Planning Your Wedding for Fantastic Wedding Photography

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If stunning wedding pictures are your goal, there are a few things you can do during the wedding planning process to help make it happen. Of course, booking a talented wedding photographer is the first step, but making sure your wedding scene is set in a photo-friendly manner is a close second. Planning with photography in mind can help make his job much easier, which will mean better pictures in your wedding album.

For instance, if great shots of the wedding cake are important to you, make sure that it is placed in good position for those photos. Often, the cake is shuffled off out of the way in a corner or against the wall. While that may be great for keeping it from getting underfoot, it is not ideal for creative photography. Plan to give it more prominent placement, preferably near a natural light source and with plenty of walking room around it for the photographer to find his best angles.

Be aware of the camera for those classic shots, such as the bouquet toss and the ring exchange, making sure to take them slow to give your photographer a chance to catch the action. The ring exchange can be a very difficult shot to get, as many brides and grooms accidentally block the view of the ring as it is placed on their partner’s finger. Practice holding the ring with fingers placed at the top and bottom so that the view is clear for the camera. Hesitate for a moment or two once you’ve got that bouquet aimed at the crowd, giving your wedding photographer time to record the moment. And, ask guests to keep the center aisle clear during the ceremony to ensure that the all important kiss photo isn’t replaced with a shot of someone else’s back.

Make sure your coordinator and vendors are aware that you will have a professional photographer on the scene and that great pictures are important to you. Ask them to be on the lookout for him as they go about their business of the day to avoid getting in the middle of his shots. While you may appreciate those excellent waiters and that awesome coordinator, having them in the background of your wedding shots isn’t ideal. Plan to have speeches and toasts made in an area with an attractive background. Too often, these events are staged right in front of the band or DJ, making the wires and equipment the background in many of the wedding photos.

An experienced wedding photographer will be able to advise you on the best ways to make your wedding look great on camera, so be sure to ask for his input. With good communication and planning, you can help him make your wedding photography shine.

Outdoor Venues and Wedding Photography

Outdoor weddings can be wonderful events. There is nothing quite like getting married on the beach, listening to the gentle music of the sea, or under the old oak trees in a big, country back yard. However, if you are planning such a wedding, you should know that outdoor events can pose some special challenges to your wedding photographer that can affect the look of your wedding pictures.

While every bride that plans an outdoor wedding is sure to be wishing for a bright, sunny wedding day, that lovely weather can cause some wedding photography issues. Bright, direct sun can make it very difficult to get a clean and clear shot. With too much natural light, pictures can come out less vibrant as the camera attempts to balance the bright background and the subjects in the foreground. Faced with an unbalanced shot, most cameras will adjust to a mis range exposure setting that is not quite right for either subject or background.

A good wedding photographer can take action to compensate for this problem in one of two ways. However, neither option is perfect. He can manually adjust the exposure to the optimal setting for a crisp and clear foreground, getting a great shot of the bride and groom, but sacrificing the background, which will appear faded.

Or, a flash can be used, a solution that will balance the lighting to make both background and foreground clear. However, this approach has it’s drawbacks as well, producing a shot that might look a bit less natural. And, shooting with a flash throughout the ceremony can be a bit distracting for wedding participants.

Bright sun can cause other issues as well. Bright sunlight can make it very difficult to resist squinting. Shadows can become an issue if the sun is behind the groom, casting his shadow across the face of his bride. These effects can be reduced by a skilled wedding photographer, but the effects of direct sun cannot be completely eliminated.

A wedding photographer with experience shooting outdoor events can produce beautiful wedding pictures in spite of the difficulties of shooting in full sun. However, the results will likely not be quite as good as photos taken at an indoor event where lighting can be more easily adjusted and controlled. Be sure to ask your photographer to explain your options during planning meeting, so you can agree upon the best way to handle your particular situation.