Depending on the couple’s preference, one primary service they invest in is hiring the most reliable and talented wedding photographer. This is quite understandable, considering how the special day can be captured in prints. As they keep the pictures forever, different emotions, expressions, and faces of guests will be remembered and looked back into.
Whether you’re a rookie, or an existing professional photographer and you want to sharpen your skills in the wedding photography niche, it’s valuable to know some techniques. Regardless of your photography level and expertise, it’s always imperative to leave room for growth in your talent and craft. You never know how you can apply new and fresh techniques to develop a more diverse portfolio.
Here are some well-known techniques used by seasoned wedding professional photographers:
1 Multiple Light Sources
One resource that wedding photographers make the most of is natural light, or any other source of light for that matter. They use it to their advantage and utilize it like a tool for painting on a canvas. Photographing weddings means being put in rooms with very little control over the light, so you need to max out on whatever is available. Take advantage of the beautiful light by playing and experimenting with it.
If possible, one great technique is to use natural light, so let your clients enjoy the warmth of the sun. Otherwise, if the event is held after sunset, you can use the chandelier, pendant lights, and other light fixtures in the venue. Your subjects need to be posed within the frame of a fantastic window of cascading light. You should always use light to direct your image in your compositions.
Using multiple light sources is recommended. Knowing how to utilize available light while balancing it with artificial light is vital in coming up with stunning wedding photos. Take your camera everywhere you go and learn how to get the perfect exposure. Using this method will help you avoid taking unsalvageable pictures of important moments, and save you time editing. Such high-quality images can be added to a wedding slideshow to relieve such a magical day.
2 Off-Camera Flash
To become a pro photographer, you need to master the tools. And, you need to start off with the features and functions available on your pro camera. Professional wedding photographers need to shoot in low light and capture the action. Despite the availability of editing functions, nothing beats raw images taken through your lens.
The reception and dance party photos will benefit from an off-camera flash. By capturing the subject in this way, a flattering light source is created instead of a direct front-facing flash.
This can be accomplished in several ways. You can find resources online and learn how to execute an off-camera flash in no time. Before the event, you can practice in a dim room at home and see the outcome. Feel free to tweak your camera settings so you can achieve the raw photo results you want. At the end of the day, lighting is something that all photographers approach differently, and there are endless options and methods to control and manipulate light in a scene.
3 Framing
Some people are naturally good at composition and framing. However, some need to learn more of these skills. The key is to observe your surroundings and study the subject and the background.
Remember to slow down when posing your subjects on wedding days as they can be very fast-paced. Make a point of scanning the frame before pressing the shutter to see if any distraction might ruin the shot.
4 Golden Hour
Not only do professional photographers love this technique, but pretty much any other photo enthusiast loves taking pictures during the golden hour. It’s a time to make your photographs stand out and become more beautiful. You should try out several different looks during this timeframe and switch locations once you feel you’ve captured a few good batches.
Remember to maximize this time of the day for the couple. Suggest the magic hour as the perfect schedule to get their best photos taken. Depending on the venue, you can set up the place, and decorate, style, and tweak everything according to the theme the couple wants to achieve. Magic hour lasts for two hours before sunset, so make the most of this period of time.
Conclusion
There are, undoubtedly, many professional techniques when it comes to wedding photography. Hopefully, you’ve gained some fresh ideas and insights based on the information included in this article. Remember to maximize the resources available for you, be it the light, your tools on your camera, the time of the day, or certain functions on your device.
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