my friend is getting married on saturday,she has asked me to do the getting ready pics and play second fiddle to the main photographer for the main event,the second bit i am fine with,i shall just sneak about with either the 18-55 or the 55-200 lens on taking candid shots but the getting ready pics i'm bricking it about as they are such a personal part of the day and i am wholly responsible for capturing it and i don't want to let her down,i'm going to check my kit bag the night before and make sure my battery is fully charged,might even take the charger as i don't have a spare but it usually lasts quite a long time and i will have spare memory cards so i don't miss shots because i have run out of storage space,does anyone have any tips or advice of what i should focus on capturing,is there anything you wish you had a pic of from your big day that didn't get taken?
Good luck sally! I am sure you will do a fab job:-) I never had any of the getting ready pics on my day - i wish i had. I have seen quite a few nice ones - like the bride applying lippy while looking in the mirror - down to quirky shots like alice in wonderland holding a clock lol. Have a google or look on hitched website for some ideas x
just dont panic click away and dont tell ppl to look direct into cam look past it...if you worry you mess up oh and dont drink to much....i done the only wedding i ever went to one in my life lol i dont like them..but it was my bro so had to ...but they came out great
I think the first thing I'd say is get an extra battery if possible. I wouldn't want to be caught off guard or have to wait for a battery to charge. The second thing would be to ask the bride what she's thinking she'd like for the "getting ready shots" so that you have a starting place. If she doesn't have any preferences, then go for the main things first (Mom & bride, Dad & bride, bridesmaids, maid/matron of honor- etc.) I took some for a friend a few years ago. It seemed that putting on the veil was important, zipping up the dresses, hair, things that made them laugh. I had one shot of all the girls in the limo on the way to the church they loved, and one of the bride and her mom that even the professional photographer forgot to take. I had a mental check list, but mostly just shot whatever I saw that looked like something to remember- even closeups of the bouquets, shoes on the floor, wedding decorations, all that good stuff. I'm sure you'll do fine- wishing you success!
i don't really have funds for a new battery,i will charge mine during the service if necessary as the main photographer will do those pics and i will sit and enjoy watching them get married ;)
I would suggest checking on Amazon for a replacement camera battery since they are usually cheaper than walking into places like Best Buy. As for shots, the recommendations above are good. I would recommend googling wedding photography select images to get ideas. Good luck!
i have just looked on amazon,and ordered another battery for back up,it isn't nikon branded but the reviews are good and it was in my budget so hopefully it will arrive on time and be ok
http://www.katesmeda.com/
Kate is my all time favourite wedding photographer, check her out. Just relax and get in the moment. Capture the fun!! Good luck.
from a friends wedding- her fav shot was getting ready with her bridesmaids and one of the bridesmaids had done something daft and she caught them in full laughter- looked fantastic.
another good one is to get the bride in front of the window with reflection.
one more is use different angles i saw a great shot which the camera must have been on the floor pointing up at the bride- great angle
ask both the bride and groom for 3 photos they really want but dont know how to ask for and try and get the shots
if you have a swivel flash - point it at the walls behind you to bounce the flash at subject and as soon as you get there take some test shots for light and exposure :)
I have been doing some research on wedding photography as I also have a friends wedding coming up and they have asked me the same thing as your friend. I found this website http://weddings.about.com/od/photographer/a/Photogchecklist.htm
and it has a check list of photos that should be taken for a wedding ie:
Wedding Photography Shots Before the Ceremony
___ Wedding dress lying over a chair
___ Zipping up or buttoning the wedding dress
___ Mother of the bride fastening the bride's necklace
___ The bride's garter
___ The bride's veil
___ A close up of the bride's shoes peeking out from under the dress
___ Bride looking into a mirror
___ Bride looking out window
and so on. I think this would be a good start for knowing what to take and you can even print it off and take it with you.
Hope this helps :)
Sally, just relax and have fun! Think of what pictures you would want and go with it! My friend dragged me along to her first wedding shoot and as neither of us were pros, we both were very nervous! But it turned out to be a lot of fun. We got typical shots of the bridesmaids getting ready, shoes, dresses, garter, flowers, etc. If the flower girls are also there, they can usually help the wedding party to relax and loosen up so no one will be looking at you. And since it's your friend's wedding, just go in the room like you're there to hang out initially and have them warm up to you being there for a few minutes. Everyone will ease up and you'll get lots of relaxed pictures! Good luck... but most of all, have fun! :)
Hey Sally, I was asked the exact same thing for a friend's wedding in France recently. My suggestion is to relax and have fun. Keep a clear head - check your images after you shoot to ensure they are in focus and exposed correctly - don't just shoot madly (which is the temptation, believe me!). Hide yourself in a corner and aim to capture the moment.
Photos of the objects of the day (shoes, lipstick, perfume, champagne glass) are great - these are things the bride has chosen especially and will make great fillers if you do an album for her.
Play around with your white balance to ensure you have captured the dress in the right shade of white. I shot RAW so that I could adjust if needed, but getting it right in the camera means less post-processing down the track.
One set of shots I liked was when I hid in a stairwell and shot down through the bannisters. I got some lovely candid shots and also played around with DOF, some shots with the bride completely blurred out and framed through the bannister for something different.
It is a big honour and you will enjoy it - remember the bride has asked you because obviously she loves your photography - so stay true to your style and she will be sure to love it.
Oh - and keep telling the bride and bridesmaid that they look gorgeous! You'll get great big smiles and it helps relax nervous women no end.
Good luck!
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I really admire her work. Its simple and sweet! maybe you can pick some tips from her!
Kate is my all time favourite wedding photographer, check her out. Just relax and get in the moment. Capture the fun!! Good luck.
Good luck and I'm sure you'll do great!
from a friends wedding- her fav shot was getting ready with her bridesmaids and one of the bridesmaids had done something daft and she caught them in full laughter- looked fantastic.
another good one is to get the bride in front of the window with reflection.
one more is use different angles i saw a great shot which the camera must have been on the floor pointing up at the bride- great angle
ask both the bride and groom for 3 photos they really want but dont know how to ask for and try and get the shots
if you have a swivel flash - point it at the walls behind you to bounce the flash at subject and as soon as you get there take some test shots for light and exposure :)
good luck
you will do fine
dont be afriad
sneak around - even shoot through windows for those candids of the bride and groom when they think no-ones looking- always end up favs
your neices photographs are amazing- perfect shots
and it has a check list of photos that should be taken for a wedding ie:
Wedding Photography Shots Before the Ceremony
___ Wedding dress lying over a chair
___ Zipping up or buttoning the wedding dress
___ Mother of the bride fastening the bride's necklace
___ The bride's garter
___ The bride's veil
___ A close up of the bride's shoes peeking out from under the dress
___ Bride looking into a mirror
___ Bride looking out window
and so on. I think this would be a good start for knowing what to take and you can even print it off and take it with you.
Hope this helps :)
Photos of the objects of the day (shoes, lipstick, perfume, champagne glass) are great - these are things the bride has chosen especially and will make great fillers if you do an album for her.
Play around with your white balance to ensure you have captured the dress in the right shade of white. I shot RAW so that I could adjust if needed, but getting it right in the camera means less post-processing down the track.
One set of shots I liked was when I hid in a stairwell and shot down through the bannisters. I got some lovely candid shots and also played around with DOF, some shots with the bride completely blurred out and framed through the bannister for something different.
It is a big honour and you will enjoy it - remember the bride has asked you because obviously she loves your photography - so stay true to your style and she will be sure to love it.
Oh - and keep telling the bride and bridesmaid that they look gorgeous! You'll get great big smiles and it helps relax nervous women no end.
Good luck!