precision.
It takes more than one battery:
Remember that a wedding is an event that lasts a whole day or an entire night, from the previous preparations to the end of the party, so that you will have your camera on all the time. Sometimes it is not enough to have it charged at 100%: You still run the risk of the battery draining entirely in the middle of the session, especially if you are recording videos. Therefore, it is better to have a spare or even more, and when changing them, charge the previous battery.
Choose the cameras and lenses you will use
It is better that you use two teams with different lenses in each one. You carry one and your assistant another since having a single camera and exchanging lenses can waste time, and it is also uncomfortable and impractical. An angular zoom lens should not be missing in the scene, as this is perfect for giving a feeling of dynamism and spontaneity, and also, being a short focal length, you will have more spacious frames to photograph. Whichever is zoom is essential because it is more practical to adjust the lens’s focal length to the extent of your preference as you get closer or further away.
The other lens, which would be the secondary lens, would be a 50mm or larger fixed lens, which you could use to record details or shoot close-ups.
It has external flashes:
To illuminate the scene, you must use external flashes since you will be moving from one place to another, and therefore, you will not be able to decorate with a reflector. And instead of recessing it to the top of the camera, use it in slave mode (mode to be able to use it externally that works wirelessly) and have your assistant hold it, putting it inside a softbox to soften and blur the light that emits
6.- Determine the work plan
Capture the moments before:
Please do not limit yourself to taking only photos of the same wedding: Follow the couple from the time they are at home getting ready, the groom putting on his tie or the bride combing her hair and putting on makeup, seeing the preparations, their families helping them, etc. All that emotion before the great moment of their lives also deserves to be recorded in images.
Spontaneity is key:
The most relaxed and most memorable photos of the session are those that are not posed: Kisses, laughter, dances, and in general, all those gestures of collaboration that exist between the couple. Preferably use burst mode, so you don’t miss a moment.
Don’t forget the details:
It also portrays those small elements that can tell us something about this love story: The rings, the parts, the flowers, the decoration, and everything that encompasses the meaning of that particular moment.
Don’t forget the photos with the family:
The presence of the family is significant, as they are the ones who are equally or more excited than the bride and groom themselves by this event. Capture those moments when they help them get ready when they toast or hug, and even their looks and gestures of emotion.
7.- Don’t limit your creativity
Sometimes, the mistake is made of limiting the number of photos when taking a session. It is best to take as many pictures as possible and from various angles. In this way, you can have more material when choosing the best and finally, put together a good book for the couple.
8.- Select the photos to edit
The wedding is over, and it is time to be in front of your computer to download the photos and choose the best ones. For this process, it is best not to pressure yourself and make a hasty selection. It is advisable to make a quick discard of those that are not useful and then calmly analyze those that should remain.
9.- Do not abuse Photoshop
Most people ask to be perfect in the shots, without considering that this way they would be losing the naturalness of the photograph. Sometimes, by using Photoshop a lot to erase imperfections, the person’s natural beauty is lost. It is advisable not to abuse this tool.
10.- Put together a useful presentation of the photos in digital
After you’ve edited the selected pictures, put together a presentation based on the concept you came up with when viewing the reference material, the bride and groom sent. At this time, your work becomes a memorable memory that will remain for the posterity of the new married couple.
Be sure to keep these tips in mind so that your photoshoot goes perfectly. Likewise, once you have the material ready, you can create a fan page on social networks to share your work in this way and thus make you more popular and get more clients.
