By : Nikon School Blog | 26 Dec, 2018 |
A wedding is one of the most important events in the life of the bride and groom, and photographers perhaps have the most important job of preserving all the memories of the event for them. Shoot responsibly and always be prepared! However, the wedding photographer's job is not just to capture these memories, but to create amazing and emotional stories out of them that will bring back the emotions of the wedding every time the images are seen.
Here's a few tips on creating amazing wedding stories that will live on forever.
Capture the moments
EXIF: Nikon D5 | 35mm 1.4G | 35mm | 1/320s | f/1.8 | ISO 160
The best known wedding photographers specialize in capturing the most emotional moments in a wedding. The impact of carefully chosen moments filled with emotions is much more than plain documentation. Whether it's a groom laughing with his brothers, or a bride crying in the arms of her mother, moments like these are the key ingredients of an amazing wedding story.
Get close
EXIF: Nikon D850 | 14-24mm 2.8G | 14mm | 1/800s | f/2.8 | ISO 100
For the personal moments, you can choose to go on a close-up. But sometimes you can go close even on a wide lens and get an action shot like this.
Know the bride
EXIF: Nikon D850 | 105mm 1.4E | 105mm | 1/160s | f/1.6 | ISO 800
The star of the wedding is the bride. Period. She is the one who will smile, laugh, and cry and you must capture all of that in your story. It's her elegant dresses and jewellery which will be the key visual element in most of your images. So, make sure you know the bride well in advance and strike up a rapport with her. This will help you get the kind of images that will make the wedding story memorable.
Family and friends
EXIF: Nikon D750 | 24mm f/1.4G | 24mm | 1/200s | f/3.2 | ISO 1000
Of course, the bride is the star of the show, followed by the groom. But due importance has to be given to key family members and friends too. Learn about them beforehand if possible. Take their help in setting up scenes or shots. Being related to the couple, they can get things done better than you.
Have a concept
EXIF: Nikon D850 | 35mm 1.4G | 35mm | 1/200s | f/1.8 | ISO 640
Have a concept ready. Will the story be more formal, or emotional, or have fun elements too? Discuss this with your clients well in advance to gauge their expectations. If you have some specific concept in mind, like using off camera flashes or some specific compositions, prepare and set up your equipment well in advance and discuss it with the couple. On the day, there won't be much time for creative thinking.
Planning
How many lenses would you need? How many camera bodies? How many flashes? All these are vital questions to ask, so having a sound plan is crucial. Having the right number of photographers and equipment in the team is key to achieving the shots that will make a fantastic wedding story. Also, have a plan B ready to make up for any mishaps.
Play with Lighting
EXIF: Nikon D5 | 85mm 1.4G | 85mm | 1/250s | f/2.5 | ISO 1250
Lighting is one of the areas you can be creative in when shooting a wedding story. While head on flash use is practical and simple, off camera flash and bounced light produce more soothing and creative results. Try using available or external light to suit the mood of your images.
Practical creativity
Often, the urge to be creative can result in images which only the photographer appreciates. Experienced wedding photographers limit themselves to only those shots that matter to the whole wedding story. Creative images are always welcome, but they should ultimately contribute to the wedding story.
The venue
EXIF: Nikon D850 | 70-200mm 2.8E FL | 70mm | 1/500s | f/2.8 | ISO 100
The venue in any wedding is the canvas on which the wedding story is played on. As photographers, you are responsible to maintain the ambience and give due importance to the venue and its minute details. Your wedding story must have the right number of images showing the grandeur of the venue and details of the decoration.