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Last Updated on Monday, November 08, 1999
Alex's Gallery: Weddings
Wedding photography overview for beginners
If you are wondering how qualified I am to write this article, I must tell you
that I've only done one wedding, where I was not even a "main" photographer.
On top of that, I was not even asked by the bride or the groom to take candids.
I "volunteered" to take a "few" pictures out of curiosity for my own skills.
I ended up shooting 6 rolls of 36exp films during the time when I was not
performing the duties of the "best man". But I'm getting "off topic" here.
What you'll read below is the consolidation of the lessons learned by the
members of PDML, my own experience, and other web resources. So here we go…
Don't "volunteer" to be the main photographer on a wedding
Being an auxiliary photographer will make you job less stressful and lead to the results that are much better than what you think you are capable of producing.Define the scope of the coverage that you will provide
Make sure that the bride and the groom together with their parents (if they are involved [most likely] in the organization of this event) are on the same page as to the coverage that you'll provide for this important event. Do they want you to take pictures of them dressing up and getting ready for the ceremony? Would they like you to shoot them while they are riding inside in the limousine ? Do they want you to hang around for the reception till the cake is cut? From my own limited experience, as well as from what I've read on the PDML list and the WWW in general, weddings in different societies/cultures/religions/communities differ tremendously. Where I'm coming from, a professional photographer is usually hired to do all of the following:- some advance shooting outside, couple dressed casually,
- studio session for the couple with the closest relatives all dressed up(this is usually done on the wedding day to minimize the expenses associated with doing professional makeup, hairstyling, etc.,
- coverage of the ceremony, where the photographer is allowed to move around the chupa freely and use a flash all the way through and any way he needs to,
- coverage of the reception, which usually takes place in the evening and lasts well into the night until the cake is cut.
Go over the logistics of the wedding day with the organizers of the event
Doing this will prepare you for the big day. You'll know how and when to get
to the place(s) where you'll do the work. You'll know whether you'll get a
chance to grab a bite of food. You'll know how many rolls of film to pack, and
how many people you'll have to deal with.
If possible, visit the place where the shooting will take place
This will take out the element of surprise when you'll arrive to the church/temple/hall/reception place. You'll know the restrictions that you'll have to deal with in terms of lighting, height of the ceilings, ability to get close to the couple during the ceremony, setting up your own lighting equipment (if you need to), the amount of time that it takes you to drive there, etc.Choose the correct equipment for the job
Three previous areas of you pre-wedding research should help you a lot in choosing the right tools for the job. In general, you'll probably need a main camera and a backup one. You'll need at least one strobe (think about more if you have to shoot groups of people). You'd want to have a bracket that will let you reorient the flash to remain above the camera when you shoot in portrait mode. This will help you get rid of both the nasty shadow and the red eye phenomena. If you want to use or can afford some sophisticated lighting equipment that you can take on location, study Monte's articles and practice well in advance.The choice of lenses will be a lot more dependent on the specific shots that are expected from you, than the choice of cameras and flashes. If the space you have is limited or the groups of people are quite large, think about using wide-angle lenses. If you won't be able to approach a couple during the ceremony, 85-135mm seems like a good bet. But, if you want to be creative and use, for example, a 28mm lens or wider for a full-length portrait (http://www.montezucker.com/abetterway.html), your camera bag will be full glass. In any case, the more leg work and research you do in the previous steps, the easier it'll be to pick the right lens in any particular situation.
The choice of camera bag(s) will depend entirely on the amount of equipment that you'll have to drag around with you. From my limited experience, the ideal situation would permit me to carry around a small waist bag with the most necessary stuff, while the big bag with all the crap that is needed in the case emergency can be left in some accessible but secure place on the premises.
