Photographing Weddings

Author of text and photos: Goran Katić

As at any other photo-shoot, capturing the right moment is important here as well. When it comes to photographing weddings, where in most cases you’re hired by wedding couples, there is no place for any mistakes. In today life of digital photography, where you can shoot large numbers of photographs, my suggestion is this – don’t shoot like mad because you (most likely) won’t accomplish anything. When shooting this way you don’t think about the frame, light or the message you give i.e. what you want to say, yet you rely on the fact that out of 1000 photographs at least 200 of them will turn out well; or hope these 200 shots will capture important moments.

Suggestion

If you’re inexperienced, but your friends are bugging you and want you to shoot their wedding because once before at some party you took a nice picture(s) of them or you just simply photograph nature well, for the start just go on the wedding as the “second” photographer. When the head photographer shoots, try observing his movements and his approach, however, don’t forget to look at his final work later – his photographs of your friend’s wedding. Looking at the work of others, even copying the shooting style makes you learn best.

Equipment

When photographing weddings it’s important to have good quality equipment. You will hardly be able to play a photographer with a small digital camera and its 38 - 135mm zoom. Situations like these require better equipment – SLR camera with at least two lenses: wide angle lens for photographing groups and a ceremony itself, and a normal lens 50mm for portraits and photographs for thank you cards. However, I also suggest some kind of tele lens, although, most of the cameras still have a crop factor (e.g. Eos 10D has 1.6x crop factor) when normal lens 50mm becomes 80mm, fairly decent tele lens.


Always try capturing details.

However, try having at least three lenses in your equipment: 17 – 40mm, 50mm or 135mm and 70 – 200mm. This way you have covered at least entire visual angle.

Don’t forget the extra set of batteries and memory cards so you don’t end up using it all up or batteries get depleted. Besides that, you also need external flash for directing the light where wished, if needed (See Flash and Using Flash). The least you want is a bad photograph of a bride with a make up half wiped off with sweat. Try explaining that to the bride later.

Light

When shooting for thank you cards or just portraits, it’s best to shoot in a shadow or at least have the sun light falling down on the wedding couple’s back. If you position them so the sun light falls down on their side you will get strong contrast. If you position them so the sun light falls directly on their face, they will squint and the groom will probably sweat. If you have any kind of reflecting plane, use it. Try posing the couple differently in relation to the light; don’t strictly hold on to the rules. I, always, recommend green background i.e. a park or anything that has green in the background.


Don't forget to photograph
bride with bouquet

Try avoiding cars and other things which would only ruin the moment for the future couple. Try changing depths of field, although, so far it has been proved that for wedding photography it’s best to have blurry background i.e. small depth of field.

At locations

When photographing in a church, restaurant and other similar locations, increase the film sensitivity because you will hardly be able to light up the background using flash. That’s why the high film sensitivity is important – because it will absorb the nearby light and, at the same time, the important wedding atmosphere.

The worst lounge for photographing in my career so far is Buncic – made out of red bricks which are impossible to light up. I had to use direct flash there. Of course, later they figured out the mistake and painted the rest of the lounges white. When you realize the indirect flash is making more damage (you won’t be able to use the photograph later) then benefit, you will have to shoot with direct flash.

At the end

Don’t forget to also shoot small details such as bouquet and, especially, wedding rings. Shoot the wedding gown details, lovers looking at each other (here you will have to bug the couple a bit, but do anything for a good photograph) and other romantic things. These kind of captured moments wedding couples like and are left with as everlasting memories, because, none the less, a photograph speaks a thousand words.

You can see more photos in gallery.


Details of wedding gown
and bouquet.

Lucky couple

Rings