If you’re just about to start shooting weddings, you’re probably looking for ways to improve and how to get the basics right.
It’s one of those things that looks really simple on the surface, but it can be much more complicated than you think.
However, you don’t need to get too frustrated by it because a few simple tips will have you moving in the right direction and improving your skills in no time at all.
So, read on to find out about the 5 wedding photography tips that you need to know before you shoot your first wedding.
- Get the Right Gear and Understand How to Get the Most Out of It
You need to know your gear well before you can use it successfully at your first wedding shoot. Assuming you already have a camera and all of the accessories you need, such as memory cards, extra batteries, various lenses, and cloths, you should spend time familiarising yourself with them.
Understand all of the various settings, what they mean and what kind of results they produce. That way, you’ll be able to find the right effects on the day.
2. Assist Another Wedding Photographer First
Rather than diving in at the deep end, it definitely makes sense to assist another wedding photographer if this is not something that you’ve done before.
Find someone who you can follow around for a while and get an idea of what they do during the wedding shoot. Those little habits, routines and techniques that you’ll pick up from the experienced professionals will help you when you start to do this professionally.
You can also learn how to schedule a complete wedding day timeline that can help you learn more about the process of shooting a wedding.
3. Practice on Friends
Practicing on friends is also a good idea because it provides you with a safe way to have a trial run when the stakes are low. It doesn’t matter if you mess up if you’re doing a fake shoot with some helpful friends who are posing for you.
This is where you can practice, make mistakes and then learn from them going forward. It’s about making sure that you make mistakes now rather than on the job later.
4. Scout the Location
Scouting out the location is also a wise idea. So, when you know where your first wedding shoot is going to be and how it’s going to pan out, simply head there and see what the place offers.
You can then decide on some positions to use and shot compositions ahead of time. It gives you an immediate advantage and means you’ll be better prepared on the big day.
5. Create a Shot List
Finally, you should create a shot list. What kind of shots do you want to achieve when shooting the wedding?
You want to make sure that you capture each aspect of the day and see things from all angles. This will ensure your clients have a wider range of photos to choose from and use later.
If you are searching for venues around Sydney, make sure that it had good reviews, also check the place yourself before the wedding day to visualize the photoshoots.
Now that you understand the importance of these 5 tips, you can put them into action and feel the benefits. If you do, your first wedding shoot will go just as smoothly and successfully as you want it to.
Another way to learn is by following other wedding photographers to learn from their style, a good example is Perfect Moment wedding photography, they have an inspiring collective of wedding stories.