About Film. Whatever you film of choice is (whether it's professional wedding oriented color film or some obscure 400 speed B&W that you plan to shoot with), take (2x+1) number of 36 exposure rolls with you. By the way, if you run out of film on your main camera during the ceremony, don't rewind! Use your backup camera to continue shooting. Make sure you have fresh rolls of film in both cameras. If your cameras always rewind automatically, stop using them when you reach 35th frame.
The film of choice for many wedding photographers seems to be a low contrast / low grain NPS or VPS (uuups, I meant Porta NC or VC). This type of film works well in high-contrast situation where it's easy to loose details in both the groom's suit and the bride's dress. It also offers excellent skin tones, and works well with the flash. Being ISO 160 films, they are often rated at 100-125, which ensures the photographer against underexposure that results in dull colors for this king of film. (Also worth consideration are such films as Agfa Portrait 160, Fuji NPH 400 and NHG II 800 and some others. To read more about the film choices go to pentax archives and search for subject line "film choice")
About Batteries. If you manual claims that you can shoot 20 rolls of film with
a fresh battery, take 3 extra batteries with you. Do the same for the backup
camera. Don't ask why, just do it. Alright?
Look professional
Don't dress like a…. Dress like one of the guests. If this is a black tie event, rent a tux, buy a dress. If the suit is allowed, wear a dark one. If you can get a large, pro-looking flash and put it on the bracket -- even better. You want to look professional because you want to command respect from the people that you shoot. On the other hand, don't go overAlexrd with this if there is a professional photographer hired for the wedding: you wouldn't want to compete with him and get in his way. Also, don't' overdo it if you aim for candids.From my own experience (~7 weddings that I've attended as well as other formal receptions), I've never seen a photographer not being dressed appropriately. I've never seen a photographer being taken seriously if he does not have at least a big flash and a bracket (he can get away with using 35mm format if he has an impressive camera with a winder on that bracket). I've never seen a less than two-strobe setup on location.
While it is very clear to us that in experienced hands, an MX with a 50mm lens and available light can sometimes give almost the same results as a medium format rig with all the bells and whistles, it is not as "obvious" to other people who happened to attend the wedding. So, whether you like it or not, you have to take into account the human nature and realize that wedding is an event of a lifetime, and even if your pictures will come out looking great, they might not be perceived as such if everyone feels that they were taken by an amateur.
Think about offering the bride and a groom some studio shots
If you can put together a simple, at least 1 flash with a reflector setup (more complicated setup that you are comfortable with is always welcome), or creatively utilize some existing lighting conditions for a "studio" session, offer this possibility to the couple and invite their closest relatives to join the photoshoot. Studio setting is always less stressful and will allow you to bracket. Hopefully, you'll be able to practice with your studio setup before the session, and that'll result in the higher probability of the "hits". I'd study Monte's site for more details .Should I ask to be paid for this if this is my friend's wedding?
This is a very touchy topic. If you've been asked to cover the wedding for free because of the financial situation of the couple, that pretty much answers it. But if you feel that the couple is simply cheap, even if one of them is your best friend, at least try to make them pay for the materials. If you think about it, 10 rolls of film, proofs, and enlargements will cost you quite a lot. Also, don't forget that you have additional expenses like a gift, proper attire, etc. Think about asking them to sign the model release forms and keep some negatives to be able to use the shoots to market yourself afterwards.I've only talked briefly about some of the main areas that are to be kept in mind when preparing for the wedding event, but being aware of them will make your task a lot easier to complete, will produce very high quality work, and will leave everyone around you thinking that they are speaking with a "pro". If you'll still decide to proceed with the assignment, I'd advise you to do a lot of additional research (Monte's site is a good start), and wish you good luck (you'll need id if this is your first time) and all the best.
- For more detailed summary of the wedding related postings on PDML, visit "Wedding Summary" (by Sandra Nicole Hermann). This summary also includes a list of "must have" shots that are usually required from the wedding photographer(courtesy of William Cornett .) .
- Courtesy of Eric J. Viglione .
- Monte Zucker's site
- Mark Goldberg's FAQ
- PDML archives
