What is your best "secret", or "tip" for wedding photography?

Question

What is your fool-proof, can't-live-without secret that works for professional wedding photography?

Answer 1

Ask the client what they are looking for. Use your smarts - don't shoot up at people on the alter, for example - you wind up with unflattering shots up people's noses.

Make sure to take photos other than formals. Formals are nice, but that quiet moment after the ceremony where they look at each other is nicer.

You don't say if you're the bride or the photographer - the advice would be better if we knew.

Make sure that you look at people before you shoot. It the father of the groom had a big hairy mole on the left side of his face, switch the bride and groom so that side is away from the camera. If you look before you line them up, it's much less embarrassing.

Answer 2

This is why I don;t do friends and family ... oh! I'll bring a camera and flash but I refuse to be the hired help for friends and family weddings. "I had to use a trial version of CS6 because I can't afford the $900 to purchase it." If you are stuck, use Gimp. It's not a polished as CS6 but can serve in a pinch ... actually, 95% of my images don't ever make it into Photoshop, they are good straight out of camera (after RAW processing using Canon's RAW tool). "About 2 weeks into the edit, they ask me how much it is going to be. I say $400. I took a little over 300 pictures plus 2 disposable cameras that I have to scan the negatives in and adjust them so they look normal. They balked. They put the whole project on hold ..." Having a written contract here would have save you a lot of trouble. Also, the price should have been agreed upon ahead of time. You don't give an estimate and then shoot. You write down what they want, give them a HARD price ... if they want to add to that order afterwards then you amend the contract with an annex. "Then we came back to the money again. It took a lot of tongue biting to not scream at her when she said "what about the family discount?". In my area, just the photo shoot/edit averages $1,700 to $2,800." They didn't understand that a real photographer charges at minimum 1500$ and that by giving it to them at 400$ you were basically paying yourself about 0.15$ an hour or less? "I then ran my finances on how much in gifts my bf and I gave them for the baby show and wedding. " That's a losing battle. You don;t even want to get into that type of discussion. "I'm trying my hardest not to burn bridges or shove numbers into their face, but each time the pictures comes up it's like a punch in the gut. I went to [private] college and minored in photography. I know what I'm doing. How can I make them see that $400 IS the family discount? Should I show them the numbers on what I gifted their daughter is more than half of what you're paying me for my services? Please help! I just want it to go away!" You have two choices here, stop working on this completely and give them what you currently have and NEVER shoot a single thing for them ever again or try shoving numbers at them. I recommend you just hand over what you have now and tell them never to talk to you about this ever again. Hopefully you've learned a couple of important lessons form this. 1- Family and business don't mix. 2- Get it ALL in writing. 3- Give hard prices, not estimates. 4- FAMILY AND BUSINESS DON'T MIX!

Answer 3

Try Trick Photography Special Effects - http://tinyurl.com/hNuK8lPZly

Answer 4

Go to the rehearsal so you don't get ambushed on the wedding day. ( You might also get invited to the rehearsal dinner, if so be prepared to take a few shots there.) Also try to get to the church about the time of the wedding so you'll have some idea of the lighting conditions you'll be dealing with.

Answer 5

It's no secret:
Fast lenses and attention to detail.

Answer 6

Speak up and tell the photographer what you have in mind, even during the photo session.

Answer 7

Hire a good professional.