Photography tips
Shoot in aperture priority mode
Good scenes come and go in a matter of seconds. To ensure you don’t miss them, you must be able to set your camera at the right exposure as quickly as possible. By shooting in aperture priority, you only have to think about one thing (rather than three) when setting your exposure. Based on your aperture, your camera can calculate where to set the ISO and shutter speed – giving you more time to set up your composition and depth of field. For consistently sharper images, we advise shooting at an aperture between f/8 and f/16 to ensure plenty of depth of field.
Learn to stand still
This is wear patience comes in, and you may need a lot of it. Many street photographers are constantly on the move, hunting for the perfect moment. And although this is part of the craft, one of the most important tips we can give you is to slow down and learn to stand still. Taking time to simply stand in your environment allows you to be more observant, and you’ll be able to spot exciting scenes more easily. Especially on a busy street, why waste your energy racing after the shot when a good subject is just as likely to come to you?
Look beyond your subject
You may experience confrontation when shooting on the street. “Why did you take my photo!?” is something you’re likely to hear from time to time. There are ways to avoid it, however. After the shot, don’t make eye contact with your subject. Look beyond them and focus on what’s happening in the background. This can help take the focus off of your subject and put it on the background or the environment overall; if anything, you’ll look more like a tourist on vacation. If the person still decides to confront you, simply be polite and explain what you’re doing. That takes us to our next tip.
Turn OFF the Sound on Your Camera
The smallest but most relevant tip is to turn off any sounds because all those beeps during the vow and first kiss steal from the moment.
Shoot Engagement Session
Not many couples actually request this service, so encourage them. It does wonders not only helping you find ways how to shoot a wedding that is taking place, but also introducing the couple to the particularities of such shootings. Getting a chance to understand each other beforehand results in the wedding day going smoother in terms of photography.
- Read these engagement photography tips.
Know the Wedding Ceremony Program
Investigate how to photograph a wedding of a different culture, to make sure you don’t miss important symbols and rituals that differ from what you’re used to. Specify which wedding type you’re hired for and ask to be forwarded the celebration plan where you highlight the main events and their timing to plan your work accordingly.
Get to Know the Couple
The key to the best weddings photo shoots is to get acquainted with the future newlyweds. Work out some questions for them, the answers may inspire you for certain shots or a photo-story.
Hire an Assistant
A great difference between professional and amateur wedding photography is the ability of the former to afford paying an assistant to arrange the lights, perform tests, or even shoot anything you are missing behind your back. Collaborate with a colleague so that he/she helps with your clients and you do the same with his/hers; a great way to share the experience.
Change Lenses While Wedding Shooting
The biggest section in any wedding photography guide is on natural and real emotional shots. Noticing that the newlyweds look stiff and uncomfortable in front of the camera, switch to a longer lens (like 200mm) to move a bit further away. Intimidated in your company, they will feel immediate relief and behave naturally. Cropping the extra is nothing compared to working around fake smiles.
- Read more about the best lenses for wedding photography .
Always Have a Back-Up Camera
You can purchase a cheaper camera model or rent the camera body if buying new is too expensive. It may feel like you’re literally chopping off a large part of your profit for no reason until one day this actually saves you.
- Check out what is the best camera for wedding photography.