Wedding Photography Basics: Part 2

by Rochelle Riservato

Posted: April 11, 2012

In my previous article, Wedding Photography Basics: Part 1 , I covered meeting the bride and groom, planning your shots and preparing for the big event. Some other factors that are equally important are choosing proper equipment, finding (or bringing) flattering lighting and learning how to tell the wedding story through pictures.

The Equipment

Here are a few tips for choosing the best equipment when shooting a wedding:

• Bulk up on batteries if you use a speedlight, or if you’re using a point and shoot that works on regular batteries. However, don’t use rechargeable; lithium batteries last longer.

• If you use a battery pack, it’s best to have at least two; I usually have three. One in the camera, one charged and ready to go, and one as a backup in the charger, plugged in at the wedding reception.

• Bring multiple extra memory cards or whatever your camera uses for storage. One can never be certain that new cards won’t malfunction.  More is more in this case.
  
  

• Tripods are rarely needed unless shooting without a flash in a dark environment. I’ve found that wedding attendees are less inhibited in front of the camera when there is less equipment. Bring a second camera if you can.  You can use it with a second lens or just have it handy in case your primary camera goes down.

• If you have several DSLR lenses, bring the ones you’re most familiar with—no experimentation during a pressure-packed assignment like this. If you’re familiar with a zoom, bring it for close-ups during a ceremony or for candids. I usually use my 18-70mm for almost all of my shots.

• Shut off your shutter sound—beeps can be distracting during speeches, vows, etc.

• If possible, set your DSLR on RAW so that you will have more options later for photo editing and retouching. Shoot at the finest setting on all other style cameras.

The late afternoon, natural lighting on the bride with an exquisite river-view backdrop gave this pose a Renaissance-effect.

The Lighting

Use natural lighting as much as possible. For example, putting a bride near a window can give you a great silhouette or the soft, colorful light coming through a stained-glass window can be used as a dramatic sidelight. Shooting outdoors in natural light is usually easy, but don’t position your subjects where they’re going to squint or have shadows from trees over their faces. Use your judgment. In addition:

• Don't shoot with Program or Auto mode into the sun, unless you want a silhouette shot. Try to shoot in Manual mode and control your lens opening.

• Make use of natural light with pop-open diffusers or reflectors, provided you have someone to hold them. However, anything white, even a white pillow or a white cloth, can provide fill light for gentle facial illumination.

• An outdoor wedding may have to be moved indoors, so be prepared. If you must use a flash, it’s best to use a speedlight, not an onboard flash.  A speedlight allows you to adjust the angle of the flash head and bounce it off a wall or ceiling so you’re not illuminating directly onto faces and blowing out your exposures or creating harsh shadows.

• Always look at your LCD display immediately after you shoot, and adjust accordingly. If you’re savvy enough to use your histogram, you don’t want the peaks spiking on the right or left sides.

Utilize props in a unique way; Transform what would typically be a standard seated shot into a more memorable one.

The Story

Taking wedding photos is all about composing a story. There’s a beginning—the preparation, a middle—ceremony, portrait, and family shots, and an end—reception and dancing.  The story also follows a plot—so there will be formally posed shots. However, as in any story there are other components to give it a more relaxed flow.  

Be ready for candids. Capturing this flower girl smelling flowers adds whimsy to the event’s pictorial story.

• Often the unstaged shots end up being the best memories—you know, the ones of a flower girl smelling a flower, the groom and his groomsmen horsing around or out-of-the-box shots when the bridal party has fun doing something totally unconventional.

• Remember, people do not have to be looking directly into the camera all the time. Move around, shoot up or down or at an angle on faces and groups of people. I’m known for standing on chairs and tables on the sidelines for some great down-angle shots, whether close or far from my subjects.

• Don’t just shoot full figures—sometimes take just parts of bodies, such as a lineup of the bridesmaids showing off their shoes—from the shins down.

Shoot the  little details, like the bridal party's shoes.

• And speaking of details—remember to take close-ups of sections of the wedding gown, shots of hands buttoning or lacing up the bride's gown, of the wedding rings, bride’s shoes, bouquets, etc. Just keep shooting - remember it’s the little things that add up to a whole lot of fun and truly capture the story.

• Be as casual, calm and unobtrusive as possible; take as much time as you are allowed; and most of all, keep complimenting the bride, groom and guests, which will bring confidence to their expressions.

Rochelle Riservato is a journalist & photographer who has a degree in marketing and advertising from SUNY Farmingdale. For the past three decades she’s worked for many local and national publications. She was recently the recipient of an Outstanding Journalist/Media Presenter Award from the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT). Her photography has been showcased at Gallery 128 in Manhattan, The D&H Canal House Museum, and several Kingston, NY galleries. She photographs weddings, actor portraits, events and family portraitures. Her artistry can be seen at www.photosbyrochelle.com and she can be contacted via email at fotoro49@gmail.com.