Your wedding is one of the most beautiful and important days in your life. Something you definitely want to capture with great photographs - both for yourself and for future generations. However, a worst case scenario, could have you paying lot’s of money for a bunch of pictures you really are not satisfied with. This article will walk you through some of the most important aspects of wedding photography.

Choosing a photographer

Your first task is naturally to select a wedding photographer. Most expensive doesn’t always translate into “best”, so it can pay off doubly to check out several companies and photographers. Also, you should be aware of that some photographers only offer the traditional wedding photography style, or strictly a photojournalistic style. It is best to find a versatile photographer that can do both.

When visiting the photo company you should inquire who will actually be taking the pictures. If at all possible you should speak directly with the photographer and make sure companies deal openly. You should also ask them to show several complete weddings from each of the photographers they offer you, so you can choose. Make sure the one chosen is the one that will cover your wedding. Otherwise, it is better to find a photographer that personally shoots weddings.

In any case, the photographer should be able to show more than one complete set of wedding photos. Couples should not accept someone who shows only selected prints of their best photographs from different weddings. A photographer who can exhibit three or four complete sets of good quality pictures, all from different weddings, will probably be a very good choice for your special occasion.

Do not be afraid to come across as “too picky”. Because asking intelligent questions will encourage photographers to deal openly with customers. Remember, it’s your special day, and you should make sure that the wedding photography is something that will help you and your loved ones relive those wonderful memories.

The big day - one big photo-op

Once a great photographer has been appointed to the task, most of your job is already done. However, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to make your wedding as good a photo opportunity as possible.

The first thing to do is to give the most opportunities for the photographer when scheduling activities during the wedding day. When planning the time of the wedding ceremony and of the reception, couples should incorporate the time that the photographer requires to capture all of the couple’s special moments. There should be a gap between the end of the ceremony and beginning of the reception, to allow for more photographs for the bride, groom and wedding entourage, especially if they are in two different locations. The photographers and subjects will have a more relaxed shoot and will enjoy all the parts of the wedding if the events are well spaced out.

Wedding Photography is one of the most important things to consider on your wedding day.

I personally find wedding photography sits at third on the priority list after reception venue & church (ceremony venue). Having said that, it also sits in the “You get what you pay for� category too. This doesn’t mean you have to spend an exorbitant amount of money if you don’t want to either. The best thing to do is find a few photographers, view their websites to see if you like their style, and arrange a meeting to see their work in person.

Wedding Photographers generally tend to take charge, and direct proceedings, to get the shots required, so you have to feel comfortable with the person taking on this role. Enjoying your day is just as important as your end result,so choose a photographer you can put your trust in and have fun. The end result can be as simple as getting all the photos of the day (proofs) in an album, or as elaborate as having a custom designed book bound album. The choice is yours, taking into consideration what you want and also budget.

Another thing to remember is that most professional photographers get booked fairly quickly especially in peak wedding season (Sept – May), so make your appointments well in advance, and you can usually secure your chosen photographer with a booking deposit.

Once you have chosen and secured your photographer, be sure to ask lots of questions, and be sure to have a pre wedding meeting, to run through times and places. Time is critical on the wedding day. There is always something going on, and it’s very easy to lose track of it.

You would ideally love to have everyone ready when your photographer arrives, but if time is running out, at least your ready and the photographer can start with you. Depending on how many bridesmaids there are, how much family will be attending and distance to the ceremony, an hour to a hour and a half is what the photographer needs to get his shots. At the ceremony, make sure ushers or guests don’t walk in the aisle, obstructing the photographers view.

Make sure you’re as close to being on time at the ceremony as possible, because there might be a wedding after you, and you might be hurried along. Family photos are usually taken straight after the ceremony. Your photographer will advise you of the best location, taking into consideration backgrounds, lighting, shade, etc. If a lot of families are getting their photo taken with you, a good idea would be to ask an assertive family member to read out a list you have prepared, calling out the families names that are having their photo taken next. This will cut the confusion and give you more time for location photos.

If you are specific about a certain location, for e.g. a café, you might want to ask permission prior to meeting with your photographer. Some parks and sites require you to get a permit.
The day will go quick, I know through experience, so be sure to take in as much as you can, and every moment. Your memories will be relived time and time again through the photos and wedding video, so be sure to take your time and pick the perfect photographer and videographer.

Cut though all the advancements in photography over the past few years, and ultimatley how the photo is composed is the most important factor in a good image. You should pay attention to this when condsidering hiring a professional photographer. Look through their work and it becomes easier to understand how their eyes work, and hopefully help your own image making skills.

Composition, the act of composing the image in the viewfinder, is a visual process of organizing the elements and individual details of a scene into a balanced and pleasing arrangement. Because what one person finds pleasing, someone else will not, composition is largely a matter of personal taste.

In this section, we take that into account. There is no right or wrong composition in photography. A composition that conveys a photographer’s intended meaning is an effective one. A composition that doesn’t or that confuses the viewer is not.

TREAT THE RULES OF COMPOSITION AS GUIDELINES

Some of the so-called “rules” of composition presented here should be considered as guidelines. They are based on recreating similarities in the make-up of many different images that many people have found to be esthetically-pleasing. We do not intend that a rule of composition or a design concept be taken as a hard and fast rule that must be observed. Besides, some renowned photographs violate all the rules of composition and are still excellent pictures. This doesn’t mean that the rules are without value. They are tremendously valuable. They are time-proven, and provide great guidelines for photographers at any level. We use them all the time.

ORIGIN OF THE RULES OF COMPOSITION

Years ago, artists who had been born with an innate sense of design created works that were perceived, by other skilled artists, as having good composition. Not only that, but their works were very popular with the general public and art afficionados. Analysis of such works showed patterns and trends in the organization and inter-relationships of lines, shapes, forms and colors that were recognized as contributing to the effectiveness of the works. It was found that others could employ these patterns as techniques in improving their own works. When they were defined, they became known as the rules of composition.

FOLLOW THE RULES UNTIL YOU KNOW WHEN TO BREAK THEM

Once you have the rules of composition down pat, experiment and break a rule here or there when you feel the image will work better without it. That’s called individual style, and the creativity that stems from it produces some great images. The point is that you will know when to break a rule of composition once you know what the rules are and how they work.

First off, you have to make a choice. Do you want your pictures to look like your standard wedding pictures or do you want them to resemble the images in the magazines?

If your happy with the standard (as in the same photo style as your older sister’s wedding), the rest of this post will bore you.

Most magazine layouts are shot by an editorial photographer. If this is what you want, look for a photographer who shoots both commercial photography and wedding photography. Why? They will tend to bring more of a commercial look and perspective to your wedding assignment. Look at both their work and see if the commercial images match what you would expect from a magazine. Next, stay away from photographers who show you their sample book and state that they will make every one of your pictures look as good as these. Some of the best photographers I have met who shoot for some of the biggest names in advertising and fashion can not even make that promise. This is especially true with wedding photography, where light sources, temperature, and angles continuously change.

So when looking for your photographer - look at your potential photographer’s images, look for a variety of styles (commercial, fashion, editorial, wedding, etc.) The more styles they tend to shoot, the better they can handle variable shooting conditions. Next, look at the composition and creativity of their composition. A great image is 50 percent technical skill and 50 percent creative eye. If they have a creative eye and good technical skills, you stand a very good chance of walking away with some great images.

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Started the post work on J and B’s wedding photos. Thought I would share one with ya.