I'm a professional photographer and have been for more years than I'd like to count.
But even as experienced as I am in taking portraits and landscape photos, the idea of shooting a wedding is something that sends shivers down my spine.
It's hard work - stressful work, too.
So if the pros get nervous, I can only imagine what the experience is like for a new wedding photographer.
If you're looking for a few ways to improve your ability to capture the big day, this article is for you!
You Need Help
Unless it's the world's smallest wedding, you're going to need someone to help you get all the shots that your client wants. That means hiring a second shooter.
Though the temptation might be to give a camera to your brother and have him take photos, you really need someone that knows how to handle a camera and compose an eye-catching shot.
After all, it's your name at stake here, so you want your second shooter to be just as skilled as you are in creating beautiful photos.
You might also consider having a "rover" that helps with things like setting up lighting, wrangling the wedding party for group photos, swapping out memory cards or lenses, and so forth.
The less logistical stuff you have to deal with, the more time you can be behind the lens, taking great photos!
Learn More:
- Wedding Photography Secrets Revealed by the Pros
- Starting a Wedding Photography Business? Here's Some Things You Can't Forget
Don't Skimp on Products
When you're just starting out as a photographer, one thing that can have an immediate, positive impact on your business is offering your clients the best quality products possible.
And I'm not just talking about prints, either.
One of the most important deliverables you can have for your wedding clients is their photo album, so it needs to be gorgeously crafted, unique to their specific tastes, and give them a complete viewing experience that helps them relive the wonder of their big day all over again.
You can do all those things with an nPhoto photo album.
These albums look and feel like a million bucks.
That's partially due to the high-quality materials that nPhoto uses to manufacture their albums, but it's also due to the fact that each album is handcrafted by a skilled artisan.
These are not mass-produced albums that have a cookie-cutter look and feel to them.
Instead, nPhoto offers a wide variety of customizations that give you and your clients the ability to create something that's truly one-of-a-kind.
That includes different album cover materials, different types of paper finishes, add-ons like laser etching, layflat pages, rounded album corners, and so forth.
And the good news is that nPhoto does all that for a reasonable price.
That means you can add their photo albums (and their other incredible photo products) to your product line, give your clients the best possible experience, and make money all at the same time.
In fact, you can easily use some of nPhoto's other products - like their Album Boxes, Triplexes, and USB Memory Boxes - as upsell items. That means your clients can get even more gorgeous reminders of their day and you can put more money in your pocket.
Learn More:
You Need to Understand the Wedding Program
Any photographer worth their salt knows and understands their subject.
That's true whether you're photographing a baby, wildlife, or, in this case, a wedding.
Since no two weddings are alike, you can't just rely on your conception of how the wedding program will proceed.
To ensure you're in the right place at the right time to get the best shots, you need to be intimately familiar with how each couple's wedding will unfold.
Different religions have different steps in the process, different symbolistic events, and different rituals. If you aren't familiar with each, you could easily miss an important moment of the ceremony.
So, sit down with your clients well in advance of the wedding day so that they can explain to you exactly what is happening and when. An ideal time to do this is when you go over the shot list.
As you learn more about the planned events, ask questions. Be interested. Don't approach it as a business meeting in which you're outlining what you need to do and when. Instead, take this opportunity to get to know the couple a little bit better.
After all, the more you know about your clients, the better job you can do in capturing the emotions and feelings that they will have on their big day.
This list of wedding photography tips might only have three items, but trust me - if you can master each one, your performance as a wedding photographer will only be improved!