Wedding Photography Tutorial by Emmett Lollis Jr.
About this wedding photography tutorial
There are many reasons to photograph a wedding. From commercial wedding photography to family wedding photography the challenges can be daunting. Many times family members are stressed and always want nothing but the best photographs. It's your job to make sure they get what they want. If you want to learn tips on how to photograph a wedding you've come to the right place. The photos presented in this wedding photography tutorial are of my neice and her husband, Beth and Matt Maxey.
Plan your photos ahead of time
The first step to successful wedding photography is to plan out the photo shoot in advance. Do a walkthrough of the church. Observe the ambient lighting in the rooms. Find out where people will be located and the timing of the ceremony. Speak to the family about their desires for the photo shoot. Try to think ahead about what to expect and possible scenerios. Every wedding is different so you want to make sure that you cover all your bases. You should also be sure to bring more than enough compact flash cards or film with you. There is nothing worse than running out of available photos too soon. You will more than likely take several photos to get one good shot and you certainly don't want to be spending your limited photo op time deleting the photos which didn't turn out well.
Camera settings
I currently use the Canon EOS 40D for my shoots with a Canon EOS 24-70mm f/2.8 L lens. Your camera equipment may vary but the settings should be very close if not identical. Chances are that you will be working in low light conditions while doing your wedding photography. In poorly lit rooms you will need to use high ISO values, most likely ISO 1600 in most cases. You will want to use the slowest shutter speed that you can get away with at the particular focal length you are shooting at. If your photos start to show motion blur then you need to move to a faster ISO speed. Remember, if your shots come out a little dark it's ok, you can always edit them in the digital darkroom.
It's all in the details
Wedding photography is about more than just taking photos of the actual ceremony. You should pay attention to key aspects of the wedding. Family members often times spend a lot of time laying out the design and placements of various elements of the wedding. Your photography should take this into account. Even if the family hired someone to do the setup for them you can bet they will want to remember where their money went. The best time to take these photos is before the wedding starts. Once people start showing up the setup will begin to degrade and your opportunity will be lost.
Important events
There are several key events to capture when doing wedding photography. Weddings may vary slightly but you will want to capture every step of the way. The first thing you want to photograph as previously mentioned is the setup and placements, there is no going back if you miss this part. You will want to be ready to photograph the bride, groom, flowergirl etc. as they walk down the aisle. You obviously want to photograph the vows, the kiss, putting the ring on the finger as well. You will want to watch for additions such as the lighting of a candle or any other special moment. The cutting of the cake and tossing of the boquet are good moments to capture on film. Finally you want to make sure to take the group photos of the family as many of them will not be together again for a long time.
Final thoughts
That sums up my wedding photography tutorial, I hope you enjoyed it and be on the lookout for more photography tutorials in the near future!