Tài liệu 50 Top tips for wedding photography docx

His approach is to be amicable, fi tting in with and 3 Pose the bride For fl attering images of a bride, make sure she doesn’t have her arms bent a slight bend is best, but not straight

wedding photography

The wedding season is upon us, so sharpen up your skills with some insider knowledge from

the professionals Karl Foster speaks to fi ve of the UK’s leading wedding photographers, each of

whom has wisdom borne of long experience

Summer light too harsh? Turn it to your

advantage by making shadows a feature

of your photograph

JOE D MILES

THE SPONTANEOUS APPROACH

■ www.onlineweddings.co.uk

Joe D Miles of ImageCapture is one of the photographers with Online Weddings and he uses digital cameras on assignment He aims to capture spontaneous images that create an accurate portrayal of the wedding day His approach is to be amicable, fi tting in with and

3 Pose the bride

For fl attering images of a bride, make sure she doesn’t have her

arms bent (a slight bend is best, but not straight) while holding her

bouquet If possible, ask her to create an ‘S’ bend with her body, similar to

the way fashion models pose Look through women’s magazines like

Vogue and Cosmopolitan to see how the models pose to get an idea.

Techniq

1 Use a wide aperture

The use of the widest aperture that your lens

permits (for a narrow depth of fi eld) can create

a very appealing effect for wedding photography,

keeping your subject in focus while making the

background blurred – although you need to be sure you

focus accurately

2 Try slow-synch fl ash

If using fl ash, try as slow a shutter speed as

possible – 1/15th to 1/25th second, say – to

make the most of ambient lighting Try panning with

moving subjects while you fi re the fl ash to freeze the

subject and blur a distant background

4 Look for lines

Try to make the most of strong architectural

lines, such as pillars, for backdrops to your

wedding photographs Remember, if you sort out the

background, the foreground falls into place to create

the perfect composition Scout out the venue

beforehand to see which architectural elements might

work best

5 Use light

patterns creatively

If there are any interesting light patterns outside the church or register offi ce, you can use them to add impact and drama to your images Be aware, however, that such patterns may come and go as the day progresses, so you may have to work quickly to capture them

6 Frame the couple

When taking pictures of the bride and groom with their bridal car, try being creative by using the windows to frame them, or even jump inside the car, if it’s OK with them

7 Tilt the camera

Camera tilt adds a sense of motion to an image

This works on some shots very well – you don’t have to always keep the camera landscape or portrait format, be adventurous and align the composition lines at diagonals in the image to create impact As with all techniques don’t over do this – one

or two images is ample

8 Find the shade

If you’re shooting a wedding on a day with very strong sunshine, try to move the coup

or group into the shade for a better exposure, usin

fi ll-in, or forced fl ash to balance the scene You’ll fi the fi ll fl ash setting by cycling through the camera

fl ash modes

9 Add some blur

Try experimenting with pictures of the fi rst dance using a very slow shutter speed to g your images a sense of movement And, if possible only ambient light to accentuate the mood Again may need to increase the ISO sensitivity of the cam – although noise will become more obvious in dar indoor conditions

fl ash bracket

Attach your fl ash unit to a Strobefra bracket to lift the fl ash a few inches above the lens eliminating shadows on the subject The frame works on a hinge mechanism and enables you to move the fl ash for portrait shots or landscape form shots accordingly

MARK ROBINSON

THE LONG LENS APPROACH

Weddings don’t just happen in front of

you Look around for other photo

opportunities that may be behind you After all, you’ll

be looking at what your subjects can see, so if you’re

aiming to capture their memories of the day, look at

what they’re looking at

Try shooting from a low vantage point

Avoid crouching on your haunches,

however Such a stance makes you unsteady and you

may fi nd your shots ruined by camera shake If the

ground is dry, kneel down, or even lie down, in order to

stand a better chance of keeping the camera steady

Let other people take their photographs

and then capture the subjects as they

relax Formal, posed shots are OK for the record, but

when aiming to capture the emotion of the event,

people come across better in photos when they’re

happy, relaxed and unworried about people taking

pictures of them

Grain can add atmosphere and lack of

fl ash can keep attention from you

The last thing you want is for a fl ash to distract the

wedding guests, drawing attention to yourself The

high ISO settings used in low-light photography may

induce noise into the photos, which can give them a lot

of character

Long lenses keep you out of the action

as an observer They also create interesting perspective effects, which can add drama to photos Be careful to avoid camera shake that can be induced when wielding such lenses – a sturdy tripod is a handy accessory in such situations

the organisers

They know what’s actually happening, as opposed to what should be The organisers can tip you off about who’s going to be where and when, so it’s wise to consult them in order to be in the right place at the right time

