Recently, I’ve been given a chance to shoot both Chinese and Malay wedding ceremony. To shoot a wedding photography is not easy and the pressure is definitely there as it is once in a life time experiences for the couples. If you ruin the wedding photography session, you are ruining everything. During the wedding photography session, I had learned a lot of things and would like to share with you guys with some tips that I found out myself while taking wedding photography.

My Tips For Wedding Photography

1. Communication

You need to communicate with the couples a few days before the wedding to find out thing like what shots that they’d like you to capture on the day and compile a list so that you can check them off. For example, the couples will request you to put priority with his/her family members than shooting a lot of the invited guests.

2. Look for one Family Photo Coordinator

I find the family photo part of the day can be quite stressful. People are going everywhere. Get the couple to nominate a family member who can be the ‘director’ of the shoot. They can round everyone up, help get them in the shot and keep things moving so that the couple can get back to the party. If not, you not only wasting your time in gathering peoples but also wasting energy to run here and there to look for the “family VIP”

3. Scout and visit the wedding Location
Visit the locations of the different places that you’ll be shooting before the big day. I find it really helpful to know where we’re going and what is the process.

4. Preparation is key and always get yourself a backup plan
You need to be well prepared and have a backup plan (in case of bad weather). Beside, ready an extra memory card, battery and camera in case one of it not functioning.

6. Shoot the small details
Photograph rings, wedding dresses, shoes, flowers, table settings and etc will help to give the end album an extra element. You can get some inspiration from some wedding magazines available at nearest bookstore in town.

7. Consider a Second Photographer
One to capture the formal shots and the other to get candid shots during the big day and it make sure that you guys didn’t miss any cherish moment that worth a million to capture.

8. Shoot in RAW
Weddings can present photographers with complicated lighting which result in the need to control exposure and white balance after the shoot - RAW will help with this considerably. Most of the photographer did not like to shoot in raw due to extra processing work after the jobs but shooting in RAW is like buying insurance for the pictures you took.

9. Consider Your Backgrounds
One of the challenges of weddings is that there are often people going everywhere - including the backgrounds of your shots. You need to react fast in such situation and find yourself a good background to shoot…

10. Don’t simply delete your “awful” shoot.
The problem with this is that you might just be getting rid of some of the more interesting and useable images. Keep in mind that images can be cropped or manipulated later with selected computer software.

11. Creative shots.
Be creative and try different angle while shooting. If you have both wide and tele lenses would make it even better.
12. Fill Flash
When shooting outside after a ceremony or during the posed shots you’ll probably want to keep your flash attached to give a little fill in flash. I tend to dial it back a little (a stop or two) so that shots are not blown out - but particularly in backlit or midday shooting conditions where there can be a lot of shadow, fill in flash is a must

13. Continuous Shooting Mode
Having the ability to shoot a lot of images fast is very handy on a wedding day so switch your camera to continuous shooting mode and use it

14. Have Fun
Enjoy yourself as a wedding photographer to the newly wed and have fun.

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Recently, I’m having an informal meeting with some of friends who already get married and ask for their opinion in how to choose the right wedding photographer? It is no doubt that wedding photographer plays an important part in every couples wedding process. A good wedding photographer portfolio should include shots of the preparation, the ceremony and celebrations that take place throughout that day. Beside, a great wedding photographer can document even the smallest of details and those precious moments that are some of life’s greatest memories and the pictures will tell the story. The intent of a wedding photographer working at your wedding is to create a testament that perfectly and creatively portrays you, your friends, parents, and guests - their excitement and surprise.

After talking to some of the newlywed couples, I had summarized some tips for you guys in choosing the right wedding photographer.

Tip #1: Friend’s referrals.

Referrals from friends are great at telling you about a wedding photographer’s professionalism and how good is he/she can get the jobs done. That kind of information can take a lot of the pressure off during your preparation in your wedding process. What a referral cannot do is guarantee that the photographer’s visual style or approach is exactly what you are looking for. So, do not follow friend’s referrals blindly.

Tip #2: Don’t meet with too many wedding photographers.

Your network is superb, you have a lot of friends, all of your friends can’t wait to contribute some help to you and you get a lot of referral from them as well for things you might need or want in your wedding process including the wedding photographer. Do not meet all of them and to limit your meetings to a very short list of photographers whose work has impress you. Also, keep the meetings brief. They’re not job interviews or lie detector tests.

Tip #3: Know what you want.

Know what you want and finding a great wedding photographer doesn’t have to be the most serious task of your life.

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