Whether you’re a professional wedding photographer or you’re just starting out, there are always ways to improve your skills. Here are some of the essential wedding photography tips that will help you create beautiful shots.
Scout the Locations
Scouting the venue and all the other locations where you’ll take wedding photos is a must. You’ll find the best spots for photos, come up with great ideas, and check the lighting and natural light sources.
It’ll also help you make contingency plans if it rains on the wedding day or the sun is super bright.
When it comes to seizing lightning opportunities, don’t forget about the golden hour. Make sure you also perfect your flash photography skills for spectacular evening photos, especially if the reception is after dark.
Make a List of Must-Have Shots
It’s important to go with your gut instinct to capture candid moments. But having a list of must-have shots will help you prepare and practice in advance.
Write down and memorize all your ideas for the bridal and groom coverage, the ceremony and reception, and the first dance. Don’t forget about group and family photos and all the other important moments and detail shots.
Use the Right Camera Settings
Play around with different apertures to focus your subjects and create depth. Use different shutter speeds, such as 1/500th of a second for active moments. Keep the ISO between 400-800 for indoor portraits, and raise it to 3200 for candlelight settings. Experiment with these and other settings to create brilliant photos.
To have more flexibility and dynamic range when editing your photos, make sure you shoot in RAW. If editing isn’t your strong suit, hire a professional photo editing expert who’ll make all your shots look spectacular.
There’s much more to learn to create fantastic photos, but these wedding photography tips will give you a head start. Good luck!