Professional Wedding Photography Tips

Being asked to cover your first wedding as a professional photographer can be nerve wracking.  Your first crack at a professional wedding photography engagement should go smoothly as long as you keep your calm and pay attention to what you are doing.

Here are a few tips to make your first engagement a successful one.

First arrange a meeting with the couple whose wedding you are going to cover.  This is the time to ask them the following questions:

Do they have a list of shots or moments during the wedding that they want to be given special emphasis?

Ask for a shoot list if they have any.

Ask how they want their wedding covered.

Do they prefer the traditional style or do they prefer the contemporary approach?

Ask them to give you the name and contact details of their wedding coordinator so that you can direct any further questions you have to him or her.

Set a schedule with them for their pre nuptial photo session if they desire one.

Next, scout out the location of the wedding and, if you have been asked to cover it, the reception too.  This is so that you will have an idea about the lighting conditions of the place as well as potential locations and angles for your shots.  This will also give you an idea on how long it will take for you get to the venue of the wedding and not get lost on your way there.

Being late for your first professional wedding photography engagement will not make a good impression on your clients and you may miss out on the important parts that they want recorded.

Try to get an assistant to help you cover the event.  Having someone to either help you shoot photos or just help you carry your equipment around will make things much easier for you to do your job well.

Prior to the wedding, check your equipment.  Make sure your camera is working properly, your batteries fully charged, that your lenses are in proper order, and that your memory card or chip has ample space.  If you can, some professional photographers bring two cameras—one fitted with a wide angle lens and another with a longer zoom lens to allow them to take different kinds of photos without having to pause and change lenses.

Finally, keep in mind that no matter how much or well you prepare for the event there will always be some hitches that will occur.

Weddings are rarely carried out exactly according to plan. Be flexible and adapt to last minute changes that may occur.