how to take great wedding photos when you're not a pro

In today's post: Ix wedding ceremony photography tips so y'all can take great wedding photos even if you're not a pro!

Recently, I had the opportunity to take wedding photos for a close friend's daughter. At present, I similar photography and I've tried to learn to accept pictures I'm happy with, but I don't consider myself a professional lensman, so I was nervous. Every bit in, actually quite nervous. So my friend and I worked together to figure out what we could practise to make certain the photoshoot would go as well equally possible. Today I'1000 sharing 9 tips fortaking bully nuptials photos, even if you're not a pro,along with some of my favorite shots from the hymeneals.

Before I share these tips, I exercise demand to say one thing: the best mode to get great wedding photos when you're not a pro is to rent a professional person. Pro photographers spend years learning their craft, and a few tips off the internet aren't going to give y'all comparable results. And if whatever day is worth hiring a photographer for, information technology's your wedding. That beingness said, I besides empathise that there are plenty of reasons a non-professional may stop upwards taking some or all of the wedding photos: perhaps information technology's only feasible to hire a photographer for part of the event and you're asked to accept photos during other portions, perhaps you're building up your photography skills and want to practice equally a "second shooter", maybe circumstances prohibit hiring a professional, etc.There are things you tin practise to assist ensure the best wedding photos possible, even when y'all aren't a professional lensman, and that's what these wedding photography tips are for.

Wedding ceremony Photography Tips

Here are ix tips for taking great wedding photos when you lot aren't a pro:

Wedding photography tip #1: Check out the location in advance to get an idea of where yous'll take photos. Have someone with you so you can shoot practice photos and get an thought of what backgrounds and lighting will look like. Walk around the entire area and look for stairs or benches for the couple to sit down on, walls and doors for them to stand in front of or lean on, etc. If you'll exist shooting outside, notice some spots to accept photos that are up close to the church building or building, and notice others that are farther away and then the entire building can appear in the background. Pay attending to the light! Y'all need the couple to exist positioned and then that the sun isn't casting harsh shadows on their faces, so be sure scope out the location at the same fourth dimension of mean solar day the wedding will be taking place. Look for open shade if photos will be taken during times when the sunday is high and vivid. Take lots of practice photos in different spots and with different camera settings then y'all tin can run into before the actual event which things piece of work and which things don't. (PS – don't try to utilise any settings on your photographic camera y'all're not already comfortable with for a wedding. It's improve to stick to car and take lots of photos than to attempt to shoot manual and run the run a risk of getting it wrong.)

Wedding ceremony photography tip #2: Take pictures in advance (if possible). The wedding I was photographing was at 11 in the morning time on a very bright summer'due south day, significant the photo options outside would be limited since I didn't want the couple squinting into the sunday. And then I asked them if we could have some photos of the two of them the night before the wedding, outside the temple they'd be getting married in. This turned out to exist a fantastic idea for two reasons. First, since we were taking photos before the outcome, our timeline was relaxed and we didn't have a huge audience. This went a long way toward making both me and the couple more relaxed, which meant nosotros got better photos. We had plenty of time, which meant more photos to choose from. And finally, the evening light meant we were able to get all sorts of photos that but wouldn't have looked good in the full midday sun. When they look at these pictures years from at present, they won't intendance that they were taken the nighttime before their wedding ceremony instead of a few minutes later.

Wedding photography tip #3: Bring inspiration photos for reference. Ask the helpmate and groom to gather example photos that they love. Tell them to grab photos they like off the net and driblet them onto a bare document, and so impress them out to show yous. You lot tin can assemble your own inspiration equally well: a diversity of poses, details you lot want to remember to capture, etc. Print them all out and bring the pages with you on the photoshoot. It's piece of cake to forget your plan when you're in the center of taking pictures, and it'due south hard to remember a bunch of dissimilar poses when yous aren't used to photographing weddings, so a couple pages of inspiration photos will go a long fashion toward helping yous get more variety and better photos. I'd never have idea of taking the photo below if information technology weren't for an inspiration photo the bride brought for me to look at.

Nuptials photography tip #4: Get a listing of must-have group photos. Enquire the helpmate and groom to make a list of each different group they want photographed. For example: bride&groom with both sets of parents, bride&groom with the helpmate'due south parents, bride only with the bride's parent, bride with her sisters, groom with his dad and grandpa, etc. If there'south much family involved, chances are y'all'll be taking quite a few grouping photos, and you don't want to miss whatsoever that the couple later wish they accept. The couple might think they'll think all the photos they want on the solar day of the nuptials, just chances are they'll be a bit distracted during the event, so a listing of all the must-have photos is actually a must-have.

Wedding photography tip #five: Take a helper. Whether you're photographing just the bride and groom or the entire wedding party, a helper can be a lifesaver. Give your helper the must-have photograph list and ask her to go on track of which ones you've taken and which ones y'all even so need to do. Inquire her to phone call out who's up next and help accommodate each grouping and so you lot tin can stay in one spot taking the photos. As well have her make sure the helpmate's wearing apparel/train/pilus/etc. all wait good for each shot. She can assistance carry any gear, including a folding footstep-stool, which will help you become photos from different angles.

Hymeneals photography tip #6: Take lots of photos. When you're not a professional photographer, your best take chances of getting great photos is taking a lot of them. For each pose, take at to the lowest degree 15 shots, changing something each time you press the shutter push. Take some closeups; ask the couple to await at you, so at each other, then to kiss, then to rest his cheek on her head, and so to express mirth, etc. Then zoom out for some half body shots, and so step back for a full body shot. Movement around and accept photos from different angles, from higher up or below or to the side, focusing sometimes on the helpmate, sometimes on the groom, etc. You can get a diverseness of completely different photos from the aforementioned pose (run into photos beneath). You can even stop taking photos for a few minutes and permit them talk to each other, then snap a few candids. Just keep changing small things about the photograph and keep snapping that shutter button. Some of the photos will plough out better than others; you tin delete the bad ones and go along the good ones.

Nuptials photography tip #7: Try to have nearly of the photos outside. It's generally harder to take photos inside when you're a beginning photographer because you demand lots of low-cal to get good photos with basic camera equipment. When yous must take pictures inside, avoid your on-camera flash at all costs–it will cast ugly shadows and give people conflicting eyes. Instead, plow on all the lights and open whatsoever windows and doors to get as much light in the room as possible. If the venue is too dark to take photos without using your wink, take them outside instead. If your indoor photos end upward looking yellow, learn how to easily color correct them.

Wedding photography tip #eight: Learn how to burnish your photos. If y'all're going to be using auto for nigh of your photos, plan on doing some brightening after the fact. Many photos taken on auto are simply a little nighttime, which can get out them looking drab when printed. It'south actually quite easy to brighten and color boost photos, and it can make a dramatic deviation in the final look of the motion picture. If a photograph you really hoped would plow out just didn't, try switching information technology to blackness and white to see if that helps.

Nuptials photography tip #9: Finally, relax. Fifty-fifty if you're nervous, pretend you're not in one case you start taking photos. If yous seem stressed, they couple will feel stressed, and you'll be able to run across that in the pictures. Talk to them, ask them virtually their plans, tell them how gorgeous they look, how happy you lot are for them, etc. Help them feel relaxed so their excitement will testify in the photos. That style, even if your pictures aren't perfect, they'll still exist treasured.

Looking for more photography tips? Cheque out some of these posts:

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How to become great photos of your baby in the hospital

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Improve your photos with a 50mm lens

xx genius DIY photo backdrops

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Source: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/how-to-take-great-wedding-photos-when-youre-not-a-pro.html

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