18 Don’t be intrusive

If someone doesn’t want their phot taken, leave them alone There’s litt point in taking shots of people who don’t like bein front of the lens They’ll not look comfortable and you could end up causing offence With experienc you’ll get to recognise the signals that the camera-give out

19 Listen for laughter

Weddings are happy occasions, so

an ear out for laughter Shots in wh people look happy and relaxed work very well, so you ears as well as your eyes to monitor the dynam the wedding party and move in on where the merriment’s taking place

If it’s windy, face people into the w and get lots of movement The brid dress in particular can look wonderfully dynamic w there’s a breeze – its lines will fl ow out with the movement of air However, if you’re using a came with interchangeable lenses, get out of the wind w you’re changing them to avoid dirt blowing into th camera body

action He works alone, although he’s happy to work alongside a traditional photographer who c serve as a useful distraction.

12 Pay attention to detail

Look for the small stuff as well as the big picture Often, details may go unnoticed by the wedding guests, and yet when they see a detail shot, memories will come fl ooding back So be

aware of everything around you and don’t be afraid to photograph it

You’ll not be wasting any fi lm, after all…

ANDREW JOHN

THE CONSIDERED APPROACH

■ www.andrewjohnphotography.co.uk

Andrew John’s tagline is ‘your wedding, your style’ He’s won numerous

photographic awards for his unique wedding photographs and for his other

speciality, portraits As with many pro wedding photographers, he offers a

service which enables people to view and buy images online.

Techniq

If you smile at people, they smile back,

so make lots of eye contact Don’t hide

behind your camera Someone with a big lump of

technology permanently attached to their face can be

off-putting and you’ll likely end up missing a lot of

potentially excellent shots

After the ceremony, give the couple time

and space to be congratulated This

helps you when you come to the organised

photographs – people won’t keep coming up and

getting in your way as they attempt to pass on their

best wishes to the bride and groom

While the couple are busy being

congratulated, you can go round and

get some candid shots of the guests They’ll be happily

distracted and therefore more relaxed than when they

feel they have to pose for the camera The unobtrusive

Pre-focus and compose your subject through the lens, then get their attention

by talking or smiling at them – they won’t know you’re taking the photograph When they do realise, they’ll laugh and you can then take more natural-looking photographs The more relaxed people are, the better the shots will turn out

Don’t fi ght the rain, wind, people and time There’s always a way to get round

a problem, so think laterally As you become more confi dent and experienced, you’ll develop numerous ways of making the unexpected play into your hands, so exercise your problem-solving skills to the full

If it’s raining, use brollies It’s handy to have a white one and a black one in your car Get the couple walking with them, kissing each other and so on They make excellent props, and can

If people are in the background in places, just let them be there Sometimes it’s good to take pictures of strangers wishing them the best – take a look at wedding al

on Andrew John’s website titled ‘beach burbo ban was supposed to be a clear beach, but when he go there it was packed with people!

You should always have enough tim you don’t, you didn’t ask the right questions at the consultation Be aware of the sche

of the day, how you’re going to get from A to B an where the wedding party will be and when The disorganised photographer will miss out on key moments, so don’t let it be you

Wedding photography can be a lo fun, but not if you’re fretting abou camera or the light Relax and have a good time, j

21 Consult beforehand

Always have a pre-wedding consultation with the couple to get to know them and fi nd out what they want fi rst It’s

their day, not yours, so it’s wise to have a clear idea

of how they envisage the occasion Be polite and

don’t promise anything that you can’t deliver.

TONY @ DOCUWEDDING

THE REPORTAGE APPROACH

■ www.docuwedding.

Tony is a fully qualifi ed photojou regularly works for national broa newspapers and magazines; hen true expert at reportage photogr aims to be unobtrusive, capturin day without ordering people aro

31 Use your inside

knowledge of the family

to get shots

If some relatives haven’t seen each other for 20 years,

a shot of when they fi rst meet at the church could be

very emotional Think about the attendees and how

they get on, then use that knowledge to plan your

shooting schedule

people are eating

Don’t take pictures of people eating

They never look good and no one will thank you for it

You may as well pack away the camera during the meal

and have some food yourself while you wait for the

speeches, which provide far more opportunities for

good people shots

Don’t ‘chimp’ after each shot (chimping

is looking at the camera’s screen to check

your pictures) It uses up the batteries and takes your

eye off the action You’re better off reviewing the

photos en masse occasionally, being careful to delete

only those that you can’t feasibly use

When shooting indoors, bounce your

fl ash off the ceiling and balance the

exposure with the ambient light Bounced fl ash is far

more diffuse, so you won’t end up with those harsh

shadows that are characteristic of amateur snaps

To make sure you get a good confetti shot, take your own confetti Frame the shot and throw the confetti high in the air, not at the couple Try a small aperture (f11), slow shutter (15th) and fi ll-in fl ash Just make sure the wind isn’t blowing towards you, or you’ll look like an idiot

37 Listen for stories

When mingling with the guests listen out for someone telling a story There are typically numerous characters at the wedding, each with something to say, so let them warm up the crowd for you and be ready to capture their reactions

When you get back home, edit the pictures then edit them again Remove any shots in which the bride and groom don’t look at their best Retouch any blemishes from their faces, and

so forth Then edit the pictures again – only let people see the best shots, not hundreds of average ones

sharpen the shots

Turn off any automatic in-camera sharpening This is best done on the computer afte you’ve resized the images If possible, always shoo RAW format This transfers the data from the imag chip directly to memory without compressing it, although the fi le sizes will be much larger than wh shooting with JPEG capture, so you’ll need high-capacity memory cards, or a portable storage devi copy your images onto over dinner…

bright light

In bright sunlight, try to retain the

in the bride’s dress by underexposing by 1 EV and bringing the shot up to the correct exposure on the computer Digital cameras have excellent dynamic range, so shadow detail should be recoverable – it’ highlights which is where they tend to have proble Again, shooting in RAW as opposed to JPEG really helps in this situation

35 Tell a story

Adopt a photojournalistic approach – look for pictures th tell the story of the day The classic way is to get three pictures of each moment, not necessarily taken at the same time For example, a close up of the cake, a medium shot of the couple cutting th cake and then a wide angle of the guests’ reactions.

STEVE ASHTON

THE CONTEMPORARY APPROACH

■ www.steveashtonphotography.com

Steve and his wife Stephanie pride themselves on

customer care and have a contemporary approach

Techniq

Try to get a position in the church about

two or three rows back from the altar and

to the side of the bride and groom You can capture

some fantastic emotional images throughout the

ceremony And make sure you turn the camera’s sound

effects off so you don’t disturb people seated nearby

Think beforehand at what points you’ll

be able to capture emotional or funny

images – for example, during the ceremony itself, and

the couple’s interaction while register is being signed

This is often the fi rst time they’ve spoken together on

the day and their reactions can produce some

wonderful images

Never use direct fl ash – as well as

using an off-camera fl ash bar, place a

diffuser over the fl ash head Sto-fen’s white plastic caps

are affordable and great for helping fl ash pictures

(www.stofen.com) They soften the fl ash, reducing

those harsh shadows that can make photographs

look amateurish

Keep away from too many digital

effects on the camera If you want to

create a sepia print, or even solarize the happy couple,

shoot in colour as normal and convert the shot in an

image editor later If you shoot with special effects,

you’ll not be able to turn the image into a standard

colour shot afterwards

architecture

Use wide-angle lenses, or the

widest-angle setting of your compact, to capture interesting

graphic shapes The lines of a church’s interior can look spectacular when wide-angle lenses distort them Just avoid taking portraits with them – people’s faces will distort in a strange, bulbous way

Practice slow-sync fl ash methods, which can transform interior shots The camera’s fl ash will fi re to illuminate foreground subjects and the shutter will stay open longer so that the background’s properly exposed Rest your camera on a tripod, though, otherwise you’ll introduce unwanted motion blur

Where possible, try high angles (or low ones) to get shots that are different from those taken by the rest of the guests Most people will shoot from head height, so get on a chair, table or

windowsill to make your compositions stand out fr the rest

Watch for reaction from the bride groom during the best man’s spee This can be the funniest point in the whole day, so

an eye on their faces as he talks When the inevita funny stories start coming out, the couple’s reactio will be well worth capturing

Make good use of the camera’s exposure lock – yours may have an AE-L button, or it can be locked by half-depressing shutter – and take spot meter readings from faces ensure you get the correct exposure People are automatically drawn to faces in a photo, so you do want them under- or overexposed ■

Where possible, use a refl ector and natural light They’re cheap, you can clearly see the effect and it’s better than fl ash The refl ector helps to reduce the harsh shadows caused by strong, directional light, which is particularly handy when aiming to take fl attering portraits.